The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-09 00:00:00

STATE 'OP PORTUGAL

fir li. W I LSON, understauding that the itight
lioriourable Secretary far Fordo Affairs was so far recovered
fiarn inflivalition, us that he would he aloe to attend is hi.
ph,e, uu Tuesday matt gave notice that ou that day he Would
call his (Mr. Canning's) attention, and that of the house, to
certain utfaira which had lately passed, Ina were now pasiillgt as

Portugal, tuanily important to the interests of that country and to
England.

EMIGRA TION.
Mr. W. HORTON was anxious to correct an hn.
pressiou which, from the statement of the Honourable Member
for Carlisle (Sir dames Graham), seemed to have been created,
that the intentions of Government with respect to emigration
as a mode of relief to the distressed weaver* in the north, were
now different from these of which expectations had been excited,.
in the answer formerly given by Lord Bathurst to an application
made to hint on that subject. Such an impression, wherever it
existed, or however it was produced, was erroneous. In the
answer to.the last application respecting the distresses in Glasgow,
given by Lord Bathurst, it was distinctly stated, that however '
much his Lordship regretted the distress adverted to, he could not
give to the application any other answer than that already given
in a printed circular ; but it was added, that the subject of the
application would he laid before the Secretary for the Home De-
partment. He (Mr. Horton) now begged to add, that the letter
in question should be referred to the Committee on Emigration,
for the re-appointment of which it was his intention to move on
the. 1511 i of February.
Sir GRAHAM said, that at a meeting of the
Emigration Society, it had been stated, that hopes were held out
by certain influet;tial Members of the Cabinet, that encourage-
ment would be given to emigration. He now regretted to find
that that was a misrepresentation.
Here the natter dropped.
Sir H. PARNELL presented a petition from the
Roman Catholics of King's county, praying for Emancipation.—
Ordered to be printed.
ROYAL AND PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONS OF

INQUIRY.
On the motion of Mr. S. RICE, there was order-
rd to be laid before the House a return of the number of Royal
and Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry instituted within the
last 20 years; distinguishing the number in each year, the sub..
jcets on which appointed, the expenses attending each, and the
flutes of their several reports.
FIRST FRUITS IN IRELAND.
Mr. S. RICE gave notice, on the part of his
Right Hon. Friend, the Member for Waterford (Sir J. Newport)
that soon alter the holidays, lie would submit a motion on the
subject of tt,e-tiret fruits' fund in Ireland ; and as preparatory to
that motion, he (Mr. !live) now begged to move for "a te
turn of the amount of first fruits received in Ireland within the
lust tat years, distinguishing the amount in each year, the sources
from whence derived, and the application of the whole."—Or.:
tiered.

COLONIAL EXPENSES.
-Mr. HUME wished to ..know from the Hon.
'hider Secretary for the Colonise, whether he would have any
obje,,tion that there should be laid before the House an account of
the Meow and expenses of the several colonies,
Mr. W. HOR EON would not fail to make appli-
cation in the several quarters, in order that such a Return, as far
as it could be made out, should he laid before the !hum.
Mr. HUME then gave. tiettre, that on Monday he
Would move for Copies of the Income and Exnenses of the several
Colonies.
Mr. Hump, presented' a petition from the Cabi-
net-makers of Bradrd, and two petitions from places In the
neighlewrhood of that town, against the Corn I.aws.—'lbe first
wee ordered to be printed,
DUTIES ON INSURANCES,
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON held in his hand a
petition from the Royal Exchange, the Sun, the London, and bo
other Insurance Companies, complaining of the exorbitantly high
duties now levied on insurances, Some of these duties amounted
to 200 per cent. on the rite paid by the insured. The ordinary
ran of insurance was Is. fid. for 1001. ; hut the amount of duty
was So. per cent. The consequence of this high charge was, that
the business of the fire insurances had not advanced for a conside-
able time, as it might have done. On the contrary, it Might, on
the whole, be said to have decreased. Since 1782 (we helicro
the rate of duty had been increased from la. W. to Sr. but it had •
not been diminished since the termination of the war. The ire!.
titioners stated their conviction, that if their present amount of duty
wen redund • one ,half, or even two-thirds,. no Materiel reduction
sienld be thereby made in the amount which the Government at pre-
sent derived; for that many would be induced to insure, who were at
present deterred by the high duty. As he was upon this subject,l
he must say that•the whole of stamp duties ought to be revised
—(Hear, hear. ).:—Commercial men generally complained of the
very high duties on marine insurances.
• .Mr. BERNAL was glad to find the Hon. Alder-
man ;introducing this important question. and he halal be would
be prepared to submit a notice or motion on the subject.
Mr. WARBURTON - enfotced the necessity of a
x eduction iu that amount of duties.
The petition was now brought tip and read.
Mr. Alderman 'I ROM PSON, in moving that it
be printed, expressed his concurrence in what had fallen freer the
Hon. Member (Mr. Bernal) as to the necessity of 'some motion
on the subject, and he would give a notice to that effect, if he
were not aware that some correspondence was now going on be-
tween the merchants of London and his Majesty's Ministers, par-
ticularly as regarded marine insurances. lie, therefore, would
wait to see the' result.
Mr. Alderman .WAITHMAN thought that a re-
duction of the rate of duty on insurances would be productive of
considerable advantage to the general trade of the country.
. • The petition was ordered to be printed.
Mr. 'WARBURTON requested for a moment the
attention of the Hon. Member opposite (Sir H. Ilardinge.) By
a paper which had been put into his hands that morning., it ep-
peered: that tire Ordnance were in the habit of advertising for.
contracts for particular kinds of timber, but the specifications set
forth timber of the highest price, which it was impossible to sup-
ply. The consequenee was, that an article of inferior value was
sent in, and a high price charged. While the specifications were
allowed to be in their present firtm, no Merchant of honour could
bid for the contract, for he would not wish to send timber of
inferior value. • Ile therefore thought the specifications should
be Altered.
Sir IL lIARDINGE aaid, that if the Citet were
so, the Ordnance would feel obliged to the Hon. Member fur say
suggestion which he could make. All he could say further was,
that the Hoard of Ordnance would make inquiry into the subject.

STATE OF IRELAND.
Mr. H. GRATTAN, in presenting a petition
for eineoeipation from the parish of Grenagh (we think)
i„ the coonty of Longford, observed, that it , wits the very
reverse of a petition which had been laid before the House on a
former evening, (Wilding, we suppose, to that from Mr. Orpen,
of Dublin) ; that prayed for war, this, now presented, implored
for peace. They prayed fur that without which Ireland would
never be at, peace. Some of the petitioners were tenants on an
estate of his, of which their aneeeters,who were generals ind eolo-
male in the army, were once the proprietors ; but so far from feel-
ing any insecurity ow that ground from coutosions to the Catho-
he felt convinced thet his property would ise even more safe
than while the CatarY svau OMNI to remain in Its present dis-
tracted State. He deeply regretted,that on the subject of Ireland
Ministers should have hitherto preserved such a perverse silence.
tut if Ministers were silent, Ireland avonld not be so. It was
imposaible that the great mass of her popidetion should not cry
sot against the present system. They had Sadist emuitry a Lord
Liessdimant of one opinion, and a Chief Secretary of another--a
Lord Chaticallor win') edvouated one rouge of public nureaures,
Ned au ..tttorney-Oeneral who supported the opposite. Was it
possible that they could go on in this manner ? He, ass Protest-
ant, could give evidence, mid could have it attested on oath, did
eke forms oldie lions* allow, that he was a loser to a eonsiderable
erxtent by the general feeling (which the present state 41 Ireland
teressarily created) that it wenlil at this moment he unsafe to e+ e.
bark capital in any
speculation iu that country. It had been pro-
posed to form a company for the eawouragement of spinning, and
(as we understate!) the manufacture of 40,1,,,
r that country, (a
quotation much wore likely to succeed than the mulb,rry Cons-
gamy, of which they beard a great deal) ;and tan gre capitalists
in Dub , Mr. Latouehe end another, had declared tom, were
the awn of 200,000/, necessary for
the Romaa Catholic question carried, they coul4l without difthere.
ty, in twenty-four hours, raise
the company ; hut that in the present irteeePT9 •thk of the roan.
try the thing would he impossible.
Ordered to be printed.
EntonkTlON.
• .
4 A message was received from the Lords, requesting
that a copy of the report merle during the last Session, by a select
Committee of the House of Commons, on the subject of emigra-
i,tion hens the United Kingdoms, *lmola he communicated to their
Lordships. An answer was returned to the messenger, stating
that the House acceded to the request of their Lordships.
f.! On the motion of Mr. Hrititivs, the Exchequer
Baia 0,000,000/.) Bill, and also the transfer of Aids Bill, was
Alreld athird time, and passed.
CAPE Or GOOD HOPE.

Mr, BROUGHAM 14 been informed, that in
the Ahlkettelion which had Wok Out tags night respecting the Cape

Of Good Hope, a question had arisen as to tbe course which he
intended to pursue with regard to a petition which he had formerly
presented, complaining of the misconduct of the Governor-of that
colony. That petition he had presented two Sessions ago on be-
half °f lit.. Bishop Burnett ; and he understood that it was now
said that the report of the Commissioners had dealt with the sub-
pat matter of that petition, and completely exhausted it. He bad
not read that report with soy great attention ; but in the cursory
perusal which he bad given it, he did not find that it referred to
all those parts of the petition to which his notice had been more
particularly called. In presenting that petition, he had said that
there were some matters stated in it of so extraordinary a nature,
that he, could not believe them to be facts ; but that if they were
facts, it was impossible for the House not to take the earliest on-
nortunity of investigating them most rigorously. The matters to
which he referred did not form what was more particularly called

the ease of Bishop Burnett. That individual bad brought forward
in his petition collateral' charges against Lord Charles Sonierset, of
far greater importance then those which formed the substance of
his own case, and to those charges he (Mr. Brougham) cenfessed
that his attention had been fOrcibly attracted. He had understood
fron► the Right Hon. 'Secretary for Foreign Affairs, that Lord
Charles Somerset was coming home, and indeed had now arrived,
to meet the charges which had been preferred against him. Ile
was glad to bear that declaration front the lion. Gentleman, be-
cause the ease of Bishop Burnett was much subordinate to the
charges which his petition opened against Lord Charles Somerset.
lie certainly would take the earliest opportunity of examining the
report more accurately than his avocations had hitherto enabled
him to examine it.
IMPROVEMENTS AT CHARING-CROSS.

Mr. HOBHOUSE would .put a question to the
Secretary of the Treasury, which he would have put to some Gen-
tlemen of the Board of Works, had he had the good fortune to see
any of them in their places in the House. Many of his consti-
tuents were deeply interested in the improvements which it was
in contemplation to make in the neighbourhood of Charing-cross.
They wished to know when they would be commenced, as the
doubt in which they were now left, operated very prejudicially
upon their interests. They could not take in any stock, or make
any fresh purchases of goods, as they did not know_ at what period
they might he turned out of their houses.'
Mr. HEItItIES was sorry that he could not give
the Eton. hterniket for Westminster suds an answer as would re-
lieve his constituents from the anxiety under which' they laboured
at present. Though the improvements were not to be car-
ried on. under the controls! of the Treasury, he knew from infor-
mation which he had received as a private individual, that the
Cominisaioners appointed to superintend them were now engages!
'on their work. There were, however, - certain preliminary ar-
rangethents to be made respecting the purchase of property to he
pulled down and removed, which rendered it impossible to say
when the improvements would be actually commenced. Though
they had as yet taken no active and visible measures, he could as-
sure the honourable Member that the Commissioners had not
been idle. •