The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-23 00:00:00

illanim *nit

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1844.

In the House of Lords the Royal Assent was given
to the
,Three-and-a-Half per Cent. Annuities Reduc-
tion Bills. No other. business. was transacted, and
the *House adjourned at an early hour.
In the Commons Mr. O'CONNELL presented several
petitions from Ireland, complaining of the malad-
ministration of justice in that country, and praying
for a repeal of the union.
Li answer to a question from Dr. BOWBING, Sir
ROBERT PEEL said, according to accounts received
from- British authorities in China, many sailors and
passengers had been put to death on the Island of
Formosa. Sir H. POTTING ER had made a repre-
sentation to the Court of Pekin on this subject, and
the EMPEROR had exhibited as great a desire to do
justice as had ever been exhibited by a civilised State.
He had disgraced all the parties concerned, and had
also sent them to be tried, in order that condign
punishment might be inflicted on them for such a
breach of national intercourse. This, he thought,
Was all that could be required.
Several petitions were presented against the amend-
ment in the Factories Bill made by Lord ASHLEY.
A. brief discussion took place between Colonel
For, Sir J. Gnamtm, and Lord HENNIKER, relative
to the incendiary tires in Suffolk, and it was dis-
tressing to learn from all the speakers that the crime
of arson in that county is committed every day and
and not one- of the incendiaries had been dis-
covered. Lord HENNIKER, .who represents the county,
said it was matter of wondET when there were no fires
in that district.

In answer to a
.question from Mr. GILL relative to
the, detention of Capt. BREWSTER, of the 76th Regi-
ment, under arrest for eight months, without any
charge being made against him, Sir H. HARDpIGE -
said Captain BREWSTER had violated military disci-
pline by accepting a challenge from a young and in-
experienced officer. Ile objected to produce any
papers nn the subject, but at the same time statcdthat,
with this 'exception, there was no imputation against
that officer.
The House then went into Committee on the Fac-
tories Bill, and on the 2d clause being read, Lord
ASHLEY said he would postpone the amendment of
which he had given notice on this clause, and take
the opinion of the Committee on the Bth clause.
EGEBToi,I moved that the persons employed in
silk manufactories should he ex.eroptod from the ope-
ration of the Bill. -
Sir JAMES GRAIIIM objected to the amendment,
and pointed out the modification which he intended in
reference to that portion of the manufacturing trade of
the • country.

Mr. LABOUCHERE and Mr. GRIUSDITCII con-
curred in the measures proposed by Sir JAMES
GRAHAM; and believed they would be satisfactory.
The first seven clauses having been agreed to, Lord
ASHLEY, on the Bth clause being read, moved that

from the Ist of October next until the Ist of October,
1846, the hours of labour for females and children
shall be eleven. The Noble Lord, in a long speech,
urged the necessity and humanity of such a measure,
and trusted that the Committee would not reverse a
decision which had been made on a previous evening.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM opposed the amendment, and,

after a lengthened discussion, the Committee divided,
when the amendment was carried by a majority of
three, A division then took place on the question
that. " ten hours" be inserted in the clause instead
of "twelve," which was rejected by a majority of
seven.

The House then resumed, and adjourned at a
Quarter to Two o'Clock.

The works within the inclosure of Trafalgar-
square, says a Morning Contemporary, are proceeding
rapidly towards completion, Mr. BARRY, the archi-
tect, having devoted much of his time, of late, to per-
fecting his arrangements, so that he may be enabled to
throw the whole open to the public during the summer
months. The artesian well is likewise fast advancing,
the bore having been already sunk a considerable
depth. The basins of the fountains will be eighty-
three feet in diameter, and are to be covered with
Mmines patent Portland cement. Such is the
brisk, active spirit, in which improvements are
carried on at the West-end of the metropolis.
There is no dilatoriness or indifference evinced—no
vexatious opposition offered or permitted; the im-
provements once decided on are completed with the
utmost zeal and rapidity. It is not more than four
years; if so much, since the idea was first started of
erecting a statue to NELSON, and adorning with
suitable embellishments the interior of Trafalgar-
square ; and 10, the statue is already finished and set
up on its column ; and the well, and the basins, and
the fountains also are all to be completed and
thrown open to the fashionable public this sum-
mer ! • how different is the spirit in which im-
provements are conducted at the East-end of Lon-
don ! In that remote, Uncivilised, plebeian region, all
is neglect—torpor—cool, easy indifference. About
the same time that it was proposed to embellish the
interior of Trafalgar-square, it was proposed also to
form a Victoria Park for the accommodation of the
inhabitants of Bethnal-green, Spitalfields, White-
chapel, &c. The Square is to be finished this sum-
mer, the Park is not even to be commenced till this
autumn I The cause o the activity in the one case,