The Sun.
London, England, 1828-04-22 00:00:00

EAST LONDON RAILWAY.

Mr. Alderman THOMPSON presented a petition from
St. Ann's, county of Middlesex, against the East London
Railway Bill.
Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN presented a similar peti-
tion from 411 Saints,--Pirplar. The petitions were re-
ferred to the Comtnittee on the,Bill. •

FRIENDLY SOCIETY BILL.
Sir C. BIORGAN presented a petition from Newport,
against the Bill for the regulation of Friendly Societies.
Similar petitions were presented by Mr. Egerton, from
a Friendly Society in Stockport ; by Mr. Davenport, from
Stockton, Cheshire ; by Mr. John Wood, from two
Friendly Societies in Preston, Lancashire ; by Sir George
Robins, nine petitions from Friendly Societies in Northamp-
ton ; by Mr. Dundas, from a Friendly Society in Ipswich,
county of Suffolk ; and by Mr. Alderman Waitb-
man from a Benefit Society held at the Three Tuns, Ches-
ter, and also from Stockton. The Hon. Alderman was
convinced that the Bill was intended for the benefit of the
members of the Friendly Societies, and he hoped it would
receive such amendments as would render it palatable to
the Members and to the public. The petitions were all
referred to the Committee on the Bill.
Mr. SHIRLEY presented a petition from the Grand
Jury of Monaghan against any further concessions to the
Roman Catholics. The Hon. Member also presented seven
similar petitions from parishes in the county of Monaghan.
Mr. R. COLBORNE presented a petition from the
also Northampton, in fa_
ented a petition from the
yourßosini
raonfßtCyhaeAt i
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Catholic Claims.
Sir MARTlNLlaieinins.
s tperre,s
Trustees of a Turnpike road at Portsea, praying the House
passing
gTurnpik e Bills.
to
TinhaekeHnonew.
Arealasttionnas for
lso
presented a Petition from the
Mayor and Corporation of Plymouth, against the Alehouse
Licensing Bill. The Hon. Member also presented a Peti-
tion from the Mayor and Corporation of Plymouth for the
repeal of the Duties on Stamp Receipts.
Sir JOHN CALVERT presented a petition from the
Mayor and Corporation of rluntingdon, relating to the Bill
for Licensing Ale houses.
• '

Alderman WAITHMAN gave notice, that to-morrow
he would present a petition respecting the losses sustained
by Government Annuities.
5100 RE gave notice that on Thursday he would

present a petition from the Corporation of Dublin against
any further concessions to the Roman Catholics.
Mr. TYLER presented a similar petition from a Friendly
Society meeting at the sign of the Griffin in Coventry.
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON preSented =iVe similar peti-
tions from Friendly Societies in London, one of which was,
he said, established no less than one hundred and twenty-
seven years, during which time no difference whatever oc-
curred amongst its Members. This alone, he thought was
a sufficient proof that such an Act was wholly unnecessary.
Mr. Alderman WOOD presented three similar petitions
from Societies in the county of Lancaster.
Mr. Alderman WOOD also presented a petition from a
parish in the North Aid;ng of Yorkshire, praying for some
restriction upon the importation of lead ore.
Sir M. W. RIDLEY presented a petition from the Ro-
man Catholic Inhabitants of Waddington, in Northumber-
land, in favour of the Roman Catholic Claims.

Sir T. LETHBRIDGE presented a petition from Si-
mersetshire, against concession to the Roman Catholics.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL presented a petition
from the Medical and Chirurgical Society of London,
praying that the House would inquire into the difficulties
which attended the studies of Students of Anatomy.
_

Colonel CHICHESTER presented a petition from the
Roman Catholic Inhabitants of Sutton, in Wexford, in
favour of the Catholic Claims.

Colonel CHICHESTER presented a petition from the
Owners of South Down Farms praying that the House
would afford a protection to the Wool Trade ; also a peti-
tion fro.n the Proprietors of the Hibernian Joint Stock
Mining Company, residing at Wexford, praying for the
dissolution of that Company.

Mr. LEONARD presented two petitions from Friendly
Societies in Ipswich, against the Friendly Societies' Bill.
Sir A. CAMPBELL presented two petitions, one front
the Surgeons of the University of Glasgow, and the other
from the students of medicine in the same Univeisity, pray-
ing that some enquiry should be made into the difficultie!,,
at present presenting themselves to students in anatomy.
Mr. LEICESTER presented two petitions from Hamp,
shire, against the Friendly Societies Bill, and said there
were so many objections to the Bill, that he hoped.the Hon.
Gentleman who brought it forward, would for the present
withdraw it, until further consideration could• he given to
its provisions.

Sir F. BURDETT presented two. petitions from thc
Memhers of the Benefit Societies held at. the Old George,
Drury-lane, and the Half Moon and Seven Stars, Adam-
street, Cannon-street, against the Friendly Societies Bill.-
Referred to the Committee on the Bill.
BOROUGH OF LUDLOW.

Sir F. BURDETT presented a petition from certain
inhabitants of the Borough of Ludlow, stating that the
Corporate Body of that Borough, which consisted of
a mayor, 12 aldermen, and 25 common councilmen,
held by charter considerable lands for the benefit and
amelioration of the borough.. That the old burial-ground
having become very crowded, and wholly inadequate to the
purposes of burial, an application was made to the Cor-
poration in the years 1811, 12, and 13, for a new burial
ground, but this application not having been attended to by
the Corporation, an inquiry was instituted, and it appeared
that in 1771 the Corporation got possession of an old
chapel to which there was a burial ground attached, an
alms-house and lands bequeathed by one Charles Fox to the
Corporation as trustees for charitable purposes stated in the
will of the testator, that immediately after having got pos-
session of those tenements the Corporation pulled down the
chapel, and let the burial-ground on lease for 99 years at
an annual rent of 1/. 14s. A petition was signed by some
of the most respectable inhabitants in the borough, pray-
ing that the Corporation would either give to the borough
the burial ground or other land, but the prayer having
been disregarded, the petitioners, acting under the advice
of counsel, filed a bill in Chancery against the Cor-
poration in 1813, alleging that the Corporation had acted
illegally, and ought, under Sir S. Romilly's Act, to make
restitution. In 1815, the Vice-Chancellor pronounced a
Decree against the Corporation, stating that they could no
longer be trustees for the charitable purposes of the donor,
and that the Corporation should pay the costs. This de-
cree, which was afterwards affirmed by the Lord Chancellor,
was reversed upon an appeal to the House of Lords, upon the
ground that the breach of trust by the Corporation, did
not come within the operation of Sir S. Romilly's Act;
but ought to be the subject of a criminal proceeding. They
prayed the House to institute an enquiry into the conduct
of the Corporation, with a view to give them redress, and
to give the petitioners an opportunity to establish by evi-
dence, that during the proceedings in the House of Lords,
two Noble Lords (Lord Powis, the Recorder of the Bo-
rough, and Lord Redesdale) had interfered in an improper
and unconstitutional manner.

Lord CLIVE regretted that the Honourable Baronet
had not, before he presented the petition, communi-
cated with him upon the subject, because he was satis-
fied that he could show the Honourable Baronet that the
facts were misrepresented in the petition, but when he
said so, he wished it to be distinctly understood,
that neither he nor his Noble Relative, nor the other
Noble Lord mentioned in the petition, had any wish to
throw any impediment in the way of any inquiry which
the House might think fit to institute. The fact was,
that the chapel alluded to was in a most sad ruinous
condition, and a representation to that effect was made to
the Grand Jury of Ludlow, 4o far back as the Year 1750,
and the appeal was not brought by the Corporation with
any oppressive or vexatious views, but 'was brought
in consequence of the advice of the late Lord Gifford, the
present Lord Chancellor of England and Ireland, and of
his Majesty's Attorney-General.
Sir J. YORKE said he did not think the Noble Lord
had given any explanation as to the most material al-
legation in the petition, namely the granting a lease of the
old burial-ground.
Lord CLIVE said the question at issue between the
parties was, whether or not this burial-ground was paro-
chial ? and that issue was decided in the negative in fa-
vour of the Corporation, but since that period a
sufficient quantity of ground had been granted by the Cor-
poration as a burial ground.
Mr. SPEAKER having read the petition, suggested
to the Hon. Baronet the propriety of considering
whether, according to the usual forms of the House,
a petition, containing charges against Members of the
other House of Parliament, acting in their appellant ju-
risdiction, could be received, and whether it would net
be better to Withdraw the petition, in order to have
the latter part of the prayer expunged.
Sir F. BURDETT, after some observations, withdrew
the petition.

COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.

Mr. PEEL presented a petition from the President and
Counsel of the Royal College of Surgeons in London,
stating the difficulties which existed in procuring a
sufficient supply of subjects for anatomical purposes, and
praying that an enquiry upon the matter might be insti-
tuted. He should, for the present abstain from
offering any observations, but should reserve himself until
the discussion which would take place to-morrow upon the
subject.
Mr. Secretary PEEL presented similar petitions from
the surgeons of Leeds.
Sir JOSEPH YORKE suggested, that it might be
very advantageous for anatomical purposes, that the bodies
of persons who died by suicide should be given up for sur-
gical dissection. He did not mean the bodies of persons
who perished by suicide under delicate circumstances..-but
those whose bodies were unclaimed. He thought much
advantage would follow from the investigation of the brains
of persons dying in that way. The petition was then
brought up.
Mr. HUME said he hoped that seine Hon. Member
would be able to suggest to the Committee some measure
of supplying the anatomical schools, without at all offend-
ing the prejudices of the people. He hoped, therefore,
that the Hon. Member opposite would suspend his judg-
ment until the Bill should have gone into a committee.
Mr. Secretary PEEL presented a similar petition from
Huddersfield, in Yorkshire, and took the opportunity of
adverting to what had fallen from his Gallant Friend be-
hind him (Sir Joseph Yo,rke). It might be true that
the supply of anatomical subjects would be increased by
the means lie had mentioned; but he much doubted if it
would not eventually prove injurious, as tending to keep
alive the prejudice of the public against the dissection of
the bodies of their deceased relatives.

The petitions were then ordered to be laid on the table.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH presented a petition from
the Medical Society of Edinburgh, complaining of the im-
pediments which stood in the way of the study of ana-
tomy, and praying that the House would take the matter
into their consideration, and endeavour to obviate the same.
He was disposed to protect and venerate the rights of sepul-
ture ; but it was of the utmost importance to the country,
that the useful and noble science of anatomy should he
cultivated. Without doing anything inconsistent with the
interests of humanity, he thought more encouragement
might be given to that science than it at present enjoyed.
He did not anticipate much advantage to that science from
the proposition of the Gallant Admiral (Sir J. Yorke),
that the bodies of persons perishing by suicide should be
given for dissection. That would be a very trivial increase
to relieve the dearth at present complained of. It would be
seen, on inquiry, that there were far fewer suicides in
London—the capital city, he might say, of Europe—
than in any other city of Europe, in proportion to its in-
habitants. In Paris, with only half the population, there
Were, three times as many suicides, The number of ezecu-

tions for murder in Eng Lind and Wale:, furnished a very in-
sufficient number of subjects fur anatomy. They did not ex-
ceed- fourteen annually, on an average, which was not core
than an execution of one in 1,850,000 persons. He
had looked into the report of the number of persons execu-
ted for murder in 1733, in Middlesex and London, and
compared it with the number of executions for the last
seven years, and it appeared, on comparison, that in 1733
one in 10,000 persons, and during the last seven years,
one in a population of 70,000 was executed for murder,
being a sevenfold diminution since the former period. He
thought, therefore, that if the surgical profession were to
be dependent upon those who were executed, the supply
of bodies would be very scanty indeed. The Right Hon:
and Learned Gentleman deprecated any legislative measure
which added to the punishment of death, and congratulated
the country on having the subject at present under discus-
sion referred to a Committee, from which he anticipated
the most beneficial results.