The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-12 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FEB. 11.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock.
Mr. ARKWRIGUT took the oaths and his seat for Lec
minster.

Air. WARD presented a petition from the Ashton-under.
Line Railway Company.
CORN-LAWS.

Mr. YORKE presented a petition from Scarborough, praying
for a total repeal of the Corn-laws.,
Mr. MILNER GIBSON presence! uayetition Anm Man-
chester to the sameeffect.

Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented ten petitions
from working-men of Manchester, designating themselves
under the following denominations—builders, warehousemen,
letter-press printers, joiners, mechanics, finishers, stiffners,
porters, makers-up, stating that they are sufferers under the
baneful effects of the Corn and Provision-laws, and praying
the House for the immediate and total repeal of
these laws, signed altogether by 1,146 names; 46 petitions
from working men of different denominations in the borough of
Rochdale. The general allegation of their petitions is,
that Parliament has passed a law to keep up the
price of bread, iii order to keep up the rent of land; but
that your Honourable House has repeatedly declared that
you cannot keep up wages by Act of Parliament. Petitioners
allege that this proceeding is unjust, and therefore pray for
the total and immediate repeal of all taxes on food. Two peti-
tions from Whitworth and Healy, both in the parish of
Rochdale. They allege that the Corn-laws are unjust, be-
cause they tax the poor man more heavily than the rich.
That they render commerce unproductive, depress wages, and
enhance the price of provisions ; thus, at the same time, in-
creasing the cost, and taking away the power to purchase them.
They, therefore, pray for the total repeal of all taxes on pro-
visions. One petition from the members of the Independent
congregation of Rochdale. They allege that by restricting
commerce abroad these laws prevent the full employment of the
working population, and have a direct tendency to lower
wages and reduce thdeisepargeo,fintsnd opfremthaeturemdaenautifia:taurbera:
and that the deficiency of food created by these laws is the
source
rretoe othfedepmro7raelsissaci'fi°tnr'ue religion, and the parents of disaffec-
tion and disorder among the people. They, therefore, pray for
the total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws. These peti-
tions have altogether 3,790 names attached to them in the
parish of Rochdale.
Mr. STANSFIELD presented three petitions from Hud-
dersfield, with a similar praye..
Dr. BOWRING presented thirty-seven petitions, praying
for a total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws. He would
take that opportunity of correcting a mis-statement which he
had inadvertently made yesterday, in consequence of quoting
from an imperfectly copied document. He had stated that,
out of fifty mills in the neighbourhood of Blackburn, thirty
were unemployed. The statement should have been, that out
of fifty mills, employing 8,400 persons, thirty mills, employ-
ing 6,631 persons, were either idle or working short time.
Mr. BROTHERTON presented petitions from Salford, and
thirteen other places, praying far a total and immediate repeal
of the Corn-laws. . .

Mr O'CONNELL presented twenty-three petitions, pray-
ing for the total and immediate repeal of the Corn and Pro-
vision-laws, arid forty-eight petitions from different places in
Ireland, praying for a repeal of the Union.
Mr. STR CUT presented a petition from the Mayor and Town
Council of Derby, sealed with their common seal, and cxhich
hat been agreed to unanimously, expressing their surprise and in-
dignation at the Government plan for altering the Corn-laws,
as not calculated to afford the people any relief for the cruel and
intolerable injustice under which they were suffering; beseech-
ing the House to reject the Government measure, and to pass
such a measure as would be calculated to remedy that injustice.
Mr. A. JOHNSTONE presented nine petitions from Kil-
marnock and other places in Scotland, praying for a total and
immediate repeal of the Corn and Provision-laws.
Mr. MOSTYN presented a petition from Carnarvon with
a similar prayer.
Mr. MARSHALL presented 14 petitions, praying for a
total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL presented petitions from Fal-
kirk, Hoyle, Denham, and other places in Scotland, all
praying fur a total repeal cf the Corn-laws. Also a
petition from Antrim, praying the House to pass some
enactment relating to Presbyterian marriages in Ireland.
Also the petition from Queenborough, of which he had given
notice last evening. As that petition contained several grave
allegations against the Corporation of Queenborough he
thought if the Committee on Public Petitions should be of
opinion that it ought to be printed it should be printed for the
use of Members only. The House could then proceed to
take it into its consideration if it should see Itt to do so. He
himself did not in'end to found any motion on it.
PRIVATE BILLS COMMITTEE.
Sir G. CLERK moved to nominate the Select Committee
on petitions for Private Bills :—Mr. Strutt, Mr. R• Clive, Mr,
Rice, Mr. Villiers Stuart, Mr. Wrightson, Mr. G. Cavendish,
Mr. Compton, Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Pakington, Mr. Forbes, Mr.
Beckett, Mr.Bramston, .1:r. Walker, Mr.G.Philips, Mr. Bell, Mr.
G. Craig, the O'Connor Don, Mr. Mackenzie, Mr. Horsman,
Mr. Eliot Yorke, Mr. Kemble, Mr. Aglionby, Sir John Yarde
Buller, Captain Jones, Mr. Thornely, Mr. Barneby, Mr.
Chalmers, Mr. Tatton Egerton, Mr. Stansfield, Lord Worsley,
Mr. Henry Baillie, Mr. Edward Buller, -Sir William Heath-
cote, Mr. Hope Johnstone, Mr. Morgan John O'Connell, Mr.
Packe, Mr. George William Wood, Mr. Evans, Mr. Home
Drummond, Mr. Parker, Mr. Marshall, and Sir Charles
Douglas.
Lord G. SOMERSET gave notice that on Friday next he
would move a resolution for the purpose of facilitating the
progress of such 13i11s as were dropped last year.
PRESBYTERIAN MARRIAGES (IRELAND).
Mr. YOUNG presented a petition from Cavan, praying
fur an alteration of the law relating to Presbyterian marriages
in Ireland.

Colonel VERNER presented similar petitions from Armagh,
and from the congregation of Presbytei ians of D'Olier-street,
Dublin.

CORN-LAWS. •
Mr. G. W. WOOD presented a. petition from Kendal,
praying for the total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws.
Mr. MARK PHILLIPS presented a similar petition from
Manchester.

Sir G. STRICKLAND presented a petition from a body of
agriculturists in the West Riding of Yorkshire, also praying
for the total and immediate abolition of the Corn-laws.

Mr. COBDEN presented a great number Of petitions to the.
same effect, but he gave the designation of the petitioners in
so low a tone that it was impossible to hear a single name.
Mr. VILLIERS presented also a number of petitions for the
immediate arid total repeal, from Bridgewater and various
other places in England, and from Hamilton and ether places
in Scotland.

Mr. L ABOUCITERE presented numerous petitions to the
same effect from Taunton and other places.
Mr. S. WORTLE e, amidst laughter and cheers, presented
a petition from the West Riding of Yorkshire, praying for the
total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws,
Mr. O'CONNELL presented five petitions to the same effect
from several places in Ireland.
Mr. A GLIONY presented a petition from the master mari-
ners and sailors belonging to Cumberland, and another from
the inhabitants of Cockermouth, also praying for the total and
immediate repeal of the Corn Laws.
OBSERVANCE Or THE SABBATH. •

Mr. METCALF presented a petitiOnVomf;ignmouth,
praying for the prohibition of Sunday trading, and of Sunday
traffic on rail ways and canals.

Sir M. WOOD presented a petition connected with some of
the Metropolitan improvements.
PUBLIC DRAINAGE.

Mr. PUSEY gave notice of his intention to move a Com-
mittee of Inquiry into the subject of Public Drainage.
THE CORN-LAWS.

threasepearreareida.!uintinl,
Lord JOHN RUSSELL gave notice of his intention to
cornthespropnoiseendt by
move on Monday evening next, when the House goes into
Committee, a resolution to the effect that the House is not pre-
pared to sanction the principle of a sliding-scale, and therefore
d the total allowance
is not prepared to adopt the plan proposed by her Majesty's I
Exchequer, as far as
Government.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. CHRISTOPHER also gavoef notice of his intention to
the Right Hon. Baronet.
CHEQUER.
CToHLESICB°TIHiPOTRRP°mLoLvYfoOrFa return of the annual salary,
move some alterations in
such a return could be obtained.
THE SULPHUR QUESTION.
receivedthe e mol emoluments, etnhtes ,l
late
ee
Comptroller
Dr. BOWRING stated that on Monday he should move
o f retireomf e nt
:tea nE
the Sulphur question with the N.
_p!...)lltan Government.
CORN-LA.W AV tRAGES.
for the return of certain
Sir R. PEEL moved that the list of the towns in which
the averages of the price of corn is to be taken, be laid
t
on the table. The intention on his subject was not in the
slightest degr, e to affect the averages; it was merely to secure
the fairest calculation of the average price of corn throughout
the country, and to prevent the commission of frauds in the
return.
TAXES ON FOOD.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON said, under the existing tariff,
salted beef, salted pork, fresh meat, and live cattle of all kinds,
sheep and swine, were totally prohibited from importation—
he wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet, whether her Ma-
jesty's Government was prepared to coatinue such prohibition?
Sir It. PEEL said, of course, on the day on which he
should propound the views of her Majesty's Government with
respect to the financial and commercial Pohey they were dis-
posed to recommend, he should state his views relative to these
and other points, but he hoped he should not be pressed to
make premature disclosures. He might, however, express his
opinion, that it would not politic . be
to maintain
so ebsolute a prohibition. He did not think a system of ab-
solute prohibition advisable.
TREATY WITH TURKEY.
Dr. BOWR [N G,asked a question relative to our present com-
mercial relations with Turkey. It appeared that at present Bri-
tish exports and imports to that empire paid heavier duties than
the commodities of any other country ; the duty on our imports
was 250 per cent. higher than on the imports from Russia, and
12 per cent. higher on our exports. The duties were higher
on British articles than on either produce or manufac-
tured articles from any other country. He would take the liberty
of asking if her Majesty's Government was cognisant of the fact,