The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-27 00:00:00

Dr. BOWRING said tho objection of the Hon.
Member for Coventry had not been noticed, namely,
that an increase in the marine force was, in fact, an in-
crease in the standing army.
Captain PECIaELL hoped that an explanation would
be given to induce his Hon. Friend to withdraw his mo-
tion. But if a satisfactory explanation was not given,
he would more an amendment. He hoped, however, it
would not be necessary to press the motion. Before he
sat down he wished to ask if it were true that the crews
of her Majesty's ships had been employed in levying
poor-rates in Ireland 7—(Hear, hear.) He thought
that a great improvement might be effected by
employing steam-vessels instead of frigates to
carry out Governors to such places as Gibraltar. He
was sure that such employment of frigates gave
very great dissatisfaction to the officers, and served
to change her Majesty's ships into floating ta-
verns, and caused the dismissal of the Commander of
the Warspite.—(Hear, hear.) The whole system of ap-
pointment to places in the dockyards was one of Parlia-
mentary patronage, and the only questions asked of a
candidate were—Who recommended you ? and, Whom
did you vote for at the last election 2—(Hear, and a
laugh.) He hoped the whole system would be changed,
and that the Admiral Superintendent should have the
power of appointing fit persons, and selecting them from
the naval service.—(Hear.) He also trusted the Hon.
and Gallant Officer (Sir George Cockburn) would induce
the Admiralty to take into their consideration the
situation of the masters in the navy.
Mr. WILLIAMS (as we understood) expressed him-
self satisfied with the explanation which the Hon. and
Gallant Member had given.
Captain PECHELL wished to have his question
answered by the Hon. and Gallant Admiral.
Sir G. COCKBURN said that he did not know that
vessels had been employed for the purpose spoken of by
the Hon. and Gallant Gentleman. Whenever any ex-
citement existed in Ireland, the vessels on that coast
were ordered ; but the officers all bore testimony to the
civility of the people, who went on board the ships to
see them, and conducted themselves with the greatest
propriety.—(Hear.) As to the other question, he had
only to say, that the widows of officers who lost their
lives in the coast-guard service got increased pensions,
the same as in any other brand of the service.
The vote was put and agreed to.
The next vote put was, "that 1,170,4761. be granted
to her Majesty to defray the wages of seamen and
marines for the year ensuing."
After another observation from Dr. BOWRING on
the involved state of the " explanation,"
This vote was agreed to, and,
On the motion of Mr. BROTHERTON,
The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and obtained
leave to sit again.
HORSE-RACING PENALTIES BILL.
Mr. WORTLEY moved the second reading of this
Bill, and proposed certain verbal amendments on it.
Mr. C. BERKELEY would not oppose the motion if
the addition he had to propose were acceded to.
Mr. WORTLEY was not prepared to accede to the
addition.

Mr. BROTIIERTON moved an adjournment ; but
from a few words that passed, believing the subject
would soon be brought to a termination, the Hon.
Gentleman declined to persist in the motion.
After a short pause, and cries of " Adjourn," and
" Go on,"
Mr. FIAWES said he wished the House would either
adjourn or go on.
Mr. C. BERKELEY said, as it seemed the wish of
the House that he should go on, he would shortly state
the nature of his clause. The object he had
in view, was to extend the operation of the
present Bill to the second clause of the 4th and 6th of
William IV., and to the 47th of the 2d and 34 of Vic-
toria ; so that no information should be laid under
those clauses until within three months after the passing
of the present Bill. They should then have the Report
of the Committee sitting up stairs on gaming, and they
would be able to determine whether certain sports and
games to which those clauses related continued to exist
or not. There was nothing so objectionable as legis-
lation, which it was impossible to enforce, and they
could not enforce the clauses of this Act of Parliament.
If they did attempt to enforce them, they would not be
doing justiee by thus legislating for one class only, and
therefore he would move the insertion of the following
clause:—" And whereas, by the third clause of an Act,
passed in the sth and 6th year of the reign of his late Ma-
jesty William the Fourth, intituled, ' An Act to consoli-
date and amend the several laws relating to the cruel
and impreper treatment of animals, and the mischief's
arising from the driving of cattle, and to make other
provisions in regard thereto,' and also by the 47th
clause of a certain other Act, passed in the second and
third years of the reign of her Majesty Qneen Victoria,
intituled, ' An Act for further improving the police in
and near the metropolis,' certain penalties are recover-
able by summary process against parties engaging in
certain popular sports and games therein mentioned :
be it enacted, that it shall not be lawful for the space of
throe calendar months from the passing of this Act, to
lay any information for the recovery of penalties under
the said recited clauses of the said Acts."

Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion. They had by
their legislation encouraged informers, by trusting to
them the enforcing of certain laws, and now because
those men turned round upon the rich and powerful
there was this outcry raised against them. He disap-
proved of the measure itself, and of the clause that was
proposed to be added ; but, from a wish to do equal jus-
tice to the humbler classes of society, he felt bound to
support it.
The clause was then brought up and read a first time.
On the motion that it be read a second time,
Mr. WORTLEY said, he thought that the Honourable
Member had not informed the House, nor the Hon.
Member next him (I)r. Bowring), to what sports the
clauses of the Acts he alluded to referred. He would
find that they were directed, not against the sports of
the poor only, but to sports which had received the
highest aristocratical protection—such as cock-fighting,
and other sports of the like description, which ho need
not name. His objection to the clause was, that it had
nothing to do with the Bill. The Bill merely suspended,
for a limited time, certain actions brought to re-
cover penalties of so large an amount—an amount
totally disproportionate to any offence the parties
might have committed. Now, the penalties to which
the Hon. Gentleman's clause referred were against sports
of a cruel and inhuman character. He might propose
an alteration in the general law, but this Bill had
nothing to do with that. If those gentlemen had not
been of aristocratical ranks and connections they should
not have had so much opposition to the Bill.
Captain PECHELL denied that there was any ana-
logy between the present Bill and the motion he had
made for suspending actions brought against newspaper
proprietors in 1835, to recover pvnalties incurred by the
violation of one of the regulations of the Stamp-office.
Mr. C. BERKELEY would not trouble the House, as
he saw, from the number of gentlemen opposite who were
adverse to his motion, that it would be perfectly useless.
After a few words from Mr. MITER BORTIIWICS the
Report of the Bill was brought up and agreed to, and
the Bill was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow
(this day).
The House then adjourned at a Quarter to One o'clock.

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PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.
The Parliamentary Paper (No. 40, Session 1844), or-
dered by the House of' Commons to be printed, on the
16th instant, was entitled an " Account of all Supplies
remaining in the Mint, of
Advances
for Coinage, Seignorage arising therefrom, and
,
Repayments into the Exchequer on Account of Ad-
vances." has been prepared under nine heads. From
Table No. 1, it appears that the supplies remaining in
the Mint on the 31st of DeceDecember,Bl,B9ll 13s. Bd. (of this e 15843 for
amounted Purchase
t of o
aggregate , 1 8041• 10s. 2d. was
" Balance remaining on the Exchequer at the Bank of
England, and 27,275/. 16s. 11d. balance, or cash ac-
count, also at the Bank." The silver bullion, uncoined,
at 665. per lb. troy, was 26,251 L 4s. 3d. The silver
coin in the stronghold, 19,837/. 18s. 2d. The copper,
uncoined bullion, at 2241. per ton, was 3,322/. ls. 7d.
Coper coin in stronghold 9351.25. 3d. Cash remaining
in the latter, silver and copper, 2,4451.) No. 2 shows
the total of the sums issued out of the Consolidated
Fund for the purchase of silver and copper bullion,
under the authority of the Lords Commissioners of her
Majesty's Treasury (including balance on Exchequer
credit at the Bank, on 31st of December, 1842,
1,8041. 10e. 2d.), at 351,804/. 10s. 2d. In No. 3, headed
" Purchase of Silver Bullion and Dollars, and the
Seignorage of the Coinage," it appears that the prices
paid for silver between January 1 and December 31,
1843, ranged in the following proportions ; namely, for
dollars, from 575. op. to 595. Ofd. per ounce; for worn
shillings and sixpences, their nominal value; for silver
in bars, from 595. Ofd. to 595. Old. per ounce; colonial
seals (to the amount of 584/. ss. 10d., whereof the Mint
Mint 7 dv. al ; seignorage (or dif-
ference), 26,649/. 14s. 4id.
value),
No. 4 shows the " Nominal Value " of " Old Worn
value was 6501. 17s. lid.) at 595. (id. Total of
purchase value for the year, 339,106/. 14s. Bd.-Mint
value, 356,273/. 6s. sd. Loss on the purchase of worn
coin
nf
bore
recoinage,oveen market 9,4aBnd 3/. 2s
Silver Coin" (i. e., shillings and sixpences) " received
from the Bank of England, purchased for recoinage,
from 31st of December, 1843, to 31st of December,
1843," to have been 107,000/, whereof the Mint value,
at 665. per lb. troy, was only 97,516/. 17s. showing
total of loss on said purchase, as 9,4831. 2s. 7d. No. 5
(for the year, January 1 to December 16, 1843, inclu-
sive) gives the total "Purchase Value of Copper Bul-
lion" at 12,160/. Os. 7d.; of which the Mint value, at
224/. per ton, was 34,1241. ss. 10d., leaving to the
Crown a seignorage of no less than 21,9641. ss. 3d.
From No. 6 it appears that the " Total of
Coined Silver Moneys delivered into the Mint-office in
all 1843," amounted to 276,606/. ; and of Coined
copper, ditto, to 10,935/. Is. 10d. No. 7. The " Cash
Account of Payments for Silver and Copper Coin,"
during same period, shows an aggregate of 293,913/.
53. 2d. Under No. 8, " A Return of Payments made
into the Exchequer out of Cash received for Silver and
Copper Moneys," we find that the repayments in the
like term, on account of advances out of the Consoli-
dated Fund for purchase of bullion, amounted to
265,000/. ; and the "Payments on account of Seignorage
or the purchase of Bullion," and excess of "Tale on the
Coinage from Ist October, 1842, to 30th of September,
1843,' were in all 16,121/. 18s. i Id.-Total, 281,121/.
Bs. 1 ld. No. 9 is the General Debtor and Creditor
Statement of " The Mast' the Mint in account with
her Majesty's Exchequer , r the ye:i,r 1843. Debiting
the assets (shown in No. ,1,891/. ; the advances from
the Exchequer (set 6, in No. 2), 350,000/, the
seignorage accruing on oinage of elver and copper
(given in No. 3), 48,6111 and the fractional excess by
talc for the whole year of 4s. 6d.-this ide of the ac-
count gives a total of 480,505/. 17s. 7d. On the credit
side, after the payments into Exchequer cn account of
advances and paymerts for Seignorage (as a: No. 8), and
credit for less on silver coin, called in for recoinage (ex-
hibited in No. 4), mating, together 290,602/. lls. 6d.-
the " Assets remaining vn 30th December, 1843," are