The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-25 00:00:00

Capt. PECHELL complained that the prizes taken
by the cruisers were not divided amongst the officers and
crews, but were applied to other purposes, such as the
maintainance of the captured negroes.
After a short conversation the vote was agreed to.
On the vote of 24,0001. for defraying the expenses of
Commissions established for the suppression of the slave-
trade being proposed,
Capt. PECHELL said the Government ought to do
everything in their power to facilitate the advancement
of those who were engilged in the unhealthy employ-
ment of suppressing the slave-trade.
Mr. HUME said the attempt to suppress the slave
trade was an entire failure, and had only added to th
horrors of the traffic in slaves. Sir T. F. Buxton had
even admitted it. They had no business to interfere
with the conduct of other nations, and thereby run the
risk of endangering the peace of the world. The time
was come when they should alter the whole course of
their policy in this respect.
Captain PECHELL said there was a great deal of
truth in the observations of his Hon. Friend. He un-
derstood the Government were now about to blockade the
whole coast of Africa. He was glad of it, and he was
also rejoiced that a different class of vessels was to be
employed in the service. Those which were at present
emrluyed were totally unfit for the service.
The vote was then agreed to.
On the vote of 107,300/. being proposed to defray the
expenses of the consular establishment abroad,
Mr. WILLIAMS-complained that there were consuls
in places with which they had no trade whatever, as, for
instance, in Warsaw. What business had they with a
consul in Paris, when they had an ambassador, a secre-
tary of legation, and two attaclifi4 to whom they paid
13,000/. ? Then there was a consul at Marseilles, who
received a salary of 550/. a year, and besides this, he
charged every Englishman a certain sum for signing his
passport. He had been there about five years ago, and,
before he could get his passport signed, lie had to pay
Bs., and he was shown an Act of Parliament under which
the money was levied. Then with respect to Lisbon the
case was almost the same. At that place they had a
consul receiving 600/. a year, and a vice-consul 3001. a
year. Then, again, with respect to Constantinople, they
had an ambassador, consul, vice-consul, altogether re-
ceiving 15,0001. a year. Then, again, they had consuls
at Jerusalem and Tunis, none of whom were of the least
use. Ile trusted that some explanation would be given
of the causes of these appointments.
Sir G. CLERK defended the appointments that had
taken place, and argued that they were necessary.
After some observations from Mr. Hume, the Chan-
cellor of the) Exchequer, Captain Pechell, Sir G. Clerk,
and other Members, the vote was agreed to.
On the proposal to grant 20,000/. for extraordinary
expenses of embassies at foreign courts,
Mr. WILLIAMS said that a reduction might be made
in all the items making up this amount without the least
injury to the public service.
After a short discussion the vote was agreed to.
On the proposal to grant 85,000/. to defray the charges
for superannuations and compensations forsthe abolition
of civil offices,

Mr. WILLIAMS complained of the superannuations
as being disproportionate to theprevious amount of salary,
and to the services rendered.
The vote was agreed to, after a desultory conversation.
6,2001. was voted fur allowances to officers, widow. 4,
and ophans.
1,8501. was voted for the expenses of the national
vaccine establishments.

POLAND.

On the vote that 12,100/. be granted to her Majesty,
for the relief of the Polish refugees in this country,
Mr. HUME said that he never could allow that vote
to be proposed, without expressing his entire condem-
nation of the conduct of this country towards the Poles.
He regarded the Government of this country as crimi-
nal as the Emperor of Russia, for the countenance
which they had given to him in his treatment of the
Pules. --([fear, hear.)
The vote was then agreed to.
The next vote was agreed to without disciission, viz.,
4,9791 for defraying sundry allowances connected with
the civil list.
On the following.vote being read-2,1541. to pay cer-
tain charities, allowances, and other charges in Scot-
land, formerly defrayed from the hereditary revenue.
Mr. HUME objected to the vote. He thought that
persons were excluded from its benefit who needed it
more than those who partook of it, and that, on the
whole, those pensions to literary men did not advance
literature.
Sir R. PEEL defended the grant, and pointed out
such persons as Professors Airie and Owen, and Mrs.
Somerville, who had promoted scientific knowledge, as
especially entitled to the Royal bounty. There could
not be, he thought, mere deserving objects of relief
from the public funds than the relatives of such men, for
instance, as Burns, the poet, two of whose female rela-
tives, and a descendant of the founder of Heriot's cha-
ritable institution, had been saved from distress.
Mr. WAKLEY objected to Professors Owen being paid
out of the public funds, when he was the officer of so rich
an establishment as;:the College of Surgeons, that could
afford to remunerate him for his services.
Sir R. PEEL said that on inquiring he had been in-
formed that there was no man of science in the kingdom
who so merited the small pecuniary reward which he
received from the Crown as Professor Owen ; that in
fact since the days of Cuvier there was no man who had
so contributed to advance the' science of comparative
anatomy.
Mr. HAWES drew attention to the case of the eldest
son of Sir J. Soane, who, with his children, was now
destitute, though his father had left the bulk of his pro •
perty to the national museum.
Mr. HUME said the case of the descendants of
George Heriot ought to make the Government institute
an inquiry into the manner in which these bequests were
administered. lie believed George Heriot left his for
tune for charitable purposes, under the belief that lie
had no is lations existing. The foundation was well
able to afford ten times the amount to his descendants
which they received from the Crown, and instead of
granting the public money to them, because they were
relatives, the Right Hon. Baronet should have seen
them provided for out of their ancestor's property.
With respect to the case of Mr. Soane, he knew that a
great part of Sir J. Soane's property was left to the
children, but in such a manner that they could not make
away with it.
Mr. lIAWES explained, that to a certain extent Sir
J. Soane provided for the rest of his children during his
life, but he left the larger portion of his fortune to the
Museum, and to his eldest son he left nothing. There
had, unhappily, been a long alienation and qaarrel be-
tween them, and this son and his children were now
quite destitute. As reference had been made to the
relatives of Heriot, he had thought it right that the case
of the son of Sir J. Soane should be mentioned.
The vote was then agreed to.
The following votes were agreed to without discussion:
—6,767/. for the Foundling Hospital, Dublin; 13,5291.
for the House of Industry, Dublin ; 1,0001 for the
Female Orphan Asylum, Dublin; 2,5001. for the West-
moreland Lock Hospital, Dublin; 1,000/. for the Lying-
in Hospital, Dublin; 1,5001 for St. Stephen's Hospital,
Dublin; 3,000/. for the House of Recovery from Fever,
Cork-street, Dublin; 500/. for the hospital of Incurables,
Dublin; 700/. for the salary of the Commissioners of
Charitable Trusts (Ireland). On the last vote,
Mr. HUME said he hoped that some similar ma-
chinery as this Commission would be adopted in England.
On 35,000/. being proposed for the allowances to non-
conforming Protestant ministers in Ireland,
Mr. HUME made an objection, but did not divide the
Committee, and the vote was agreed to.
7,340/ was then granted for charitable allowances
(Ireland), and 5,000/. for the expenses of the county
survey.
On a vote of 2,5971. being proposed for the expenses
of the Shannon Navigation Improvement Commission,
Mr. F. FRENCH expressed a hope that the Govern-
ment would grant some inquiry into the working of this
Shannon Commission. It inflicted great hardship upon
many •of the Irish counties, which were unjustly taxed to
defray the expenses of the Shannon improvement.
Colonel SIBTIIORP agreed: that there ought to be
some inquiry into this, which was the job of jobs. It
was the greatest job ever perpetrated by the late Go-
vernment, and it was only to benefit the lands of two
Noble Lords, proprietors in the county of Limerick, one
of whom had held the office of Chancellor of the Exche-
quer. He should be delighted to show up this job, and
he would vote against every future grant.
Mr. REDINGTON defended the vote. Inquiry could
add nothing to the knowledge which they had pos-
sessed on the subject at the time the Commission had
been already voted. He believed that the improvement
of the navigation of the Shannon was a subject of
national importance, and he was prepared to support the
vote which he had originally given in favour of the ap-
pointment of this Commission.
After a few words from Mr. lIUME, the vote was
agreed to.
The vote of 1,330/ for the repairs of the Ambassa-
dor's house in Paris, was then agreed to.
A vote of 10,0001. for rebuilding the Ambassador's
house in Constantinople, was agreed to, after a few
words from- Mr. COLLETT.
A vote of 30,000/. for the expenses of the steam
navigation to India, by way of the Red Sea, was agreed
to without discussion.
On a vote of 16,000/. being proposed for the expenses
of the militia and volunteers in Canada,
Mr. lIUME asked why the country should be called
upon to pay for the support of the militia and volunteers
of Canada ? lie must object to any more money being
granted for Canada.
Lord STANLEY defended the vote.
Mr. HUME would take the sense of the Committee
on the vote.
The Committee then divided on the vote, when there
appeared—
For the vote .
Against it 7
Majority in favour of the vote
The vote was then agreed to.
A vote of 4,1591 was then proposed to defray the ex-
penses of the London University.—Granted.
A vote of 3,1871 was next proposed to defray the ex-
penses of the Scotch Universities.—Granted.
A vote of 300/. was then proposed to defray the ex
penses of the Royal Irish Academy.—Granted.
A vote of 5,820/. was next proposed to defray the ex-
penses of the Royal Dublin Society.—Granted.
A vote of 2,1001 was next proposed to defray the ex-
penses of the Royal Belfast Academic Institution.—
Granted.
The next vote was 4,630/. to defray the expenses of
two buildings attached to the British Museum.—Granted.
The next vote was 3,145!. to defray the expenses of
collections for the same establishment.—Granted.
The next vote was 1,5001. to defray the expenses of
the National Gallery.—Granted.
'The next vote was 200/. to defray the expenses of the
Museum of Economic Geology.—Granted.
The next vote was 7,235/. to defray the expenses of
astronomical observations in Van Diemen's Land, and
in other parts of ottr colonies,—Granted.