The Sun. — London, England, 1846-03-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 3. The Earl of SITAFTEISBURY took his seat on the Woolsack at Five o'clock. RAILWAY SURVEYING. • Lord PORTMAN presented a petition from a magistrate in the West Riding of Yorkshire, complaining of the aggressions - which were made by projectors of railways, whose surveyors, not contented with taking levels, cut down ornamental timber' r•'and in fact took upon themselves all the powers given by Parliament to the Ordnance and Geological surveyors. The petitioner begged to suggest to their Lordships, that as parties poachin were liable to transportation, so individuals trespass es ing in an illegal manner should be equally liable to the same •-• punishment. He (Lord Portman) might not go that length, but he certainly thought that the subject was worthy the atten tion of the railway committees, and should this be out of their province he thought their power ought to be extended. - The petitioners prayed that the House would take measures to reform this abuts. CORN-LAWS. The Duke of RlCHNlONDlpresented a petition numerously signed from Cornwall against the Government measure:; also - from the counties of Banff and Devon to the same effect. THE DRAINAGE BILL. Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition from the linen merchants on the river Bann, in the county of Antrim, against the Drainage Bill. RAILWAY STANDING ORDERS. Lord I'sIONTEAGLE presented a petiti n from thel pro jectors of the Wexford, Carlow , and Dublin Junction Rdltaiewnsaey, praying that in their case the standing o rders mi g ht be isp d esent with. The Noble Lord said that the occasion of the p petition was, some of the agents of this Co mp an y , served in ignorance of the standing orders of that House, having Sunda some o the notices on Christmas - day and d y. • it was soon as the mistake, howev er, wtarseshdiscloivoetirce.el, which rectified by the issuing though not in strict complianee w o i f th the standing orders, still give the parties so served ample notice. He believed a Noble Friend of his had a motion on the subject, which would be submitted to their Lordships' consideration that night. Lord STRANGFORD remarked that from the time the Standing Orders' Committee discovered the errors in question there was ample time to correct them. Earl GREY, in reference to the motion of which he had given notice, said that he was induced to take the step he had in order to assimilate the standing orders of the House of Lords to those of the House of Commons, and in that course he had been encouraged by the Noble Duke opposite and the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack. Subsequently, how ever, he had not received the support which he anticipated. He had been induced to withdraw his proposed resolutions, be cause he did not anticipate that support which he at first ex pected from the Noble Lord on the Nt oolsack and the Noble Duke opposite. The Duke of WELLINGTON said it wou:d have given him pleasure to support the resolutions, had they not been con trary to the practice of the House. THE CORN -LAWS. The Earl of HARDWICKE presented petitions from several parishes in the county of Cambridge against the pro posed measures of her Majesty's Government with respect to the corn-laws. Their Lordships must be aware, that of all other counties in England, Cambridgeshire was, perhaps, the most agricultural; and ever since the year when the protective laws were passed, more improvement had been made in agriculture in that county than in any other part of England. He need not recal to their Lordships' attention the fact, that as much capital had been laid out in that county in the improvement of the land, as the fee simple of the land was worth—in fact, he might say, that within a very short number of years more than half a million of money had been laid out in the drainage, &c., of the land. They had been able to export from that part of the country alone, through the port of Wisbeauh, a larger amount of pro duce than had been sent from any other county in the king dom. With reference to the remaining part of the county, he had taken from the papers of the clerk of the peace a statement of the great improvement in it. Since the year 1626 no less than 16 parishes had been enclosed, and in consequence of that the value of the fee-simple of the land had been increased more than 50,0001., and an increase of M),000 had taken place in the population. The belief of the population was, that the protective duties had caused the im provement that had taken place in agriculture, and they stated that protection and improvement went hand in hand.. The prayer of these petitions was universally the same over the whole of the country. Their Lordships would recollect that there was a measure now in pro gres through the other House of Parliament. Their Lordships would do as they had always done—they would take this measure into consideration with a view of benefiting the labourer, and continuing the well-being of the people at large, and he felt that the result of their den. beration would be a correct one. He understood the principle ens which the Government had been dissolved, but he did not understand the principle on which it had been reconstructed; and until they did know the principles on which it hail been formed it could not be expected to carry that weight to which every Government measure should be entitled. The House of Commons also, and he trusted that he was not out of order in speaking of another branch of the Legislature, the House of Commons he thought, by the course they were at present pursuing, were to a considerable degree losing the confidence of the country. The measure coming up from the other House under these peculiar circumstances would be con sidered in reference to the points he had just enumerated, and he believed that that House, as the great pro tectors of the people—(and they all knew that the liberties of the people were never invaded until the authority of that House was trampled under foot)—as the protectors of the liberties of the people, he trusted that the deliberate resolution of that House would be to affirm the justness of the prayer of this petition, and to reject a measure which would be attended with so many evils. Lord KINNAIRD said that the Noble Lord had alluded to the pleasure which some Noble Lords on that side of the House, who were the advocates of free trade, might feel if their hopes were realised by the passing of this measure. He ( Lord Kinnaird) regretted that that measure was not to be immediate in its operation, and in this opinion he coincided with a Noble Lord on the cross benches ( the Duke of Richmond. )—( Laughter.) He considered that it would be to the advantage of the farmer and of the agricultural interest generally, if the question were thus settled, for they might depend upon it that agitation would not be allayed while protection was in existence. It would be of groat importance to the lauded interest that the qsuestion should be settled at once. If they had three years delay, the agitation would continue, while every evil that might arise in connexion with agriculture, would he attriouten to the alteiati , .. Landlords would be:pressed for a reduction of rents and combi nations would take place among the farmers. Besides, by the immediate settlement of the question they would get rid of the Anti-Corn-law League and its interfer ence with the registration, as he could solemnly assure their Lordships if t he corn-laws were at once repealed the League would be immediately dissolved. Their Lordships could not amend the present measure of the Government without throwing it out altogether. He, there fore, hoped that their Lordships would answer the prayer of the country by tendering to the measure an immediate adoption. entirely Ignorant of the shape in which it would come up to that House. The Marquis - of LONDON DERRY deprecated in the extreme the speech which had been made by the Noble Lord upon the question, when their Lordships were The Marquis of SALISBURY, in the course of a few observations, which were most imperfectly heard in the re• porters' gallery, said that he had ascertained from quarters of the highest authority that the Anti-Corn-law League was a most unconstitutional body. —( Cries of Hear," and No, no.") The Duke of RICHMOND said that the Noble Lord op posite had given him and the House very good advice ; bat he begged to assure the Noble Lord that he (the Duke of Rich mond) was in the habit of taking advice from friends and not his opponents.—(Laughter.) However, he would not now enter upon the merits of a question which was at that moment under thiCassion before the House of Commons. But he would ask what would Ise the result, if those Members who voted for this measure were to go again to the country? The result would be, that every one of the ninety-seven Members would be turned out of the House of Commons.—(Laughter.) They would be treated as men who run away from their colours, as he had no doubt they would have done had they been engaged in the war in India.—( Laughter.) He could not understand bpw men would make pledges at the hustings, and vote in direct opposition to those pledges in the House.—( Hear, hear. ) .He was one of those who would never believe that this measure would pass until it did pass.—( Hear, hear.) It seemed that there were advocates of free trade in the House. His Noble Friend who had spoken has been an ad vocate for free trade for only about half a dozen ) ears. He ~Raspy! an advocate of , free trade during Lord Grey's Govern . spent, ,he was-he did not vote for it. It was understood that Mr. Fitzwilliam's motion was to be opposed by the Ca , bineetben ; and did his Noble Friend vote for it ? Lord Mel _ .:,',l4aaje's Cabinet was ' not 'a' 'free -trade Cabinet. No, it was for a fixed duty of Bs.. That party altered their opinion while they were ,in opposition. They did not change their opinion when they came into pOwer. They did not tell the people one thing from the hustings, and after sloa:di Sib . ehltie9 came bite pewerr turn round on all their priactples; and be' the• first td lead the attack against their eon , ,atipienta. He was not surprised that the measure in the House of Coinmons had a majority, but he should be very much surprised- if the-measure passed that House.. If by going to the country they could only -cheek it for a short time, they'shonld do so, brit he believed that such a step would hake -,A.better result, for protection hid still many friends. Nottingr , hiam hid behaved nobly ; it had returned a protection Member • fur each of its divisions; Dorsetslaire supported the principle ; I "Westsaitister had chosen a- Radical sooner than sone who had changed his principles. The Earl of WICKrOW said thit he wished to say a few words i n re p l y to some o b servat i ons t h at h a d f a ll en f rom hi s Noble Friend.. It had beets regretted by some of the Member sot the 11 0 , a , of t4 Co o m bl mons, that the measure was not pat • fore and by the e Lords on the opposite side, one of the grourids on whi c h have come fromr, th e tveent wish with was founded was, that it would Melbourne's a better grace. When Lord fixed duty of eight was asked whether the tection, the answer w as was for revenue or pro- Protection was the object in" distinctly for protection. change had now come over th e min d s auy case, but a total was with surprise that he hid seenitiof men, and therefore it reported that influential men had risen in their place in the other H ouse of Parliament , stating that they wished the rceawsourrie moreh d on brought for thanatother subject, for ward by the opposite parry. One alluded to by a Noble Friend of his own ot i' s ' House. He stated that it was unive rsally understosoiClieth' al i the . Ant i-C o rn-law League was an unconstitutional body. islnhae, be was bound to say that that was not his belief. He believest that the League was a constitutional body, established f or con _ stitutional purposes, and though no Member of the League himself, nor likely to become a member of it, still he felt himself in justice bound to say that their friends ought to congratulate them on the extraordinary success which, during the short time they had been in existence, had attended their exertions. Lord BROUGHAM said that he intende3 to take the same course which he had hitherto adopted on ti:• motion of the No ble Lord connected with Yorkshire, and that was, to say nothing. What made him trouble their Lordships on the present occasion was tq express his opinion with respect to the Anti- Carn taw - League, and its being an unconstitutional body. -He ( Lord Brougham) had never held the opinion last it are • "an unconstitutional body; on the contrary, he held they vier(' a loyal and constitutional body, embodied for constitutional purposes—namely,_ to obtain an alteration in the corn-laws by means of Parliament; but what he had stated was that their proceedings were unconstitutional, although they themselves as a body were perfectly legal—he meant in collecting a fund for the purpose of obtaining votes be the purchase of freeholds. That was his opinion ; still they said that they only encouraged persons to purchase freeholds. Now he (Lord Brougham) did not see how they could have placed t 2,000 electors on the roll of freehold ers b y t hi s system o f encouragement, un l ess they had also assisted in finding money fur the purchase of these freeholds. The practise of parties going from one county to another in order to procure votes was a course of which be did not ap reve.—(Hear, Hear.) .. MANUFACTURING COUNTY VOTES. The Earl of REDESDALE said he did not rise to sp eak on the subject tbr had j u st engaged the attention of their Lord-• ships, but to mike an explanation, in justice to a N o bl e D u k e (the Duke of 13edford). of something that fell from him ( Lord Redesdale) a few evenings ago, in reference to a former election in the county of Huntingdon. He id stated that in order to secure the return of Lord John Russell for that county, the ' fRE SUN LON DON, WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCPI 4, 1845. Noble Duke had been a party to persons going from his pro port), in Bedfordshire, in order to secure votes. lie (Lord Red,sdale ) believed that a numbe: of friends of Lord John Russell did go into Huntingdonshire for the purpose named, but in justice to the Noble Duke, and to the Noble Lord, he be lieved they were not concerned in the transaction. PROTECTION. The Marquis of SALISBURY presented thirty-six pe .itions from Huntingdonshire against the Government mea sures relating to the corn-laws. SEE OF BANGOR AND ST. ASAPH. Lord POWIS presented a petition against the union of these two sees. FREE TRADE. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition from Lancaster in favour of free trade, signed by upwards of 1,000 persons. VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE again rose and said, that in pursuance of a notice which he had given, he begged to call their Lordship's attention to a petition which was of con siderable importance, both on account of the quarter in which it originated, and from the quarter with which the subject was immediately connected. It was a petition numerously signed by the inhabitants of a colony, well knowu by its reputation, to himself and to their Lordships, and which was as much en ' titled as any one of our colonies to a respectful, a kind, and patient consideration of their grievances. It was in fact a petition from the inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land, and he need not inform their Lordships that that colony in its locality was one of the most pretty and interesting colonies in her Majesty's dominions ; in its extent equal to Ireland, and con tained a vast mass of population. Instead of reading the pe tition, he would prefer stating the substance of it, as it was of ' considerable length. The petitioners stated, that having been at different times induced and encouraged to emigrate to that country in the hope and expectation that as no greater number of convicts would be sent to that part of her Ma jesty's dominion, the people of that country would aeon be come a free and a virtuous people. They had latterly, how ever found, that there was no hope of their expectations being realised, and that the immense importation of convicts had changed the entire face of the country. They stated that when they emigrated they were required to embark consider able capital in the land which they occupied, and that nothing could be more prosperous than their exertions in the cultiva tion of their land. They also stated, that from the year 1834 to the year 1840, the population had in creased from 12,700 to upwards of 40,000, and the number of acres cultivated from 25,000 to 124,000. The truth of those statements were quite apparent. In this small, narrow, and confined society there were no fewer than 16,000 convicts imported within three years, 13.000 males and 6,000 females. The consequence was, that instead of any classification of divisions being made of these convicts. they were obliged to be worked in gangs of two and three hundred, to the great terror of the peaceable inhabitants. of the place. This had also been the means of increasing crime, and ren dering a large police force necessary. lie did think that on these grounds the petition brought forward by the most respectable persons—the Bishop of the colony —a large number of the landed proprietors, and six out of the eight members of the Legislative Council, making in all 1,300 or 1,400 persons, had some claim on the attention of her Majesty's Government. He begged to be understood that in what lie had said, with respect to the im provement of convict labour, he did not adopt the opinion— however much he might respect them—of those persons, who thought that transportation was a punishment unfit for this 1 country, for he was one of those who, in the past and present state of the criminal law, and the present state of crime, thought that transportation was an in dispensable punishment. There might be a good princip'e adopted by the Government. They should either send out so many convicts to one island as would make it a place ex clusively for the purposes of the punishment, or they should send out such a limited number as was consistent with the well being of the place, and he would permit the convicts to be received and amalgamated with the virtuous and industrious portion of the community. Now, having stated this, he was bound also to admit the difficulties which surrounded the sub ject. He knew that the Noble Lord, the late Secretary for the Colonies, had directed his attention to the evil, with the view of finding a remedy for it. He (Lord Lansdowne) was confident that no measure but one would, to a con siderable extent, relieve the colony from the amount of crimi nality which was yearly poured into it, and be attended with any measure of success. Under the present system it was quite impossible for the police to control or the Government to overawe there, and unless, as he had stated, they were prepared to retain the colony in the manner he had suggested, they would not be doing justice to the interests of the colonists. The petition prayed that no convicts should be after that period sent to the colony, but they admitted that others of the inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land thought that a smaller number than were at present introduced would do no injury. They all agreed, however, that the present system, unless discontinued, would result in the ruin of the colony. He had received a letter which stated that at the present time there were 2,00 i) persons who had tickets of leave, going about seeking employment, but were unable to obtain it through the employment of con vict labour. The Government were bound to attend to this state of things, so as to see that those reformed convicts should not be deprived of the means of earning a subsistence.—( Hear, hear.) Whatever difficulties might surround the question, they ought to be grappled with, so that a final and satisfactory settlement of the affairs of the colony might be made. Lord STANLEY said that as the Noble Lord (the Earl of Ripon) had but recently undertaken the duties of the Colonial-office, and as the petition'mainly referred to a period when he (Lord Stanley) had the direction of the affairs of the colonies, their Lordships would forgive him inter fering to give an explanation. He would beg leave to say that the petition involved questions infinitely more important than the welfare of a single colony, for it involved no other than the vital question of the whole system of secondary punishments.— ( Hear, hear.) Although certain of the allegations of the peti tion were exaggerated, he could not deny that for the last four or five years, much social and pecuniary evil had been inflicted on Van Diemen's Land, from making it exclusively a convict colony. There was one point of considerable weight which the peti tioners had omitted to state, and that was when land was as asigned to a free seetler that free settler was bound to main tain a certain number of convicts. The convicts were tot sent to the free settler, but the free settlers came to the con victs. In point of fact, that which was imposed as obligation was felt to be a boon, and it was mainly, though not exclu sively, to that system that we owed the rapid advance of the population of that colony. He was far from denying that the number of convicts sent to that colony should be materially lessened.—( Hear, hear.) He would beg of their Lordships to consider the condition in which the Government was placed. He spoke from a document which was published in fort. tie found that in the year 1840, by the system of transportation, every person who received a. convict into his service was bound to maintain him. The consequence was that the character of the convicts was much improved. They were admitted into the families of virtuous people, and they were under a sort of parental ease. He believed that the system of assignment (although objectionable in some respects) was too hastily abandoned. There were many cases in which parties who went over to that colony had parties assigned to them as servants, who were convicts, bat who also actually stood towards them in the relation of husbands, brothers and sons. All this was put an end to in 1840, up to which lime convicts were sent to Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales from this colony. But in the year 1840 his (Lord Stanley's) successor in office not only put a stop to the system of assignment, but a strong re solution of the House of Commons was passed, to the effect that no more convicts should be sent to New South Wales, aed ever since then Van Diemen's Land had .been the only place where convicts were sent to, and assignment was put an end to. Was this all ? It was not ; for in 1841 the House of Commons passed another resolution, to the effect that every facility should be given for the speedy transition of convicts confined in the hulks under sentence of transportation. it was not very easy to establish a system of convict discip line between two parties who were at sueh a distance from each other that it took twelve months to receive an answer to a letter. It occurred, however, towards the close of the year 1t142, that Mr. Ponlague, one of the ablest and most efficient servants that any colony had, was in this country, arid a com munication was immediately made to him by her Majesty's Go vernment. The result of their labours was the foundation of a system of convict regulation. It was decided that the con victs should be put in gangs to work in various parts of the colony, and that after a time they should be promoted accord ing to their conduct to various stages leis and less severe, until they ended in obtaining a " ticket of leave," or a free pardon. lie knew, and it was a fact very discreditable to so great a oountry as this, that it was not until the last four or five years that we had been sending not from 3,000 to 4,000 convicts an nually, while no provision was made'for their religious improve ment. The first 'step was taken four . or five years ago, when an arrangement was made by which each two gangs, containing from 250 to 300. a gang, had the services of a chaplain ; and in order that no difficulty might arise, the governor was directed to place the Protestants and Catholics in different gangs, so that each might have the benefit of a chaplain of their own per suasion. The I'rotestant and Roman Catholic Bishops of the place, both gave their approval. As far as they could judge by the reports received during the last four years, the measure now in progress answered admirably. 'I he one great difficulty they laboured under was that at that time 'the number of transpsrts increased considerably while there was less opportunity of employment for them. He ad mitted that soapy financial burdens were thrown on the colony; the social burdens were also greatly increased in consequence of the large introduction of earn—(Cheers) —among the free population. But her Majesty's Ministers had taken steps for the purpose of remedying its inconvenience. They had taken on themselves a larger amount than they had pre viously done of the gaols and • police superinten dence, and they had taken another step the bearing of which would require some little explanation. 'Their Lordships were no doubt aware that under the present 'system, in Australia, a minimum price was fixed on land, for the purpose of preventing the accumulation of land in the hands of certain capitalists. and for the purpose of increasing labourers in the colony. That system had been found appli cable to the colony of New South Wales, but when they found the amouut of labour to exceed the demand, they were obliged to adopt other means, with a view to meet the difficulty. In the course of the last session, therefore, they repealed the pro visions of the Land Sales' Act as far as regarded Van Diemen's Land. The Government found subsequently that the sales of land had fallen to that degree that no revenue was provided at all, while the police and gaol rates had greatly increased. When their Lordships recollected that from 300,0001. to 400,0001. was paid by the country for the maiatenance of transported convicts, it was not unreasonable that Government should give directions that those convicts should be employed in a :great measure in raising the food necessary for their own subsistence. They were for the most part employed in improving the land which had been par tially reclaimed in the colony. By the former law the pro ceeds of land thus improved, when sold, were absorbed by the colonial treasury, and the Government at home derived no ad vantage, although such improvements had been effected by their paid convicts. They therefore determined that to con wythodssewheoh.croau,lidepcsneoint,7 find employment in private service, and of land, premium should cultivatedsocialthat given wereinthe .h a e cc w o o u u n i t d . Bat in ref insignificant s on i their col o on w y n , as affecting such a remote a a r beg leave to inform their Lord shi ps t d hat this insignificant colony was in extent not less than 'rera n by only about 40,000 free settl ers- So tl e k t in it g o f f as am occupied ng ti-e colony as large as Ireland , with the introduetionswof4piiZ convicts every year, providing there was a sufficient ib i super tendence, wa,, out of the question. But if th e y did not acrid their convicts to Van Diemen's Laud, what were they to do with the sweepings of their gaols, which sent forth on an ark rage every year from four to five thousand male Van Diemen's Land convicts? At the present time there were in and New South Wales, abou t 50,000 convicts, of which this coon relieved. —( Hear, hear.) And put try had been permanently but in amoral did ting the question, not in a pecuniary l i ght, they believe it would be possible, ible unless there were penal .mprisonment or set tlements, for felons who had su ffered punish ment for the violation of the laws, when relieved, to be able to find employment. In this over peopled country it would be tmpossible for them to get employment, and the consequence would be, they would be driven from sheer necessity to adopt their former vicious courses, and to mix with their former companions, so that the recurrence of criminal practices would be tenfold greater than before. He believed that a penal colony was first calculated to offer a field of employment for such convicts ; and he believed in many respects, so far from the well conducted settlers being injured in a moral point of view, the contrast between the two classes had a most salutary influence on the character of the free popu- lation. The possession of land in Van Diemen's Land was easily obtained, and the present system worked exceedingly well. He apprehended that none of the's. Lordships would stand up and gay that the euteber of convicts should be mate- i rially diminished. If they determined on founding a new penal colony, he would ask them how they intended to do so? It was much easier to speak of forming a colony than the actual forma tion of it. They required security, and that the new penal colony should not be in a tropical climate—that it should be destitute of inhabitants—that its soil should be fertile, and that it should be of considerable extent. In kis humble judg ment the motion of transferring our convicts to purely penal colonies, would act most fatally to the system of transportation. —( Hear, hear.) They bad only this alternative—would they, if they could find a colony, establish a new penal colony, and in vite free settlers thither ? or, would they establish a colony which from its commencement to its close should never be refreshed by the presence of an unconvicted man, but should * be a den of pollution and condemnation?—(Cheers.) They could ass nothing so fatal as that to the convicts. He would ask, what was the convict to do after the termination of his sentence ? They would be deprived during the existence of their sentence of the society of all virtuous men, and when they were set free they wou'd be unable to leave the colony. Would their Lord ships form such a colony as that? Let them take Norfolk Island, for instance, as a colony, into which none should be admitted but convicts, it must in a few years become one of the most awful places on the face of the empire. The greatest possible advantages had been conferred upon the colonists, and, in order to enable them to derive benefit from the convicts, those convicts were compelled to go through all the gradations of punishment under the surveillance of the po lice and magistrates. Under those circumstances he would say that he conceived it would be most inexpedient in their Lordships to comply with the prayer of this petition. Their Lordships would find it rather a curious fact that this country bore no comparison to the state of France in reference to con victs. In France only 8,000 convicts were thrown back upon them, and yet they complained of it as an intolerable hardship. What then would be thought of it in this country if they had 50,000 convicts thrown back upon them? The Government of which he lately had the honour of being a member had added a new colony to New South Wales, sufficiently far re moved from the tropics to be healthy, and to this colony a considerable number of convicts were being removed. It was provided that these persons should be removed to an other colony, and provided with food fer a limited period with a small portion of land, which they had the option of culti vating for themselves ' • and from the preaimity of New South Wales, they could, when their term was expired, go to that settlement and engage themselves in service. Those persons, from the time of their arrival in that place, might be looked on as having obtained a conditional pardon, and whew any de mand for labour arose in the neighbouring settlement, they could go to service. These were the objects which the Go vernment had in view for the amendment of the state of the convicts. There was no subject which had been more anxiously considered by himself and the Right Hon. Baronet for the Home Department than the present question. The y had taken every step that was passible for the purpose of re lieving the moral arid financial system. lie believed that the moral system depended on the admixture of the convicts with the free populatioa, and also the proximity of some large and important country to which their labour might be transferred. He regretted to say that Van Diemen's Land had not been free from the late mania for speculation ; undertakings had been commenced on borrowed capital, bearing most usurious interests. When these specu lations failed, property was sold all over the island, and it was to that fact, arid not to the presence or absence of convicts that he attributed the distress and depression that bad taken place. He did riot deny that the presence of a considerable number of convicts would have the effect of lowering the rate of wages, and that consequently numbers of free labourers had emigrated from Van Diemen's Land. But there were other causes at work also, for it might be recollected that within the last six or twelve months, a rapid improvement had taken place in the districts of Port Philip and South Australia. In the latter district more particularly, minerals had been opened up to a great extent and there fore, there had been an increased demand for labour ; and the colony was so near Van Dieman's Land that labourers could always have the opportunity of removing there, and, therefore they were not to attribute the emigration altogether to the introduction of convicts, but to the fact that a more re munerative field was formed for them. He entreated their Lordships would consider before they made any serious change in the law of transportation—before they altered or condemned the existing system, and consider what other system they could substitute for it. Let them not condemn ; let them be satisfied to amend what was defective, but let them nut destroy until they had found another that was more advantageous to the colony of Van Diemen's Land, which had been a penal settlement from the commencement. Let them consider what it was to relieve this country from the immense mass of corruption which would be ever present if a large number of convicts were permitted to remain in it. Let them consider what the chances were which were given those convicts after the termination of their sentence in a country so peculiarly fitted for them. He thanked their Lord ships for the attention they had paid to him, and he sat down, again requesting them not to effect any changes without due consideration. The Duke of RICHMOND said, that having been a direc tor in the Pentonville Prison, be was enabled to state that th.s convicts sent from that prison were received in the colony with the utmost distrust ; and, in fact, it was a difficult matter for them to obtain employment. Many of them, however, earned for themseives a name as the most industrious inhabit • acts of the colenT. Lord LYTTE.LTON, in laying papers on the table, said it might be expected from him that he would state to the House on the present occasion what were the intentions of the Government with respect to the colony of Van Diemen's Land. This subject divided itself into two parts—that which referred to the morral arid social state of the convicts, and that which referred to the incon venient and financial grievances of Van Diemen's Land, as compared with other colonies. The Noble Lord had referred to the probationary convict gangs, and adduced several tables which had been forwarded to this country illustrative of their beneficial working. That many allegations in the petition were correct, could not be denied, and he hoped their Lord ships would give these their most careful consideration. There was another material point to which he would allude. Last year a dispatch had been received from Sir E. Wilmot, urging on the Government the importance of allowing a free importation of corn from that colony into this country. Perhaps he was not exactly in order in alluding to it at the present time, still he thought it right to mention it, as a measure that was likely, along with others that might be devised, to prove beneficial to the colony. He was prepared to admit that the petitioners had great grounds of complaint in reference to the number of convicts which were sent to their colony.---( Hear, hear.) Her Ma jesty's Government were most anxious to apply some remedy. —( Hear, hear.) He was enabled to state that the petitioners might entertain some slight hope that, at no distant day, the present system would be greatly relaxed. There had been an application from the inhabitants of Port Philip to permit the admission of convicts into their colony. Her Majesty's Go vernment had the strongest feeling of the necessity of some change. A considerable number of convicts had lately been transported to Gibraltar, and the system had worked most satisfactorily. Her Majesty's Government were most anxious to extend that system as far as possible.—( Hear, hear.) They felt that the subject was one of the greatest moment, and he could only say, on the part of the Government, that it should receive their most serious consideration.—( Hear, hear.) Tne Noble Lord, who was imperfectly heard in the reporters' gallery, concluded by stating that the Government would most gladly adopt any measure which might be calculated to remedy the grievances mentioned in the petition presented by the Noble Marquis. Lord GREY said he looked upon this as a subject of the greatest importance ; but he did not think that the statement, made by the petitioners had been satisfactorily answered by the Noble Lord opposite. The Noble Lord had not denied any of the charges made by the petitioners, and therefore they were deserving of the highest and most serious consideration of the House, and the convicts should have immediate relief. N doubt the difficulties in the way of doing this were great, and required much time to deliberate upon. He had long been op posed to this system 'of transportation, and he fully agreed in the sentiments expressed upon it in a pamphlet written by the Archbishop of Dublin. In the principle of transportation they looked for two objects—the first was the punishment of the con vict sent out, and the other was, to relieve this country from his presence; but the great mistake was in not separating those objects completely. He believed that the system of penal labour should be carried on in this country. The great difficulty le carrying on the present system was that in case of any obstruc tion arising, it was 10 or 12 months before an answer could be received from home to remedy that obstruction. There was no reason why the penal labour should not be performed here, and the convict afterwards sent into the colonies. He knew that the colonies did not like receiving convicts when their sentences had ended, but that objection might be overcome. He was aware that this was not an opportunity to discuss so important a subject, but he could not allow the conversation to dose without expressing his dissent from the opinions prevalent that the system of transportation ought to be continued. If the system could be continued without its faults it would be a desirable one ; but as it had been hitherto attempted, it had failed to answer all the purposes to which it it had been applied. And if it,could not be continued without its faults, they had the alternative that ought to have b en adopted long ago—viz., of discontinuing it altogether. The Bishop of OXFORD agreed in the main with the general principle advanced by the Noble Earl, though he could not assent to what had been stated respecting the moral effects of a convict population in Van Die men's Land. Transportation, as hitherto conducted, had been the great curse of the world, and the reproach of this nation. Let Noble Lords consider, that in the creation of these colonies as penal settlements, convicts had been sent out with bodies of soldiers to watch over them, so incapable were they of all moral relations; and accompanied:by medical men to watch over their health, though at the same time there was not a single religious instructor. This penal population was set down in this manner, destitute of all principle of moral instruction, to form a new people. As they had sown so they must reap. From the accounts they had received, it seemed that the popu lation was sunk in the deepest moral pollution; the tone of society was lowered, chastity among women was unknown, and crimes of the most horrid character, such as it was hoped were banished out of anything like civilised society, abounded. Such were the results of this system of transportation. He for one heartily thanked the Noble Lord lately at the head of the Colonies for his speech of that evening; he thanked him for the enunciation of the great principle that Government had seen the necessity of giving moral and religious instruction to the convicts they sent out. He rejoiced in the way the House had received that enunciation, and be rejoiced and agreed with many of them. But he must say this, that there were a few points in which he could net agree with the plans which the Noble Lord had announced, and justified, as those which the Government had adopted when he was at the head of the Colonial-office. He could not agree with the principle which the Noble Lord had laid down, that the presence of vice had a tendency to raise the standard of virtue among the free popu lation. 'f his he considered the most monstrous paradox that ever was propounded to Christian men. Let them con sider that in the colonies vice was not exhibited in chains. It was not punished with fetters. No. Vice there in many instances set the tone of society so far, that a man hie'. in his profession told them that he did not • oure to say that he had not come out as a convict, because it would seem as if he hod not a fellow feeling with those around him. He (the Bishop of Oxford) would have thought that the best way to promote virtue would have been to have kept vice out of sight. They would not, for instance, in the desire to pro mote virtue, take their families into the precincts of linen- tieusness ; they would rather conceal the knowledge that such vice existed, lest the very fact that the world contained it i should contaminate their morals. The Noble Lord told them partswire to o receive land Tf from c G o o u v r e se rn ro w e a n s t also hat his proposal for relieviag Van Diemen's Land was this— to found a new settlement, not strictly penal, in the northern lfsotheoype w n e t r o e objection. unable ro T 1 convicts were to found a new colony for themselves ; they purchase it. Now it appeared to him that this would necessarily place these convicts upon a better I footing than the man of virtuous character in the ' colony from which they had been removed. We should treat convicts just as we treated a patient. We should not appoint a physician to a sickly man who lived at a distance of three or four hundred miles, fer there would be the journies backwards and forwards, which would of course increase the expense and the difficulties.—(Hear, hear.) And therefore he would maintain that convicts should be punished in this country. What did they seek by the punishment of a felon ? Of course, an opportunity of recovering their good character. But their Lordships said that he could not do that • in this country. He agreed with their Lordships, and he I therefore said that a penal colony should be established for the I rece 2 t:on of men who had grin, through their punislitnetit I Such a system be.tlit, means of converting such men into the pioneers of civilisation.--(Hear, hear.) Such men would be free from the difficulties to which they would be subjected did they remain in this country. And instead of being the vilest of their race, they would be the erectors of the dwelling•places of virtue and civilisation.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") Let the Government confess its past faults, and venture upon a future in which they would take care to palliate the great evils which their present system bad produced. If convicts were kept at home, they woul d be more under the eyes and power of the Government— ( Hear, hear ) and by adopting tile suggestions which he had humble offered, he did not doubt that they would confer upon this great country a great and lasting benefit.—( Hear, hear. ) The Marquis of LANSDOWNE rose to ex i lain. He would be very glad to learn that it would be found practicable to dispense with transportation altogether ; and he also listened with great pleasure to the admirable address of the Right Rev. Prelate in reference to the experiment of the Pentoriville Prison, and he did hope that the amount of crime causing these things might decrease, so as to bring it in greater proportion with the population. After a few words from Lord LYTTELTON and the Bishop of OXFORD. the petition was ordered to lie on the table. The I'ublie Works (Ireland) Bill was then read a third time and passed. The Game Bill was then read a second time. WEXFORD. CARLOW, AND DUBLIN JUNCTION RAILW I Y. Lord MONTEAGLE said that the other day he had given notice of a motion with respect t 9 an Irish Railway Bill, the Wexford, Carlow, and Dublin Junction ; and he would now explain himself to their Lordships in a few words. His motion was for the liu-pose of facilitating the passing of a Bill through the Standing Orders' Committee. The motion was that the standing orders in this eve was dis pensed with. The error which had been commuted was the serving of some notices on a Sunday and a Christmas day, though it was proved that no hardship was in consequence in flicted on any one. By allowing the Bill to proceed employ ment would be given to 6,000 persons. Lord REDESDALE regretted he could not concur with the views of the Noble Baron oppos te, because if the standing orders were to be of any value at. all, they should be attended to in this respect. The standing order which in the present cae had not been observed was improper service of notice, or that notices had been served on Christmas-day and Sunday ; and surely if the parties ?Prying them were not wilfully wegli gent they should know that they were doing an improper act. He thought the Committee had come to a just conch' ►on tliat th:re was no case for recommending the parties to the mercy of the House for non-attendance to the standing orders. After a few words from the Earl of SH A ETESI3 'RY, The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the notice was, of course, illegal, if served on Sunday, end that, in fact, a very serious punishment was attached to any party who attempted to serve such a notice en a Sunday.—( Hear, hear.) The motion was then put and agreed to. Their Lordships then adjourned at a Qaartor-past Eight o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMOA S, Marelt 3. The SPEAKER took the Chair at a few roioutes before Four. RAILWAY BUSINESS. Mr. GREENE moved that standing order No. 110, re quiring three clear days' notice of the second reading of a private Bi:1; and standing order No. 134, requiring three clear days' notice of a second reading to be given in the. Private Bill-office; and standing order No. 139, requiring one clear day's notice in the Private Bill-office of the day proposed for the report of every private Bill, and also for the considera t ion of the report ; and standing order No. 123, requiring the reports on railway Bills to be discussed every Tuesday and Thursday ; and standing order No. 142, requiring one clear day's notice of the third reading of a Bill ; and standing order No. 124, prohibiting any private Bill from passing through two stages on the same day, be suspended with respect to all Bills entitled to the privileges granted by the re solutions of the House of the 7th day of July last. That such Bills may be read a secord time on the day following the ir,t reading of such Bills. That the Committees on such Bills may report, and such report may be considered, (in the same day with that on which the Committee sits. That such Bill may be read a third time on the following day.— The motion was agreed to. Several petitions for and against different railway Bills were presented. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time, and were ordered to be committed, viz.:—Sunderland aterworks, Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway and Grimsby Docks Consolidation, Great Grim-by and Sheffield Junction Railway ( Humber Ferries), Scottish Grand Junction Railway, anti Ferguson's Naturalization. Captain BERKELEY presented a petition from the port of London, praying that inquiries be instituted into the ma nagement of the Seaman's Relief Fund. Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition, signed by the dis trict Catholic clergymen of Liverpool, complaining that the children of those of the Roman Catholic adults employed in the fawories were compelled to attend the Protestant Sunday schools, and praying that the House would institute some in quiries into the matter. MERCHANT SEAMAN'S FUND. Mr. HUME presented a petition, praying the attention of the House to the management of the Merchant Seaman's Fund, with the view of providing a retreat for those deserving men, after a period of active service, thus preventing them from leaving the country, as many of them at the present were in the habit of doing. He begged to give notice that he would move that the petition be printed, with the view of calling the attention of the House to this important subject. ADULTERATION OF TOBACCO. Mr. HUME presented a petition from the manufacturers and dealers in tobacco in the city of Norwich. They recited that various vexatious processes were instituted under the plea for searching for adulterated tobacco ; that various prosecutions had been entered upon which they had not the adequate means of preventing, and, therefore, they prayed the House to take the matter into consideration. They believed that an effectual remedy would be to reduce the duty on tobacco to Is. per pound, thus removing all temptation to smuggling or adulteration. EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGES IN SCOTTISH BOROUGHS. Mr. HUME presented a petition from the magistrates, town council, and civic authorities of Arbroath, Fraying e House to give every facility to the passing of a measure introduced by the Lord Advocate for the doing away of exclusive privileges in boroughs. REPORT OF STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEE. Mr. ESCOURT brought up the report of the decision of the Standing Orders' Committee respecting the North Staffordshlire and other railway Bills. PROTECTION TO AGRICULTURE. Mr. R. PALMER presented several petitions from Hants and Berkshire against the measures of the Government relative to the importation of foreign grain. He also presented one complaining of the present mode praying the House to take it into with the view of devising a means of abolishing the local rates, and meeting the expense out of f o i r t f: : m yn a i o s? s n t e g s b e t 4 r h r i elpu serious consideration, r of ra N t e e s w , b a u n r il y, the public fends, er some other such mode. THE WEST RIDI/40 UNION RAILWAY BILL. Several petitions were presented from the inhabitants of dif ferent districts in Yorkshire, complaining of the injue: ice of the decision of the Standing Orders' Committee against the above named urnlertak!ng. Captain BERKELEY said, that seeing that the Right Hon. Baronet the President of the Board of Trade was in hit place he wished to ask him what was the intention of Go vernment with regard to the merchant seamen's fund. Was it the intention of Government to make any inquiry into it? Petitiens of some consequence with regard to that suhject had been that day presented, from a bogy of no less than 3,030 seamen of the port of London. Sir GEORGE CLERK . said, it was d es i ra bl e t h at some alteration should be made in the system. The Government had for some time been in communication with the Ship owners' Society, and were in possession of every information, so that an inquiry would not be necessary. . . Mr. VILLIERS presented a petition from Bilstone for the release of Frost, Williams, and Jones, and also a petition from Chorlev, far the better regulation of factory labour. Mr. 'F. DUNCOMBE gave notice that, on the 18th instant, he should move for leave to bring in a Bill for the limitation of labour in those factories where machinery was employed. Mr. EWA RT gave notice that he should move for the aboli tion of duty on all foreign books. OFFICIAL DESTRUCTION OF CORN. Mr. VILLIERS, seeing the Right Hon. Gentleman the Vice- President of the Board of 'trade in his place, wished to ask bins if any report had been made to the Government or to the Cus tom-house authorities, of the amount of wheat destroyed in this country in consequence importer the damage it had recei ve d a t th e Custom-house, and the inability of the to pay the duty ? He had understood that very recently a large quantity of wheat had been destroyed, in consequence of the lan:age it received by remaining in the Custom-house, the importer not being able, in consequence of the high rate of duty, to clear it front the Custom-house. A merchant of the name of 1- hilputts, at the port of Gloucester, was not able to pay the high duty of 17s. per quarter; it was, therefore, thrown into the River Severn, under the care of a vigilant Custom-house officer, who watched it in the Severn till it became either mixed with the mud or was by other means rendered unfit for use. He wished, therefore, to ask if any report had been mule to the Government of the amount of wheat so destroyed in consequence of the inability of the importer to pay the duty? Sir GEORGE CLERK said he knew nothing of the case to which the Hon. Member (Mr. Villieis) had referred. He believed, however, that the statement had appeared in a news paper, but the periodical reports furnished by the board of Customs to the Treasury and the Board of Trade contained no mention of it. There could nut, however, be any difficulty in ascertaining whether the report was true or false, and if true, under what circumstances the alleged destruction of grain took place. i Kingdom, receipt m in SHIPPING DUES. INir.H p U or 3 t l , E ha m rb o o v ci e r d , a fo n r d an cr a e c e c k n ou i nt t o h f e the aggregate fK at everythe year 1845, o f the harbour and shipping charges, stating the the sever a l he a d s of s uch income ; and also an account of the aggregate expenditure for the same year, stating the same under the several heads of expenditure in the year 1845 (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper No. 571, of Session 1845), which was agreed to. PETITION OF THE SHIPOWNERS OF LONDON On the motion of Mr. W. BARIN G (in th e absence of Lord John Russell), the petition of the shipowners of the port of London, favour of the proposed measure relative to the timber duties, was ordered to be printed witls the rotes. PETITIONING THE. 110 U: E. Mr. NEWDEG ATE rose to amend the sit tice of motion which he submitted to the House last night, respecting an instruction to the Committee appointed to inquire into the way in which the petition from Cheltenham in favour of the repeal of the corn-la w s had been got up. His amended motion was to the following effect That it he an instruction to the Select Committee on the petition from Cheltenham, that they do inquire whether forged objections have not been served upon certain electors for the northern division of the county o f Warwick against the claims of the ,aid electors late retained upon the register of the said division of the said county." He said he had been induced to alter his original motion, in consequence of information which he had received imme diately subsequent to brieging forward his motion last night, and which was to the effect, that the system of which he complained p re vail e d to a great extent in North Warwickshire, and North Staffordshire, as well as in other districts. He thought it his duty to propose this additional instruction to the Committee, because he felt himself agrieved, in common with those who entertained similar opinions to himself, and because he represented those who had beenmost urjustly attacked en acc , urit of their being in favor of the maintenance of protection.—( Hear. ) When it was con sidered that the Hon. Member - Fr - Cheltenham (Mr. C. Berkeley) was totally opposed to him on the score of polities, and that he had first brought the subject before the House, they would acquit him of any intention to east additional unnecessary labour on the Committee. He could not divest himself of the stat ement which was made by the Right Hon. Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury, that it w a s not a question well worthy the consideration of the House. The Right Hon. Baronet the other night, v hen a questioe was raised with reference to the alleged interference of Peers in Parliament, induced his Honourable Friend op. polite (Mr. Collett) to withdraw that motion, because he stated that if their influence was traced, it may he found not more than was used by other parties. It had ever been the practice of that House to consider, where grounds were sup_ as a question between the proteetionist, and those the other side, but he considered it should be entertained by that House as a question between the Government and the Anti-Corn-law League. The Hon. Member concluded by moving theamend merit of which he had given notice. Mr. REDHEAD YOI(KE was understood to inquire by whose instructions the Honourable Member had moved his amendmen . ? Mr. 'l'. DUNCOMBE admitted that it was no light case— a ease consisting of perjury, and a very vexatious system of serving notices by some agent of the Anti Corn-law League. Admitting the whole facts of the case, he could not conceive what the House had to do with the question. A Committee had been appointed to inquire into the tit each of privilege, with reference to the forgery of certain names to a petition, by means of which the House had been misled, and was, therefore, a breach of its privileges. But he did not see that the present charges were breaches of privileges. With reference to the charge of perjury, that is a case for another tribunal. The system of giving notices was not a breach of the privileges. He did not know what offence it was, it was a ♦ery vexatious and harassing system to the electors that was the fault however of the system of registration. That system he had found fault with over arid over again. But Hon. Members opposite were always so proud of their registration. They now began to feel that inconvenience which had so long been felt by the electors of boroughs. Now they began to feel it in the counties. Hon. Members came down to this House to complain of the system. If the Hon. Member had moved for a Committee to inquire into the whole system of registration, and into the operation of the Reform Bill, with its fina;ity clauses, he should have been happy to have assisted them to the utmost of his power.—(Hear, hear. ) He hoped, therefore, that the Government would not give their support to the motion of the Hon. Member. He had consented to be one of the members of the Committee to which the petition from Cheltenham had been referred; butt he should decline to serve, if the additional duty proposed by the Hon. Member should be referred to them.—( Cheers. ) Mr. NEWDEGATE said the Hon. Member for Finsbury had asked him why they did not proceed at common law against the parties whom he (Mr. Newdegate) stated had outraged the privileges of that House ? because none of them had any wish to prosecute the unhappy tools of the organised system of annoyance to which he had referred. He did not seek for a Committee to inquire into the effects of the Reform Bill or into the registration of the country, but he wished for a Committee to inquire into the way in which sig natures were attached to these petitions, and who the parties were who thus interfered with the registration. Mr. ADDELEY thought that the subject brought forward by the Honourable Member should be:referred to the Com mittee on the Cheltenham petition, because there was an analogy between them. It was right that the Com mittee appointed to inquire into the manufacture in Manchester of Cheltenham petitions should inquire into this subject also.—(Hear, hear.) He was prepared to prove that the privileges of electors bad been interfered with in North Staffordshire, and that discussion on the subject was german to the mat ter referred to the Committee, and that they ought to investigate it. A Bill had been drawn up by an Hon. Friend on the subject, which he believed would shortly be introduced into that House. The Hon. Member then read extracts from a petition to the House from North Staffordshire, which were to the effect, that although the petitioners had been registered for several years, and although their qualification to vote was well known in the locality, that 20,000 trivolous objections to their votes had been served upon them and others ; that they were signed by an in habitant of the county, but that they had been posted at Man chester—(Loud protectionist cheers. ) They further stated that they were thus subjected to considerable expense an d annoyance on account of being compelled to attend from year to year at the Registration Courts, in order to prove that they were entitled to be on the register. Having read the extracts, the lion. Gentleman concluded by saying that lie should not then present the petition, hut that he should do so on a future occasion, when he had a better opportunity. Mr. WAKL EY said that he did not consider it right or just that the petition should be referred to a Committee, which was appointed for entirely a different purpose, and he hoped that the Hon. Gentleman would not press it, as he was sure the Government would feel the propriety of lending its aid to the correction of the system, which could not be done by the very clumsy way which was then proposed. It was altogether a bad way of proceeding, anti nothing could be more objectionable The Hon. Gentleman made a motion, and in dot: g so, he (Mr. Wakley ) felt that he hail dealt very hardly with the Anti-Corn law League. He stated that a man in their pay had been proved to be a forger.and a perjurer, and yet the Hon. Gentle man adopted the statements of that man in laving his case before the House.—(Cries of " No, no 1") He (Nir. Wakley) would observe that if what was stated of that man was correct, instead of bringing the case before the House, he ought to have been prosecuted; but he has not been punished at all. It was their duty to have punished him, but instead of doing so, they hold out encouragement to men of a similar description to commit a repetition of such of fences.--(Cries of " No, no.") lie considered that that man's evidence altogether ought to be repudiated; but that the subject ought to be investigated, as really deserving the attention of the Government. Sir ROBERT PEEL—Sir, I have before expressed my opinion on this subject, in reference to the appointment of a committee. I stated, yesterday, that a committee. would be appointed on the point of privilege ; and I further stated that I thought it would be better if it directed its attention solely to that point, as regarded the Cheltenham petition. Sir, the opinion I yesterday pronounced I now adhere to.--( Hear, hear.) It is very easy for Hon. Gentleman to make insinu ations about the connexion of Ministers with the Anti-Corn Law-league, without having the slightest foundation for making such—( Hear, hear)—and, perhaps, unless an answer be given there may be many who would feel inclined to draw injurious inferences from our silence. Therefore, rather th ,n such inferences should be drawn, I beg to tell the Hon. Gentlemen that I cannot recall to my recollection that, on the subject of the corn-laws, or any other public or private matter, I have ever, directly or indirectly, communicated with the Anti- Corn-law League, or any member of that body.—( Loud cries of " Hear.' ) With regard to the Anti-Corn-law League, or any other society employing persons to get up vexatious objections to the right of certain individuals to enjoy the franchise, I can only say if that be so, as it is stated, it is. highly improper. I understand my Honourable Friend, the Member for Somer setshire, to say that he formed his allegation upon a petition, and certainly, if the HonOurable Gentleman moves for a Com mittee to inquire into these allegations, I shall certainly give it my support. Air. SPOONER thought the Honourable Member for Finsbury had made an unnecessary attack upon his Hon. Friend, the Member for Warwickshire, for the Marl whose name his Honourable Friend had mentioned, and of whose conduct he complained, was employed by the Anti-Corn-law League. He thought the question before the House was one of considerable importance. The law said the fact of pasting a notice of objection to a voter was sufficient testimony of its delivery, and the consequence was that notices were posted ton late to reach the parties in time to enable them to meet the threatened opposition. He, himself, re ceived an objection to his vote two days after the time, and it was only by accident that it reached him in time to forward it to h:s solicitor. Sir GEORGE GREY thought that the matter ought not to be reduced to the facts to which the Hon. Gentleman had referred. It must not be confined to the allegations of the parties who had come before the House in this petition. He story well remembered when the Registration Act was under discussion, that considerable difficulty had been felt by the parties on his side of the House respecting the difficulties which might arise on a future period. The parties with whom he acted were at that time e in a minority, and two persons had ,iresentecl a petition with a vie,v to establish their claims to vote. That petition had experienced great apposition, but the minority had been desirous of obviating the difficulty which was likely to arise from the mooting of the question ; and he had then, as a member of that party, been exceedingly desirous of settling the whole j rinciple. The same diffieuhy had arisen nom, but the lion. Gentlemen opposite, because it affected themselves, were desirous of limiting the inquiry to the facts now before the House. But he could not assent to the pro position, because he still conceived that legislation should be extended to the whole subject. Lord SANDON and Air. DISRAELI rose at the same mo ment, and after calls from several parts of the House for posed to exist, whether any undue influence had been used each, the Speaker decided upen giving the preference to Mr. in the election of Members, and he thought it right that *cit iltetae' lie eantitonni by the present tribunal appointed. ai r . DISR AELI said, that. his name bad been intro. It was con ider e d that the real contest took plane in the regis- duaed into the discussion as an interested reviver of 0 tration courts which decided the laert te' rue el.taio"s , and gree,aeces. The allege it re. in th e d e e ei . we re he considered it was the duty of that House to inquire into I similar kind to that which had been preferred against the conduct and p r actic e s o f suc h Courts. he Right him by the aonourable Member for Bath. In the course of Honourable Baronet thought right to say, that his (Mr. Disraeli's) observations the other night, *e battle of the elections were fought in the he he tl made some remarks which it was not worth Registration Courts, and this i n d uce d hi m t o introduce while for him now to refer to. These remarks had some instructions to the Committee. Ile trusted that his con- induced a reply from the Hon. Member for Durham (Mr. duct on that occasion could be fully justified, for he thought B r i g ht) w hi c h w ent to show that the difference which had he could be able to prove to them th a t no li g ht ground or previously txisted between the Right lion. Gentleman at the doubtful evidence had induced hi m t o ma k e th e p reeee t motion. heed of the Got -eminent and the lion. Member for St, cki.ort He stated that a great number o f o bj ec ti ons h a d b een served (Mr. Cobden) had been perfectly m cis sap. But he would on voters of the north division of W all i ng to n , meet o f se hich beg to remind the Hou e, that immediately before the meeting failed on the merits, and he had also stated that the most re- of Perliament, that Hon. Member bad stared that no c ommu. markable of these transactions occurred in the Registration nication could itossibly take place between him arid the Right Court at Birmingham. He could then assure the Homo? that HMI. Gentleman at the head of the Ministry. Now he must no lesss than 700 electors had been served with notice of ob- still further let gto remind the House that when these ailega jection in two parishes of that district, arid in Birmingham the tions tit' reviving old grievances had been alleged against him, number was so great—over 30,0',)0—that the Post-office that he only used the terms applied to him in the legitimate could not be cleared of them for several days Now course of the debate. and he would beg to say that he had re these had all been served at the instance mnded the Right Hon. Gentleman in a very crowded House of the Anti-Corn-law League, and on behalf of that b , de. laet session, that no explanation, at !east sufficiently satisfactory, There were three names which he *Quid mention as avowedly bad been given to the Hon. Member for Stockport. connected with that body ; a nd if h e cou ld p rove , as h e b.lieved Sir R. PEEL read the words which he used three years he could, their connexion with the present prat ices come ago, anti he repeated, that if on that oecasion any one had inti plained of, no doubt could remain on the mind s of lion. Gen- mated that the reparation he then made was not sufficient, he tlemen that it was through the ag en c y o f the Anti- would have at once taken the opportunity of making a fuller Corn-law League, that such objections were served. explanation. The objections were served indiscriminately, and upon persons Mr. W. ELLIS loped that a Committee would be appointed of property to a large amount. But those objected to were to inquire into the existing system of objecting to voters. He had selected ,from those voters who resided or were at be time himself last year been ohj. cetl try, although he had enjoyed the at the greatest distance from the northern division of War- vote since the passing of the Reform Bill. wickshire. This system was adopted in order that the greatest I Lord SAND( IN thought it was absurd that a man should inconvenience might result to the parties in attempting to be c impel!ed to be at his house at a certain time every year to maintain their votes in the registration courts. The person protret his franchise. lie had no (it übt that the result of an who signed those objections was a ma n named Worthington. investieation on the subject would lead to the greatest benefits who was possessed of no property, and was almost labouring in the laws regulating the registration of voters.—( Hear. ) for his daily meal and subsistence. In proof of this he might Mr. LAWSON said he rose to congratulate the Frst Lor4ti state that the man, upon being threatended with prosecution of the Treasury for his maintaining the same opinion that ev for his conduct, declared that he was not worth 51. Now he ening. whir-h he had maintained on the evening previous. Anti wished to know if the House intended to allow such objections he hoped that on other occasions he would pursue the same as these to be continued, or would th e y no t ra th er intet-pose their course—( Cries of " Question, question.") He was very glad authority and protect the fran c hise f ro m t hi s vexa ti ous system? to hear that the Right Hon. Baronet had no connexion with On Willharn Worthington being subsequently asked whether the Anti-Cr rn-law League. But, from what thee had seen, he had told the witness st a if or d t o wr i te lik e hi m , he replied during' the course of the session it was quite excusable that the no t ; b u t h e admitted, after some hesitation, that he had handed Hon. Member for Warwick should have beli e ved that he had him a written notice, s i g ned by h is own h an d, an d d es ired that some connexion with that holy, for, when they saw him all the rest should be : s igned in the same manner. He bringing f irwerd measures proposed by the League. it was He would now explain to the House why a large portion of very difficult to arrive at any other conclusion—(Cries of these objections were forged. He held in his hand evidence to "question"). But when the Right. Hon. Baronet stated that he prove that the objections w ere genera lly t h ese o f th e k ee pe r of had no connexion whatsoever with the League. why, they a " pop" shop. 'This man had grossly perjured himself. Ile were bound to believe him. At the same time, he considered was over and over again asked if the sigeetu r e Wm. Worthing- it would have been more satisfactory to the House that these ton was his, anti he as many times, upon his oath, objections shoeld not have been servetl in the wholesale manner declared that it was not ; and yet suhseque..tly a witness which had been detailed to the House. If the Government was produced who stated that the writing was his. had introduced some nea ure for ea e tine down the Anti-Corn- This evidence applied to five or six hundred notices. Now law Leaeue—( Hear, t ear)—and if they had not given way to after such evidence, he (Mr. Newdegate) considered that it—'or he believed Riving- way was the only method to in there could be little doubt as to the cha r a c te r of the objector, crease its strength—thee weir d have been more likely to have but he wished to show the House that it was still more neces • gained hit support—(Laughter)—and that of the body with sary that they should enter into an inve s tigation ; for after the which he acted—( Hear, hear• anti cheering)—than they were ohjector had foresworn himself—and his evidence i n cootie- by pursuing their preteens course. quence ought not to have been received—the ba r rister Mf r . BROTHERTON thought that the Anti-Corn-law de c ided on admitting his evidence in oilier cases League ought to be very much obliged to the Hon. Members where objections had been taken. He would now take °eels- opposite for the great notice they had taken of their exertions. sion to trace this system to the Anti-C orn -l aw League, a for there was a period when they were thought nothing ef by leading member of wham publicly boasted that they extended these gentlemen —( Laughter. ) In hi• own borough there heti the franchise—a noble object were it net carried oat tor a party been at one time 700 votes obje c ted to. and he was of opinion spirit, and for party purpote4—in favour of a body e bleb was that it had been done in many other places for the purpose of as much a commercial pro s iest as a p o li t i ca l association, getting in the county mernb we. He thought the Anti-Corn- If such inroads were to be made upon the claims of those who law League had done much good, and if that League was not were fully entitled to the franchise—if such a system was to put down by an immediate repeal of the corn-laws—(cries of he carried on, the electors of any part of the country might 't Oh, oh") they would still go on and cause much more annoy be disfranchised. lie called upon the Right Hon. Baronet to ance to the Hon. Gentlemen who now opposed them. He assist this inquiry, and by so doing put a stop to such optima- thoueht that ti e Right Hon. Baronet had shown great fore sions. He told the Hon. Member for Stockport, thst though sight, for he saw how it was that the Anti-Corn-law League he might treat the present question as a light one, still was to be put down, anti he adopted a liberal policy in accord such practices as he had detailed to the house had ance with his views. He could assure the House that mane had their weight with the Government.—( Hear, hear.) persons in the country were purchasing houses to enable them- He hoped the Bight. Hon. Baronet would pause before he selves to vote for those candidates who would represent their allowed such practises to be passed over unnoticed. He wished interests. It was quite a mistake of th Hon. Gentleman 'to to have this a fair Committee; he was himself a protectionist. suppose that the quarter-of-a-million fund raised by the Anti and he did not wish to have any gentleman of that body on Corn-law League was spent for the purpose of purchasing votes. it, nor would he allow any Member of the Anti •Corn-law The people themselves were fast qualifying far the elections, and League to be on t,.e inquiry. H e wou ld ne t h a v e it trettted he thought it unfair to think of interfering with those votes, for the poor men who had a right to vot. , ought not to be objected to t,v the Gentlemen on the other side of the House. —( Hear. ) He hoped the people would go on and strengthen themselves for the elections. Mr. FERRAND said it was a mistake to suppose 'hat the lion. Member for I%arwichshire was objecting to the inter ference with the bad votes What his Hon. Friend nom plsined of was the sv3fem of ehjecting to good votes. He could assure the House that his ( Mr. Ferrand's) vote bad been objected to for four years successively. The only means by which he could put a stop to this system of annoyance was by giving notice to the parties that he would bring an action against them to recover the costs. He believed that if the League were allowed to go on they would soon he able to swamp all the bonh fide voters of England, and thus return Members who would not, duly represent the interests of their constituencies, for the majority of voters would be destroyed by his wholesale system of forgery and perjury. Mr. FOX MAULE said that the question seemed to he a simple one—it was that of the endeavour of a powerful body to destroy good votes. It would be found that this had been the system of tactics pursued in the registration courts for a number of years. Honourable Members, however, on the opposite side, had never supported an inquiry into this grievance —but so long as they found that the shoe did not pinch their feet they made no efforts to support that inquiry into the subject •, but now the League having brought the matter home to their own doors they complained very loudly. He rejoiced that the inquiry was about to be established, and he hoped that the inquiries would be extended, not only to Eng land, but also to Ireland and Scotland ; and that the Govern ment would, in consequence of that inquiry, bring in a Bill to remedy this grievance. Mr. PACKE stated, that in the county which he re presented, there had been no less that 1,500 objections made, including himself, but in nonsequenoe of the determined re sistance of his constituents, no more than five names had been struck off the list. Mr. C. BULLER did not see the necessity of any inquiry. It was clear that they had arrived at a stage beyond that of inquiry. They had arrived at a state in which the evil was confessed, and a desire expressed to adopt any practicable remedy.—( Hear, hear.) He did not know whether it would be proper to move an amendment to the motion of the Right Hon. Member for 'Warwickshire; but he confessed that he should be inclined to propose that leave be given to the Nohle Member to bring in the Bill which he stated he had in his pocket.—( Cheers. ) Slr. NEWDEGATE was understood to say that he had not the Bill in his possession. Mr. C. BULLER said there were no doubt instances in which inquiries by Committees of that House were necessary for the purposes of Legislatiou, but it was equally true that instances had occurred of inquiries having been instituted for the purpose of preventing Legislation.—( Cheers. ) On that occasion, however, the evil complained of was stated to exist by both sides of the House.—( Cheers.) The extent to which they had been curried had often been referred to in that House from . year to year, and Bills had been brought in by Noble Members on that (the opposition) side of the House, in order to put a stop to those practices, but they had been invariably opposed by Hon. Members on the other side of the House as much above the gangway as below it.—( Hear and laughter. ) But he was now glad to find that those above and below the gangway, as well as the Government, took a diffarent course, and-adopted the argument' which they had made use of.— ( Cheers.) Now he advised them to have no more recrimina tion. The practice hail been much in vogue from the lime of the Charles-street League down to the origin of the Ar.ti- Corn-law League. Now, as they were convinced of the ex istence of the bad practices referred to, let them emulate each other, and endeavour to put an end to them—(Cheers ) because they were reprehensible to parties in that House and .to the Government of the country. He believed that they would, find in a Bill, which had been introduced by the Noble Lord the Member for the City of London, various means for rectifying all these evils, which however did not meet with the approbation of the House; but as it was now the practice to adopt the-e measures, he trusted the House would reconsider its d ei•ion. and pass it.—( Cheers. ) Lord INGESTRE perfectly agreed with the Hon. Mem• ber that the question before the House was above party c0.,- sideration, as it affected their honour as well as the interest of the country at large. He agreed with the Noble Member for North Staff°, dshire that the way in which the votes of quali fi •ri persons ware objected to wss execedingly reprehensible, and subjected the parties to considerable an ,of abet.. In that part of the country watch he (Lord Ing stre) represented the practice was carried to a wholesale extent. They were there fore justified in calling the Government to take steps to put a stop to the evil, by intredueing, a measure to protect the con stituency, that those who had a right to have their cam aon the register might not be wantonly objected to. Mr. C. WOOD rose anti said he had but a few remarks to make on the subject. It, struck him that he had a good deal to do with the West Riding of Yorkshire far many years, and he remembered perfectly well a notice being delivered to a gen tleman new a Member of that House, requesting that he would be so good as to vote for a certain candidate. An Hon. Gentleman on the protectionist side of the House said, " wnen ?" He could not say " when"— but he thought it did not signify when, it was sufficient to say so. All he could say was, that the gen tleman to whom he alluded, who had received that notice was in the House, and he thought the lion. Gentlemen opposite had better be a little cautious how they made statements. With regard to the West Riding of Yorkshire, it was not proved that any improper interference took place. but there were on each side of the question practices adopted which had better be avoided by both rarties. lie thought it was a consideration well worthy the consideration of the House, that it was perfectly impossible fur an elector to use the franchise in an inde pendent manner. A voter, unless he was connected with one of the two parties, was utterly at a loss to know how he should proceed; which was a practical grievance, which should be, as soon as poasible, abolished, by securing his independence in voting. Unless that system were adopted, all they could say would be of no avail, and he was glad to find that many of those who opposed an amendment in the regis tration of voters, were new alive to the real state of the facts, and he hoped that what had happened at Warrington would in future be prevented. Mr. FERII AND said that he would claim the indulgence of the House for a short time. When that Hon. Member opposite said he remembered many years ago that a notice was o ven to a gentleman, requesting him to vote for a c er t a i n candidate, he ought to say that he was prompted to say so, and not that he had remembered it. fie (Mr. Ferrand) was sure that the Hon. Gentleman u ould not say that he was not prompted? L"Yes, I do," said Mr. Wood, who sat down amidst cheers and laughter. ] It was true that he (Mr. Ferrand) in the division in which he resided was called upon, as chair man of the district committee to sign his name to papers of ohjection—( Hear, hear) - but he had even declared, when called upon to do so, that he would not offer obstruction to any man seeking the franchise unless on fair and legitimate greunds. lie did object to the vote of an Hon: Gentleman, but why did he do so? because that sums gentleman objected to him (Sir. Ferrand) for three years in succession.--( Hear, and a laugh.)—and received for his services a beautiful silver teapot—Great laughter)—for which his ( Mr. Ferranti's) relative had subscribed. On that. occasion he (Mr. Fernald) i!eclared that if the Hen. Gentle man again objected to his vote, he Mould object to the yore of his relative.— ( Renewed laughter. ) Now on these grounds, and these only, did he object to the lion. Gentleman; and in Meng so he thought he was pat Pertly justified.—( Laughter. ) Mr. STUART WORTLEY thought the House should not lose sight of another branch of the subject, namely, the menu. facture of voters. In Manchester (as we understood) no less than 2 500 voters wore ad 'ed to the roil, the prevailing opinion of which in Yorkshire was that. they were fraudulent. Mr. BRIGHT could assure the Hon and Learned Member l 'hat he was entirely mistaken when he supp osed that slr. et' is in the West Ridini Ashton had any part in signing obieetiom of Yorkshire ; and with regard to freeholds, he could assure the Hon. and Learned Member with no less confidence, that the Anti-Corn-law League did not only not recommend the creation of votes by this means, but through its lecturers and delegates, the League ba d constantly informed the public that such votes were not just , a nd were really in defiance of every lair principle of representation. The Anti-Corn-law League had in no degree sanctioned the creation of such votes, but they had recommended the poor man to save his money and to qualify Innis - elf' 'for a voter in a bona fide manner, namely, by purchasing a sufficient amount 'of property, and he defied any Member of that House—even the warmest supporter of the misting institutions of the country—to say that such a princi— pie was injurious to the franchise, or could in any degreS,ber. if' , . ,, t, , -ereweer by the House. The IT-in. 'Member Ite nti e w, e had den:Attlee., this system et creating vote'. it ai Old fond-street or at Willis's Resnais, he, had aP t* ": list pseeeteg a resolution br whice the erotectioraists they would fight the Anti-Corn-law League with the r i ,0 7 0 x weapons ; and this he did while making a speech fe, ° new thin g s which he was prepared to say the League 111° ` tb his done at all. The Hon. Member for lenaresbo•ough , et , usual indiscretion, had made an erroneous statement yet" r e ference to the West Riding of Yorkshire ; and be could Rho the Hon. Member, if he would go to the proper offeh'orr, bet s looked after the registration in the West Riding f parties, he could &el that, in the very !list ysar, the Thae diet list. niede a togs r number o tete , ettons to free trarlie; , tile free traders din to the tennopolitte. That he °rat e ew e feet. Why, he had often bee', teseu e h• himself from . 0 1 held and Northumberland t o rnasntain vote, .0 he was confident a better vote could n at pie bt I .und in the tree of Recedale. The rwe Hon. Baronet some years age, tioniats to fight the battle in the registration caurtse a n y . et knew train the exclamation of the Honourable Alec' ;bee recommended the P jth er ShreWsbury, of " How we did register?" the manner in t ie tee protectionists did fellow that advice. They kee el " e ndb e protectionists sub s c ri b e d th eir money f or the purem e ' res eel vas not a s h ame d t o a d m i t t h at they were su b scr ibing oef for the same object. He hae beard that as many *4 fis e s c oo had been made out of one holding. Why, he kne w . 0 ,0 where, on the estate of a Noble Duke in Scotland, otptry• einsteen votes had been made for one place in that c° .site Now, this was , nothing. so long as Gentlemen on the °( / ' l ,eie benches were prepared to act upon the principles of the gl ee tration Act. But now the tables were turned —the ' r eroie ° was up—they were no longer strong—they were now s ead poe p eiy. The principle which they formerly advoca'ed e y te eitel turned against them, and now they were desirous of ob is another form. He would tell them that they had simelY e a e teree the same principle, and that they would make use of al) tbt which the Meuse showed them. with the view of ceder"", a d aboe ion of the corn-laws. The Anti-Corn-law Lesgaitlerf made up their minds—they had d ec id e d on thi s efein t ' It ot el were determine to carry the matte r th roug h the eg' - esisl honest elections. He thought th at th e sy s tem of vet" °Pe crej.-cted to, was one as likely to answer the purl -ta l:est party as the ether. They h a d no thi ng to ga in bY pint'.Public opinion was in thei r f a v our , an d t h e quest°l, o llr was, whether they should pr ocee d i n th e course whicheintireel a bested, er whether they should forbe ar ? Hon. G, b tht t would quite understand his views, but h e m i g ht gal t ; o :JCP the law which Gentlemen on the opposite side of the n vototed, was as good as buried.—( Cheers.) f or Mr. S. O'BRIEN was exceedingly grieved to ,!e°lol heavenly serenity of the Member for Durham disturbed', he Must beg to remind the House that the point f l o c reib i d 6 Hot,. Gentleman had mooted, although it was veri s teio ° ,e hail no relation to the matter in debate; the great eae'elarlet as to how tar the 40s. freeholders had or had not bse° of as mere instruments. Now h e cou ld say that tr:t tile t ; l ti had W had been that. large associati ons . w ith l arge u ? pe r command, had interfered greatly with the elections °n "Sete ; parts of the country, and he besseed to remind the gf a eett ( . 0 t ber for Liskeard (Mr. C. B u ll er ) th at t h e lion. isl e t ell Halite* had as ser t e d th a t t wo p art i es h a d i n t er fered ° a ffeTt e s trict with large sums of money, and had considerably shad those elections. He ventured to assert that in e° c , a e s sSc e l r single vote been obj ec t e d t o b y t h e C onservat i v e Pa ni 'ess o by persons residing in the district in which the O a br tained. . ehic l; e if Mr. E. ELLICE, jun., said, that in the district e ore oi represented, an assoris!ron of ce ern , ry gentlemen had b ee " a islit l e which was called the Conservative Registration Af f y anti that association having failed in the county, t e b e eeish 1 ' their energies anti their money towards the boroug h sl t ' t represented, in order to destroy the liberal partY• em ilt were ()Veiled t o i n S cot l an d b y a wea l t h y person . it ",, Y e , him from 101. to 20'. t o ke e p th a t vote on t h e releitht . ' . o ;ese t t e however, that they were all ageeed, the sooner sen ie es cit calculeted to restrain r us h illegalities was intr od° better it would be for the interests of the country' 11 0 1 Mr. BO R I'll WICK consid ere d th at thi s We' s e e r' ese which demanded investi ga ti on , an d t h e quest i o n fa', j 0 to inquire into was, w h e th er 'certain acts , il„, 0 titutional as to be utt er ly su b vers i ve a sp li.ee had been perpetrated by a b o dy ca lli ng it se lf the P ot , law League. He should lik e t o k now if t h e Hoff 00,4 had ever assisted at, honest elector in the purchase l e terbee It Its we rg to leave the electoral body alone, withou t e re m r with his half million of money, he would do much a' eith o sh the Hon. Alernber said, " Oh, I shall assist 0 1 1 0 ei t '; jor money if they are favourable to my views, and 'e"meellet • o forward them." He loped the Noble Lord the : ts r , t bi London, whe was so eminently known as the orig in- tor ° Reform Bill, would not lie against putting • " tuP sy-stem of interfere nce w ith t h e f rarie hi te. A for I te iod 11r. r'CONN El s L— O ne wor d , Si r—one were est —( Hear, hear ) I understand that the grievance - thou s " ref is that notices are served upon ,nterq, infortn e ,i n g n if t'e t e , they are to be objected to at the registration. h' 4° . our ( el , ' a grievance with ;nu, I shall show how far greater l' he si v e of complaint in Ireland. In that country the of complaint to Ireisod. In that countrlooe ri t had to travel many miles to have his na ei pis i° • ' 1 on the registry. In this country the 1 : os t 'tre that notices are served on the electors, stating t b e , teP eb the objections to their claiming to be placed upon t o e is, Now, in Ireland no such notice is served at all, esnafero4,, county which I repres e nt— a coun t y w i t h a polla' a d to Jte seven hundred thieu , and—the ele c to rs are obligeerei fifty miles to have thei r n ames pl ac: d on t h e reg';bee O le o id they got there they know not what objection' ie , lie meet. Now, if the e l ec t or did not ta k e that troth' e l/ riot be able to yore at ail. the io An HON. MEMBER, (on the protection side o f to t Is that annually ? e t,O O Mr. O'CONNELL—No, it is not. annually; t. :§leobl another grievance with us. I state these thing! sr e ,,,se t if you think the objections stated here this evelf o reP o 3' gem into, we have the first claim upon you• - c r But this is only one of the lighter grievances of st e e l ts shall now, Sir, content myself' with having i t e s T • s / grievance on our part is far he av i er . land Mr. MONCKON MILNES hoped that J r ` eieb t e not he forgotten, and considered that it would 1)1 ,0 'ft proper, if the Right lion. Baronet permitted th e ; s e t°, remedied in England and not in Ireland. He Wee epeil l test against the assumption of his Hon. Friend eee te a te'? for Liskeard (Mr. C. Buller), that there sea" s 6. 1 - 0111 1)1 upon that subject nn that side of the House th a m ee e0 :1 If the landlords of England were to follow the ex il tbe it te League, and set themselves to partitioning 6 '1 .0 0%0'5 'too smael votes, they would h ave b ea t e n the d If I 10e the field. He was r e j o i ce d t o see t h at they had into such an unworthy conflict.—( Hear, hare', ;O r r?' tuna obtained by the League was devoted to teereti./ , , e 0 1 giving to the farmers of E ng l an d an oppor tunitY ° re st fj the League, he considered th a t it wou ld be • 1 ; 1 ; i , money. It would be difficult to impress WO' se; the sum of 25,0001. Otl I , 4 W 19 ,11 '1' A MEMBEH. on the opposition side stated that at 11 bit i s Mr. M. MILNES proceeded to state he ml ice t lion or rather he should say a quarter of a Inie lite tio e to t e sum should be spent, solely for the purpose of fa c i l e e rld.ell'ie lie could not believe that the 2,000 voters W e ep's ' rt _ e , West Riding of Y or k s hi re , h a d o bt a i ne d their / own tnoney ; it was a fact which he could ne t 0 this ' trusted that they would pro cee d by L eg i s l a tion 40 s J and he thought. that the petition of the t i de Staffordshire would tend to delay the measure. r , tif•Peo ttg el Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that many Yet at he, r ei s f e introduced a Bill, in which he provided, w e u r would be a remedy against this evil—vrbe t "eessaPiere were proper or not, he would not at presen t 00 4 elt e e in, attire which he proposed was, that the " ter ror t ' i tt st twice before the Court—his name! should be, e sce b i i m o d, retained upon the list without any further troubileusefiro 4 , should be some circumstances tending to di ri he oit ee / P e a voter. That was the reeredy whi ch ee nhe n te e e to fir eonfes-ed that it did seem to him tit Ineeeeelee fi tle„t whether votes were created at the suggestion ( fe e te‘ cts .o law League or by any other body, and when "re it to tay, " We must inquire into the practice ere' i t to l ey the Anti-Corn-law League, but we will lea/ e t b e n P er rtJ adopted by parties who have tether ends in view . °n A' of the corn-law "—(Cheers.) If an i n vestig a( el o si'ee nary it should not be made into the proceeding 9 it tir d( er but into the proceedings of all—in sh ort ' eisl' e it ter r eJ e. neral as suegested, by the Hon. Member fer he (i , o p C. Buller ). The Right Hen. Gentleman e t e, ee t s ' 9 0 4 Bute bad alluded to the creation of fictitious oce es' f jot' r e' John Russell) did not know when the Pree ll t ee l e ei carried on as in Scotland, and he must have i n trot in which votes were created in that countredentolcorere, ferrett to. 'the Hon. Gentleman the VMe-Pre' l i bee° n rol' e siO of Trade must be awace that many elections he it b e et ',sle d to, such votes, which were possessed by parties ee t e ll/ I 'o l 0' He ( Lord Joan Russell) hoped, therefore, Rhee d e t e r e eiOP e t i o were applied that they would be general, a ° .he pra tet el ie fs the proceedings of any body of men, butte tho ot- p arc tio o• all.—( Hear, Fear.) Then, with regard ,t r ° aeu e ° Tlie le ek' were encouraged by the Anti-Corn-law he e er re s• ro' freeholds in order that. they might posse" ec urre Member for Moll stateo that instances had e r Jeo jit e, o tbe S stele of wo king men having votes without „d; , bl pert V. if this were so he considered it a " or tiOeviV i other hand, where men having saved 501 6 0 fo la ° , 4 Lan d ' s' industry chose, at the instance of the An ti- f - f r r eeh e eteo ‘ lo"; anybo..y else, to lay it (tut in the purchase-1 tbo or ' f op to receive the rents which it yielded. he sa id Toe th!neee t ti good as those posse.sed by any other person. lo ,) t e e . ' le' ber who had just sat down (Mr. W. 311 a o n 00 P s ' right of voting on account of the poss e , - d -lu reSi t iob in the counties in Enland imelr e p e t he tea t thought this was not necessary—( Hee r) l e in he r ' I' sf Gentleman opposite would ; no doubt, re o de° c ol t' 0 the Reform Bill was under discussion , th e g n a e rse° s ses ide C" a he e t c e, discussed, and it was determined that the , e et 0 0 0 o r thought non-resident, should be as good es ed he e° the spot for which they claimed a vote, au e f 00" coo said th at i ota' _se! ( It ii t e o ar e is a l r ra ). nchise permous on aecoun t __ e i, , A tO Air. MILNES explained that he nee',_ e l en sitleu ie slo ot stitutional sense, persons ought not to so 0. ~, 60 01 T%, that the law prevented them from doing e !,,, e ear T d elese be e Alr. HUME said, during the last w .' o f 1V 1 ," u gh objections had been served in the ceti n nle . Alteaeee particularly in the borough of Alaryleb ia ° o 7 t eeen t s ceree lia ere occupied a house its it for the „, n _ t e e last ) he had been served with objections fo r sur er e , bet It. was always his misfortune that the _e rejec ted_ ti e s ee ois ti o e happy no to o say posed to the House were at the thnt e e H e ar ° h i, W o e!, hltacorrect, and that t n' t o" when he felt that they were corre • _ de e the eou li ee s % G lee ee se e toer however,teltadopttendr.nhi n i r on: 00 es ti a. e e o r a constitutional course. Now lie tuonhe n o s e e lie t t o e easy t obe matter, aersva was not a resident far at least twelve d to recomtnet- d to' r , tided to have a vote. ee ventured and sugg es , f oo ,o , e ittia !( o , P a the t e te ' t ee but be 0a 0 e" 0 0 was a deposit' e .0 at length come when there iet, e ,„ as a o " ,wa lt l e e ee s t to make the necessary changes.. l f we re t „rol', o oo n t ai formerrt t t e y rso°l.we occasions forty different i t ffn h e e rt n ehnet attended kinds franchise, tto- franchise l . .fe „ es t to j ld b e ro s e " ss b r t their side. But he preferred that se d he b ° P hieb 1 0- e rl honest:3 , entitled to the franc `he °f t e' a t e 14 I rf , merit would bring in a Bill, at e they• ha d the rreet l l' the PO' free-trade voters as the pretetionaliset; a__. ea be, ample evidence of from w o • powerful body went through e xtent in / a o ° , o ris, t f eee o f curiae elf votss to a very large oe these g r a , ) kingdom, which might Le justifiedie, Bear, bget , ied tbeesisoio ei e (beged t breheu o d t e i r: t t r o y od ati c ar ° c a lf ed er b t °i li i i te r4 tea? d tele tu r b belle e that practise coe n be e extending the franchise. Now in the Presentehing , 0 there ee was a great object to be gait 1 . e ot. the be" e nd tt ' te e erl'es ( e }ef , efogrea de ge, : o l d aw or , talubtatialiprulyrpaotside l;egitona cot e e lend the fran, et , . , would he to simplify and ex ~is s v doe by _ 3 h in at a io, '" ee p lace it was ;steel, and he therefore thout s _Jese, . :0 : 0 tey F ilet' j ets' much ti means.—( be there was Irl ee n oil w e he t t o mt w h would a u nl roll b eu( Hear,f n a o i l complaints yhe e.n. r (.1 )t that t err. AGLIONBY said that . recritninetie cc! , tbe t 0. and he believed one par fur the lee • ir l )° ' to e °L d 'euie s eed as the other. He rose now fur the rh olo' "ibat trio' thought toe only quest'. inquiry, whethertru,test ~ore d ers many valuable hours w a t s v ted wa it a l aes rinfuoyifi,gief:detio whether there would be an 1.1111 . • _ll ee e sec e a ol t ° oo ` t,khef , o , v er - 0 . r oe' mediately brought in ; but with theit tape that duty not ter be tatn a e tre 7 ri te , a mene the y ti e s itio ' e do s % ee er e f 3 th i e t r. ,,, G ,h o , v r e- e rr i en t e h n e t Hto bursteegwan:itueho,ewin::::;. . offro bey must do much and tisfaction to the eel the re_4 t lo little good, and give leo i . the hope that ai_ e e essr extend Re these remarks now, wit he thought Le they would be attendee to, and mifotrleleythand not to the R on. !trn.t. "; I, motion, . c th 'ugh! it gait nuts shire and thought it he Fool I k l ) l l . l . ,,i. F rih O it, '''' w 6f „ th,, e e e°^Rt rue.ri e Th e ..,,ot Mr. c- Co t , . ti rrott, e k etih at , . I u " ( i th ' e ttill:ni vrith' • Raro t,r this e-I t i, . t Is r:, t ef 42 Ainst AI, Cott te . r eA , ey, i:r'arrel, , A ,141 Yorke "(Thrl ey, ai p Nlr. HRI ‘-‘,Entnitte Th e coeu