The Sun.
London, England, 1821-06-16 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The House having been in the House of Lords,
the SPEAKER stated, that the Royal Assent had
been given by Commission to several Public and
Private Bills, for which see our Report of the
Lords.

Mr. F. BUXTON presented a Petition' from the Ward of
Aldersgate, in favour of the Bill to prevent Cruelty to Animals.
—Ordered to lie ot, the table; as was a Petition from. certain
Shopkeepers and other Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Giles's
in the Fields, complaining of the manner in which the Metro.
polis Paving Act was carried into execution, in preventing the
sale of their goods. The Hon. Member observed, that there
was some justice in complaint of these Petitioners, and if
they did not obtain redress, he should next Session feel it his
duty to bring the subject before the House.
On the motion of the same Honourable Member, a return
was ordered of the number of Forged Notes which had been
presented to the Bank in the years 1819, 1820, and 1821, up to
the latest period at which the same could be made out, stating
the amount and description of those notes, together with a Re-
turn of the number of persons charged, convicted and executed
for forging or uttering the same, with those also who had been
apprehended and convicted for having had forged notes in their
possession.

The Minutes of the Evidence taken before the Committee
upOn the Scotch Burghs were brought up and laid on the table.
The Transfer of Stock (Ireland) Bill was read a second time
and committed for Monday. .
VAGRANCY.
Mr. CHETWYND brought up the Report of the Vagrant
Laws' Amendment Bill.

Mr. COMITENAY expressed a, hope that it was not pro-
posed by this Bill to revive any of the obnoxious old law with
respect to whipping for vagrancy, adding, that it was appre-
hended this Bill would interfere with the 59th of the late King,
with respect to the removal of. paupers to their respective pa-
rishes.

Mr. CHETWYND replied in the negative to the first obser-
vation of the Von.• Member, expressing his decided disappro-
bation of a practice which too often subjected paupers to harsh
treatment for mere destitution. The main object of this Bill
. was to prevent the removal of vagrants, which was calculated to
have cost the country for some time back no less than 100,0001.
a year, while the practice too often presented scenes quite
shmiking to humanityand•decency. To remedy these evils, it
was proposed by the present Bill, that no vagrant should here-
after be removed as heretofore, but that where a pauper was
found to be really destitute, he or she should be relieved,
while, where an act of vagrancy or disOrderlY conduct was
really committed, the offender should be punished upon con-
viction by imprisonment, and labour, - the prisoner to receive
a portion of his earnings from such labour. There was also
a clause in the Bill, to abolish the present system of rewards
for the apprehension of vagrants, the amount and apportion-
ment of such reward to be hereafter at 'the discretion of the
Magistracy. With regard to, the second observation, 'the Bill
expressly provided not to interfere with the arrangement of the
59th of the late King as to the passing of the poor of Ireland
and Scotland, who had not committed acts of vagrancy.
The Report was agreed to, and. the Bill ordered to be read a
third time on Monday.
The Loan 13111, and the Irish Treasury Bills Bill were cotri
mitted.Report on Monday. - • - • -
On the committal of the -Exchequer Bills Bill, - • •
Sir E. KNATCHBULL took this opportunity of asking his.
Hon; Friend, the Secretary of the Treasury, why no reply had
yet been returned to the appeal made by a certain individual
resident in the vicinity of the Metropolis, to the Lords of the
Treasury, with respect to the surcharge • upon horses, as it was
very material to make public, for the guidance of others, the
decision which the Treasury thought proper to pronounce upon
the subject. .
Mr. LUSIIINGTON said, that he wished it were in his
power to give his Honourable Friend a satisfactory answer ;• but
the question had been communicated to him. too late tins day to
afford time for collecting the necessary information. But he
hoped to be able to give his Honourable Friend an answer on
.Monday, and that that.answer would prove satisfactory. •
The Bill went through the Committee, the House resumed,
and the Report was ordered to be brought up on Monday.
The committal of the• East India Private Trade Bill, the
second reading of the Rum Importation Bill, and of the Appro-
priation
Bill, were postponed until Tuesday.