The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-19 00:00:00

PRICE OF SUGAR.

The average price of Brown or Muscovado Sugar, com-
puted from returns made in the week ending April 17,
1850, exchvive of Custom Duties paid or payable thereon
on the importation thereof into Great Britain:—
From the British possessions in America 245. Ptd. per cwt.
From the Mauritius 245. lid. „
From the East Indies 265. 9d. ~
Average price of the three foregoing de-
scriptions of sugar, jointly, computed as
above, and exclusive of duty ... 255.
By authority of Parliament,
HENRY BICKNELL, Clerk of the Grocers' Company.
Grocers'•hall, April 19.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Their Lordships assembled at Five o'Clock.
SMOKE PROHIBITION BILL.
On the m tion of Lord REDESDALE this Bill was
read a second time.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS CONTRIBUTION BILL.
On the motion of the Marquis of LANSDOWNE,
.his Bill was read a second time.

PETITIONS.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented several
petitions in favour of the extension of education, and
also a petition from some place in the north of Ireland,
in favour of tenant•righr.
Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition against
Sunday labour in the Post-office; also from certain
proprietors in Ireland against any further legizlation on
the, fisheries; and a petition :from some Dissenting con-
gregation against church-rates.
IRISH POOR-LAW.

The Marquis of WESTMEATH presented a petition
from the board of guardians: of Currick-on-
Shannon, complaining of the administration of the
Poor-law in Ireland. 1.1 e: had himself been
the victim of improper persecution on the part of the
administrators of the poor-law in Ireland. His agent.
Mr. Hickey, had last year stated before a Committee cf
their Lordships the persecution to which he (the Mar-
quis of Westmeath) had been subjected; but as he (the
Noble Marquis) had not b, en in his place in Parliament
for two years, he htd not seen that evidence until
a few days since. He had always paid his poor-
rates, but in 1847 a demand was made fur rates
upon his agent, which he thought unjust ; that
demand he resisted. The Commissioners refused relict.
and they issued a distringas against his property for
91/. for rate a9d costs, the amount originally demanded
having been 331. He applied to the Court of Common
Pleas to stop these vexatious proceedings, but the Chie•t
Justice of that Court, blinded as to the true state of
affairs, declared that it was a very lit case to be pro-
ceeded with, as against a rerson who had refused to pay
his rases ; and he had been vexatiously levied upon for
costs and expenses, because Mr. Twiselton had been mis-
led by statements made to him by his subordinates. All
the waste of money and all the injustice which had been
committed in Ireland was chargeable upon the original
authors of the Poor-law, who had proposed that law un-
der pressure. It was in the west of Ireland that the
pressure of this Poor Law was particularly felt. The
measure ha 1 been pressed upon Parliament by the peo-
ple of England and Scotland,j who loaded the tables
of the Houses of Parliament complaining of the immi-
gration of Irish paupers, and therefore it was f_tr the
benefit of England and Scotland that this burden was in-
flicted upon Irish proprietors. Irish able-bodied la-
bourers now came to England and Scotland, and left their
wives and children chargeable to the Irish union, and
God only knew what was to become of thew. He
blamed the Government for not having bad a proper
valuation made as a tails for rating. The Government
was also to blame for not adopting measures to prevent
the county cess payer from not being called upon to pay
his county cess a second time—this was like poor-rates
a question of taxation, and therefore he had a right to
allude to it. A receiver of county cess in a county in
Ireland had gone off with 10,0001. of cess money in his
possession, and the unfortunate cess-payer had been
called upon to pay his cess over again, which was most
intolerable. It was inexcusable on the part of the Go-
vernment to suffer sach a state of affairs to continue.
In speaking this he meant to cast no reflection on the
Lord-Lieutenant, who he believed had done his duty
conscientiously, but he did complain, and the
petitioners complained of the conduct of the vice-guar-
dians, who bad administered the funds of the Irish
unions most wastefully and extravagantly. The peti-
tioners also complained that the vice-guardians had
not taken proper securities from their officers for the
performance of their duties, and that they had entered
into extravagant, use'ess, and vw asteful contracts. The
, petitions were prepared to substantiate all the charges
made in this petition, and he should therefore move that
1 the petition be referred to a Select Committee to inves-
tigate and report upon all the allegations thertin con-
tained.

The Earl of MOUNTCASIIEL rose to second the
motion, and WAS
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER tock the Chair at Four o'Clock.
THIRD READINGS.

The following Bills were read a third time and
passed:—
Exeter and Crediton Railway.
Londonderry and Coleraine Railway.
PETITIONS.

Several petitions were presented against Sunday labour
in the Post-office.

Sir R. H. INGLIS presented a petition from a place
in Cornwall against the Marriage Bill.
Mr. BRADLEY presented a petition from the East
Riding of Yorkshire against the Merchant Marine Bill.
Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from the
East Lincolnshire Railway Company against the pas-
senger tax.
Lord DUNCAN presented a petition from Bath in
favour of the Education Bill. _ _

Mr. ELLIS presented a petition from the Midland
Railway Company against the passenger-tax, which
amounted to 101. per cent. on their gross receipts.
Mr. FOX presented several petitions from factory
works in various places in Lancashire in favour of a Ten
Hours Bill.
An Box. MEMBER presented similar petitions.
Mr. PILKINGTON presented petitions to the same
effect.
Sir THOMAS BIRCH presented a petition to the
same effect from Darwin in Lancashire.
Sir JOSiIUA WALMSLEY presented a petition to
the bailie effect from Bolton signed by the mayor, and
like petitions from many other places in Lancashire.
Mr. F. FRENCH presented an amended petition
from Mr. Dunn, complaining of the treatment of the
Customs' Board towards him.
Mr. FITZROY presented a petition from the poor-
law officers of St. Pancras praying for the establish-
ment of a superannuation fund.
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY presented a petition from
Stafford praying fur an equalization of poor-rats s.
Sir B. HALL presented a petition from Bolton in
favour of the Ten Hours Bill.
Mr. CARDWELL presented a petition from the Re-
form Society in Liverpool praying for a reform is the
Courts of Chancery in England and Ireland.
Mr. L. HEYWORTH presented several petitions from
places in Lancashire in favour of the Ten Hours Bill.
Mr. C. BRUCE presented a petition from Elgin against
the Marriage Bill.,
Mr. COBDEN presented several petitions from places
in Yorkshire in favour of the Education Bill, and a peti-
tion praying for the abolition of church-rates.
Lord ASHLEY presented several petitions from dif-
i ferent parts of 'the country in favour of the Ten Hours

Mr. HENRY BERKELEY presented a petition from
Bristol in favour of international arbitration.
Mr. B. D'ENISON presented several petitions from
Halifax, Woodside, and other places in the West Riding,
in favour of the Ten Hours Bill.
Mr. BANKES presented several petitions to the same
effect from places in Lancashire.
Lord CASTLREAGII presented a petition from the
county cf Down against the Marriage Bill.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented si petition from Manchester
in favour of secular education; also a petition against
Lord Ashley's Factory Bill.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented five petitions from
placed in Lancashire against the relay system.
Mr. COWAN presented a petition from Glasgow
praying for an amendment cf the poor-'.aw; also a peti-
tion from Edinburgh praying for the repeal of the test
which excluded Dissenters fr, m the universities.
Mr. DISRAELI presented a petition from Bucking-
bamshirc against Sunday labour in the Post-office.
Mr. MARSHALL presented a petition from Cum-
berland t,) the same eft,-ct.
SIR H. JENNER FUST AND THE ARCHES'