The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-25 00:00:00

been moved for in a regular manner. AU the materials neces-
sary were furnished to the Court by the prosecutor. The
affidavit on which the rule had been moved, was filed, and the
newspaper containing the alleged libel, was attached to it; but
it so happened that in drawing up the rule, the officer of the
Court had omitted the words, " On the reading of this affidavit
and of the newspaper annexed thereto." The counsel for the
defence, acted under the instructions of Mr. Tanner. They were
honourable men, and he was sure they would never have
taken the objection if Mr. Tanner had urged them to abstain
from doing so ; and he also felt assured that if those gentleman
had placed any great reliance on their affidavits, they would have
advised Mr. Tanner not to take the objection, but to let the case
go before the Court upon its merits, so as to have the rule
discharged with costs. That objection had been taken volun-
tarily on the part of the defendant, and he (Lord Campbell)
was sure it would not have been taken without his instructions.
The Court had felt bound to yield to the objection, and
it had only been owing to the defendant's own objection, that
the merits of the rule had not been gone into.
Therefore it was improper for Mr. Tanner to say that he had
had no opportunity of bringing the merits of the question un-
der the consideration of the Court of Queen's Bench. He
(Lord Campbell) regretted exceedingly that the affidavits on
both sides had net been placed before the Court, who would
have decided the case upon its merits.
The Bishop of EXE I'ER, in reply, said that the merits or
demeri's of Mr. Tanner had nothin‘, to do with the question,
and contended that the Poor-law Commissioners had shown
themselves unfit to be trusted with the powers confided to them.
The Noble Lord had asked why, as the subject-matter of the
petition had occurred two years ago, the case had not been
brought forward before. He explained that it was because the
petitioner wished to present it when the measure for renewing
the power of the Poor-law Commissioners came before Parlia •
meta. He believed also, that Mr. Tanner was a man of honour,
and above bringing forward the case from any unworthy motive.
The Right Hon. Baronet, the First Lord of the Treasury, said
last year, in reference to this subject, that it was the duty of
the Commissioners to stand between the poor and the Guar-
dians.—( Hear, from Lord Wharncliffe. ) Then it was their
duty in this case to have examined and inquired before
they gave their judgment ; and if their Lordships desired, he
(the Bishop of Exeter) would be prepared to prove, at the bar
of the House, the truth of Mr. Tanner's statement. But in
consequence of the contradictory character of the evidence be-
fore the Assistant Commissioner, he had not read any part of it
but that of the medical men ; nor had he read some very strong
parts of it. The COmmsssioners were satisfied with the apart-
ments for the sick. Now experiments were made, from
which it appeared, by the testimony of the medical officers,
that whilst the thermometer was 78 Fahrenheit, in a room in
Exeter where there was no fire, it rose only to 74 in the sick
room of the workhouse, although the fire in the stove was kept
up so high that the bars were red-hot. He (the Right Rev.
Prelate) said the Poor-law Commissioners were guilty of the
grossest disingenuousness—the eharge against Mr. Tanner
sunk into nothing when compared with the conduct of the Com-
missioners. The only reason why he was anxious to refer to
the evidence of the witnesses was merely so far as Isis (Mr.
Tanner's) honour was entrusted to the Right Rev. Prelate in
bringing forward the petition before the House, and the more
ingenuity, themore praiseworthy ingenuity the Noble Baron had
.shown in endeavouring to exhonerate those officers from the
charges brought against them, the plainer it was brought to his
(the Right Ree. Prelate's) mind, that no real answer had been
given, and no real answer could be given, to the complaints made
in the petition.
The Bishop of EXETER shortly afterwards rose again and
said, if the Noble Baron (Lord Wharncliffe) wished to see any
of the documents, they should be laid on the table of the House.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said he did not want to see any do-
cuments ; he was perfectly satisfied to leave the matter where
it was.

The Bishop of EXETER thought what he had done was
quite enough, and he would therefore beg leave to lay the peti-
tion on the table of the House.
The petition was then Lill on the table, and the House ad-
journed at Eight o'Clack.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, FEU. 24.
The SPEAKER took his seat shortly before Four o'clock.
Sheriffs Magna), and Rogers appeared at the Bar, and
presented two petitions from the Lord Mayor, Alder-
men,. and Common Council of the City of London, in
reference to the great annoyance experienced in the City
by the smoke from manufactories, which they were or-
dered to present to the House.
SEVERN NAVIGATION BILL. •
Mr. PAKINGrON begged to move the second read-
ing of the Saverrt'Navigation Bill, which was agreed to,
qui the Bill was ordered to be committed.
Mr. GASKELL presented a petition from Stafford-
shire against the Severn Navigation Bill.
;NIETROPOLITAN BIZIDGES.

An UoN. MEMBER presented a petition from the Ward
oF Caitle Bayllard, in the City of London, praying for
the aholition of the tolls on Southwark, Waterloo, and
Vauxhall Bridges.
PRESBYTERIAN MIXED MARRIAGES.
Sir T. BATE3ON preSciited petitions from places in
Londonderry and Down, praying for the legalising of
these marria7,eS in 'retina, and that a law be passed for
the general registration of births, deaths, and marriages.
IRELAND MUNICIPAL CORPORATION BILL.
Mr. DIVETT presented a petition from the burgesses
of Exeter, against the Municipal Corporation Bill. He
then moved that the Bill should be read at length by
the Clerk at the table, which was done.
CORN-LAWS.
Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from Sal-
ford, signed by 7,383 individuals, praying for a total re-
peal of the Corn-IaWS ; also another petition, agreed to
at a public mgeting, praying for no property qualifica-
tion, Vote by Ballot, Annual Elections, Universal Suf-
frage, and that the petitioners might no longer he com-
piled to obey the law of the land.—(A laugh.)
Mr. BURFIELD presented a petition from the As-
sociation of Wesleyan Methodists, at Bradford, against
the Corn and Provision-laws.

Mr. COLLIER presented a petition praying that
some measure should be introduced for legalising Pres-
byterian mixed marriages.
Colonel RAWDON presented a petition from a place
in Armagh; signed by 600 inhabitants to the same effect.
Mr. GEORGE DUNCAN presented a petition against
the plan of her Majesty's Ministers with respect to the
Corn-laws.
Dr. BOWRING presented six petitions from Strat-
ford, in Essex, and from various parts of the metropolis ;
also a petition f.tom Darlington, the whole signed by
205,000 persons, and all praying for a total repeal of the
Corn-laws.
Sir R. 11. INGLIS presented a petition from the Pre-
sident and other members of the Protestant Emigration
Society of Glasgow, praying that a recommendation
should be made to the Local Government of Canada,
with respect to free lands of the provinces, part of which
might be granted to the Society for the purposes of emi-
gration. The petitioners stated that great distress
had been experienced in their neighbourhood for years,
and that the prosperity of the place would be promoted
by a system of emigration.—(Cries of " Order, order.")
The petitioners prayed that the Government would allow
the emigrants to be conveyed in Government transports.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from James
Hawkins, a respectable member of the Society of
Friends, praying that no revenue should be raised on
intoxicating drinks, as being unchristian. Also a peti-
tion from Belfast, signed by 13,700 inhabitants. Also a
great number of petitions from places in Cork, Westmeath,
and other parts of Ireland, all praying for a total repeal
of the Corn laws.
Mr. OSWALD presented a petition signed by 15,000
of the inhabitants of Glasgow, praying for a total repeal
of the Corn• laws.

Mr. WALLACE presented petitions from Ayr and
other places in Scotland, against the plan proposed by
her Majesty's Ministers with resr it to the Corn-laws.

ee. __
METROPOLITAN BRIDGES.
Mr. BECKETT presented a petition from inhabitants
of Westminster, for the abolition of tolls upon the me-
tropolitan Bridges.
Mr. THORNHILL presented a petition from South-
wark, praying that the tolls on the different metropolitan
bridges might be taken off.
Mr. BORTHWICK presented a similar petition from
315 merchants, householders, and other inhabitants of
Pimlico.
Lord CLAUDE HAMILTON presented a petition
from Tyrone, for an amendment of the law relating to
Presbyterian Marriages.
Mr. B. WOOD presented a petition from the congrega-
tion of Jewin-strect Chapel, London-wall, for the repeal
of all duties

on provisions
RIOTS IN JAMAICA.
Mr. O'CONNELL, seeing the Noble Lord the Se-
cretary for the Colonies in his place, begged leave to re-
peat a question he addressed to him the other evening,
respecting the late occurrences at Jamaica, which unfor-
tunately were attended with loss of life. The riots to
which he alluded took place at Christmas eve or
in the night of Christmas-day. Nov he wanted to know
from the Noble Lord, whether he had received infor-
mation containing the particulars of those deplorable
events ; and if so, whether he had any objection to lay
them on the table of the House ?
Lord STANLEY said he would just state the nature
of the information respecting this affair which had
been received by her Majesty's Government. It
was quite true, as stated by the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman, that disturbances did take
place in Kingston during the celebration of the Christ-
mas holidays, and that unfortunately those occurrences
were attended with loss of life. In the days of slavery
a sort of Saturnalia was allowed by the planters to the
slaves in-all the great towns, and their proceedings were
regarded rather with satisfaction by the masters, though
the conduct of the blacks was very noisy and even trou-
blesome to the district, for the proprietors thought that
the fact of the slaves thus heartily giving themselves up
to amusement, was a proof that their minds were occu-
pied with nothing worse. But since slavery had ceased,
there had been a general desire amongst the most re-
spectable inhabitants, including several of the blacks
themselves, to put a stop to those noisy and troublesome
demonstrations. In the course of last year, therefore,
the Mayor of Kingston who was independent and
uncontrolled in his authority by the Go►ernor
of Jamaica, proceeded, without the consent of the rest of
the Corporation, and contrary to the advice of the Go-
vernment--(Hear, hear)— to adopt strong measures to
repress those rather riotous celebrations. He did suc-
ceed last year, though with some difficulty, in repressing
the negroes for a time; but soon after they broke out
again, and having overpowered the Mayor and the
authorities, the whole town of Kingston was a scene
of disturbance during three weeks. In the pre-