The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-09 00:00:00

secution should be instituted by a man who differed
from the Established Church, and who at the time
of instituting such prosecution was himself receiving
a favour and indulgence from that Church by per-
mitting him to fill the high office of Lord Mayor,
notwithstanding his religious •pinions, which accord-
ing to the then state of the law disqualified him •
from filling such office.
After a few words from Mr. Alderman Wool)
and Mr. Secretary PEEL, the petition was ordered
to lie on the table.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
moved the Order the Day; for the House resolving
itself into a Committee on the Additional Churches
Bill, for the purpose of postponing it to that day
tiff( • months.—Ordered.
Mr. W. HORTON, at the suggestion of Mr. S.
Rice, withdrew his motion for the Select Committee
on all Acts of Parliament passed since the Union,
&c., affecting Roman Catholics, or Dissenters,
but said he would revive it early in the next
Session.

MILITARY PUNISHMENTS IN NEW SOUTH

WALES.

Mr. STEUART, in bringing forward his Motion
for Papers relative to the trial and punishment of two
privates named Joseph ,Sudds and Patrick Thomp-
son, of the 57th Regiment, which took place at
Sydney, in November; 1826, entered into the details
of the case. From the Hon. Member's statement
it appeared, that these persons had been found guilty
of a larceny and sentenced to seven years' transpor-
tation. This sentence was commuted by the
Governor (Colonel Darling), to working in the
public roa,t,i in irons for that time, after which they
were to return to their regiment. The men were
clothed in felons' clothes and drummed out of the
regiment as rogues. So severe was their punish.'
ment that Sudds, who with his fellow-prisoner, had
been heavily ironed, was taken ill and died in a few
days. He agreed that it might he necessary in soma
cases to invest the Governors of distant Colonies
with a degree of arbitrary power; but it seemed to
him that in this case, General Darling had exceeded
the limits he ought to have observed. He moved
for an Address to the Crown, for a copy of the
Record of conviction of Joseph Sudds and Patrick
Thompson, at the Quarter Sessions of New South
Wales, on the 7th •)f November, 1826, and of their
sentence to seven years' transportation; for a copy
of a commutation of that sentence to working in
chains on the public roads for seven years ; and for
copies of all correspondence between the Colonial
Office and General Darling °tithe subject.
Sir GEORGE MURRAY expressed his per-
fect readiness to produce all the documents required,
anti entered into an explanation of the manner in
which soldiers often mutilated themselves for the
sake of obtaining their discharge. In this instance
Sudds and Thompson, finding that mutilation would
be of no avail for such a purpose,' had committed
the theft in question, in order that they might be
transported. This object General Darling had
thought it right to defeat, and he had accordingly
changed the sentence into seven years' labour in
chains on the roads. He contended that the chains
were not unusually heavy, not weighing 13Ihs.—
that the commutation was not needlessly severe—
that no torture was used, and that Sudds died of a
dropSy, which would have proved fatal even if the
chains had never been placed upon his limbs.
Sir C. COLE bore testimony to the humanity
and kindness of the Governor of New South Wales.
Mr. HUME regretted that the Right Hon. and
Gallant Secretary fry the Colonies had been obliged
to draw such a picture of the state of our army that
the soldiers were willing to undergo mutilation, and
I to subject themselves to transportation, in order to
avoid *Tying in it. A friend to the army would
rather have keen anxious to conceal such painful

facts.
Sir GEORGE MURRAY had nothing to con,
ceal, and had concealed nothing ; the more the con-
stitution and management of the British army, hether r.,t home or abroad, was examined, the more
honour would redound to it, and its commanders.
'After a few words from Mr.M. FITZGERALD, and
in reply from Mr. Sirgwom, the motion was
agreed to.
Mr. BROWNLOW then rose, pursuant to no-
tice to move for leave to bring a Billfor the General
Drainage of the Bogs of Ireland. This Bill was•
rendered the more necessary, in consequence of the
indigent state of the laboring people of Ireland.
He did not.&ntend to press this Bill through the
Rouse during the present Session; but he wished
to have it printed, in order to give time to Mem-
bers
to suggest Amendments in it, and make it more
useful and comprehensive, by embracing a more con-
sidereble range of ohjeetS.—Leave given.
Mr..SUGIIOBN moved for leave to bring in a
Bill to alter and amend the Law relating to Illuiory
Appointments.—Leave giver'.
The House then went into a Committee on the
Act relating to Superannuation Allowances. • •
The CHisIicELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
stated that in the Bourse of the inquiries of the
Finance Committee—.-a dnty which, he would say,
though he was himself a Member of it, had been
prosecuted with unceasing diligence--they could not
fail to be struck with the large proportion of the ex-
per.se of the inefficient part of the public service t 9
that of the effective part. The whole expense_ of
the effective pit of the public service was 21 mil-
lions; while the ine,ffective part, or, to speak more
accurately, the remuneri4n for past services, im-
posed on the country an annuai charge of fiv
elf'
il-
lions and a half. But he would gtofine himstrictly ,to the particular subjects comprised irr the
Bill he intended to introduce. The charge for super?
annuation in the Civil Service now nt
amoued to
500,000/. ' It was not merely the amount that was
worthy of observation, but the rapid and oppres-
sive mode in which it had aceinvenliged, until it had
rendered absolutely necessary the in of
Parliament. It appeared by the returns anngtlod to
the Report, that six years ago, when the Stye'',
annuation Act was passed, this charge was 340,001,
a-year, while at the present period, it was little
short of 500,0004 in sirs years, therefore, there had
been al increase .of one-half pf the original sum.
Though this increase was in some degree owing to
the reduction of ofteee in pursuance of the econo-
mical plans of Government,
_yet he thought the
amount of the superannuation charge did cAdl for the
serious consideration of the House. The Right
tur
Hon. Gendem then referred to the measures taken
by Parliament 6.44 Government in 1821, the result
of which was that an Act was passed the fol-
lowing year, compelling peopps in the Court ser-
vice to make a certain contribution put of their sa-
laries to 1,7 y the basis of a superannuation fAnd.—
Two years afterwards, in consequence of the mi,fi
meroils complaints of ,t4e hardship sustained by this l,
reduction of the salaries, acid of the general im-
provement of the circumstances pf the country, that
House was pleased to press on poyernment the
repeal of this Act, which accordingly 104- place,
notwithstanding the efforts of the Noble f.ord'(efo-
derich), then Leader of the House, who stroll;
ously opposed twit interference with the arrange-
ment. The Finance Committee, with these facts
si
befogs them, had only the OW; f recommending'
either a resialion of the salaries.,to.sgeli „4 degree as
should be barely sufficient to remunerate :the labov
performed, or to adopt the.principles of. he Act 01
l 8??; and allowing the saiariea to he sornewliat!
larger than was necessary fur the mere execution of',
the duty, to ,compel the party to provide himself for
his superannuation. In adopting the latter part of
the alternative, he thought the House would agree
with him that the Finance Committee had acted
wisely, it w.oigd be more beneficial pop)! tQ the
public and the individuals. He should conclude,
therefore, by owing, "That leave be given to
bring in a Bill that the Act repealing the Act Of
1822 be itself repealed, and the Act of 1&22 conse-
quently again brought into operation." The other
part of the Bill related to the retiring pensions of
Foreign Ministers. By an Act passed 'in 1840, it
was provided that no individual should be entitled
to a pension us a Foreign Mioister, until yeqr,
after the daW a his grst appointment, and after