The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-13 00:00:00

GOLD COINAGE.

Mr. CHILDERS wished to ask a question with
regard to the gold coinage, the late proclamation
having caused a great deal of distress and annoyance.
In fact no poor man could get more than 19s. for a
sovereign. There was also a difficulty in obtaining scales
to weigh them, the Mint not being able to supply them.
in sufficient quantities. He thought it was most de-
sirable that some mitigation should be made for the poor,
and he would beg to suggest whether some arrangement
could not be made with the savings banks to enable the
people to receive from them the real value, what-
ever it might be, of their sovereigns and half-sovereigns.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
was delighted to have an opportunity of answering the
question, put by the Hon. Gentleman, relative to the
value of sovereigns. He was anxious that the public
should distinctly understand that a large number of
sovereigns had been taken to the Bank, and it was
found that the deficiency in weight averaged from to 4
per cent., and he could say that per cent, would fully
cover the loss for every sovereign by deficiency in
weight. He said this to prove how unjust some
of the demands were that had been made on
the public. Of course thel oss was considerably less
in some of the more recent sovereigns, and it would be
something more upon those of an older date, but taking
one with another, it was about the average he had stated.
He was extremely sensible of the inconvenience which
prevailed from an improper use made of the proclamation.
Persons for some time past had not been in the
habit of examining whether the sovereigns were cur-
rent coin of the realm or not. He was then in
communication with the Officers of the revenue, with
a view of extanding the mode of testing the weight of
sovereigns amongst the humbler classes of society. He
was anxious to state that the demands made upon holders
of gold coin had been most unjustifiable. With respect
to that part of the question of the Hon. Gentleman which
referred to balances being issued from the Mint be could
hardly understand it. It was not part of the duty of
the authorities of the Mint to furnish weights and ba-
lances, and he bad no reason to believe that such a courbe
was in contemplation.
CHURCH OP SCOTLAND.

Sir A. L. HAY wished to know if her Majesty's
Government had received a document from the General
Assembly of Scotland, intitled " A Claim for Rights,"
and if so, if it would be laid before Parliament.

Sir JAMES GRAHAM was understood to say that
document had been received, but as. yet he did not feel
justified in laying it before Parliament.
Mr. HUME asked if the Right Hon. Baronet had any
objection to lay before the House the correspondence
which had induced him to think that the matters in
dispute with regard to the Church of Scotland might be
satisfactorily adjusted, and on the faith of which he had
been induced to propose that the Hon. Member for
Argyleshire should postpone his Bill.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM would not lay the corre
spondence before the House, but he would have no,
objection, as the motion for the second reading of that
Bill, the substance generally of that correspondence.
POOR-LAWS.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL asked if it was the intention
of the Right Hon. Baronet to-morrow, to move that the
New Poor-law Bill before the other Orders of the Day.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM thought that, as it was pro-
bable some time would be consumed in the discussion,
whenever the question of the New Poor-law
should be brought in, that it would be better to come
to some understanding as to the day when that discussion
should really take place. He would therefore name
Friday next for the New Poor-law.
COLONIAL CUSTOMS BILL.

Mr. GLADSTONE said, that if they made good
progress with the tariff to-night, he should propose to-
morrow to proceed with the Colonial Customs Bill.
SOUTHAMPTON ELECTION.
Mr. W. 0. STANLEY wished to ask the Hon.
Member for South Hampshire, if it was his intention to
call the attention of the House to the petitions which he
had presented that evening before the Hon. Member for
Lymington mo,'ed for the issue of the writ for a new
election for Southampton?
Mr. FLEMING intended to move that the parties
should be heard at the Bar of the House.
BELFAST ELECTION. . _ _

Mr. F. SHAW wished to draw the attention of the
House to a question of privilege, affecting one of the
most important commercial cities in Ireland—the city of
Belfast.—(Hear.) Ten days had elapsed since the Elec-
tion Committee appointed to try the merits of a petition
complaining of an undue return from that city, had re-
ported that the sitting Members had not been
duly elected, and that the last was a void elec-
tion. Since that time no writ had been issued
for a new election for that important town, and Belfast
was at the present moment unrepresented. Notice had
been given by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite,
when he presented a petition, on Monday, of a mo-
tion for enquiring into a corrupt compromise alleged
to have taken place, and the House had been of opinion
that the writ ought to be suspended. He (Mr. Shaw)
would not then give an opinion as to the propriety. Or
impropriety of the proposed inqUiry. The Right
Hon. Gentleman might make out a case for inquiry, but
he (Mr. Shaw) contended that the writ ought not to be
suspended.—(Hear, hear.) It was the duty of the House