The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-07 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL DOCKS.

An HON. MEMBER presented a petition in favour of
the Liverpool Dccks Bill.—Referred to the Committee
on Standing Orders.
AMICABLE ASSURANCE OFFICES.
Sir W. HEATUCOTE brought in this Bill, which
was read a first time.

BIGGLES WADE AND HERTFORD RAILWAY.
On the motion of Lord MAHON, the Biggleswade
and Hertford Railway Bill was read a second time.
GAME LAWS.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition, signed by
900 persons, inhabitants of the town of Pershore, in
Worcestershire, against the game-laws.
THE TEN HOURS BILL.
Mr. DUNCOMBE presented petitions in favour of the
Ten Hours Bill. •

GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY BRANCH LINES.

Mr. FORBES presented petitions in favour of the
Grand Junction Railway Company's branch lines.
PAISLEY AND KILMARNOCK RAILWAY.

On the motion of Mr. F. MACKENZIE, the Paisley
and Kilmarnock Railway Bill was read a first time.
EASTERN UNION RAILWAY.

An HoN. MEMBER presented a petition from the
Eastern Union Railway Company in favour of the Nor-
wich branch, which was referred to the Select Commit-
tee for Standing Orders.
SOUTH-EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.

A petition was presented from the South-Eastern
Railway Companies, praying for leave to withdraw one
of their Bills and substitute another in its place.
Mr. BRIGHT presented petitions against the sale of
intoxicating liquors from Birdsall, in Cumberland ;
against the game-laws, the window duties, and the in-
crease of the navy.
SEES• OF ST. ASAPH AND BANGOR.

Petitions were presented by Lord CLlvis and Mr. W.
MILES, against the union of the sees of St. Asaph and
Bangor.
MALT TAX.

Mr. W. MILES presented a petition from Harrington
Corney against the malt-tax.
PUBLIC HOUSES.

Mr. ALDAM presented petitions from several places
in the West Riding of Yorkshire, for the diminution of
the number of public houses.

NOTICES OF MOTION--CORN LAWS.
Mr. WODEHOUSE gave notice that it was his in-
tention Ito move an amendment to the motion of the
Hon. Member for Stockport which stood first on the
orders of the day for Thursday next. The motion was
for a Select Committee to inquire into the operation of
protective duties upon the interests of tenant farmers.
To that motion, it was his intention to move
as an amendment the following resolution :
That en inquiry into the operation of pro-
tective duties on imports, as regarded the interest of
tenant farmers and farm labourers, was objectionable in
principle if the purport of it was to show that they had
a distinct and separate interest from that of their land-
lords, or those on whose property they chose to live ;
that' the condition of tenant farmers and farm labourers
did indeed deserve the most serious attention of Parlia-
ment, and it was the bounden duty of the House so to
shape its deliberation, as to make known to the occupiers
and tenants of the soil the necessity for their having a
continuance of all protective duties; and that the removal
of all protective duties was averse to the general interests
of all classes of society.
PAROCHIAL SETTLEMENT BILL.
Mr. PUSSY gave notice that in Committee on the
Parochial Settlement Bill he would move the omission
of the 33d clause.
ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY.
Mr. SHAW gave notice that on Thursday next he
would move for a Select Committee to inquire into the
merits of the atmospheric system of railway.
HONG-KONG.

Dr. BO WRING gave notice that on Monday he would
ask the Hon. Member the Under Secretary of State for
the Colonies whether he had any objection to lay upon
the table of the House the correspondence which had
taken place between the Government and the authorities
of Hong-Kong.
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN gave notice of his in-
tention to move, as an amendment to the motion of the
Hon. Member for Stockport, which stood for Thursday,
that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the
extent of mortgages on landed property in this country,
and into the cause of agricultural distress.
Mr. COBDEN reminded the Hon. Member that he
had not yet finally decided on the terms of his motion.
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN said he was aware of it,
but the Hon. Member had previously put upon the paper
a motion similar to his own amendment, and he wished
to bring him back to this motion.
GAME-LAWS.

Mr. BRIGHT gave notice that on Monday he should
move the appointment of the Select Committee on the
game-laws.
CHARGES ON RAILROADS.

Dr. BOWRING begged leave, on behalf of the Hon.
Member for Greenock, who was unavoidably absent, to
give notice that he would, upon an early day, ask a
question of the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite to this
effect—whether it was the intention of the Right Hoe.
Gentleman to appoint a competent tribunal for the regu-
lation of the amount of charges to be made for pas-
sengers and goods going by the railways proposed to be
made by the Bills now before Parliament, bearing in
mind the present prices of machinery, materials, and
labour?

SCOTCH BANKING.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from the Provost and
Town Council of Montrose, stating that the banking
system pursued in Scotland for the last century was
most beneficial and advantageous to commerce and agri-
culture, and praying that no alteration might be made
in it.

POOR-LAW UNIONS.
Mr. BARING WALL begged to ask the Right Hon.
Gentleman the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment whether the permissive power, given under the 4th
and sth of William IV., to the Poor law Commissioners
to make alterations in unions had ever been put in force?

Sir J. GRAHAM said that though such a power ex-
isted, it had, in fact, never been exercised.
Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN begged to ask the Right
Hon. Gentleman at the head of the Government when
it was intended that the abolition of duty on agricultural
seeds should take effect ? Also, whether the list would
include clover seed ?
Sir R. PEEL said, the removal of duty would take
place after the present sowing ; probably, in the month
of June. Clover seed would not be included.
PURCHASE OF CALIFORNIA.
Mr. S. WORTLEY said he wished to put a question
to the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Govern-
ment on the subject of a paragraph which appeared in
the newspapers, and which appeared to receive confir-
mation, in a neighbouring country. It was stated in the
Times newspaper that the English Government had
offered to Santa Anna a sum of 25,000,000 dollars for
the province of California in 1837, and that that beauti-
ful province was on the point of being given up to Great
Britain. The paragraph stated that that was another
proof of the undermining ambition of Great Britain ;
and it also stated that 5,000,000 dollars had been
offered by the American Government. Now, though
that was a paragraph in the newspapers, it professed to 1

have some foundAtion, and considering the avidity with
which all statements of that kind were laid hold of, both
in France and in the United States, tending to raise
prejudices against the policy of Great Britain, he wished
to ask, first, whether the Bight lion. Gent,leman was
aware .of any correspondence on this subject having
taken place ; and, secondly, whether there was nu
foundation whatever for such statement ?

Sir R. PEEL begged to state in the most distinct and
explicit manner, in answer to the question put by his
Hon. Friend, that he was not aware of the existence of
any such correspondence, and he believed the report al-
luded to was as utterly without foundation as any report
that ever existed. There were a great many reports re-
specting the undermining ambition of Great Britain,
but he believed such reports were often spread as a pal-
liation for the insertion of others. He was not aware of
any such correspondence being carried on, and he could
find no trace of such a correspondence, so that the report
was utterly destitute of the shadow of a foundation.
Lord PALMERSTON said, on behalf of the late Go-
vernment, that they had new r offered in 1837, or any
other year, 37,000,000 of dollars, or any other sum for
any Mexican province.
BUENOS AYRES.

Lord PALMERSON gave notice that he would, on
Monday, put a question to the Right Hon. Baronet on
the subject of a note presented by Mr. Mandevil!e, the
representative of Great Britdin, on the 16th December,
1842, to the Government of Buenos Ayres, on the subject
of the dispute between that Government and Monte
Video.