The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-13 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 12.
. _

The SPBAKEIt took the Chair at Four o'Clock.
Papers from the Poor-law Commissioners and returns
from the Bank of England were presented.
POOR-LAWS.
Mr. WALKER presented a petition from the Poor-
law Guardians of Bury, praying for an alteration in the
bastardy clause of thWe Poor-law Act.
INDOW-TAX.
Mr. W. LASCELLES presented a petition from the
licensed victuallers of Wakefield, praying to be relieved
from the window-tax.
Mr. SMYTHE presented a petition to the same effect
from Canterbury.
THE PROPOSED DUTY ON COAL.

R
H tpiee snefortnoel.l a petitkW Newcastle-on-
Tyne, tle-on-
osed increase in the duty on coal
Mr.
imppor
presented a petition to the same effect
t ea°dg
uai so r
from Gateshead.
ST. ASAPII AND BANGOR.
Lord CLIVE presented a petition against the union
of these two sees.
CAMBRIDGE ELECTION.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented a petition from Mr. James
Coppock; praying that the evidence taken before the
Cambridge Election Committee might be produced as
evidence in a certain action now pending in the Court of
Queen's Bench.
The petition having been read,
Mr. m. GIBSON made a motion in conformity with
the prayer of the petition, which was agreed to.
Lord G. Somerset, Sir Geo. Grey, and Mr. Wilson
Patten were sworn at the table as Members of the Com-
mittee of Selection for Election Petitions.
THE LATE OUTRAGE AT BRIGHTON.
Capt. PECHELL said that, seeing the Right Hon.
Gentleman, the Secretary at War in his place, he
wished to draw his attention to a question which he put
to him on Saturday, regarding an outrage committed by
a body of soldiers in Brighton upon the property and
persons of some of the inhabitants. He wished to
know if the Right Hon. Gentleman had received any in-
formation whether such steps would be taken by the
Horse Guards as would prevent the recurrence of such
practices?
Sir H. HARDINGE said he found by the papers
that the quarrel alluded to by the Right Hon. Gentleman
originated in a soldier being obstructed and assaulted
by three or four men, inhabitants of Brighton. He
called to his companions for assistance, who turned out
and pursued the men, who took refuge in a house the
property of which they destroyed. It was impossible to
vindicate the violence and outrage which took place on
the occasion. Their conduct was most improper ; but, as
the regiment volunteered to give compensation to the
person whose property was destroyed, and as one of the
parties stood accused of an assault and riot, it would not
be necessary for him to .enter into the details of the sub-
ject. In order to prevent a recurrence of such violence,
the Horse Guards would take the necessary steps.
WOOD PAVEMENT.
Mr. HUME wished to ask the Noble Lord, the Chief
Commissioner of the Woods and Forests, whether it
was intended to pave George-street, Westminster, White-
hall, and Parliament-street, with wood ?
Lord LINCOLN said that the Commissioners of Woods
and Forests were not the sole Paving Commissioners
for Westminster. lie believed that the inhabitants
of the streets alluded to had applied to the Commis-
sioners to have those streets paved with wood, but the
answer had been that the Commissioners would not
entertain any proposal for the extension of the wood
pavement at present. He believed that the whole sub-
ject would be taken into consideration after Easter.

NOTICES OF MOTION.
Mr. FERRAND gave notice that, on the motion of the
Hon. Member for Stockport, for a Select Committee to
inquire into the operation of the import duties being pro-
posed, he should move, as an amendment, that the Com-
mittee be also directed to inquire into the effect produced
upon the wages of the manufacturing operatives by the im-
migration of agricultural labourers into the manufacturing
districts at the requisition of the mill-owners; also, if the
representations which had been made to those labourers
to induce them to immigrate were true, and if the agree-
ments entered into with them had been fulfilled; and
also the effect which the increase of machinery had
produced upon the wages of the manufacturing operatives.
Mr. S. WORTLEY gave notice of his intention to
move amendments to certain clauses in the Factories Bill.
Sir CHARLES NAPIER gave notice that on the mo-
tion being put that the House do resolve itself into a
Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates, he should
direct the attention of the House to the constitution of
the Board of Admiralty.
Mr. WALLACE postponed his motion for an instruc-
tion to the Committee on Railways till this day week.
He also postponed his motion on the question being put
that the House do resolve itself into a Committee of
Supply until Monday next.
Mr. HUME postponed his motion for a Select Com-
mittee to inquire into the isubject of smuggling- until