the Treasury. For the recent suppression of piratical
forces, he feared he should have to call on the house for
a pretty large vote—as much, he feared, as £100,000.—
Mr. HUME apprehended that something had been kept
back, and would ask for full information before the half
of £100,000 were voted.—Mr. COBDEN and Colonel
THOMPSON desiderated evidence that the aboriginal
tribes whom we have been slaughtering are really
pirates—that they have ever molested English
commerce: they do not appear to have been other than
tribes in a state of barbarism carrying on war with each
other.—The second reading of the bill passed unopposed.

The house then went into committee on Mr.
LABOUCHERE's resolutions for the improvement of our Maritime
Legislation; when he explained his several propositions
for improving the merchant marine, for better organising
and managing the Merchant Seamen's Fund, and for
better determining the admeasurement of merchant
shipping. His explanations and proposals were in general
favourably received; the chief doubts coming from Sir
George CLERK, Mr. W. FAGAN, and Mr. CARDWELL,
on his proposals regarding the Seamen's Fund.—MR.
HUME and Mr. HEADLAM cordially approved of his
proposed abolition of the present system of registration.
—The resolutions were agreed to; and leave was given
to bring in bills in accordance with them.

The second reading of the County Rates and
Expenditure Bill was moved on Wednesday, the 13th, by
Mr. Milner GIBSON, who explained that its general
purport was to provide for the regulation of county
expenditure a series of councils analogous to the borough
councils, which held authority over borough expenditure.
His object was not to supersede the county justices, but
to give a concurrent control over the county rates to a
board who should be elected by and represent the great
body of ratepayers. The judicial functions of the
magistrates would remain wholly untouched. He proceeded
to rebut the accusation of inconsistency brought against
him on a former day by Mr. Disraeli, as having
required, on behalf of the occupier, a control over taxes,
which, by his own doctrines, fell solely on the landlords.
He showed how far the occupiers were interested in the
question; and submitted that in the rapid expansion of
the rates that often took place within the period of a
single year, the tenants bore the whole increase of the
burdens.—Mr. SPOONER deprecated hasty legislation on
this subject, and moved the adjournment of the debate.
—Sir G. GREY thought the proposal for adjournment
not unreasonable, considering the magnitude of the
interests involved in the bill. An early expression of
the opinion of the legislature was, however, very
desirable.—Eventually the debate was adjourned to
Wednesday, the 13th of March.

Mr. Cornewall LEWIS moved for leave to bring in a
bill to amend the laws respecting the management of
the Highways of England and Wales. He explained
the main provisions of the bill to be, the vesting of the
power now in the ratepayers at large in the boards of
poor-law guardians, and the appointment of paid
district surveyors in lieu of the present unpaid parochial
surveyors.—Several members, among whom was Sir
R.PEEL, expressed opinions generally favourable to the
bill, and leave was given to introduce it.

On Thursday, the 14th, Mr. ADDERLY introduced a
bill on the subject of Convict Transportation. Its
object was to repeal the act which empowers the
queen and privy council to determine the place to
which felons shall be transported.—Its introduction was
strongly opposed by Sir G. GREY and Lord J. RUSSELL;
and leave to bring it in was refused by 110 to 32.

On Friday, the 15th, the house went into committee
on the subject of the Advances and Repayment of
Advances to Ireland, and Lord John RUSSELL made a
proposal for consolidating the debts and enlarging the
indulgence of time to distressed unions. He described
the condition of Ireland as materially improved, as was
shown by the great diminution of poor rates during the
last year. The loans and advances, repayment of which
was now due from Ireland, including a balance of
£1,130,000 granted for building workhouses in 1839,
amounted, in the gross, to £4,483,000. In the more
distressed unions, about thirty in number, there was an
amount of debt due to contractors during the famine, for
food, clothing, &c., and in some cases payment had been
pressed so severely that the beds of persons in the
infirmary had been taken from under them: these debts
amounted at the end of December last to £270,000; and
some other expenses were estimated at £30,000. These
sums made the total liabilities £4,783,000. Under the
Rate-in-Aid Act, of £250,000 to be repaid out of the
rate-in-aid, £150,000 had been repaid, and it was
probable that the other amount would be forthcoming.
Lord John proposed to advance the £300,000 to meet the
debts for the distressed unions; to convert the other
debts, in places where the pressure of the poor-law is
strongly felt, into consolidated annuities; and to allow
forty years for the repayment by annual instalments,
with interest where it is named by previous acts of
Parliament, without interest where it is not so named.
The resolutions were agreed to at once; but a debate
arose on the question that they be reported. Some
Irish members complained, with Mr. GRATTAN, that
the relief was not enough; others, with Mr. MONSELL,
expressed grateful satisfaction. Mr. BRIGHT insisted on
a more rigid and just administration of relief; and
pointed to instances, in the unions of Cliefden, Ballinrobe
and Castlebar, where landowners, and even county
members, are open defaulters in the payment of poor-
rates, and resort to various devices for the evasion of the
bailiff. Several Irish members expressed great anger at
this charge, and called for names; but they were not
given. Mr. Bright said he had taken his information
from the union books. The resolutions were ordered to
be reported on Monday next.

The Court of Chancery (Ireland) Bill was read a
second time, after a smart debate, which consisted
almost entirely in personal sparring without substantial
interest.

On the motion for going into committee on the
Registrar's Office in Bankruptcy Bill, Mr. HENLEY
moved to refer it to a select committee, objecting that
the union of two sinecures would have the effect of
perpetuating one. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL opposed him,
but, after some discussion, Mr. HENLEY'S motion was
carried against the government by 61 to 57. This result
was received with cheers.

On the second reading of the Australian Colonies Bill
being moved on Monday the 18th, Mr. SCOTT moved the
postponement of the second reading till further papers
were produced, being of opinion that this measure
required the most deliberate consideration. Mr. Roebuck
objected to the bill on the ground that it gave power to
men who did not derive their authority from the will of
the colonists. This bill was the worst of all abortions
ever put forth by an incompetent administration. We
were taking an irrevocable step, and one which would
for the future be a continual source of discontent and
quarrel; whereas we ought to give the Australians
really free institutions, instead of a government by the
clerks of the Colonial Office. He wished to understand
why different measures were doled out to Australia and
to the Cape? The influence of the Colonial Office was
a mildew upon the colonies. Lord John RUSSELL said
that he had never heard a speech so full of blunders as
that of Mr. Roebuck, who, moreover, was really asking
the house to set at nought the opinion of the Australians,
and to force its own idea of a constitution upon them.
The attacks which it was the fashion with Mr. Roebuck
and others like him to assail the Colonial Office, were in
truth attempts to dispute the power of the Crown. The
"clerks" had literally nothing to do with any matters
of decision. The object of ministers in bringing in the
present bill, which was provisional in its nature, was to
give increased weight to the opinion of the colonies.
The people of Australia would certainly not be satisfied
with the species of constitution which had been sent to
the Cape; and though he (Lord J. Russell) preferred
two chambers to one, it was for the Australians to
decide the question. After defending the Colonial Office
from Mr. Roebuck's attack, and declaring that the bill
had been drawn with great care. Lord John asked the
house to read it a second time. Sir W. MOLESWORTH
would offer no opposition to the bill in its first stages, but
claimed the opportunity of discussing in committee,
questions concerning the form of government, and the
powers to be delegated to the colonial authorities.