The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-19 00:00:00

if they did not first see the light in Houndsditch,
obtain their education in an obscure attorney's office,
and seek to win a discreditable livelihood by writing
wretched novels. But enough of this person ; we hope
that last night has finished him. We congratulate the
country, and more particularly the honest Conservative
party, upon the result of last night's debate. The dis-
cussion and the explanations leave no longer any doubt
of the just and free relation subsisting between the
Ministers and the Conservative party.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, June 18.
Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock.
The Insolvent Debtors Bill and the Court of Bank-
ruptcy Bill passed through Committee.
Lord REDESDALE presented a petition from
Northumberland against any alteration in the corn-
laws.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE laid on the table a Bill
for the regulation of charitable bequests in Ireland,
which was read a first time.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said he should pre-
sent several petitions in the course of the ensuing
month in favour of this Bill.
LEEDS PARISH BILL.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE moved the first reading
of the Leeds Parish Bill.
The Bishop of RIPON expressed his full concur-
rence in the object of the Bill, which was to divide the
great parish of Leeds into smaller parishes, the en-
dowments for which were to be ;provided out of the
public funds.
The Bill was then read a first time.
SLAVE TRADE TREATIES BILL.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE moved the third reading
of the Slave Trade Treaties Bill.
The Earl of MINTO wished to draw the attention
of their Lordships to the present state of the slave-
trade in Cuba, and to the inefficient manner in which
the treaties for the suppression of the slave trade were
executed by Spain. During the regency of Espar-
tero, the Spanish Government took every possible
means to put an end to the slave trade in Cuba.
He understood that since the Spanish Government
had been changed, the slave trade had revived, and
the same fees had been established for the benefit of
the Governor on the importation of slaves, which had
formerly existed. In fact, the treaty was constantly,
violated for the benefit of the Governor, O'Don-
nell. He hoped the Noble Earl
.would be
enabled to state that those statements had
been exaggerated, or, at all events, that her Ma-
jesty's Government had done all in their-power to
enforce the observance of the treaty.
The Earl of ABERDEEN said it was but too true
that a great increase had taken place in the slave-trade,
and he was sorry to say that there was little or no ex-
aggeration in his statement. At an early period of
the last session, he had expressed a hope that
the slave trade would speedily cease in
the island of Cuba, owing to the exer-
tions of the honest Governor-General Valdez
who then ruled over that island. But General
Valdez had gone far beyond the instructions of his
own Government in carrying the treaty into effect.
and in consequence of his exertions the importation of
slaves had diminished from 40,000 annually to 30,000,
He was sorry to own, that in the present year, within
one month, as many slaves had been imported as had
been imported during the last year of General Valdez's
Government. The Noble Earl was quite right
in attributing this increase of the slave
trade to the change of system in the
superior Government of Spain. The Noble Earl
must be aware that all these treaties were im-
perfectly executed by Foreign Powers. He had only
mentioned the case of Spain, but there could be no
doubt but that the same was the case with the Brazils.
From one end of the empire to the other the provi-
sions of the treaties were set at naught.
The Bill was then read a third time.
POOR-LAW (IRELAND).
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE postponed his
motion on the Irish Poor-law till Thursday week.
INCENDIARY FIRES.
The Earl of STRADBROKE presented a petition
from Stowmarket, in Suffolk, praying the House to
take some measures for the prevention of incendiary
fires in that district. From all the evidence he had
been able to collect on the subject, he believed
that they were caused chiefly by children, or
persons of dissolute character. They seemed to arise
from various causes, the principal of which was the
great increase of population, and the difficulty of
employing them. The petition also complained that
the magistrates felt a difficulty in dealing with per-
sons charged with setting fire to outhouses and to
standing corn, in consequence of the state of the law.
Lord DENMAN said there was a difference of
opinion among the judges on this point, and he could
see no impropriety in introducing a measure to make
the question clear, both with respect to outhouses and
to standing corn. He was sorry that the Noble Earl
had stated the cause of these fires to be the condition
of the population. As far as his experience went, he
generally found that they were caused by motives
quite unconnected with the state or condition of the
people.
Lord CAMPBELL said he fully concurred in
what had fallen from his Noble and Learned Friend
(Lord Denman), and trusted that the defects which
had been pointed out would be remedied. He was
happy to hear that the Noble Lord who presented the
petition did not attribute these fires to the mitigation
that had taken place in the criminal law of the country
with respect to arson, but to other causes.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said he would take care
to mention to his Right Hon. Friend at the head of
the Home Department the suggestions which had
been made, and which, he was sure, would receive an
early and attentive consideration.
Their Lordships then adjourned until Friday next.