The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-17 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

Lord REDESDALE rose to move the following re-
solution :—" That this house will not receive any peti-
tion for a private bill after Monday the 23d of March
next, unless such private bill shall have been approved by
the Court of Chancery, nor any petition for a private bill
approved by the Court of Chancery after Tuesday, the
19th of May next ; also that this house wilt not receive
any report from the judges upon petitions presented to
this house for private bills after Tuesday, the 19th of
May next.
The resolution was agreed to.

LEFT SITTING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(This Evening.)

The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. HOPE JOIINSITONE took the oaths and his seat for
Dumfriesshire.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a second time and ordered
to be committed :—Bury Gas ; East Somerset Rail-
way ; Lowestoft and Burgh St. Peter Ferry and Roads ;
Mansfield and Worksop Road ; Reversionary Interest
Society. ; Worksop and Attercliffo Road ; Wycombe
Railway ; and Chester Water.
• NEW WRIT.
A. new writ was ordered for East Sussex in the room
of Mr. C. J. Hreiven, resigned.
SPIRITS.
On the motion of Mr. MOFFATT, the following re-
turns were ordered :—" Showing the total number of
gallons of proof spirits distilled in England, Scotland,
and Ireland respectively, distinguishing the quantities
pro.luced from malt, from a mixture of malt and un-
malted grain, and front a ' mixture of sugar
or molassee with unmalted grain, or from sugar,
or from molasses ; showing ale ) the total quantity of
each sort in the United Kingdom, for the year ending
the 31st day of Dec., 1356 ;—of the number of gallons
of proof spirits (distinguishing the sorts) on which duty
was paid for home consumption is each,of the three
kingdoms, with the rate per gal'on and the amount
of such duty ; els°, the total nurn,,or of gallons
and duty in the United Kingdom, for the year ending
the 31st day of December, 1856. Showing, under sepa-
rate heads, the number of gallons of proof spirits, distin-
guishing the materials from which made, imported into
each kingdom from each of the others respectively; statics
also the rate per gad-in, and the total amount thereof
(in each case), and what portion of such duty was paid on
removal of the spirits from bond, and what after their
arrival in England ; also what portion was actually
warehoused under Excise lock, distinguiLling malt from
grain spirits in England, for the year ending the 31st
December, 1856 ; of the total number of gallons of proof
spirits permitted out of distillers' stocks in England, and
the total number of proof gallons of British brandy and
spirits of wine permitted out of rectifiers'atocks in Eng-
land for home consumption ; also, the total quantity c-f
proof gallons of rum received into rectifiers' stocks for
rectification, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the
year ending the 31st day of December, 1856 , of
the total number of proof gallons of spirits
distilled in England, Scotland, and Ireland ; distinguish-
ing the quantities in each country delivered, duty pA!,
direct from distillers' stocks, from the quantities put,
into bond, for the year ending the 31st Dec., 1356 ; of
the total number of proof gallons of British compounds
and spirits of wine permitted from rectifiers' stocks in
England, Scotland, and Ireland, for exportation to
foreign ports under drawback, for the years ending the
sth of January, 1855, and 31st of December, 1356 ;
of the total number of gallons of spirits in bonded stores
in England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively, on the
31st day of Dscernber, 1856 ; of the total number of
gallons of proof spirits (di-tinguishing grain from noel))
permitted out from distillers' stocks in England, Scot-
land, and Ireland for exportation to foreign parts,
fei the year ending the 31st day of December, 1855 :
Similar account for the year ending the 31st day of Dec.
1856. And of the total number of gallons of raothY lic
alcohol sold by the Excise, and the total numberr of
gallons of methylated spirits sent out by persons licensed
to sell the same, under the Act 18 and 19 Vic. c. 38,
from the Ist day of October, 1355, to the 31st day of
December, 1856 (in continuation of Parliamentary '
Paper, No. 214, of session 1856).
SCHOOLS OF DESIGN.
Mr. RICARDO moved fur the following return of the
amount granted for Schools of Design in the years 1853,
1854, 1855, and 1856, respectively ; specifying the
amount paid to each school, and to the matter of each
or any school, dietinguishing whether the payment to
stich master be wholly for salary, or on account of scho-
larship or otherwise.—Granted.
THE TENANT LEAGUE (IRELAND) BILL.
Mr. MOORE gave notice that, on 3d March next, he
should move to bring in a bill to award compensation
to tenant farmers.

THE METROPOLITAN WORKHOUSES.
Lard RA YNHANI gave notice that on this day fort-
night he %bonld move for a select committee to inquire
into the state of the poor in the metropolitan work-
houses, and the state of the poor generally in the me-
tropolis.

In answerTHto E ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
a queesdtion from Sir D. L. EvANs,
Sir C. WOOD efat that as soon as the Government
had come to a determination whether or not they would
send out another expeditionsearch of Sir J. Franklin,
ho would inform the house, ino if in
tthe affirmative a
vote would be taken in the new estimates.
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS BILL (SCOTLAND).
Mr. BAXTER asked the Lord Advocate, if
ecat , •f he
tended to bring in a bill this session extending to in-
tended to
counties the provisions of the Registrations of
Voters Bill, passed last year for the Burghs
; and also,
if it was his intention to introduce a Police Bill for,
Scotland.
The LORD ADVOCATE said that bills would shortly
be introduced on both subjectq.
THE IVIEG.,ERA TROOP-SHIP,
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON asked the First Lord of
the Admiralty what was the cause of the detention of
the Megmra troop ship at Portsmouth after the time
fixed for her sailing for the Mauritius with troops ;
whether it was true that, shortly after she sailed, she
sprung a dangerous leak, which would probably have
caused the loss of the ship had the accident occurred
at a greater distance from land ; whether the repairs
which the Megaera is now again undergoing at Ply-
mouth aro such as will enable the Admiralty to feel
confident that she will be in a fit state to convey 400 or
500 of her Majesty's troops to so distant a part of the
world.
Sir 0. WOOD said that the cause of the detention of
the Megmra arose from the officer commanding her hav-
ing miscalculated the time it would take to get her in
order for the troops. It was not true that she sprang a
leak, but it appeared that two small screws at the bottom
of the vessel were not fastened as they ought to have
been, and the consequence was the water came in, but
only in so small a quantity that with an ordinary hand
bucket she might have taken a voyage round the world,