The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-18 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS

The SPEAKER took the Chair at five minutes before
Four o'clock.
CLERICAL, MEDICAL, AND GENERAL LIFE

ASSURANCE SOCIETY BILL.

On the House gob.g into Committee on this Bill,
Sir R. INGLIS objected t 3 the Bill on the ground of
its involving the sacrifice of a considerable portion of
the revenue.
Mr. HAYTER said the Bill only contemplated the
payment of a stamp duty on certain memorials which
were necessary on a change of trustees in the society,
and would not cause any sacrifice of the public revenue.
After some further conversation, in which Mr.
Brotherton, Mr. Goulburn, Mr. Ilayter, and Sir R.
Inglis joined, the Bill passed through Committee.
The Licensed Victuallers' and General Fire and Life
Assurance Company (No. 2) Bill (Scamp Duty on Mc-
morials), and the Guardian Fire and Life Assurance
Company Bill (Stamp duty on Memorials) severally
passed through the Committee.
THIRD READINGS.
The following private Bills were severally read a third
time and passed :
Architectsl Civil Engineers, Builders. and General Fire
and Life Insurance, Annuity, and Reversionary In-
terest Company (Incorporation of the Company under
a different name).
Buckinghamshire Railways.
CALEDONIAN AND EDINBURGH, AND GLAS-
GOW RAILWAYS AMALGAMATION BILL.
On the name of this Bill being called,
Mr. COWAN moved that the order for the second
reading of the Bill be discharged, on the ground that the
proposed amalgamation went to the confiscation of pro-
perty • he, therefore, moved that it be read a second time
this Say six months.
Sir R. Inglis, Mr. Fox Maule, and sir. Lushirgton,
expressed themselves against the principle cf the Bill,
on the ground that it had in view the spoliation of
property.;
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Bill was so utterly re-
gardless of the rights of private property that he was
quite sure the House would never entatain it.
Mr. GLADSTONE thought that the" introduction of
this Bill had been a great blow ti railway interest, and
the only way cf reparation lay in its rejection, and in
the reception which it had met with in the House.
Mr. Denison, Mr. Ellie, and Mr. Hume supported the
motion.

The motion was then agreed to without a division.

PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented against the employ-
ment of Sunday labour in the Post-office.
Sir 11. INGLIS presented petitions from Durham and
other place 3 against the Marriage Bill.
Mr. DUNCAN presented a petition from shipowners
at Dundee for a repeal of the timber duties.
Mr. H. BERKELEY presented a petition from Bristol
in Isvour of an alteration of the mode of rating surgeons
in the navy.
Mr. FREWEN presented a petition from a place in
Stksex in favour of summary convictions in cares of
petty larceny.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY presented several petitions
from places in Itvicashire praying that the franchise
might not be given to persons who did not pay taxes.
Mr. WESTHEAD presented a petition praying the
House to extend the jurisdiction of county courts.
Mr. GLADSTONE presented a petition against the
Marriage Bill.
Mr. H. WILLYAMS presented a petition praying for
the adoption of ocean penny postage.
Mr. HAMILTON presented a petition praying for the
amendment of the Factory Act.
Mr, CO WAN presented several petitions from places
in Scotland against the Marriage Bill.
COUNTY COURTS. _

Mr. STANSFIELD presented a petition Lout Hud-
dersfield praying for an extension of the jutisdicticn of
the county court=.
kOSTAL COMMUNICATION THROUGH FIFE.
Mr. HUME ',relented a petition from the provoe, ma-
gistrates, and town council of Arbroath, comp'a mug of
the manrer in which the Post•ollica curnunic4tion iy
conducted through Fife.
AGRICULTURAL DI ,TRESS.

Lord JOIIN MANNERS presented petitions com-
plaining of agricultural distress from places the names
of which were inaudible in the gallery.

AIOIIILL UNION.

Lord NAAS presented a petition from the rater ayers
of tie Mobil! Union, in Ireland, complaining of the fla-
grant acts Lf the vice guardians in that union.
TEN 11OURS BILL.

Colonel CHAT rELITON presented a pr t:ton from
the city of Cork in favour of this Bill.
Similar petitions %%ere presented from places in Scot-
land by Mr. MACGREGOR aril Sir George UREY. ,

DUTY ON PAPER:
** '
Mr. COBDEN presented a petition from a place in
Yorkshire praying the House to repeal the duty on
paper and the advertisement tax.
Mr. EWART presented a similar p
MARRIAGE WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S
SISTER.

Mr. FORBES presented a petition from the Presby-
tery of Edinburgh against this Bill.
Sir 1)E LACY EVANS presented a petition in favour
of giving honorary rewards to surgeons in the navy.
Str J. TYRELL presented a petition from Essex
praying flat all Post-office business throughout the
country might be suspended on Sunday.
Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition agreed to at a pub-
lic meeting at Manchester, in favour of the abolition of
pcnishmint fir death.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented a re'ition from Chester
for the abolition of Vie excise duty on paper and the
newspaper stamp and adverthement duty.
THE BALLOT.

Mr. BRIGHT gave notice that to-morrow he should
present a I elition from the electors of Scc,tland on the
subject of vote by ballot.
RETURNS.

The following unopposed returns were ordered
" Return of all Bills drawa foi the payment ef head
money for the capture or destruction of pirates, as
directed in the second section of the Act 6 Geo. 4,
c. 49, on her Majesty's Paymaster-General, since the
Ist day of January, 1849.
"Return of the minuta addressed by Mr. Rowland
Hill, on the 3d day of February, 1849, to the Postmas-
ter-General, on the Sunday duties of the Post-c flee ; of
all documents and papers relative to the adoption of the
recommendations of that minute ; of the date when such
recommendations were carried into effect ; of the num-
ber of persons employed in the General Post.
office previously to and subsequently to such
date ; of the number of persons employed in the
General Post-office on Sunday, the 10th day of March,
1850 ; of the number of persons relieved of Bunchy la-
bour in the provincial post-offices of England and Vs ales,
and of the average number of hours per head, per Sun-
day, to which such relief extends ; of copies of all cor-
respondence between the Post-office and the Treasury
on the suhject of Sunday duties ; of all Post-office mi-
nutes and reports thereon, and of a'l memorials against
Smuts), labour iu the Putt-Lace, addressed to her Ms-
jesty's Got ernment."
" A tabular return of all debts incurred under the Acts
S and 9 Vic. c. 107, 10 Vic. c. 7, or any other Ace, since
January 1845 (sps,if)ing the Acts), which remain (rus-
hy c win electoral division in each union in Ireland; also,
a tabuhr return of all debts due at the last audit from
each electoral division to the union, in every union in
Ireland."
MARRIAGE AND REGISTRATION ACTS.
Mr. EWART inquired ut the Right Hoe. Secretary
or the Home Department whether the Government in-
tended to introduce any Bill this session for amending
the Marriage and Registrction Acts passed in the
seventh year a his fete Mujs sty's reign; particularly
with reference to the rep, al of so much or toe first et
these Acts as re quires a se vial days' notice to he given
sod read at a meeting of the board of guardians prior to
the issue of a licence?
Sir GEORGE GREY saille had been in commu,
nication with the R..gistar-General on the subjtct, who
was of opinion that some modification of the existing
,aw as to tLe notice of marriage was necessary to pre.
vent claneestine marriages, but that this might be done
Bill for the purpose.
without
LiA BbriiLnigirelg,
i()Fany IZAILROAIIid!.3nOt .NolfPtAheNßlTr.d
cf
W. SPOONER nslted the Pre,'
Trade whether;_he intended to propose any measure for
the pu'rpose of remedying the erns complAried a fir the
petitiuns presented on the 14th of March, arising from
the state of the law relative to the liability of railrer d
companies in case of accidents.
Mr.'LAIiOUCIIERE said the conclusion be had come
to, after •tasir g consulted competent persons, was, that
it was not exiiedient to increase the Ite.biley of mil., ay
companies in this respect. lie thougft the judgment of
Baron Parke, in the Court of Exchequer, had not only
clearly laid GOAD. the law en the subject, but that it
was not expedie ut to alter it.
INSPECTION OF MINES AND COLLIERIES.
Mr. IV I'LD asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Depar.rm nt, at what period of the cession be will
introduce the Bill for the inspection of mines and col-
larks?

Sir GEORGE GREY said so soon as he had received
the reports of the three gentlemen sent to inquite into
ti.e caute'cf accidents in mines be would be able to say
when he sliould be able to introduce tl Bill.
MEDICAL PROFESSION.
Mr. WILD rose to AA the Secretary of State fur the

LONDON,

Home a partmmt, if it bK: the intention cf tho Go7oln-
ment to tning forward any measure fur the betta regu-
laion of the medical profession?

Sir G. GREY said that a Bill was in the ha-rds cf the
Lord-Advocate, who was in communication with various
parties on the subject, and that he would probably bring it
turward at as early a p: riod as possible.

GORHAM T. BISHOP OF EXETER-MR. DENI
ON'S PROTEST.

Mr. HUME rose, according to notice, to ask 'what
notice the GovernmeLt ir.tended to take of the protest of
Mr. Denisor, published in all the Tapers, impugning
the judgment of her Majesty's Council is the case of
Gorham v. the Bishop of Exeter, and denying the
supremacy of the Crown as head of the Established
Church.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that it would be only
just to Mr. Denison to read a statement which he (Lord
J. Russell) had that morning received, which professed
to be a statement of the opinion which that gentleman
held as to the supremaq of the Crown in this matter.
Mr. Denison did not deny that her Majesty was supreme
over all causes in her dominions, whether ecclesiastical
or civil; in ecclesiastical causes by her ecclesiastical
judges, in civil causes by her temperal judges; but he
denied her right to decide questons of doctrine through
the medium of her Privy Council. He (Lord J. Russell)
thought Mr. Denison was entirely mistaken in the
opinion which he had formed, and that the judgment
given by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
was entirely within their jurisdiction, and was such as
they were authorised by law to give.—(Hear.) He
believed likewise that this decision had giN ea very gene•
rat satisfaction. With regard to the other question, as
to what notice the Government intended to take of ti e
matter, the Noble Lord said be feared any act on the
part of the Government would tend to disturb the
Church still further, and that they certainly were not
prepared to adopt any proceedings with respect to t!.e
protest of Mr. Denison.— (Hear.)
TIM.BER DUTIES.

In reply to Lord JOCELYN,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
was not in a position to give any positive answer as to
what his intentions were with tespett to the abolition of
the timber duties until he had heard the wishes and opi-
nions of the patties more particularly interested in the
mat; e;.

In reply to a quest!on flora the tame NOBLE LORD,
Mr. MITCHELL said it was not his intention to
bring on his motion for the repeal of the timber duties
till alter Easter.