The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-14 00:00:00

-PAR,LX;IXI.I3FIN

The two Houses of Parliament met yesterday at Two
o'Clock, for the purpose of hearing the Royal Assent given by
Commission to a number of Bills, after which the Lords ad.
journed till next Friday.
The Commons met again at their usual hour, and Mr. C.
Buller presented a petition from Mr. Warburton, complaining
of the compromise on the Bridport Election Petition. Mr.
Cochrane and Mr. Mitchell severally denied that they had
acted improperly on the occasion.
In answer to Lord Palmerston, Sir R. Peel admitted that
Omar Pacha had kidknapped five Chiefs of the Druses, and had
sent them to Beyrout. '
In answer to Alr. R. Yorke, Sir R. Peel stated that he meant
to promote a generd subscription for the distressed people. He
will pauperise them all.
Mr•. Roebuck's Committee was appointed; after Mr. Milnes
had expressed an opinion that the House bad done wrong in ac-
ceding to the motion ; and after a few observations from other
lion. Members, on the question that the Committee have
power to send for persons, papers, and records, Mr. T. Dun-
combe moved that each Member, ho required to sub-
scribe a declaration that he had never been guilty of
bribery. Alr. Duncombe said he could subscribe no such de-
claration, for he had been gu Ity of bribery, though not since
he represented Finsbury.
Most of the Members seemed to think that agreeing to such
a motion would put a stop to the whole proceedings ; im-
plying, by their opinion, that nine Members of the House
cannot be found, who can conscientiously subscribe such
a declaration. After a smart personal debate, of which
Mr. Roebuck and Mr. Duncombe were the principal heroes,
the House decided by 160 to 17, that the Members of the
Committee should not be called upon to subscribe any such
declaration.
For the principal part of the evening afterwards, the House was
engaged in a discussion, on going into a Committee on the tariff,
on our colonial commercial policy. Lord Howick moved an
amendment to the Speaker leaving the chair, to establish the
principle that further differential duties ought not to be sanc-
tioned. Aiter a debate, in which the arguments were on one
side and the majority on the other, the House decided by '2Bl
to 108, that the Noble Lord's amendment should be rejected.
The House adjourned soon after the division at a Quarter before
One till next Friday..
ar---TELADE—COIVIIVIERCE.
The Irish Society of London held their twentieth anniver-
sary on Thursday in the Hanover-square Rooms. Two hundred
arid sixty-four Irish Bibles, 1,919 Testaments, 3,812 portions
of th 3 Bible, 83 Common Prayer•books, six dictionaries, 76
grammarA, arid 10,9L9 primers, had been distributed by the
Society during the last year. There were established 614
schools, attended by 14,160 pupils; of whom 10,708 were
adults, '290 were above 50 years of age, and 2,394 were females.
The Home proceedings were equally gratifying. New associ-
ations had sprung up and the funds increased. The receipts,
including 21(1. from H. L. 8., and '2OO/. from America, were
4,135/. IBs. I Id., and the disbursement , including, 3,1001.,
remitted to Ireland, amounted to 4,1381.
D
From the official return of the ships of war and steamers
now building and fit for service, it appears that the latter, viz.,
►teamers for service, number 84 ; steamers building, 20 ;
ships of war building, 56 ; total ships of war, in ordinary and
commission, including steamers, carrying from 1 to 120 guns
each, 605.

The British fleet, the largest in the world, employs in time of
peace 33,000 able-bathed- seamen, 2,000 lads, and 13,000
Royal marines, forming in all an effective naval force of 46,000
men, and 2,000 lads.
W ART pozacE.
Thursday at the Thames Police-office, Thomas Paul, alias
Scottie, Curzon, and Tidy, excavators, and another man