The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-15 00:00:00

whether the Government proposed to take advantage of th
present vacancy in the office of Chairman of the Board of
Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland to unite that Board
with the Shannon Commission?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that the
appointment of Sir John Burgoyne to the Board had only very
recently taken place, and the Treasury had not had time to
make any arrangement.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON wish
cage. wilethc; 70bileral
Roses, of Buenos Ayres, had the right thui.tip the navigation
of the River Plate and Paraguay, and whether he had the
right to close those waters to foreign ships?
Sir ROBERT PEEL said he was aware that General
Roses exercised that right, and the Government were
at one time inclined to recognise his right to blockade,
but the French Government had refused to re-
cognise it unless their vessels were admitted. In
that case they could not admit the right of General Resas to
close the navigation of the river against British ships. Then
the Hon. Member for Manchester asked if General Roses
had a right to shut up the other branch of the river,
hever known as the Paraguay. His (Sir Robert Peel's)
answer would be similar in both cases. The Buenos Ayrean
Government claim the right which they (the British Govern-
ment) equally disputed. He should, however, ascertain from
the Secretary for Foreign Affairs the exact position in which
they stcod, and communicate the same to the House if desired.

RIOTS IN IRELAND.
Mr. E. B. ROCHE said that although he had not
given notice of his question, yet, with the sanction of the Go-
vernment, he would put it, as it related to an unfortunate
transaction which bad occurred in his own country, he meant
the loss of life which had occurred at Ballinhassy, and he wished
to know if a general order had been issued by the Irish Govern-
ment that the police should not interfere in cases of fairs, or
larger parties collected, without express instructions ; and that
when these instructions were fulfilled, they should again rernove
from the place where such fair;was held. He (Mr. Itoche),had no
hesitation in saying, that if a single magistrate had been there,
and if that magistrate were respected, this loss of life would not
have taken place.
Sir FREMANTLE; in answer to the question, said he
would fed it to be his duty to abstain from giving any opinion
which might affect the proceedings before a competent tribunal.
He might say, however, that there had been more than one
magistrate present at Ballinhassy during the day on which the un-
fortunate occurrence took place. It was nine o'clock at night
when it took place, and there were then no magistrates present.
With reference to the orders alluded to, he would decline at
present giving any opinion regarding the issue of such a di-
rection.

NEW ZEALAND.
Mr. C. BULLER postponed his motion regarding New
Zealand.
In answer to a question from Lord HOWICK,
Sir R. PEEL declined to give any other documents re-
specting New Zealand except extracts. It would not be
thought advantageous to the public service to furnish copies of
instructions to Captain Gray, the new Governor, which in-
structions had not yet reached the colony. He could only give
the extracts promised.
Lord HOWICK said he wished to know whether the ex-
tracts would enable the House to form an opinion as to the
policy pursued by the Government in New Zealand.—( Hear.)
Before Parliament separated it would be absolutely necessary
that it should know whether or not the Government meant to
pursue a different line of policy towards New Zealand than
that which had hitherto so unfortunately regulated the affairs
of that colony.
Sir R. PEEL said he could not say, but he thought the
extracts which he would give would hardly answer the purpose
of the Noble Lord. But if they did not, the Noble Lord
would be at full liberty to make any further motion on the sub-
joct. He wished to know what had taken place in New Zea-
land, and whether any difficulty was felt in giving the papers
to the House.
Lord HOWICK wished to know when the discussion would
take place, and on what night the Right Hon. Baronet pro-
posed to take the vote on New Zealand.
Sir R. PEEL saw no reason why the papers should not be
laid on the table of the House to-morrow or the next day.
The discussion on New Zealand might be taken on Friday or
Monday next. It was intended to go into Committee of Sup-
ply to-morrow, and the matter might then be introduced in-
c•identally.
Lord HOWICK thought that it was not necessary to press
the vote, and that it might be gone into after the debate.
Mr. C. BULLER wished the debate to be positively fixed
for Monday.
Sir R. PEEL assented to the proposition.
BRAZILIAN TARIFF.

Mr. LABOUCHERE wished to ask the Right Honourable
Baronet when the returns could be laid on the table of the
differential duties imposed on British commerce by the Bra-
zilian Chamber of Deputies.
Sir R. PEEL said, that he thought he should be able to
place them before the House to-morrow.
COAL DUTY—PORT OF LONDON.
On the motion that the House go into Committee on this
Bill,

Mr. HUME wished to ,ask whether it was competent for
the Noble Lord to go into Committee on this Bill, as it hail
the character of neither a public or a private Bill ?
The SPEAKER replied that the Noble Lord was perfectly
entitled to go into Committee ; for though the title expressly
referred to the port of London, it in reality affected the whole
country.
Mr. HUME said that it was certainly stated in the Bill that
it referred to the port of London alone, and he could not,
therefore, understand how, under this title, the amendments
could be proposed.
The SPEAKER said, that as the amendments of course
partook of the customary character of the Bill, there could be
no objection to the consideration of them.
Mr. HUTT said, that as the Government had no objection,
he would then move the amendment of which he had given
notice :—" That it be an instruction to the Committee that
they have power to provide that all duties now levied or to be
levied, by virtue of this Bill, on coals brought within the
liberties of the City of London, coastwise, or by inland navi-
gation, shall likewise be levied on coals brought within the
same district by railway or by any other mode of convelance."
The amendment was agreed to.
The House then went into Committee, and after the first
clause had been agreed to.

The Easi of LINCOLN moved a series of amendments,
the first of which proposed to provide a fund fur opening
of poor and densely populated districts of the metropolis, or
for k,eping spaces in its immediate vicinity. Others were for
impnsinz the duty on other tracts of conveyance than the
Thames. The clause for providing for the improvements was
as follows And be it enacted, that from and after the said
31st day of December, 1845, the said duty of one penny
per tsn on coals, cinders, and culm so imposed and extended
as aforesaid, shall from time to time when and as received be
laid out or invested in the purchase of stock in some of the
public stocks or funds, or upon Government or real securities,
at intere,t, in the names of the Commissioners for the time
being, of her Majesty's Woods, Forests, Land Revenues.,
Works, and Buildings, to an account to be entituled, Th,
AletroNlis Improvement Fund Account ;' and the said Com-
missioners shall from time to time lay out or invest the yearly
dividends or interest of the stocks, fends, and securities, so to
be purchased in their names on the account aforesaid, in like
manner for the purpose of accumulation in the meantime, and,
until the said fund shall be required for and appropriated be
Parliament to the execution of improvements in the metropolis."
A Committee had been appointed in 1826. and the evidence
before that Committee, in conjunction with the results of the
Committee of 1826, would be now of admirable service in the
discussions of this Bill. The object of this clause was to secure
to the community a participation in the general benefits which
would result from the employment of the accumulated fund in
improving the different parts of the metropolis. He thought
the amendments he proposed would answer all the purposes
Honourable Members opposite had in view, and that they
would meet the objections which Honourable Members had
raised against the Bill. To meet the objections of which he
had heard, he had prepared a clause which he believed would
be sufficient to satisfy the Honourable Gentlemen who were
opposed to this measure on the grounds which had been
alleged.
Mr. WILLIAMS objected to the continuance of a tax upon
the poorest population of the metropolis, and upon all the in-
habitants of the Vale of Thames, for improvements which
would add to the value of all the household property in London.,
Hear, hear.) The tax was one as oppressive upon the.
working classes as a tax upon bread.
Mr. BRIGHT—We have all that to pay.—(A laugh. )
Mr. WILLIAMS thought that the tax upon coals was one
pressing upon a most important necessary of life, and that
it ought not to be imposed upon those who were the least able
to bear it, and that too to give an increased value to the pro-
perty of the wealthy.—( Hear.) He was by no means opposed,
to the improvements, but he thought they ought to be effeceed
at the expense of those who would be the greatest gainers by
them.—( [leer, hear.) Why was not a tax laid upon houses.
for the purpose ?—( Hear, hear.) The city of London had.
sufficient resources to effect all the improvements that were
needed. But within the last two years upwards of 'a million of
money had been raised for the benefit of the city by means of
this oppressive tax upon the poor.—( Hear.) Ile would offer
all the opposition in his power to the continuance of the tax.
Mr. HUME said the Noble Lord at the head of the Woods
and Forests had rested his case upon the reports of the sana-
tory commission, and upon the admitted facts detailed in those
reports, as to the want of ventilation and cleanliness in the,
habitations of the poor in the metropolis, and the imperfect
drainage of the districts which were chiefly inhabited by the
poor. But, surely, it was not the best means of relieving the
poor from those acknowledged sufferings and privations, to in-
crease the price of an article of necessity almost equal to th,e,
necessity of food, and quite equal to that of clothing.--(
The proprietors of the districts which would be benefiteAl by
the improvements ought to be taxed for the expense of making
those improvements.—( Hear, hear.) Besides, he did not like
to leave a "nest egg " of 12,000!. in the hands of the Board
of Woods and Forests to be made use of when they thought
proper to find an occasion.—(Hear, and laughter.)
Mr. MAST ERAIAN, who was very indistinctly heard,
would give every opposition in his power to the continuance of
the tax.
Lord LINCOLN was surprised at the opposition of the Hor,
Member for London. For he himself had been assured hy an
Hon. Member connected with the City—(A laugh)—t'oat if
the tax were taken off, no one would be benefited but the coal
dealers—( Hear, and a laugh )—and that it would be a pity that
so much money sheuld be lust to the public, whilst there re-
mained so great a necessity for improvement in the
streets of the metropolis—(Hear, hear)—and especially
in the dwellings of the poor, who would be the very last to be-
nefit by any small reduction in the tax upon coals- The Noble,
Lord continued by saying he had heard his Hon. Friend say.
that he'could not see of what use this penny duty on coals wouldbe;
yet he (lArd Lincoln) had before him a document, br, which
it appeared that his Hon. Friend had advocated st,d4ty upon
the same article to the amount of 18d.—( Hear, near)--and
for what ? Why, for the sole purposes and benefe.s of the city of
London.—( Hear, hear.) Wiell„,then, he (Lod Lincoln) next
found that his Honourable Friend and another Honour-
able Member of that House, who was an Alderman of the
of the Corporation of London, had said at a public meeting.
that this tax would be of no benefit to the city of London.,
yet, when it came to a vote it was found that there were four to
three against the motion of the lion. Member.—(Hear, hear.)
Then, a short time before the question came to be discussed
before that House, his (Lord Lincoln's) Hon. Friend asked
him as hat proportion of this tax would be devoted to benefiting,
the Lincoln) told him the City
the city of London, and he
would hencfit by it to nearly the amount of a million and a half
sterling pet annum, and that heretofore very material beneala
had been conferred, from the same tax, upon Whitechapel and.
Lambeth, and other districts; and, therefore, on those grounds
alone, and without having any recourse to what might be called.
a subterfuge, he would support this measure.
After a few words, in explanntion, from MAS-
T ERIVIAN,
Lord HOWICK said it appeared to him that 0-,,e one ques•
tion for the House to consider in reference to this tax was,
Whether it was one which a majority of the Efr,use would deem
beneficial, or the contrary, to the purposes fe,r which it had been
hitherto applied.—( Hear hear.) And 'nere he would beg
leave to say that it did appear to him that there never was a tax
which he conceived was more opT;osed to justice or com-
mon sense than this, as a tax levied for purposes
of finance.—(hear, hear. ) Noe.:, what was the real question
they had to consider ? It was, this : they were going to con.
sider whether it was necessary to continue the levy of a tax
upon the valley of the Thanes for the transit of coals along its
batiks, which coals were intended for the use, in a great part,.
for the consumption of the poorer classes of the community.—
( Hear, hear.) Now, he knew something of the part of the
country over which these coals were carried for consumption,
and he begged to tell the Right lion. Baronet opposite, and the