The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-20 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
ROUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 19.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
RAILWAY BILLS.
Mr. Mackenzie and other Bon. Members brought up re-
ports from the sub-Committees appointed to inquire whether
the standing orders on certain private Bills had been complied
with. The Committee reported in favour of the York.
and Scarborough Railway Line, the Leeds and Bradford,
the Ashton and Stalybridge, the Manchester and Leeds
(But nley Branch), the Leeds and West Riding Junction, the
Hull and Selby, the Kendal and Windermere, the Chester and
Birkenhead, the Manchester and Carlisle, the Cockermouth and
Workington, the Leeds and Dewsbury, the West York, and
other lines. '1 he Guildford, Chichester, and Portsmouth, were
reported not to have complied with the standing orders.
INCOIIE-TAX.
Sir J. MORDAUNT presented petitions from several places
against the continuance of the income-tax.
Colonel WOOD presented a petition from Worcester' pray-
ing that the owners of houses rented above 61. in that city
should be rated to the poor-rates instead of the tenants, as at
present.

MEDICAL REFORM BILL.
An Hoer. 'MEMBER presented a petition, signed by the
surgeons of Wrexham and its neighbourhood, against the
Illedical Reform Bill.
Mr. HOGG presented a petition from certain East India
sugar growers, praying for a reasonable protection against the
importation of foreign sugar; also from the East India and
China Association, expressing apprehension on account
of the proposed discriminating duty between Muscovado and
clayed sugar—an attempt which, the petitioners stated, must be
attended with trouble, delay, vexation, and fraud.
Lord SANDON presented a petition from the Liverpool
Peace Society against the proposed additional grant for the
navy. Also a petition from certain tradesmen of Bethnal-
green, praying the House to take measures to prevent the de-
secration of the Sabbath.
Lord ARUNDEL presented a petition from Burton, in
Lomitale, in the county of York, against the increase of li-
censes granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors.
NOTICES OF MOTION.—COLONIAL ACCOUNTS.
Dr. BOWRING gavo notice that to-morrow he would move
for sundry returns relating to colonial accounts.
WiNDOW-TAX.

Lord DUNCAN gave notice of his intention, on a future
day, to bring forward the following motion :—" That the taxes
levied on windows were a great burden on the country—unjust
and unequal in their operation, most oppressive on those who
had to bear them, and ought therefore to be immediately
repealed." While he was on his legs he would take the oppor-
tunity of answering the question put to him the other evening
by the Right lion. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's
Government, who, he regretted to see, was not in his
place. It appeared to he the general opinion that they
should go on with the adjourned debate to-morrow evening,
and, as he understoi,d all other Honourable Gentlemen
who bad notices on the paper for that night agreed to
postpone them, it would be most injudicious in him if
he persisted in preisin,g his motion. He, therefore,
begged leave to give notice that he would bring on his motion
on the subject of the window-tax on Monday evening, on the
question being put that the Speaker, leave the Chair to go
into a Committee of Supply.—( Hear, hear. )
Sir WILLIAM CLAN moved that the petition of George
Smith, distiller, and James Scott Smith, rectifier, presented
18th February, be printed. —Ordered.
HOUSE OF KEYS.
Dr. BOWRING moved for copies of any memorials which
have been presented to her Majesty's Government from the Isle
of Man on the subject oh a reform of the House of Keys.—
Ordered.
RAILWAYS—MORNING SITTINGS.

On the reading of the orders of the day for Committees on
the following Bills:—Companies Clauses Consolidation Bill ;
Railway Clauses Consolidation Bill ; Lands Clauses Consolida-
tion Bill; Lands Clauses Consolidation ( Scotland) Bill ; Rail-
way Clauses Consolidation ( Scotland) Bid ; Companies Clauses
Consolidation (Scotland ) Bill,
Lord G. SOMERSET rose, and was supposed to say that
he intended to have propased that those Committees should
proceed by morning sittings to-morrow, but, on considera-
tion, he thought Friday would be better. His Lordship's state-
ment, though of considerable length, was delivered in so low a
tone, that it was entirely lost in the gallery.
Mr. HAWES, who was almost equally indistinct, was un-
derstood to ask whether the Noble Lord intended to make this
arrangement compu!sory ?
Mr. AG LIONB Y said he felt deeply interested in this sub-
ject, and thereforo had listened with attention, in order to en-
deavour to catch the Noble Lord's words ; but he regretted to
say that not one word that the Noble Lordd had said had been
heard by either him (Mr. Aglionby), or any one
else at his side of tha House.—( Hear, hear.) But,
he would ask, was he right in presuming that the
Noble Lord intended that tho•e Committees sould hold
sittings, and those sittings should take place on Friday. If
that be so, he (Mr. Aglionby) was rather unfortunate in
being obliged to object to that arrangement, as he had already
made appointments for that day which would prevent his at-
tendance. On Friday morning he would be obliged to
attend as Chairman of a Committee on private Bills,
and, therefore, it would be quite impossible for him
to attend on that day upon his Lordship's Com-
mittees. It was not for him ( Mr. Aglionby) to say
whether the Noble Lord had acted right or not in making th s
arrangement ; but others might be placed in a sitsation similar
to his (Mr. Aglionby's), and in addition to that, he would say
it was rather to be regretted that those morning sittings had
been fixed at so early a period of the session.—( Hear.)
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET assured the Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. Aglionbv ) that it was for the general con-
venience of the House he -had appointed Friday.
SIR J. GRAHAM'S RAILWAY SPECCLATION.
Sir J. GRAHAM said that as the House was on the subject
of railways he thought he might be allowed to correct an error in
fact into which he had fallen when he last addressed the House
on the subject of railways. On that occasion he stated that he
had never had any connexion with railroads in his life. The
general statement was perfectly true, hut it was made in forget-
fulnes of the fact that when he had the honour of representing
Carlisle a railroui was projected, which, it was supposed, would
be of advantage to that city. On that account he purchased a
share of 100!.—( Laughter, and cries of " Oh, oh")—which he
need not a,•sure the House he sold without any view to profit.
POST-OFFICE ESPIONAGE.

Mr. Mr)NCK TON MILN ES said that he wished to ask the
Right Hon. Gentleman a question of which he had given notice
the other night. and in putting, that question he wished to do it
with all deliberation. When last he had named this matter in
the Ilote..e he had eeemed it bstter to give notice to the
Right Honourable Gentleman of his intention to put this
spe-stion, and to ask what instructions had been sent
out to the agent of this country abroad, with respect
to the matter on which he intended to speak, and this lie did
because he believed it to be a matter of much interest in that
House. The question, then, which he wished to ask was whe-
ther, at the time that representations were made to the
!Minister for Foreign Affairs ef the insurrection which was
likely to ensue in the Italian States against the Government
of Austria, any instruction had been sent out by Lord Aber-
seen to the Governor or other authorities in the Island of
Corfu, that the British Government were in
possession of in'ormation respecting such insurrectionary
movement, and whether any information or other intimation
had been given to the persons at that time in the places under
the dominion of the British Government, who were likely to
engage in such insurrectionary movement, of their designs
being known, and of its having been communicated to the
Austrian and ItaPan Governments the movements that were
likely to take place, and the I ersons of the parties who were
likely to be engaged in them ?
Sir ROBERT PEEL said, I am happy to give an
ample, and I think a sufficient answer to this question.
As the Hon. Member has given notice of the nature of his
question, proper attention has been paid to the subject. The
Hon. Member has said that a deep interest was telt in this
question, and I believe he is; erectly correct in that statement;
and he should, therefore, feel it his duty to give a full reply to
that question. But lam sorry to say that 1 cannot do so, Sir,
without entering fully into the question. —( Hear, hear.) I
hope the House will excuse this, and 1 will give
the information we poise s as bri. fly and suc-
cinet'y as I can.—( Hear, hear. ) When the British Go-
vernment last year received information that an insurrec-
tionary movement was contemplate I in the Italian States, they
felt 'it their duty to put the Austrian and Italian
Governments on their guard, and particularly as this
movement was organised by individuals residing at that
time in possessions under the protection of the British Go-
vernment. In reply to thin, they had been informed that some
parties engaged in that movement were resident in this coun-
try. His Noble Friend ha I also been informed that the Aus-
trian Government :had given instructions to the General at
that time in command of their forces at Milan, to the effect,
that if any attempt was made to trespass on the Austrian ter-
ritories by insurrectionists from the Papal states, in which
it was believed the insurrection was chiefly organised,
to resist and destroy the rebels to the utmost of his
power, without any further reference to his Government.
'There were certain intimations conveyed to us which led us
to apprehend great danger to the public tranquillity in the
shape of an insurrectionary movement in Italy. My Noble
Friend did convey to the Austrian Government, from time to
time, the general purport of any information which he re-
essved in respect to the proc edings of those who had
designs against the tranquility of Italy.—(Cries of " Hear,
hear.") He communicated no letter which he had received
or extracts from any letter, neither did he state the name of
any individual within the power of the Austrian Government.
But as it is s•ated in the report of the Select Committee, he
did from time to time communicate to the represen-
tatives of the Austrian Government in this country, the
general purport of any information connected with the
designs of those whe resided within the dominions
of her Majesty—particularly in the Mediterranean—calculated
to disturb the public tranquillity. 'The parts wi-ll respect to
which apprehensions were chiefly entertained were in the Papal
States. My Noble Friend has not a very perfect recollection
of the circumstances, having destro)ed such letters as he re-
ceived, except those of a public nature. He has not now
a distinct recollection of the purport of them; but, as far as
his recollection serves him, he never saw any communication
of a public or private nature which led him to apprehend that
a particular attack was to be made from Corfu. At any rate, he
never took any steps whatever on such communications; he
never communicated either to the Austrian Government, the
Neapolitan Government, or to the authorities at Borne ; he
never made any rtornmunication to them respecting any par-
ticular de-igns reedita•ed in Corfu. Consequently, the
impression which some ffentlemen appeared to entertain, that
these individuals were led into a trap by an act of the British
Gover ,ment, is entirely without foundation. So little reason
had he to apprehend that any particular attempt would
be made from Corfu, that ro communication whatever
on
the subject was made to Lord Seaton, the Gover-
nor of the lonian Islands. 'The fact is, that the at-
tempt totk every party lay surprise—it ook Lord Seaton by
surprise, and it took the Consul completely by surprise. With-
out referring to the '
what were the farts dispatches,
Mee ta, in the lonian he would state to the House
It appears that there were residing in
own country, on aceruat t'd''. several persons, refugees from their
permitted to reside the' of
political disturbances. They were
ra
res,edwedilhout molestation. The two sons
of Admvierrayl Bandis.
quietly,
,i,iiiuntat.„Cnrfu. They conducted them-
selvest Ix,
ec t t
ofi ni:gt suspicion:itaein di:ll2idlnhudrasmi.,
of
fhlet
only,
jpualaenir,fe-tt
of the Government . f
pears that oa the Ligt,t,
twenty-two individuals, and t wents
p-eparation
Corfu in two small boats, ,e.theue•arm°s
whatever was made for directing a foreign attack.anl'no It
pwe(aisi t
in. ont,
until after that expedition—if it could, be called
which consisted of twenty-two unarmed
ci,nodnaisnvuildexuaflos, who
soiled from Corfu—that thess:aAnustGrtnsui,
made rst the
Pap I States, and the Bo
representations to Lord Seat. n on the subject. lrohnegy
remonstrated strongly against it. Lord Seaton said he
had been taken by surprise, or he would have made previous
communication. The Austrian Consul requested that the
British war-steamer there ahould be sent after the boats con-
taining the twenty-two individuals. Lord Seaton said he de-
clined sending an armed steamer in order to arrest them ;
that he was not authorised to do so ; and that
he thought the reports were exaggerated. Lord
Seaton said that he felt confident no invasion could be
contemplated on the coast of Calabria, but he would send a small
);tEs quietly as possible to Otranto, in order to ascertain the
..4errarAlSOW of the project. , That boat had not sailed to
~rl77l7,failik till after the 12th, on the . night of which the
tweitftwo individuals had
,'.set sail. Intelligence
. of
~- ~ 0.11 bras given to the authorities there that it might be
..,
.c.;,....,...,,..... cc:vayed to Naples; but no information upon this subject had
.r.,.€1.\.',.
ir?,
'-' -..-:-.,e,,--- ' • .