The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-23 00:00:00

dom, in the years ending the sth day of January,
1842, 1843, an:l 1844, distinguishing the actual pay-
ment for the expenses incurred in the collection and
management of the revenue ; for the charges of the
public debt (the terminable. annuities being also
valued by estimate) ; for the expenses of the Civil
Government; the allowances to the Royal Family, and
to his Majesty the King of the Belgians ; the
establishment of the Lord Li eutenant of Ireland; the

expenses of the two Houses of Parliament, and the
Civil departments: the other pensions on the Conso-
lidated Fund, on the gross revenue, and the Civil List ;
also, the 'payments for the administration of justice,
diploma expenses, and on account of the sums
voted for * 14ie army, navy, ordnance, and miscellaneous
services ; also 'public works, bounties, Post-sffice, the
quarantine and warehousing establishments, and all
other payments, not coming under any of the fore-
goirg heads; witlf‘an appendix, showing the several
items composing each head of the account (in con-
tinuation of Parliamentary Paper, No. 494, of session
1843).—Agreed to.
MEDICAL CHARITIES (IRELAND).
Mr. F. FRENCH rose to ask the Secretary of
State for the Home Department, if it were the inten-
tion of her Majesty's Government to introduce any
Bill into Parliament, during the present session, for
better regulating and rendering more efficient the
Medical Charities of Ireland ; and, if so, whether it
was intended that such Bill should contain provisions
similar to those contained in the Bill for the
better regulation of Medical Charities in Ire-
land, introduced by her Majesty's late Go-
vernment in 1837 ; or provisions similar to those
contained in the Bill for the like purpose introduced
by the Noble Lord the present Chief Secretary for
Ireland in 1842 ; or any or all of the provisions re-
commended by. the Select Committee appointed last
session to inquire into and report upon the Medical
Charities in Ireland
Lord ELIOT had nothing to add to the statement
which he had already made upon the subject, which
was, that it was not the intention of her Majesty's
Government to introduce any measure for the regu-
lation of the Medical Charities in Ireland during the

present session.
TAXING-OFFICERS IN BANKRUPTCY.
Mr. SCOTT isished to know from the Right
Honourable Gentleman, the Secikary of State for
the Home Department, if it was the intention of
the Government to introduce any measure for
the appointment of a taxing-officer in Bankruptcy.
In the Bankruptcy Bill, which had passed two years
ago, there had originally been a clause appointing a
taxing-officer in Bankruptcy ; how the clause had dis-
appeared he knew not, but he wished to know if it
was now intended to appoint a taxing-officer.
Sir J. GRAHAM had not received the notice
which the Hon. Gentleman had been kind enough to
give him of his intention to put the question
until after he had entered the House. If the Hon.
Gentleman would be kind enough to put his question
to-morrow, he would make the necessary inquiries in
the meantime, and be prepared to give him an

answer.
SPAIN—AFFAIR OF COLONEL BONET.
Mr. BORTHWICK wished to ask the Right
Hon. Gentleman a question relating to certain
occurrences reported to have recently taken
place at Alicant, in Spain. It was re-
ported in the newspapers that Colonel Ponta-
leon Bonet, who had been at the head of the late
movement at Alicant, and who had conducted himself
with great humanity towards the prisoners who had
fallen into his hands, had, after a compromise entered

into by the person commanding the fort of Alicant
with the besiegers, made application to the com-
mander of a British ship at Alicant to receive him
on board, representing that unless he was taken on
board the ship it was impossible that his life could be
spared, and reminding the officer in command, in co.:-
firmation of this inference, of the ir *a tment which other
persons in his position had experienced at the hands
of Roncali when they had fallen into his power.
It appeared—at least it was so represented—that at
the same time a major who had acted under his com-
mand made a similar application, under precisely the
same circumstances, to the captain of a French
vessel lying in the same port; that the major was
successful, and that in consequence he was at that
moment alive. On the other hand it appeared that
Colonel Bonet was refused to be taken on board
of the British ship ; that he then returned to the
shore, and in making a desperate effort to
regain the mountain, was taken, and by the orders of
Roncali, was shot instantly, and without trial. The
question which he had to put to the Right Hon. Gen-.
tleman was whether, according to the representations
in the newspapers, express and direct orders had been
given to the officer commanding this and other ships,
to refuse, under these extreme circumstances, to take
on board Spanish subjects ; whether, in the absence
of these instructions, the officer, acting on his own
responsibility, had refused to take Colonel Bonet
on board ; or whether the statement was altogether
without foundation, or, as he was informed, exceed-
ingly exaggerated.
Sir R. PEEL said, in answer to the question put

to him by the Hon. Gentleman, he had io state that
no specific instructions had been given by her Ma-
jesty's Government, or by any authority acting under
their control, with respect to applications of
this nature. The general purport of the in-
structions given to the commanders of Bri-
tish ships of war during these unfortunate
civil contentions in Spain had been to afford
protection . to the lives and property of British sub-
jects, but to observe, "as far as possible, strict neu-
trality between the contending parties. In this case
no special instructions had bean given. It was quite
clear that if British ships of war were, as a matter
of course, to receive those who had been engaged
in insurrection against the constituted authorities,
and that were known, it would be a great
premium upon insurrection ; because they
might try the experiment with perfect assurance of
being received by a British ship of war. No express
instructions, therefore, were given with respect to the
reception of refugees under such circumstances.
The general instructions were the same now as he
believed they had always been, to maintain, as far as
possible, strict neutrality ; and it was left to the dis-
cretion of individual officers to deal with any parti-
cular case. And with respect to the case of Colonel
Bonet, as reported in the newspapers, if he
(Sir Robert Peel) were to judge from the only report
which was in the possession of ter Majesty's Go-
vernment, received from Captain Drummond himself,
he should say that the circumstances stated in the
newspapers could not have been true. He held in
his hand the report of Captain Drummond. It made
no mention of any application addressed to him by
Colonel Bonet. It introduced the name of Colonel
Bonet; but he would say that this report of Captain
Drummond was inconsistent with the accounts in the
newspapers. At the same time it was stated that the
Scout ship, commanded by Capt. Drummond, in con-
sequence of a note received from the Spanish government
of their intention to blockade the town of Alicant,
had arrived off Alicant,. and that several British sub-
jects had been taken on board of the vessel, and re-
ceived protection. The report also stated, that
many applications had been made by Spanish
subjects to be received on board, which were refused.
That was the whole of the information which her
Majesty's Government bad received On this subject.
As he bad said before, no direct information had been
received from Captain Drummond as to whether any
application had been made to him.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that as no specific
instructions had been sent out, of course the conduct
of the officer in command of the vessel to which re-
ference had been made was justifiable. Re (Lord
John Russell) would, however, wish to ask the Right
Hon. Gentleman whether he had any objection to
desire Captain Drummond to furnish a statement of
the transaction as far as regarded Colonel Bonet ?
Sir ROBERT PEEL--I should think it a matter
of course that such a statement will be furnished to
the Lords of the Admiralty. On a question of this
sort I will take the opportunity of expressing my
abhorrence and disgust at the sanguinary proceedings
'which have occurred on the part of the constituted
authorities of Spain. Their wholesale massacres
without the regular forms of trial, are doing
more to injure the character of Spain in the
estimation of the civilised world than any
other course which the Government of that
country could pursue. Ido believe that barbarous
nations would observe greater humanity in their con-
test than is observed by both parties in Spain.
FACTORIES BILL (No. 2).
On the motion for the Order of the Day being
read for the second reading of the Factories Bill
(No. 2),
Mr.ROEBUCK said he understood from the
Speaker, that the proposition which be (Mr. Roebuck)
had made on Friday last could not be entertained by
that House. He was perfectly willing to bow to that
opinion, as he thought he should be able to bring the
proposition forward in another way. He should put
his proposition in the form of a resolution, and move
it on Friday, in going into Committee on the Fac-
tories Bill.
Mr. WARD presented a petition from Huddersfield
against the Bill.
Captain GORDON presented a petition from Aber-
deen, against restrictions upon the hours of labour.
Mr. GODSON presented a similar petition from
eighty firms in Staffordshire.
Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a petition from a
place in Yorkshire, in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill.
Mr. W ARBURTON presented a petition from
Ireland, praying that the House would pass a Bill to
employ the petitioners ten or twelve hours a day, at
such wages as the House in its wisdom might think
fit.—(Laughter.)
Mr. FERRAND presented several petitions in
favour of a Ten Hours' Bill.
FACTORIES BILL. • - • •

On the motion of Sir J. GRAHAM the Order o
the Day for the second reading of the Factories Bil
was read.