The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-22 00:00:00

CHINA.

(From the Overland Friend of China of the 30th Jan.)
During the past month the weather has been cold,
damp, and cheerless. A sad accident, which deprived
society cf one of its brightest ornaments, led to the
postponement of the races and otter projected gaieties
which in this climate aro so beneficial to the European
constitution, impaired, more or less, by the excessive
heat of the summer mouths. We allude to the death of
Mr. W. F. Gray.
Public attentio❑ is directed to contemplated changes
in the Legislative Council—to the proposed formation of
a town council, and to recent legislation.

The Chinese have delivered t, the Macao authorities
the head and hand of their late Governor. Fur parti-
culars we refer to the supplement.
Canton and Shanghai markets are satisfactory. The
sales of imports are large, at improved rates.
From the outports there is no news of importance.
With the exception of Canton and Shanghai, there is
little intercourse with the five ports. Ningpo and Fuo-
chow-foo are little more than missionary stations.
Recently a British merchant sett!ed at the latter port, to
give it a trial; at the former port there used to be two or
three agents, but for some time back there has been only
one.

DESTRUCTION OF RATS BY PHOS-
PHORUS.
(From the Gardeners' Chronicle, March 16.)

Having already detailed at some considerable length,
in your paper of Feb. 9, the success—l may say the
complete success—of my experiments in the destruc-
tion of a colony of rats by the use of carbonate of
barytes, I will now, according to promise, tell you
how to handle with unfailing effect, under certain
circumstances, another fatal weapon—phosphorus. I
publish this at once, and through the medium of your
columns, for a most particular reason. Very consi-
derable attention has been directed to the subject, by
the quotation in nearly every paper in the kingdom
of my two several contributions to the Gardeners'
Chronicle of January 12 and Feb. 9. This has
brought me such a multitude of letters, every
successive post adding to their number, and
has involved me by consequenc3 in so ex-
tensive and serious a correspondence, that I
positively begin to despair of ever again being in
equilibrio. I can only hope for repose by seeking
the aid of the press, whose power of extending infor •
mation I can, alas ! but too feelingly vouch tor ;
and which power I trust to their generosity again
to accord me, " seeing the peculiar " fix " in
which I am placed. Their timely assistance will
prevent the necessity for providing myself
with an amanuensis, Male, revenons (1 nos
Rats The phosphoric compound is as follows :
I have purposely divided the materials into small
quantities; according to the number of the enemy to
be vanquished, they must be lessened or increased.
Procure of lard, or dripping, a quarter of a pound, of
phosphorus 1 drachm, of spirit of wine 1 gill ; place
the whole of these in a pint wine bottle, thoroughly
cleansed previous to use. This should be covered, up
to its neck, or rather middle, with hot water, which may
be managed by putting the bottle into a saucepan
deep enough to hold it; and by gradually heating
the water. When the lard or dripping is dissolved,
remove the bottle from the water, cork it firmly, and
shake it until the contents are thoroughly incorpo-
rated. When cool, pour off the spirit of wine. By
this time, the " charm " will have nearly been
" worked." Little more remains to be done.
Procure some wheaten flour, and having
rubbed sugar into it, warm the contents of
the " charmed" bottle, and pour sufficient
from it to make the whole into a paste of ordinary
consistence Flavouring the above is the " seventh
bullet," the master-piece. To this much attention must
be paid. Get some oil of rhodium and some oil of ani-
seed, both powerful oils ; and dividing your dough into
two portions, " charm" the one half with rhodium,
the other with aniseed. The quantity of oil requisite
is very trifling. Having made up the paste into a
number of small globular pieces (like marbles), place
them carelessly wherever the rats abound, and the ex-
istence of the latter will soon become a mere "matter
of history." I need only add, that when rats are run-
ning about, and revelling in an abundance of animal
food, the barytes only must be used in conjunction
with garbage, fish, the entrails of rabbits, poultry, &c.
These, if untouched by the human hand, are subtle
emissaries, and deal destruction right and left.
Where, on the contrary, the rats have little to prey
upon in the form of flesh, phosphorus, cooked as per
receipt, will be esteemed a dainty luxury, worthy of
our own Soyer, and they will sit down to it with the
appetite of a London alderman. Would, for their
sakes, that their digestion were equally good ! I
should he glad to have it in my power to rat ify the
fact.—William Kidd, Sanders' Cottage, New-road,
Hammersmith, March 13.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF; COM ;lONS, March 21.
PETITIONS.

Mr. DUFF presented a petition frem Banffshire,
praying for the ceiEntion of Sunday labour in the Post-

Mr. FERGUS presented a petition from Fife against
the Marriage Affinity Bill; also several petitions from
Fifeihire complaining of the postal communication with
that county.
Mr. BUSFEILD presented petitions from Bingley,
and other places in Lancashire, complaining of the relay
system in factories.
Mr. DUNCOMBE presented similar petitions from
factory workers in places in Lancashire.
Mr. WYLD presented a petition from the borough of
Bodinin praying that the tithe rent charge may be com-
puted at the average annual price of corn.

Mr. OGLE pre:eated a petition from the Bellingham
Unica., in Northumberland, in favour of union settlements
and rating.

Mr. IC BERKELEY presented a petition from Mr.
Stuart Williams, the proprietor of the Bristol Mercury,
praying fur a repeal of the tax on advertisements.
Sir GEORGE PECHELL presented a petition from
Brighton praying for a repeal of the taxes on news-
papers and advertisements.

RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF LAND.
(Continued from our Fourth Edition of last night.)
Mr. CHARTERIS did not rise to prolong the discus-
sion, but he wished to ask a question of the Hon. Mem-
ber for Montrose. The Hon. Member had stated that
the law of primogeniture led to the maintenance of large
military and naval establishments, for the purpose of sup-
porting the younger sous of the aristocracy. He wished
to ask the Hon. Member whether he would be satisfied
with au ensign's commission as his only means of sup-
port in life.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.)
Mr. HUME.—I am too old.—(Great laughter.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER who
spoke chiefly with his Lack to the gallery, and was con-
sequently very imperfectly heard, said that the motion
of the Honourable Member comprehended two subjects
—first, facilities for the transfer of landed property, and
secondly, an alteration in the state of the law as to the
division of real property. He was not prepared to say
that the first object of the motion was one which ought
not to be supported, but Lion. Gentlemen would remem-
ber that this subject had been referred to the Real
Property Commission, from whom a report might soon
be expected, and he did not think that at present any
great advantage would be derived from the passing of an
abstract resolution. With iegurd to the second part of
the motion, which proposed to alter the distribution of
landed property in cases of intestacy, he did not agree
with its object. lie believed that on the whole, as his
lion. Friend the Member for Pontefract had said, there
was a general accordance of habits and opinions in this
country with the present stat 9 of the law, and, therefore,
he should feel bound to oppose the motion.
Mr. BRIGHT, who rose amid loud calls for a division
observed, that as he had said a gnat deal on the subject
of primogeniture outside the walls of the House, he was
desirous ef saying a few words before the Howe divided.
He was not disposed to conceal the objects which lion.
Gent& ni,n opposite, who were so timid on this question,
might suppose the friends of the motion had in view,
but he would assure the lion. Member for North War-
wickshire that they would not take a single acre of his
property withont paying him for it. They were not de-
stroy ers of property, as they had been called, but the
improvers of it.
Mr. NEWDEGATE explaite 1 that what he said ells,
that during the re cess the Hon. Member for Manchester
had been instructing the public that there ought to be
a very largo sub-division of landed property in this
country.
Mr. BRIGHT went on to say that the motion did not
propose to intetfere with the manner in which a man
might bequeath his estate, but that when there was no
will the law should step in, and do that which was con-
sistent with justice, and which natural affection would
dictate. Lle allowed that the motion tended in a direc-

tion along which he would probably travel further than
many Members of that House; but he was sure that,
with cur 'ee.inense and growing population, the time
was not far distant when they would apply to landed
property the principles which applied to al other
kinds of property--a change which would be attended
by great pecuniary advantage to landed proprietors.
He believed that freeing laud from the restrictions im-
posed by th© present state of tho law would add
seven or eight years' purchase at least to the value of
landed property. Iu Prussia forty years ago there were
estates which were not allowed to be sold to any but
those who were of noble families, and the consequence
was that there were very few purchasers to be found for
those estates, which were almost unsaleable, and when
sold were bold at very low prices. This law had been
subsequently altered, and the advantages which had been
derived from the change had been very great. With
regard to the general question of freeing tee land from
restrictions, he would ask lion. Gentlemen to bear in
mind that there was a large labouring population in the
rural districts very ignorant lied often much demoralized,
and he believed that the principal cause of their demo-
ralization was the hopelessness of their condition. Lle was
obliged to his Hon. Friend for bringing forward this
motion, and though there had not been a very animated
discussion, and Hon. Gentlemen did not stern to be
willing to attend to the subject at the present time, he
was sure that before long the necessities of the country
would force them to amend the law.

Sir HARRY VERNEY did not intend to say any-
thing which could in the slightest degree reflect on the
aristocracy. He believed the re were no possessors of
property in any country who did so much tor those on
it, and who received so little remuneration from it, as
in England. Much good, however, might be eff.-ct,d
by facilitating the transfer of lauded property. There
were 30,000 acres of unimproved land within a short
distance of the metropolis, which, if there were faciLtits
for its sale, would furnish employment for several hun-
dred poor labourers in its cultivation. In supporting the
motion hel,re the House, he wished it to be understood
that he did not concur in all the grounds urged in favour
of it by the lion. Member for Montrose.
Mr. LOCKE KING observed, in reply, that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer had alluded to the Re-
port of the Real Property Commissioners. This Cunt-
mission Lai been appointed in 1832, acid had not yet
completed their labours, and it was not known when
they would. The Honourable Member for Warwick-
shire alluded to the objects which he bad in view in
bringing forward his motion ; his obj act were that
facilities might be afforded to capital to find its way to
the soil.

The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the motion 52
Against it ... 110
Majority against —5B
DEPENDENT PRINCES IN INDIA.

Sir E. COLEBROOKE, who evidently laboured under
indisposition, thee proceeded to bring under the notice
of the House the motion of which he had given notice
for a Select Committee to inquire into the rights of sue
cession of the allied and dependent princes of India; but
he addressed the House in such a low and indistinct
tone as to be nearly inaudible. He was understood to
say, that the question out of which this subject arose
as considered one of the greatest importarce in India,
namely as to the right of a native ruling prince to adopt
an heir to succeed him, in dsfault oi his having children.
The denial of this right on the part of the East India
Company would limit the succession to the iaraily of a
ruler of a country. It might be necessary to state, in
the first place, that this question had arisen in connexion
with a state, the administration of the aff.drs of which
had repeatedly been tefore the Howe—he al-
luded to Sattara. It was the policy of the Govern-
ment, at the end of the war in 1818 to place a
portion of the states of the depose.' head of the Mahrai-
tas, under the head of the descendant of the original
founder of the Mahratta dynasty. The House was fully
aware of the circumstances which led to the deposition
of the successor of that prince, who, at Lis death having
no airect descendants, adopted a youth as his successor.
As to the feelings with which these adopted heirs were
regarded, he would refer the House to the report of Mr.
Frert, whose duty it was to communicate to the family
of the deposed Raja of Setters the course which the
East India Company intended to take with regard to the
succession.—(The lion. Baronet proceeded to read from
this report, but he became so unwell that he was unable
to proceed, and was obliged to resume his seat.)
Sir J. HOBHOUSE rose, and suggested t,) the lion.
Member, that in his then state, it was impossible he
could do jusiice to the question—it had better be ad-
journed.
Mr. HUME concurred in the suggestion, and
Sir E. COLEBROOKE, who had in the meantime
been revived by a glass of water brought by an Hon.
Member, apologised to the House fur his sudden illness.,
and the debate was adjourned._