The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-19 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEABEII took the Chair at twenty minutes after
Twelve o'clock.
THIRD READINGS.

The following Bills were read a third time, and passed
Commercial Gas Company and Poplar Gas Light Com.

patsy.
Earl of Shrewsbury's and Grace's Trustees' Estate.
THE NEW SOLICITOR-GENERAL.
Mr. COCKBURN, the new Sulictor-General, took the
oaths and his seat for Southampton. The Hon. and
Learned Member was introduced by Mr. Hayter and
Lord Marcus Hill. The Hun. Gentleman, after taking
the oath, took his seat on the Ministerial bench, amid
the congratulations of several Members.
Several petitions were presented for and against Sun-
day trading in the Post-office.
MERCANTILE MARINE (No. 2) BILL.
The House then resolved itself into Committee on the
Mercantile Marine (No. 2) Bill, Mr. BERNAL in
the chair.
Clause 70 was agreed to after a short discussion.
Clause 71 was struck out on the motion of Mr. LA-
BOUCHERE.
On clause 72,
At the suggestion of Mr. HENLEY,
Mr. LABOUCHERE agreed to the reconsideration of
this clause, and it was accordingly postponed.
Clause 73 was also postponed, on the motion of Mr.
BAINES.
Clause 74, which provides that a sailor shall not be
entitled to wages during any neglect of duty, was agreed
to after a short conversation.
Clause 75, providing for courts to be held in foreign
ports on masters or men accused of misconduct in mer-
chant ships, gave rise to considerable discussion, but
was ultimately postponed.
On clause 76,
Mr.r
BAINESHE N HENLEY Ythoobujgechtd to the t
tethe
elauseerz ef
ht tbh clause.
ee
dispe
n3ed
wil,thheriltc clauseet
was
hwer:
, 8
accordingly
rdingly struck out.
77alsColcaluasueses 7 8
a geanctios with amendments, as were
Some discussion arose uponl'
clause 82 as to the
meaning of the word coasting trade, but it was cut
that
short by Mr. LABOUCHERE stating it would be
explained in the interpretation clause, and the clause was
agreed to.
Clause 83 was struck
77
Bt.
8, 89, 90, 91, 92, and 93 were
Clauses 84, 83, 86, 8
agreed to with some slight serbal amendments.
On clause 94,
lylr. HENLEY observed that this Bill would author-
ise the Board of Trade to deal with large sums of money
the property of private individuals. Now, he had no
confidence in the Board of Trade; as a body it might
disappear to-morrow; and be wanted to know if this
money would be &posited with some party or parties,
who should give security for its safe custody?
Mr. LABOUCHERE said some arrangement might
be made with the Treasury fur the safe custody of the
money, but he would take time to consider the point.

Mr. CARDWELL remarked that under this Bill the
b ppi n g master would pay the sailors, and his receipt
for the aggregate wages to be paid to the crew of a ship
would be a suficient discharge to the owner. Now what
security did the Bill give the sailor against fraud or de-
falcations on the part or the agent?
Mr. LABOUCHERE said securities would be taken
from the spent, but he would consider the matter before
the report was brought up.
The clause was then agreed to as was also clause 93.
On clause 96,

Mr. CARDWELL raid this clause forced the master
of a; ship to give his crew characters at the end of a
voyage. Would not this provision lead to considerable
difficulties and much litigation in cases where the
character given was bad?
Mr. LABOUCHERE did not think any such diffi-
culties would arise, and as he attached much importance
to this clause, believing that it would have the effect of
improving the reputation of the mercantile navy, he
must pres it.
Mr. FOX MAULE reminded the House what was
the practice with respect to soldikrs who have left the
army. In the printed certicate of a soldier's discharge,
a blank was lett to be filled up with a description
of his character on leaving the army. If the
soldier had a good character that blank was filled
up with the word " good ;" but if his charac-
ter was bad the blank was filled up, of course, with
the word " bad," and in the latter case all that the
soldier bad to do was to tear the obnoxious word from
the certificate.—(Laughter.)
Mr. HENLEY thought that the clause as it stood was
so objectionable that it was deserving of reconsideration,
and he moved that it should be postponed.
Mr. CARDWELL oltjettsd to the clause on the
ground that it tended to delegate penal powers to the
Board of Trade, to which he was strongly opposed.
Mr. LABOUCHERE eventually consented that the
clause should be postponed.
On the 97th clause, which empowers the shipping
master to call for the production of evidence, such as the
log-book, &c., in the cascs of disputed claims, being
read,
Mr. WAWN proposed the omission of the clause
altogether.
The gallery was cleared for a division, but none took
place, Mr. Wawn having withdrawn his amendment, and
the clause was ordered to stand part of the Bill.
The 98th clause, as slightly amended, was agreed to.
Clause 99 was struck out.
It being now three o'clock,
The Cnentatax, on the motion of Mr. WANIN, re-
ported progress and asked leave to sit again on Monday
next.

The House resumed, and then immediately afterwards
adjourned until Five o'clock.

The House resumed at Five o'clock.
PETITIONS.

Mr. HENRY presented a petition, complaining of the
operation of the 9th clause of the Friendly Societies
Act. _

Lord HARRY VANE presented a petition from Dar-
lington, against certain provisions of the Savings Bank
Bill.

Mr. LACY presented a petition from Mr. Ross, a
surgeon, complaining of the adulteration of the milk
supplied to the metropolis, and pointing out a mode of
remedying the evil.—(Cheers and laughter.)
Mr. HAMILTON presented petitions frum Preston
and Scarborough against the admission of Jews into
Parliament.

Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition from a place in
Gloucestershire against church rates.
Mr. C. PEARSON presented a petition from the
vestry of Lambeth, complaining that the petitioners were
grievously and unjustly treated by the Commissioners
of Sewers, in that they had been assessed to the extent
of 25,0001. during the last year in the matter of sewerage
of which a very small sum had been expended, and that
there yet remained 18,000 feet ot open sewers in Lambeth
which required to be closed. The Hon. Member asid it
was his intention to move that the petition be printed.
and that he would call the attention of the Members of
the Government to it on Monday next.
Mr. B. OSBORNE presented a petition from M. Wm.
Yates, of Cornbill, and Mr. Robert Ford, of Battersea,
praying that the House would promote steam communi-
cation between this country and our colonial possessions.