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

'Ant:UNIONS-BILL.

Mr. WYSE moved the ;third reading of the Art-
Unions Bill.
Mr. ESCOTT said that words had been introduced
into the Bill, exempting private lotteries, as well as
public institutions, from penalties. Now he knew in-
stances in which persons made a profit of 10 per cent.
by private lotteries, and he wished to know whether the
House would sanction the words introduced by the
Right Hon. Gentleman, exempting such lotteries from
penalties.

Mr. WYSE said that the only object of the Bill was
to indemnify those societies that had laid themselves
open to the operations of the law, but it_had no reference
to the unions to be established in future.

The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
C USTOM-HOUSE.

On the question that the House resolve itself into a
Committee on the Charitable Bequests and Donations
(Ireland) Bill.
Mr. BROCKLEHURST said he would take that
opportunity of asking the Right Hon. Baronet the
question of which he had given notice, as to what further
evidence and reports may be expected beyond what was
delivered this day, in reference to frauds in the Custom-.
house, and what information and assurance can be given
as to the intention of the Government to take more
vigorous measures during the recess, towards the cor-
rection of past frauds and the application of efficient
checks for the future.

Sir ROBERT PEEL, in answer to the Hon. Mem-
ber's question, said that with respect to what further
evidence and reports might be expected in reference to
the frauds in the Custom-house, that he believed the
next point to which the Commissioners intended to turn
their attention was, the control over the legal expenses
of the board. With respect the question, whether the
Government intended to take more vigorous measures,
he was not aware how they could take more vigorous
measures than they had done. Every fraud was not only
a loss to the Treasury, but an injury to the honest
trader, and prompt measures had been taken to suppress
them.

Mr. WILLIAMS feared that the Custom-house de-
partment would not be purified until there was a total
change there.

Air. UUME said there was a strong impression pre-
valent in London that, as long as the Custom-house
Board remained in its present situation, it would not
give any degree of satisfaction. There must be indi-
vidual responsibility—that was what they wanted. The
Custom-house and Stamp-office departments should form
a branch of the Treasury, as in other countries. Whilst
individuals, having 4001. or 500/ a year salary, had so
much temptation that they could, without much chance
of discovery, purloin as much in one day as their whole
year's salary, the abuse would be perpetuated. Some-
thing ought to be done to prevent the recurrence of it.
Sir R. PEEL considered the introduction of this sub-

jest as very inappropriate.
Mr. WYSE inquired if the Irish Government had
taken any measure for the division of the Union of
Burnchurch.
Lord ELIOT was understood to reply in the affirma-
tive.
CHARITABLE BEQUESTS (IRELAND) BILL.
The House then went into Committee on this Bill.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM gave notice of his intention
to move the following amendment ; in the 6th clause,
instead of the words " that all matters concerning doc-
trine and discipline of the Church which shall be in
question before the said Committee," he would substitute
the words, " that the consideration of all charitable
donations and bequests, and matters relating to them, in
which any question should arise concerning the usage
and discipline of the Churches of England and of Rome."
The next alteration was in the 15th clause, and regarded
the power of leasing : " That it shall be lawful for
archbishops, bishops, and all those in holy orders, in the
Catholic Church to execute leases." He thought these
alterations would meet all the wishes of the Hon. Gen-
tleman opposite.
Mr. WYSE expressed his approbation of the altera-
tions made by the Right Hon. Baronet, and thanked him
sincerely for them. He, however, thought there was a
defect in the Bill as regarded monastic institutions.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said the Bill would give still
greater facility to nunneries and such institutions in
claiming trusts which had been devised to them.
Mr. P. HOWARD took that opportunity of advert-
ing to certain publications by several clergymen of the
Church of England, especially Dr. Newman, respecting
monastic institutions. Those divines had written in
favour of such institutions, and he (Mr. Howard) thought
the Government ought to have left the law respecting
them where it stood.
Colonel RAWDON expressed his satisfaction with the
Government measure.
After a few words from Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN,
the preamble was agreed to, the House resumed, and the
report was brought up, and ordered to be further consi-
dered to-morrow.
DEBTORS' AND CREDITORS' BILL.
This Bill passed through Committee, and the report
ordered to be received to-morrow.
TRANSFER OF PROPERTY BILL.
This Bill passed through Committee, and the report
ordered to:be received to-morrow.
ARMS (IRELAND) BILL.
This Bill passed through Committee, was reported,
and ordered to be engrossed, and read a third time to-
morrow.
PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BILL.
This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
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committed on Monday.
ANDS.
Mr. HUME the House would,
early in the next session, take into its consideration cer-
tain resolutions respecting the savings' banks of the United
Kingdom, in doing which he said that his object was to
place the resolutions on record, so that on a future
day they might be referred to.—(The resolutions were
of an enormous length, and the Hon. Member said he
would not trouble the Speaker to read them.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUER said
that if Bin. Gentlemen would print pamphlets at the
public expense, he did not think it was incumbent on
the House to read them. He could not believe that the
Hon. Gentleman could suppose that the House would
agree to such enormous resolutions being carried.
The resolutions were then negatived without a division.
The House adjourned at Half-past Seven.

PARSONS AND WIDOWS.—The social life of the
working clergy of the Church of England, with all its
experiences of good and evil, presents a fine field of ob-
servation for the novelist, and the clever author of
" Peter Priggins " has but exhibited his usual excellent
judgment in availing himself of the many sources of
genuine interest to be found in this direction, for the
materials of a new work which is about to issue from
the press under the title of " Parsons and Widows."
It is reported that the work comprises many striking
narratives full of strong and well relieved portraiture,
and illustrative in a remarkable manner of the lights and
shadows that make up the existence of that much
honoured and truly useful character, the country pastor.
Romance and pathos, crime and sorrow, with a due pro-
portion of the picturesque and humorous, we have
heard form the principal features in " Parsons and
Widows;" and we cannot entertain a doubt that a work
so strongly appealing to the sympathies of the reader
will, on its publication, attract general attention.