The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-16 00:00:00

COUNTY RATES.

Mr. FREWEN said in the early part of the session he
moved for certain returns from county court treasurers,
but certain treasurers had neglected to send in those
returns, and he begged to give notice that unless the
returns were made within a short time he should bring
the subject under the particular notice of the House.

EDUCATION IN IRELAND

Mr. HAMILTON gave notice that, on the motion fir
going into Committee of Supply, he should move an ad-
dress to t►he Crown on the subject of education in Ire-
land.

COURT OF CHANCERY.
Mr. G. TURNER gave notice that on an early day
he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to diminish
the delays and expense of proceedings in the High
Court of Chancery.
PEERS' REFRESHMENT ROOMS.

Sir DE LACY EVANS wished to ask-the First
Lord of the Treasury whether, in pursuance of the report
of the Commissioners of Fine Arts, it wag the intention
of the Government to expend 1,0504 on pictures relating
to the chase, to decorate the Peers' refreshment rooms?
Lord JJHN RUSSELL said a sum had been allowed
for the purpose, and the rooms would be decorated in the
manner which the Commissioners of Fine Arts hai

termined.
Sir DE LACY EVANS asked if the item was in-
cluded in the estimates' ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
4,0001. was annutlly voted, and distributed under the di-
rPction of the Fine Arts Commission. That item in-
cluded these dtcorationF.
_QUARANTINE.

Mr. HUUE wished $o inquire whether any measures

had ben taken by the Government to medify or reduce
the quarintine eat ihlishtnent, of this country ?
l\lr. LABOUCHERE replied that some corre-
spondence had passed with for&gn powers on the
subject, but at, present be could not premise to lay it on
the ttiblo. 111,re were now only three quarantine
stations in th's country, which involi el an annual expen-
diture cf 1,3t0/.

RETURNS.
On the IflUtioa of Mr. HUME, the following returns
were ordered:—Au account of the aggregate amount
paid fir advertisements by the public dipartments
Government in the United Kingdom for the year
1848, stating specially the amount paid by
the Board of Inland Revenue, the Customs,
Post-office, Treasury, and Commissariat Departments,
Board of Ordnance and Store Department, Board of Ad-
miralty and Victualling Board, Woods and Forests,
Poor-law Board and boards of guardians, and all pub-
lic departments, so as to exhibit the total amount paid
for advertisements to newspapers for the public
service in one year; also a statement of what measures
have been adopted respecting the erection, manage-
ment, and superintendence of the lighthouses in the
British colonies and pos'evsions (in c avinuation of
Perna:Lei-miry paper, No. 225, of session 1849); and an
abstract of uny t °aims received from the colonies
upon the subject since April, 1849; al.° an ac-
count of the expenses attending the preparation,
printing, and sale of the " Nautical Almaaaals" in each
of the years 1847, 1848, and 1849 ; stating the
number c f copies printed and the number sold in each
year; stating by 'whom sold, the price at which sold,
the per eeetage allowed on the sale, and the loss or gain
to the public iu each year; and an account, in dot iii, cf
the manner in which the I,ooo'. voted annually for "re-
wards, experiments, and other expenses for scientific pur-
poses," during the last three years, has been expended.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN MALTA.
Sir R. IL INGLIS rose to put a question to the
Under-Secretary - of State for the Colonies, on the sub-
ject of certain proceedings at Malta, in reference to the
Roman Catholic Church in that island. Some excite-
ment, he said, had taken place, both in this country
and in Malta, in consequence of an ordinance which had
issued from the Council in that country, which had had
the effect of declaring the Roman Catholic religion the
dominant religion in that island, and which provided fur
the toleration of other religions. A member of her
Majesty's Government in that island had objected that
the religion professed by her Majesty, and which she
had sworn by her coronation oath to maintain, could
scarcely be treated as a tolerated religion in any part of
her dominions. The Government, however, were
beaten on the question, and the ordinance was issued.
The Bishop of Gibraltar, who ought to be called the
Bishop of Malta, had protested against this ordinance,
and the question which he wished to flak, was whether
that ordinance had arrived, and what course her Ma-
jesty's Government intended to take on the subject.
Mr. HAWES said the Hon. Baronet had not stated
the circumstances correctly. No ordinance had been
issued, but the facts had taken place in consequence of
certain changes which had been recently effected in the
criminal code, some of which related to offences com-
mitted aaainet religion. The Bishop of Gibraltar had
protested, and his protest had arrived in this country.
The Secretary of State for the Colonies had acquainted
the Governor of Malo, that if those changes were em-
bodied in an ordinance, he should feel it his duty to re-
fuse to sanction it.—(Cheers.)
ABOLITION OF TILE LORD-LIEUTENANCY
OF IRELAND.
Lord J. RUSSELL gave notice Oct on the 6th of
May he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to
create a Secretary of State for Ireland, with a view to
the abolition if the Lord-Lieutenancy of that country.
SALE OF IRISH ENCUMBERED ESTATES.
Mr. STUART wished to ask several questions of the
Solicitor-General with reference to the working of the
Irish Encumbered Estates Act. The first was, how many
estates had been sold under that Bill; secondiy, how
many orders had been granted; and thirdly, how many
applications had been made for orders upon return c f
half the purchase money, and the rest of the money to
be furnished in the manner provided for by the Bill.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he bad no au-
thentic information on the subject; but if the Hun. Mem-
ber moved for returns they would be furnished.
Mr. STUART said he would move for the return now.
Agreed to.