The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-02 00:00:00

MPERIAL PARLIAMENT

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the chair at Four o'clock.
The Pudsey Gas Bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. W. PATTEN presented a petition against the
Liverpool Guardian Gas BilL
THE GRANT TO MAYNOOTH.
Mr. ORMSBY GORE presented a petition from
Wrockwardine (Shropshire) against the inereased grant

to Meynooth
Mr. STURT presented petitions to the same effect ;
but the designations of the petitions were not heard in
the gallery.
Lord RENDLESIIAM presented similar petitions
from Wycombe and several other places.
Lord ASHLEY presented several petitions to the
same effect, and also several against the sale of intoxi-
..

eating liquors on the Sabbath.
Colonel VEItNER presented petitions from places in
the north of Ireland against the grant, and in favour of

he Church Education Society.
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN and other Hon. Mem.

bers presented petitions against any increased grant to
Maynooth College.
Mr. M. GIBSON presented three petitions from Bury
St. Edmund's, Sudbury, and another place in Suffolk,
praying that no grant of public money should be given
to any description of priests whatever.—(Laughter.)
PROSECUTIONS FOR POOR-RATES.
Sir J. EASTHOPE rose to present petitions from
Ann Ward and Thomas Lukin, prisoners in the House
of Correction, in the county of Leicester, complaining
of their imprisonment, with hard labour, for the non-
payment of costs arising out of their inability to pay
poor-rates. These persons were now undergoing a
sentence of imprisonment, with hard labour, in the
prison of Leicester for the non payment of poor-rates,
and he was so convinced of the illegality and injustice
of the whole proceeding, that he had requested his Hon.
Friend the Member for Finsbury, in the event of his
(Sir John Easthope's) absence, to present these
petitions, so that not a moment might be lost in
laying before the House the case of the petitioners.
When he explained the nature of the petitions, he
thought the feeling of the House would be so generally
in favour of the prayer of them, that no impediment
would be allowed to interfere with the speedy redress of
the grievances complained of. John Lukin, it appeared,
was assessed in the sum of five shillings to the poor-
rates of the parish. He could not pay it, owing to the
poverty of his circumstances ; he was summoned by the
magistrates at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and a distress war-
rant was issued to raise the amount upon his goods and
chattels. He had not, however, sufficient in his house
to defray the assessment, and he was in consequence, on
the 11th of July, committed to the gaol in Leicester.
The inhabitants of that town, hearing of his great poverty,
paid the rate, and he was released from prison. In a short
time after he was summoned for the costs, at least four
times the amount of the principal ; but if he had not
had sufficient to pay the rate he certainly could not be
expected to pay the costs. He was not heard before
the magistrate, but was again incarcerated in the gaol
of Leicester. The petitioner prayed that imme-
diate redress should be given. He (Sir J. East-
hope) might add that the petitioner had a wife
and four children. He could refer to his employer, and
all who knew him, for the excellence of his character.
The next case was that of Ann Ward, and it was very
nearly similar to the other. She was a widow, her
husband having been killed eleven years before. She
lived as a lodger with her daughter, and was assessed
to the poor-rate in the sum of three shillings. She was
also committed to prison, and the people of Leicestershire
interfered, and paid the money. A distress warrant was
afterwards levied for the costs, and the petitioner was
committed, with hard labour, a second time to prison, in
default of payment. It was his impression that these
cases required redress, and he hoped the House would
take the earliest opportunity of giving it.
The SPEAKER said that according to the rule of the
House, the Hon. Baronet should have previously given
notice that he would move that the petitions be printed,
before calling the attention of the House to his motion.
He could now move that the petitions be printed, and
then take the first opportunity of bringing the matter
before the llouse.
Sir J. EASTHOPE lamented exceedingly that he had
not done so ; but he would now move that the petitions
be printed with the votes, and to-morrow he would bring
his motion before the House.
Lord SANDON presented a petition from Liverpool,
signed by 1,400 persons, praying for the repeal of the
enactment abolishing imprisonment for debt, passed last
session, upon the grounds of no equivalent punishment.
Mr. P,C.II3DEN presented a petition from the calico
printers of Stockport, prayng that the Pill brought in
(as we understood) by Lord Alienijorotigh, t how pop
• .)e passed into law.