The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-08 00:00:00

WINDOW-TAX.

Dr. BOWRING presented a petition from the Licensed
Victuallers of Bolton, praying to be exempt from the opera-
tion of the window-tax in the same manner that other trades
were.

Mr. DARBY presented a petition from the Licensed Vic-
tuallers of Lewes to the same effect,

TAX ON COAL.

Sir E. FILMER presented a petition from the mayor,
aldermen, and burgesses of Gravesend, against any new tax
being imposed on coals.
DUTY ON TOBACCO.

Sir JOHN EAST HOPE presented four petitions from the
consumers of tobacco and snuff in Leicestershire, praying for a
reduction in the duty on tobacco.
ATHLONE ELECTION. _ _ _

Mr. PA KINGTON appeared at the bar, and said he had
to report from the Athlone Elect'on Committee, that " John
Collett, Esq., had been duly returned to serve in the present
Parliament for the borough of Athlone."
On the motion of the same Hos% MEMBIR, the minutes of
the proceedings before the Committee were erdered to be
printed.
The order made yesterday for the liberation of a witness of
the name of Quin, from Roscommon gaol, who was required to
give evidence before the Committee, was then discharged.
Sir WM. CLAY presented petitions from the Tower Ham-
lets, praying for a redaction in the duty on tobacco.
Mr. EWART announced his intention of postponing his
motion which stood upon the paper for this day, to this day
fortnight.
Mr. MACKINNON postponed his motion on the subject of
prison discipline for a fortnight.
Dr. BOWRING, on the part of Mr. Hume, said, that
Honourable Gentleman would postpone, to Monday, his
motion for a Select Committee to inquire into the extent
of smuggling of tobacco, spirits, silks, and other articles
upon which high import and excise duties are levied ; and
into the nature and extent of frauds by adulteration, by
the substitution of spurious imitations of highly-taxed articles,
and by any other means ; and also, to inquire into the effects
of such smuggling and frauds on the revenue of the country on
the fair trader, on the consumer, and on the morals of the. per.
sons engaged in the public service, to protect and collect the
revenue ; and further to inquire into,the expense of the Coast
Guard, and of other establishments maintained for the pro-
tection of the revenue, and to report the evidence, and their
opinion thereon to the House, when it would be brought for-
ward with some slight modification. The Hon. Gent. also
postponed his motion to call the attention of the House to the
operation of the Treaty of Commerce with Turkey upon the
commercial interests of this country, for a fortnight.
Capt. PECH ELL also postponed his motion for a similar pe-
riod "to call the attention of the House to the system of impri-
sonment, and the length of confinement to which persons are
subjected as defaulters under the Acts for Assessed Taxes and
Game Duties."

Mr. MACAULAY wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet,
the First Lord of the Treasury, whether he was in possession
of any further information beyond that which appeared this
morning with respect to India?
Sir R. PEEL said, at present 'no further information had
been received beyond that alluded to by the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman ; nor could he enter into any further details until the
official dispatches had been received.
COMMERCIAL TREATIES WITH FRANCE.

Mr:CAI3O3CHEREsaid he had observed in a report of
a speech made by M. Guizot in the French Chambers with
respect to the commercial negotiations between France and
this country, that the French Government, unless M. Guizot
was wholly misreported, considered the negotiations as com-
pletely at an end. From what he had heard the Right Hon.
Baronet say of the evils of keeping the public mind in sus-
pense, he thought he should make some sim►lar statement to do
away with uncertainty on the subject in this country. The
question he had to put to the Right Hon. Baronet was this,
whether he understood it to be the declaration of M. Guizot
that the commercial negotiations between France and this
country were at an end, and whether he was prepared to con-
firm that declaration? . .

- Sir R. PEEL said he had seen the most authentic report of
the speech of M. Guizot in the French Chamber—that given
in the Moniteur—and he was bound to say, that on referring to
that authentic report, he could not doubt that in the opinion of
the French Government there was no prospect of concluding
the negotiations ; he spoke of the former convention for the re-
duction of duties. The Honourable Gentleman must be
well aware that there must be two parties to contract
a treaty of commerce, and whatever impediment might
have arisen to the course of the negotiations, he was
bound to say that they had not arisen with the Government of
this country ; the signature to a treaty of commerce was of
course in the power of the other parts, to ,sive or refute. He
could not doubt that in the opinion 01. the French Government
there was no probability of eflecting a reduction of commercial
duties by actual treaty.
QUARTER SESSIONS.
Mr. PAKINGTON brought foward his motion for leave
to bring in a Bill " to define and regulate the periods for hold-
ing quarter sessions in cities and boroughs." Ile stated that
by the 105th and 106th sections of the Municipal Act, the re-
corders of boroughs had the power of adjourning the sessions.
The Hon. Gentleman then referred to cases in which great
hardships had been caused by the adjournment of the sessions
at the pleasure of the recorder. Nothing could be more in.
convenient to all parties, nothing could be more unfair towards
the jurymen and the witnesses who had to attend the
trials; but, above all, nothing could be more hard or un-
just towards the prisoners who had to take their
trials, than this arbitrary power of postponement.
That uncertainty should exist in the administration of the
criminal law, and that prisoners should be totally unable to
judge when their trials would take place—these were evils
from which the worst consequences must follow. He would
appeal to any Hon. Gentleman in that House, who was at all
conversant with the proceedings of criminal courts, whether
it might not make a material difference in one respect
to those who had to take their trials if post-
ponement were in the power of the recorder ; he
referred to the fact that the verdicts of juries
were frequently influenced by the testimony given by
witnesses to the character of the prisoner. It was necessary
for the due administration of justice, that some restriction
should be imposed on the power of adjournment possessed by
the recorder under the 106th clause of the Municipal Act.
He desired, in the absence of any suggestion from the Right
Hon. Baronet, to bring in a Bill to assimilate the law respect-
ing boroughs to that prevailing in counties. It was of the
greatest possible importance that those who were sub-
jected to the administration of criminal justice should
not be exposed to any uncertainty. The Hon. Gentleman
concluded by moving for leave to bring in a Bill to define and
regulate the periods for holding quarter sessions in cities and
boroughs.
Mr. BAILEY (Worcester) seconded the motion.
Mr. HAW ES thought that the Bill proposed to be intro-
duced by the Hon. Member was too general, and that he had
not laid a foundation for such a measure. He certainly thought
the Bill unnecessary.
Mr. VERNON SMITH believed that, unless they gave
recorders higher salaries, these occasional postponements would
be unavoidable. By the Act, recorders were required to give
ten days' notice of the commencement of the sessions, and,
yet, in cases of appeal, the appellants were required to
give the respondents fourteen days' notice of the hearing of
appeals. This was an anomaly which required correction.
He had drawn the attention of the Secretary of State
for the Home Department to the subject last session, and
bad suggested that he should take upon himself to issue in-
structions to the recorders to give longer notice of the times of
holding sessions. The Right Hon. Gentleman had not done
so, and he therefore supposed that he would support the Bill of
the Hon. Gentleman opposite.
Sir J. GRAHAM thought it would be extremely desirable
to limit the power of recorders as to the holding of sessions,
but not to limit it to the extent desired by the Hon. Gentle-
man. The Hon. Gentleman had borne testimony to the great
learning of the recorder of Worcester, and that gentleman was
deserving of the highest consideration. He was anxious that
the administration of criminal justice should take place
at stated periods, but it was also necessary to secure the ser-
vices of competent judges, and of an independent and learned
bar, and that could not be obtained if the term of bolding