The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-16 00:00:00

IMPS RIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 15.
Tho Loan CruacELLoa took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
solicitor to the Fishmongers' Company, praying that
their Lordships would permit the officers of the House
to give evidewe at a trial about to take place in the Court
of Common Pleas.
On the motion of the NOBLE and LEARNED LORD, the '
prayer of the petition was granted.
The NOBLE and LEARNED LORD also presented a
petition from the Kirk Session of Lanarkshire against
.Post-office work on a Sunday.
The Marquis of DOWNSHIRE Presented a petition
from some plale in the county of Down against the
national system of education in Ireland.
BANKRUPTCY CONSOLIDATION BILL.
Lord BROUGHAM postponed the second reading of
this Bill, and explained that it was owing to the altera-
tions introduced by the Commons into the Bill of last
year that the failure of justice at the Central Criminal
Court had recently taken place..
. CRIMINAL LAW CONSOLIDATION BILL.
The Norma and LEARNED LORD also postponed the
second reading of this Bill.
IMPROVEMENT OF ACTS OF PARLIAMENT

BILL.
The NOBLE and LEARNED LORD than gave notice that
he should move the second reading of the Improvement
of Acts of Parliament Bill on Monday.
THE BARQUE INDIAN.
The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL asked if the Govern-
'tent had receive,' any information of the cruelties
alleged to have been committed on the female emigrants
on board the barq iv, Indian, during her voyage to
- Adelaide.
Earl GREY sail that no official communication had
been received by Vie Government on the subject, but it
appeared from the usual organs of public intel-
ligence, that it had Leen alleged that most
disgraceful scones bad token place, and that the colonial
authorities had instituted an investigation, and the Noble
Earl might rest assured that that investigation would be
pursued with rigour, and that if parties had been guilty
of any outrages they would bo punished with
the utmost rigour cf the law. Ho admitted that
cases of abuse had occasionally occurred on board
emigrant ships carrying out females, but in ge-
neral the conduct cf the officers of those ships
had been exemplary. In every case in which abuse had
occurred, whoa it had come to th 3 knowledge of the
Government, the Emigration Commissioners had boon
instructed to enforce the exaction cf penalties against the
owners of those ships, and to prosecute the delinquent?.
He could assure their Lordships that no efforts were
spared to guard against the occurrence of abuses on
boar; f em;graut ships.
EDUCATION—MANAGING CLAUSES.

Lord STANLEY asked if the edoption of the mann-
ing clauses proposed by the Privy Council as the condi-
tion of receiving aid from the State was applicable to
existing. schools, or only to schools hereafter to be
erected? If only to schools hereafter to be erected. the
extent of the injustice complained of by the Church
would be greatly diminished.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that there was
no rule adopted which deberred the Committee of the
Privy Council from considering fairly any application
which might be made to the few existing schools for an
annual atlowane'.
ENCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND).
The Earl of GLENGALL moved for a return from
the Commissioners z. f the Court of Encumbered Estates,
Ireland. stating the nember of petitions lodged in their
court to this date; the name of r flesh matter, the rental
of the pronerty in each case proposed to be sold, and the
gross amount of encumbrances stated to be chargeable
thereon. Property to the value of nearly two millions
Ind been already brought under the jurisdiction of the
Encumbered Estates Court, which had been described
as a court neither of equity or law, and those estates
had been ordered to be sold, end would be
roll, it was said, if the court could obtain
seven years' purchase for them. This was
a course of proceeding which would be entirely ruinous
to the owners of these encumbered estates.—(" Hear,
hear," from the Earl of Mounteeshel.) it was clear that
such a course must be most unjust, and he he hoped the
Government would not permit those sales to go on. He
not press the subject at present; but perhaps next week
the Noble Marquis would give him some information on
the subject.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE believed that the
Commissioners had taken the greatest possible precau-
tions to prevent an improper sacrifice of property. He
bad no objection to grant the returns if the Noble Earl
would consent to a verbal alteration in his motion.
The Earl of GLENGALL thought that Government
was bound to take every possible precaution to protect
the property of the gentlemen of Ireland.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE assured the Noble
Earl that there was no desire whatever to depreciate the
vitae of landed property in Ireland.
Lord BE'AUMONT feared that the motion of the
Noble Earl would produce the evil which he
deprecated, because the publication ef these returns
would encourage the opinion that an enormous quantity
of land was at once to re thrown upon the market,
and this would keep &leen buildings. He could
never teuppose that the Court would ever throw into the
market more heed than would create proper competi-
tion. If they were to do so some steps ought to be
taken to prevent them from proceeding in a course
unjust alike to the landlord and his creditor. He firmly
believed that the value of land would very soon be
raised to nearly its former amount in Ireland as well as
in England, anti he did not doubt but that the Court
• would defer sales to that period.
Lord CAMPBELL hoped the observations of his
Noble Friend would go forth to the world, and he
did not doubt but that they could raise the
pries of mortgavad land in Ireland to a high rate. He
believed the Commissioners had exercised their discre-
tion in a manner not only creditable to themselves, but
acv tnt.igeous to the owners of encumbered estates, and
to their mortgagees.
After a few words from the Earl of GLENGALL and
the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, the motion was agreed to,
and their Lordshipsorijourned.
Ago
HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 15.
' The 'SPEAKEIt took the Chair a few minutes before
Four o'clock.
• • EDINBURGH AND ABERDEEN RAILWAY.
Mr. COWAN presented a petition from the Edin-
burgh and Aberdeen Railway Company. praying that
the period for the second reading of the Bill may be ex-
tended.
SUNDAY LABOUR IN THE POST-OFFICE.
Mr. MACDONALD presented a petition from Balli-
nailoe praying for the cessation of Sunday labour in the
Post-office. Several other similar petitions from places
in Scotland were presented.
ATTORNEYS' CERTIFICATES.
Mr. HENRY presented a petition from attorneys'
in Bury, praying for a repeal of the duty on attorneys'
certificates.
AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION.
Mr. CUMMING BRUCE presented a petition from
Rose in f :your of agricultural protection.
PRIVATE BILLS.—SECOND READINGS.
The following private Bills were read a second time,
and ordered to be committed:—
D=4c and Perth and Aberdeen Railway Junction.
Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport Railway (,Deviations,
Enlargement of Statics', Zee.)
Liverpool Docks.
Newcastle unon Tyne Improvement, Amendment of
Acts, and New Street:.
York and North Midland Railway.
MARRIAGE. WITH A DECEASED WIFE'S
SISTER.

Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from Kelso
against the Bill for legalizing marriage with a deceased
wife's sister; also petitions from places in Surrey, Whit-
burn. in the county of Durham, and Middlesex, praying
for the cessation of llbour on Sundays in the Post-office.
KIDDERMINSTER ELECTION.

A petition was presented from Kidderacinsttr, com-
plaining of the return to the writ for tte last election for
Kidderminster.
COUNTY FINANCIAL BOARDS.
Mr. BROWN presented a petition from Ormskirk
praying for the establishment of county financial boards.
MINISTERS' MONEY IN IRELAND.
Mr. MO SELL presented a petition from Limerick
complaining of the impost ealled ministers' money.
MALT DUTY.

Mr. SOTHERON presented a petition from Middle-
sex praying for the repeal of the malt duty.
RETURNS FROM THE BOARD OF TRADE.
Mr. DISRAELI rose to ask a question of the Presi-
dent of the Board of Trade of which he had yesterday
gives notice. It related to the returns of the department
ovir which he presided, and be wished for some explana-
don of the reason of the delay of the publication of the
monthly returns. At the present moment, in the middle
of the month of February, the returns for the month of
December were not yet published. There was also
another point which, if the Right Hon. Gentleman had
been in his place yesterday, he should have asked him,
and that was why the delay had taken place in the cir-
culation of the summary, as it was called. There was
also another point on which be wished for some satis-
factory explanations. He spoke of the digested re-
turns of the Board of Trade, which were called tables
relating to the revenue acid commerce of the country.
The returns which had been presented to the House re-
specting the trsde and commerce of the country only
went up to the rear 1847, and he wished to know
whether the Government could adopt any means by
which returns of such great importance could be brought
up to a more recent period. Returns of the number of
spirit-shops in Dublin, of the number of temperance
coffee-shops in London, and a series of returns of the
number of brothels in Bristol, Manchester, and other
cities had been given, and he wished to know whether
the Government thought these of more importance than
the returns he had mentioned.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Hon. Member was
under a misapprehension in supposing that these re-
turns had been presented at a later period than usual.
Ever since 1835 they had, with only one exception, been
laid on the table of the House on the 10th February.
The presentation of the returns, besides, did na depend
entirely upon ttie Board of Trade, because they had to
wait until the different departments sent in the neces-
sary information to make them up. To prove that there
was no unnecessary delay at the Board of Trade,
14th)he
might mention that it was only yesterday (the
that the Excise returns, which were comprised in the
paper he had just laid on the table, wore received attbe
a*d of Trade. The Hon. Gentleman proceeded to
ask him why the digest account of the Board of Trade
only Caine down t) the end of the year 1847. It was
quite true that it only came down to the end of 1847, but
this information, which had now been presented to the
House of Commons for a gr. al; many yearn before
the statistical department of the Beard of Trade was in
in existence, had always been one year more in arrear

than it was now.—(Hear, hear.) The statistical
department of the Board :.f Trade, therefore, had suc-
ceeded in abridging the period at which this return was
forthcoming by one year. The Hon. Gentleman was pro-
bably aware that this return was divided into two parts,
being comprised under the heads of section A and section
B. The latter had already been delivered ; the other, which
related to the trade and finance of the country, would be
ready iii a short time, prhaps it would be on the table
of the House in a fortnight, and it would bring that por-
tion of the account down to the end of the year 1848.
The Customs and every other department of the
country had always evinced an anxious desire
to furnish these important statistics to the House
at the earliest possible moment, and the Honour-
able Gentleman and the House might rely upon the
Board of Trade delivering them in immediately after
they had had an opportunity of testing their correctness.
CONTRACTS OF SUPPLIES FOR THE
COLONIES.

Mr. SCOTT wished to inquire of the Under• Secretary
of the Treasury whether any contracts had been entered
into by the Government for the supply of the colonies,
and whether any dispatches had been received with re-
spect tl such contracts ?
Arr. HATTER said that no such contracts had been
entered into, and that no dispatches had been received,
but that as soon as they came to hand, if such dispatches
were received, they should be laid upon the table.
LAW OF LANDLORD AND TENANT.

In reply to a question from Mr. CLENIEN TS, it was
stated that a Bill was in preparation for the amendment
of the laws regulating the property lactivecn landlord
and tenant.
COST OF EMIGRANTS TO NEW SOUTH