The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-20 00:00:00

Holbeach, in Lincolnshire, against the Anti-Corn-law
League. The petitioners prayed that the House would
not listen to the delusive schemes of self-interested par-
ties..--(Great laughter.)
Mr HUME presented a petition from the Peace So-
ciety of Ross, praying that the military establishment of
the country might be reduced.
THE LATE WAR IN. CHINA. -
The SPEAKER read a letter from Sir George Burrell,
acknowledging the thanks of the House, presented to
him- for his services in China.
POOR-LAWS.

Mr. S. WORTLEY presented a petition from Dews.
bury, praying for an alteration in the bastardy clauses of
the Poor-law.

POOR-LAWS.

Mr. P. BORTHWICK gave notice that, upon the
House going into Committee upon the Poor-law Amend-
ment Act, he would move for the introduction of clauses
to prevent the separation of married people, above sixty
years of age, in workhouses ; for permission to married
people under that age to attend each other in case of ill-
bees ; and for out-door relief in certain cases.
NOTICES OF MOTION.

' Mr. HUME gave notice that he would, to-morrow,
move for returns of the number of appeals brought before
the House of Lords in the last two years.
The Hox. MEMBER also gave notice that he would
move for a return of thenumber of Custom-house agents
discharged in consequence of fraud, and the amount of
penalties recovered from the sureties.
Mr. H. BERKELEY gave notice, that on the motion
for the third reading of the Small Debts Bill, he would
move as an amendment that the Bill be read a third
time that day six months.
Mr. WALLACE postponed to the 29th instant the
several motions of which he had given notice for this
evening, respecting the Post-office and the Customs.
The HON. MEMBER also gave notice of a motion for
a return of the amount of receipts from the sale of
papers published by order of the House, and also of the
expense incurred in defending prosecutions in the Courts
of Law, arising out of these publications, in order that
the balance should be ascertained.
THE GAMBLING ACTIONS.

Mr. CHRISTIE gave notice, that in Committee upon
the Horse-racing Penalties Suspension Bill, he would
move that the power of proceeding for penalties under
any Act of Parliament should be taken from common
informers.—(Hear, hear.)
BRAZIL.

Mr. LABOUCHERE gave notice that on Thursday
next he would bring under the consideratiori of the
House the existing treaties with BraziL
THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON.

Mr. HAWES moved fora return of papers connected
with the treaty of Washington.—Ordered.
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS (IRELAND).
Sir R. FERGUSON gave notice of a motion for
returns relating to the registration of electors in Ireland.
THE QUEEN OF OTAHEITE.

Mr. HINDLEY-begged to ask the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman, the First Lord of the Treasury, whether there
was any truth in a paragraph which appeared in one of
the morning papers of this day, to the effect that Queen
Pomare, of Otaheite, had been deposed by the agents of
the French Government ?
Sir ROBERT PEEL had not so much leisure as the
Hon. Gentleman to read the morning papers.—(Laugh.
ter.) He had therefore not seen the paragraph referred
to, and was unable to answer the question.
LIVERPOOL DOCKS.

On the motion of Sir H. DOUGLAS, leave was given
to bring in a Bill for the improvement of the Liverpool
docks. . •

RAILWAYS.

Leave was also given to bring in Bills for the forma-
tion of braitol lines connected with the Manchester and
Leeds, the Hp,rtlepool, and other railways.
• SUPPLY.

The Order of the Day for going into Committee of
Supply was read, and postponed till Wednesday next.
POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS AND THE PRESS.

On the motion for reading the Order of the Day for
the second reading of the Poor-law Amendment 13111, •
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said he had a question to put to
the Attorney-General. It appeared that the proprietors
of several newspapers in Ireland had withdrawn them-
' selves from the Repeal Association, the reason stated by
them for so withdrawing being that Chief Justice Penne-
- father. had laid it clown as the law that the whole of an
association were responsible for any article that might
appear in any paper of which the proprietors
-Li-night happen to be members. Mr. Barrett, of the
-C.Pdot, and Mr. Gavan Duffy, of the Nation, had both
stated this as their reason for withdrawing from the
Association. Now the question he had to put to the
Attorney-General was this—whether, if the matter pub-
lished in any newspaper, the proprietor of which might
• happen to be a member of any association, the whole of
the members could be made responsible, if .hit matter
was put in as evidence against that association"?—(Hear.)
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the lion. Gentle-
man had been kind enough to apprise him, a few
minutes previously, that he intended to put the question
to him. In answer to it, he would say that he had no
doubt the proprietors of the newspapers in question
were well advised, and had exercised a . sound
discretion in retiring from the Repeal Association.—
(Cheers and laughter from the Ministerial benches.)
But whatever they might do, under that good advice, it
was impossible for him (the Attorney-General) to form
any judgment in reference to the general question whe-
ther the contents of a paper, of which the editor might be
a member of an association could be used as evidence
• against the whole of the members. unless he knew the
objects of the association, to what extent the editors
were mixed up with it, what the articles were in refe-
rence
to those objects, and what use was made of those
articles.—(Loud cheers from the Ministerial side.)
Mr. ELPIIINSTONE said he was a member of the
Anti-Corn-law League—(Ministerial cheers)—which
was an association for doing away with monopoly.—
(Ministerial cheers and laughter.) Now there was a
journal which was called the LeaguP, in connection with
that Association. and he wanted to know whether he
( Mr. Elphinstone) and every other member of that league
was liable for every article that might be published in
that paper ? He wished to have an answer to that ques-
tion from the Hon. and Learned Gentleman opposite.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the Hon. Gen-

tlernan had addressed his question to him, but he did
not know that he was entitled to the honour of such
a distinction—(Ministerial cheers, and laughter)—but,
in answer, he would strongly recommend the Hon. Gen-
tleman to take the advice ;of his ordinary professional
legal adviser.—(Renewed cheers and laughter from the.
Ministerial benches.)
• Lord EBRINGTON and Mr. HINDLEY here rose about
the same time, amidst the derisive cheers of the Mem-
bers on the Ministerial side of the House, and the
latter Hon. Gentleman commenced speaking amidst
cries of " Order, order." The Hon. Gentleman having
sat down,
Lord EBRINGTON, who had first caught the
Speaker's eye, proceeded to ask, pursuant to notice, the
Right Hon. Gentleman, the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, whether it was the intention of her
Majesty's Government to introduce any measure—or the
same measure which had been already proposed, with
respect to the Administration of turnpike-trusts in
England.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that he had intended to intro-
duce a measure on the subject. but that a Commission
had been appointed to inquire into, and report upon the
subject. The Commissioners had fully investigated the
matter, and. he expected that their Report would be ,
ready in a very short time, and before introducing any 1
measure of the kind, he wished to have the advantage

of receiving their Report.
Mr. HINDLEY said he must confess that he was

not satisfied with the answer which had been given by
• the Attorney-General to the question of the Honourable
Gentleman behind him (Mr. Elphinstone). He (Mr.
Ilindley) had consulted his professional law adviser on
the subject, and that gentleman told him that the Asso-
ciation called the Anti-Corn-law League was a perfectly
legal one. But that would not decide the question if the
Attorney-General was directed, as in the case of Mr.
O'Connell, after 11 or 1 2 months, or a long time had elapsed,
to proceed against its members.—(Cries of " Order,
order.") He repeated it would not decide the question
which his legal adviser had decided in his favour.—(Re •
newed cries of " Order, order.") He now asked the
Attorney-General whether the Anti-Corn-law League
was a legal Association or not?—(Jeers and cheers from
the Ministerial benches.)
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL appealed to Hon.
Gentlemen on both sides of the House, whether he had
ever declined answering any question put to him in that
Ilouse ? If the Hon. Member had really any question
which he wished to ask him (the Attorney-General),
relative to himself (Nlr. Hindley) he would be very happy
to answer it, and without a fee.—(Cheers and laughter.)
But if he answered the question now he would be oc-
cupying the public time in a way in which he did not
think he should be justified in doing.
IRELAND—ADJOURNED DEBATE.

---
On the Order of the Day for resuming the adjourned
debate on Lord John Russell's motion for a Committee
to inquire into the state of Ireland being read,
Mr. HORSMAN rose and said, that he felt it his
duty, as an English representative, to enter, his protest
against the policy which her Majesty's Government
bad pursued with regard to Ireland. It had been ad-
mitted on all sides that we had arrived at a great crisis ;
and he should support the motion of the Noble Lord, be •
cause he thought it necessary to inquire how that crisis
had arrived. (Hear, hear.) There were certain facts
:to
twte hic
which no difference of opinion existed. .It was ad-
dthat three years ago Ireland had been handed
river to Honourable Gentle men opposite in a state
of peace and tranquillity.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
The habits of the people had improved—(Hear, hear)—
troops had been withdrawn—(Hear, hear)—the adminis-
tration of justice was respected—(Hear, hear)—and the
repeal cry was, comparatively speaking, unheard.—(Hear,
hear.) Now, however, the repeal cry had
hadbecome a
national cry.—(Cheers.) More troops been sent to
Ireland, and the country was covered with garrisons ;
thus proving that the Government intended to
act upon the announcement which had
made last year, that conciliation had been
been
carried to its utmost extent.—(Cheers.) The Hon. and
Learned Member for Cork had been prosecuted to con-
viction, and that Hon. and Learned Gentleman was now
only awaiting the sentence of the Court which would
consign him to a gaol.—(Hear, hear.) By what means
had that conviction been obtained ?—(Cheers.) The
Right Hon. Gentleman had boasted the other night of
his moderation and fairness; but be (Mr. Horsman) must
confess that he had never known of any proceedings in
which moderation and fairness had been more com-
pletely dispensed with than in the recent prosecutions
in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) He would not dwell upon the
animus which had been exhibited throughout those pro-
ceedings by the Learned Gentleman who had repre-
sented the Government—(Hear, hear)—to the extraor-
dinary preliminary boasting by which the case had been
prejudged.—(Hear, hear.) He would not speak of
the calling upon one. of the counsel_ for the
traversers to protium his license—(Cheers)--oz of