The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-07 00:00:00

GENERAL POST-OFFICE.

Mr. ANSTEY presented a petition from a number of
individunla holding clerkships in the Money Order-office
of the Gennal Post-office, complaining of the re•
cent appointment of a gentleman to the office of chief
clerk of that department. The petitioners stated that
their claims to the appointment had been passed over,
because they had refused to sign a written contradiction
of the statements they had promulgated in a memorial
which was last year presented to the Treasury on the sub-
ject of their duties and salaries, and they theref4re prayed
the House to institute an inquiry into the matter. The
Hon. and Learned Member moved that the petition be
printed with the votes.
Mr. THORNELY said it was very important for the
House to consider whether they would put the country
to the expense of printing for parties who might con-
sider themselves aggrieved by the conduct of their supe-
riors in any of the Government departments, no matter
whether it were the Customs, the Excise, or the
Post-office. It was for the House to consider
whether or no it was right to make Parlia-
ment: a court of appeal in matters like this.
Fur his part he did not think it was, and be thero•
fore put it to the House if it would not be better to
leave the petition to be printed in the ordinary course of
business, when it had come before the Committee on
Public Petitions.

Mr. DISRAELI hoped the House would hesitate be-
fore they accepted the views of the Hon. Gentleman
who had just sat down.—(Hear, hear.) He had always
understood that any party who felt himself aggrieved by
the conduct of a public Department could appeal to that
House for redress, if there was no other channel open to
him, and he thought it would be exceedingly dangerous
to interfere with that principle. That right of appeal
indeed was part of the liberty of the subject.—(Hear.)
Mr. FORSTER agreed with the Hon. Member fur
Bockinghamshire, that the House ought to hesitate in
this matter. The House held the head of each public
department responsible for all its proceedings, but if the
House interfered between them and tbe'r employes. how
could they insist on maintaining that rule 2—( Hear.)
Mr. STUART said that was not quite the correct
view t.f the matter. Tine question was not whether
the House would interfere, but whether it would
listen to a complaint.—(Hear, hear.) He understood
that one ground of complaint was that the claims of these
parties had been rejected because they had refused to
work on a Sunday.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. PATTEN thought it would be better to dofer
this motion till the petition had been before the Com-
mittee on Public Petitions.

Mr. HAY rER said the great inconvenience which
resulted from stating the contents of petitions
this was, that they went forth to the world
far as if they were founded in truth. Now, so
from that being the case in this instance,!he could assure
the House that many statements in the petition were
f ,unded upon error.—(Hear, hear.) He should not pro-
perly diseharge his duty if he did not say that most of
those state ments wore founded in error.
Colonel THOMPSON observed that the usage was
that the liouse was bound to receive petitions but not to
print them.
Sir G. GREY said the Hon. Member seemed to imply
that there had been an objection to the reception of the
petition; that was not so, the petition having been re-
ceived, and the only question now was, whether
it should be printed with the votes. The Chairman of
the Committee on petitions had stated that it would
shortly come before them, and they would have to de-
cide whether it should be printed or not, before it was
competent for the Hon. Member to bring a motion on
the subject before the House. That was a practice which
he (Sir G. Grey) thought it was very desirable the
House should follow, and he hoped the Hon. Member
would abide by it on the present occasion.
After a few words from Mr. BARNARD,
Lord DUDLEY STUAR r thought it was very de-
sirable and important that they should know what the
rule of the House was with regard to the printing of
petitions. He understood that if an Hon. Member wished
to found a motion on any petition, it was the practice
to allow him to move that it be printed with
the votes.—(Hear.) The petition under discussion ap-
peared to refer to a subject of some importance; and, as
he thought it very proper that clerks in the Post-office
should be enabled to state their grievances to the House,
it seemed to him that the beat way of allowing them to
do so was to print their petition.
Lord J. RUSSELL observed that before the Hon.
Gentleman could bring his motion before the House, the
petition would have been before the Committee, and if
by that time he found it had not bz en printed, it would
be quite competent for him to make a motion on the
subject.
Mr. THORNELY said it was a question for the House
to consider whether the cornp!atets of the clerks in
the Post-office, in the shape of a petition, should be
printed or not.
Sir R. PEEL said if a Member presented a petition,
and thought the statements which it contained so well-
founded as to bring forward a motion with respect to it,
he thought the practice of the House was to permit that
petition ~to ba printed.—(Hear, hear.) Though he
did not think that the House should constitute
itself a court of appeal to hear the complaints of Go-
vernment officers, yet it would be a very unwise practice
to refuse a petition to be printed on that ground. The
simple question was whether they should depart from
that which had been the general usage, of having pe-
tition!) printed in respect of which an Hon. Member in-
tended to brine; forward a motion.—(Hear.)
Colonel RAWDON said it had always been in the
power of the House to prevent the printing of petitions,
although it was in the power of any Member, at any
time, to move that they be printed.
Mr. BROTHERTON complained that many Mem-
bers gave notice of founding a motion upon a petition
merely for the purpose of getting their petition printed,
but who never seriously meant to bring that motion
before the House.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. ANSTEY disclaimed•being actuated by any such
motive as that mentioned by the Hon. Member for Sal-
ford (Mr. Brotherton). In this case he (Mr. Anstey)
seriously meant to found a motion on his petition.
Mr. GOULBURN did not think it was possible the
there could have been any partiality shown by the
Chaii man.

After a short conversation, in which Mr. T. D'Eyn-
court, Mr. Horsman, Mr. Disraeli, and Mr. Hume tuck
part,
strangers were ordered to withdraw, when
Lord J. RUSSELL said he did not understand what
the Hon. Member's object was, whether it was to have
this petition printed in order to found a motion upon it
or not.
Mr. ANSTEY said he would repeat what he had said,
and that wos that he understood that petitions were
printed for the purpose of calling the attention of Hon.
Members more closely to them, and his object in moving
that this petition be printed was that he might lay the
ground for a future motion which he intended to found
upon it.
The SPEAKER then put the question, and the mo-
tion was agreed to without a division.
PETITIONS.

Mr. HAMILTON presented a petition from the clergy
of Ireland, complaining of certain defects in the national
system of education in Ireland; also a monster petition
from the laity of Ireland to the same effect, signed by
17,000 persons.

Mr. SEYMOUR presented a petition against the
Savings Bank Bill.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH moved an address for a
return of the annual receipt and exce:Aliture of the
colony of bong Kong, made up to the latest period
for which accounts have been received, showing
the gross receipts from the various branches of
revenue, uralcr their different heads, distinguish-
ing the amounts levied in the colony from Parlia-
mentary grants, and stating the expenditure under
its various branchei (in continuation of Parliamentary
Paper. No. 264, if session 1846). Similar return for
New Zealand (ia continuation of Parliamentary Paper,
No. 328, of session 1844) And sinsilar return for La-;
burin. Also en address for return, in a tabular form,
for the last year in wipich they can be made up, of
the gross revenues, under their different heads, of
each of her Majesty's colonies, exhibiting the costs of
collection, and any deductions made in their progress to
the public treasury. And, similar return of the dis-
bursements of each colony, under their seFarate heads;
showing the authority on which such disbursements are

made (in continuation of part of Parliamentary Pa2er,
No. 740, of session 1847) —Aar. a tai,
ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS.
Sir BENJAMIN HALL moved for a return of all
instructions or inquires issued by the Eeclesiastioal
Commissioners to the archbishops and bishops, the
answers to such instructions, and all dsts upon which
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England, before the
Ist day of January, 1844, estimated and fixed
the annuli sums to be laid to the COM-
missioners out of the revenues of the larger
sees, and to be paid by the Commissioners for augmen-
tation of the smaller bishoprics. Also, all returns of re-
venues or data upon which the Commissioners, after
the
n Ist ,
aanydo
Y's 1844, revised episcopal re-
en altered scale of payment,
re-
venues, dffiJxoenduar an
to take effect upon the avoidance of any see ;..fter the
period of such revision, as well as any inquiries or in-
struction for supplying such last mentioned returns or
data, addressed to the archbishops or bishops by the Ec-
clesiastical Commissioners; in all cases w here the grossand
net income have been both gi;ou, the grounds of di ffst ence
between the gross and net income as shown by the arenbi-
shops or bishops to be returned ; such return to show the
dates of all such inquiries, instructions, answers, and re-
turns, and to set forth, in a tabular form, the gross and
nett incomes of cash archbishop and bishop, as well as
the charges and deductions which constituted the cliff r-
ence b tween the gross and nett income; also a return of
the sums paid to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for Eng-
land, in each year, since the Act to carry into eat the 4th
Report of the Commissioners of Ecclesiastical Duties
and Revenues (3 and 4 Vie. c. 113), in respect ..f any
prebend or other dignity in any Cathedral or Collegiate
Church in Wales, and of the amount of such sums as
may have been appropriated by the Commissioners, and
how appropriated.—Agresd to,
ASSISTANT BARRISTERS BILL.
Mr. SADLIER asked the Secreary for Ireland when
he intended to introduce the Assistant Barristers' Bill?
Sir W. SOMERVILLE—On an early day.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY.
Colonel R A WDON rose to ask the Nobls Lord at the
head of the Government whether the inquiry which was
instituted respecting the state of the pie urea in the Na-
tional Gallery, with a view to their better preservation, his
anywill
proposal
information
baa
bean be given
made
bt
yo
thetthe remliltiotiutseed: GovernmentaNhnVd, Whether
etTe Royal Academy, with a view of
obtaining for the public collection of pictures, the entire
h a
bNationalhas been
e n
Gallery building; and, if so, what
w
given. Whether any supplemental
voteac)nf sth
inanswer
present estimates will be called for to
carry out the proposition. Whether it is the intention
of Government, before taking final steps for permanently
locating the pictures on the present site, to institute an
inquiry, by a Cotninittee of this House or otherwise,
in order to ascertain whether or not it is expedient to
allocate the Pictures in Trafalgar-square.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, with respect to the first
question as to the inquiry instituted into the state of the
pictures, with the view to their braes preservation, he
had received a report from the gentlemen composing that
committe, and they had made some suggestions as to
their better preservation, but they requested to be
allowed to make further inquirey, particularly with
respect to the mode of preserving the pictures on
the continent. He should be Ready, ere long, to lay
that report upon the table of the House, although it
was not a final report. With respect to the second
question, in conformity with the iopinion of the Com-
mittee of this Rouse, which sat on the question of the
building in Trafalgar-square, he made a proposal to the
Royal Academy, with the view of having the
entire building of the National Gallery devoted to the
exhibition of the pictures. He had received an answer
expressing their desire to comply with the wishes sf the
Government on that subject. With respect to the third
and fourth questions he should say, with that additional
information which he now had before him in regard to
the present state of the pictures, he thought it was de-
sirable that some further inquiry should made before any
vote was proposed to be suuctioned by the Hous-, and
therefore:heproposed early next week to move for a Select
Committce,consisting as far as possible of the members of
the present. Commission, to consider that further infor-
mation, and to state their opinion of the most desirable
manner or preserving the pictures in the National Gsls
lery, and whether the present sire was the moat desir-
able.ftr the institation.—( Hear, hear,)
CASTLEBAR UNION.
_ _ _

Mr. P. SCR6Fi;vished to ask the Secretary for Ire-
land, whether any inquiry has been instituted by the
Irish Poor-law Commissioners into the fasts stated in the
report of lir. ltonayne, relative to the condition of the
Castlebar Vorkhouse, in the week ending the 20th Apia
last ; and whether it apptared on the face of the
report transmitted weekly to the Commissioners, that so
large a number were contained in the workhouse beyond
that to which it was limited by their sealed order? and
if so, what steps were thereupon taken by the Commis-
sioners?

Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE said that Mr. Far-
rell, the uni..n spectur, was investigating the subject,
but he had not 3 et received his report.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR.

Mr. STUART seeing the Noble Lord at the brad
of the Government" in his place, wished to ask a question
relative the administration of justice in the
highest court in the kingdom. It would be
rememberei the other evening the Noble Lord
announced that the Lord Chancellor had resigned his
office. Now most unexpectedly the public had learned
that the Great Seal had been placed in Commission, the
Commission consisting of two Learned Judges of the
Court of Chancery, and one of the Learned Judges of
tle Common Law. Courts. The Noble Lord was per-
haps aware that there was so much business in all the
Chancery Courts that six days in the week were hardly
sufficient to get through it. The arrangement which ha
had just mentioned would have the effect of shutting up
two of the courts three or four days in the week, and he
should therefore be glad to know how long the seals
were likaly to remain in commission?

Lord JOHN RUSSELL was very sensitive of the
inconvenience which resulted from placing the Great
Seal in Commission, and particularly at the present
time. At the same time Government had had to weigh
the inconvenience that would have bt?en caused by the
Great Seal being entrusted to any individual before
they had decided what course they would pursue
with reference to separating the judicial
from the political duties of the office, and unt.l their
intercourse had been determined upon, he telt it to be his
duty to advise her Majesty to put the Seal in Commis-
sion. He could assure the Hon. and Learned Gentle-
man that it was his Earnest wish that the seal
should continue in Commission as short a time
as possible, and he hoped that on Monday
fortnight he should be in a position to announce the
plan which Government bad determined upon, and to
move for leave to bring in a Bill to carry it out.—(Hear.)

CUBA.
Mr. DISRAELI wished to ask the Noble Lord at the
head of the Foreign Department if he had received any
official information that Cuba had been invaded by a
buccaneering expedition from the United Sca:ei.
Lord PALMERSTON said it was not known that
such an expedition had been in preparation for a con-
sideraWe time. Be had been informed that an expedition
had sailed from the southern part of the United,Statt a
for the purpose of making au attack on Cuba. It lett
on the 6th of last month, and consisted of a force of 3,000
men; and it appeared that a further'detachment, supposed
to amount to 4,000 or 5,000, had followed some days
afterwards. The President of the United States dis-
patched a force in search of that expedition for the
purpose of intercepting it, and in the event of it
having landed, of taking such measures under
the circumstances as might best show the friendly
di.position of the United States to Spain. Ais
her Majesty's Government had only received
this information a few days ago, they of course had not
yet been enabled to have any communication with the
Government at -Madrid, but the Spanish Minister who
reached this country from Spain yesterday had been
informed of what had come to the knowledge of her Ma-
jesty's Government.
SWITZERLAND.
Mr. B. COCIIRANE said, on Monday next, he
would put a question to the Seen tary
of Foreign Affairs,
respecting the affairs of Switzerland.

(LEFT SITTING.

THE LON_DrAZETTE.

(THIS EVENING•)

ST. JAMES'S PALACE, MAY 1, 1850.
The Queen has been pleased, on the nomination of
Lord Foley, to appoint Edward ilayward, Esq., one of
her Majesty's Honourable Corps-of Gentlemen at Arms,
vice Tumpson, retired.
WAR-OFFICE, J 131,7 E. 7.
3d Regiment of Dragoon Guards-Lieutenant Henry
Marsh to be Captain, by purchase, vice Bacon, who re-
tire; Cornet James Hylton de Cardonnel Lawson to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Marsh, June 7.
11th Regiment of Foot-Ensign Harry Clayton Hague,
to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Parker, who retires,
June 7.
14th Foot-Lieutenant Julius Chetham Strode, from
the 61st Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Tyler, who ex-
changes. June 7.
17th Foot-Major John O'Grady, from half-paY, 'Un-
attached, to be Major, vice Daniel Gardiner Freer, who
vice Thompson, who exchanges,
June
3th7.
exchanges, Jute 7.
23d Foot-,-Staff Assistant-Surgeon William Campbell
Seaman, M.D., to be Assistant-Surgeon, vice Grantham,
deceased; June 7.
28th Foot-Ensign Thomas Lyndon Bell, from the
59th Foot, to be Ensign,Peot-'-Lieutenant Raymond Richard Pelly to be
Captain, by put chase, vice Hamilton, who retires ; En-
-81 gn Joseph Hobson to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice
Pelly, June 7.
41st Foot-Lieutenant Richard Oliver Francis
Steward; to be Captain, by purchase, vice Butler. who
retires; Ensign George William Alexander, to be Lieu-
tenant, by ,
58th Foot-Ensign John Hayman Ward to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice M`Lerie, who retires; Ensign
Kenneth Robes t Murchison, from the 13th Foot, to be
the 14th Foot,
purchase, vice Steward, June 7.
Ensign, vice Wart-1, June 7-
59th Foot-Ensign William -Hamilton Thompson,
from the 28th Four, t to vice Bell, Alio ex-
() Ensign,
Bruce
changes; June 7.
61st Fot.t-Litutenant George Sotheby Tyler, horn
ex-
changes;
65th , Ensign Stfphen Mc Donough t., be Lieutenant,
by purchase, vice Fenwielc, who retires; Ensign Kenneth
to be Lieutenant, vice Strode, who ex_
tenant, by p
Stuart, from the 31st Foot, to be Ensigp, vice
Me Donnugh, Jute 7th.
tenant, by
Foot-Ensign Charles John Ewen to be Lil u-
pull:base, vice Cuthbeit, who retires, Juno 7.
71st Foot-Ensign Lewis William Ord to be Lieu-
-73d Foot-Ensign George Davit 3 to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Sutton, who retires. June 7.
purchase, vice Walmsley, who retires, June 7.
91st Foot-Captain James Masterson Pennington,

from half-pay, Uaa'tachi:d, to Le Captain, vice Ward,
promaeci, June 8.
_ _ .

97th Foot—Major George Hutchison, to be Lieu-
tenant-Colonel, by purchase, vice Darrab, who retires;
Captain Augustus Frierick WelstOrd to be Major, by
purchase, vice Hutchi:,on; Lieutenant Edmund Corn-
wall Legh, to be Captain, by purchase, vice Welatord;
Ensign William Frederick Norman, to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Legh, June 7.

Hoorn 's'. STS-EL—Acting Assistant-Surgeon John
Gibbons to be Assistant Surgeon to the Forces, vice
Seaman, appointed to the 23rd Foot, June 7.
UNATTACHED.—Lieutenant James Masterson Pen-
nington, from the 91st Foot, to be Captain, without
purchase, June 7.
OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, JUNE 5.
Royal Regiment of Artillery—Brevet-Major Daniel
Thornlike to be Lieutei ant-Colonel, vice Story, retired
upon full pay; Second Captain John Henry Lefroy to
be Captain, vice Thorndike ; First Lieutenant Daiid
M`Doa all Fraser to be Second Captain, vice Leiroy ;
Second Lieutenant, William Jones St. John, to be First
Lieutenant, vice Fraser; Brevet• Major Harry Stow, to
be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice James, retired on full-pay;
Second Captain, Charles James uchanan Riddell, to
be Clitain. vice Stow ; First Lieutenant James
Drummond Teller to be Second Captain, vice Riddell ;
Second Lieu:enantWilliam Gilly Andrews to be, First
Lieutenant, vice Telfer, slay 27.
C‘,mtn,siiion by the Lord-Lieutenant of Somersetshire.

West Somerset Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry—Her-
bert Butler Bat en, Gent., to be Corner, vice Tbring,
promoted, June 1.
WHITEHALL, MAY 22.
The Lord Chancellor has appointei John Addinell
Bromet, of Tadcaster, in the county of York, Gent.,
to be a Master Extraordinary in the High Court of
Chancery.