The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-02 00:00:00

SLAVE TRADE.

The Earl of ABERDEEN moved the second reading
of the Bill to enable her Majesty to suspend so much of
the Slave Trade Prohibition Act as related to Por-
tugal. He stated that since his accession to office
he had lost no time in renewing the negotiations on this
subject, and the Portuguese Government having issued
a decree declaring the slave trade to be piracy, her
Majesty's Government had thought it advisable to
suspend such portions of the act as subjected Portuguese
cruizers to seizure and condemnation in •the courts
of this country. The ratifications of the treaty
had been sent from Lisbon, but as they might
happen to be exchanged after the rising of Parliament,
he had thought it right to make provision for such an
event. The Bill gave power to her Majesty to declare
by an Order in Council the suspension of so much of the
Act he had referred to as related to Portugal. He need
say nothing of the Act itself, as he anticipated
no objection to it. The Act which it would partly
suspend was one but little consonant with the
friendship and intimacy subsisting between this coun-
try and the Court of Portugal ; it induced a state of par-
tial and indirect hostility, and must have led inevitably
to direct war with a more powerful country.
The Bill was then read a second time.
[LEFT SITTING.'

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
STANDING ORDERS.

Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET moved the consi-
deration of the Report from the Select Committee on the
Standing Orders revision. Alterations were recom-
mended for the purpose of increasing public convenience,
by making the Standing Orders more simple and more
easily to be understood by the public. An important
alteration was to reduce the number of the Committee
from 15 to 11, and in future to make Chairmen of Com-
mittees on petitions Members of the Standing Orders
Committee. Another alteration was, that any member
not being present at the time the Chairman shall be ap-
pointed, he shall not be eligible to serve on the Committee.
Mr. GREENE agreed with the alteration as recom-
mended, but there was one Standing Order retained,
which he thought the House would clo well to abolish,
and that was the order for railway Bills being discussed
on Tuesdays. He did not see why they should place
railway Bills on a different footing to other private Bills.
He would therefore move that the recommendation of
the Committee be adopted, with the exception of that
Standing Order.
Lord G. SOMERSET 'toyed his Hon. Friend wc.uld
withdraw his amendment, and leave the subject for con-
sideration for another session.
Mr. LABOUCHERE defended the Standing Order,
and
Mr. GREENE withdrew his motion. _ _

After a. few words from Mr. C. BULLER and Mr.
R.scounT the original motion was agreed to, and the
Report was brought up.
COMMITTEE OF ELECTIONS.

Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET brought up the
repo.-t of the General Committee on Elections.
CORN.

Mr. GLADSTONE moved that an humble address be
presentod to her Majesty, praying that she will be gra-
ciously pleased to order to be laid before the House
copies of the Returns made by British Consuls abroad
to the Fore.gn-office, in the year 1841, of the prices of
Foreign Coro.
CHURCH-RATES.
Sir J. EASTHOPE moved for a return of the Church-
rates made in every parish in England during the last
two years, of the,total amount collected, and of the total
amount expended in the repairs of the church. The re-
turn now moved for was an amended form of that of
which he had given motic some time since, and he appre-
hended that, in its resent form, it would not be objected
to. He would take t:ial opportunity of asking the Right
Hon. Baronet at the he ad of the Government if it was the
intention of the Right Honourable Baronet and
the other Members of the Government, during
the recess to give the subject of church-rates their con-
sideration, for the purpose of introducing some measure
in the course of the ensuing session for the settlement of
the question, or whether the Government was satisfied
with the state of the law as it was at present.
Sir ROBERT PEEL cogAd not undertake to give
ttleman that during the
caonuyrsaessoufratree
nteoxtthseeHssoionn.
tGheeik
loverriment would in-
, troduce any meaaure on the .lubject of Church-
rates. At the same time he would not under-
take to say that he was so satjsfied with the
law on the subject 9s it stood at present' that he, would
always adhere to it. Ile would not say, thAt of any law,
but at the same time he would not undertalite to bring
forward any measure on the subject next session.
SirJ. EASTHOPE saie his question practie.dly came
to this—Did the Government intend to take the subject
into its consideration.
Sir. R. PEEL would not sanction any expectation that
her Majesty's Government would, in the course of the
next session, bring forward any measure on the subSoct of
Church-rates.
Mr. ESTCOURT was not sure that the return ought
to be agreed to•
Sir J. EASTIIOPE said he had submitted the motion
to the Right lion. Secretary of State for the Home De-
partment, and that he had stated that he saw no reason
to object to it.
The CIIANCELLOR of the EXCIIITEQUER sug-
gested that the amount in the pound of the rate should
be stated.
Sir R. INGLIS thought there would be considerable
difficulty in pressing the returns.
Mr. HAWES asked whether the return was opposed
or not.

Sir J. GRAHAM said the Hon. Gentleman had, at
his request, withdrawn hig former motion, and had sub-
mitted the present motion to him (Sir James Graham),
and he certainly could see no objection to it. He
admitted that there might be some diffigulty