The Sun. — London, England, 1836-04-19 00:00:00

MILITARY FLOGGING. As we stated in Friday's paper, we had prepared the following remarks for insertion, but were unable to find room for them till to-day. Mr. Cutlar Fergusson is probably not aware that he has been anticipated by that evening organ of the Government, which is opposed to the abolition of mi litary flogging, in the following arguments. The Learned_. Judge-Advocate, referring to the degrading nature of corporal punishment, is reported to have said, " All punishments were intended and enforced for the sake of example, and would any man say that the de gradation attending their infliction was a reason why they should be abolished ? Was the ignominy of a death on the gallows a reason why that mode of cri minal punishment should be set aside ?" If Mr. Fer gusson will show that military crimes, punished by the degrading lash, are in any degree comparable to those expiated by the degrading gallows, then his argument will have weight with reflecting men. It is but poor - trifling to say, that because murder and all the most violent outrages against society pay the extreme penalty of a disgraceful death, that therefore venial or even grave offences against military discipline are to be visited by an ignominious and barbarous cruelty. Lord Howick also, mistaking a flippant caper for a trium phant movement, exclaimed—" Now, what was the nature of the punishment of the boulet, They were never condemned to this punishment for a shorter pe riod than five years, and sometimes for as many as ten years. They had to work ten hours a-day in summer, and something less in winter, and that in a convict dress. Call flogging a degradation I Why, the boulet was ten times more degrading, not merely from the sense of shame and humiliation felt at the moment, but, because it was calculated to deteriorate the feelings of the man, concentrating in one spot all the bad charac ters in the army, and collecting, as it were, a focus of moral corruption." It is a pity that the Noble Lord, instead of soaring to such sublimities as " focus of mo ral corruption," and the like, should not limit himself to considering such a matter as the present " like a man of this world.' Great, indeed, is the degradation of the boulet—greater, if you will, than that of the lash. But why did not the Noble Lord inform himself of the important fact, that the French soldier, so de graded by an infamous punishment (peine infamante) is never restored to his military rank, or to his social position, but is by that one infliction condemned to be an outcast for life ? What analogy is there between the bozdet and the lash, considered as a degrading punishment ? The last degrades, not only the indi vidual offenders, but the 'whole service subject to it. The delinquent is not banished as unworthy to asso ciate with his comrades, after such a degradation, hearing as he does traces as ineffaceable on his moral character as those on his physical frame ; for our readers may, perhaps, have yet to learn that the marks left by the lash. are never entirely removed. • So far from its being a degradation to the French army that a scoundrel should be expelled from among them, and sentenced to a shameful punishment, it is honourable to that gallant body of men that an infamous inflic tion disqualifies the victim for again belonging to the service. And it would be as well for Lord Howick to consider this point before he again indulges in ex ciam-atory comparisons between the effects of the Lozdet and the lash. As we anticipated, and indeed sug gested, the Noble Lord used so much of the speech of Mr. Edward Ellice, quoted by U 3 on Wednesday, as might cajole the House, without compromising the Government. The Secretary at War said, " With re spect to what had fallen from the Hon. Member on the subject of additional rewards and incentives to ~0 0d conduct been held out to the army, he could as sure him and the House that the attention of Go vernmmt should be directed to that subject, and that v.hatever could be done in the way of rewards should be done." Any man who can find a meaning in such promise as this is welcome to make the most of it. Fur our part, we think such full-mouthed nonsenne unworthy of even the most sucking statesmen. Another analogy which these gentlemen attempted to establish was between flogging in the army and whipping in the civil prisons. In the first place, Nvhippinfr in the civil prisons is only adjudged for in famous offences. But, without dwelling on this point, let any man who has witnessed the laceration and tor ture following the lash say how far the whippings of a civil prison partake of its atrocious barbarity. And here we may notice a question put to Lord Howick by Major Fancourt after the division, immediately before the House resolved itself into a Committee on the Mutiny Bill. The Hon. Member expressed an anx iety, after the decision the House had come to, to know from the Noble Lord under what restrictions corporal punishment was to be inflicted on the soldier. The Secretary at War answered, that general courts martial were to be restricted to 300 lashes, district courts-martial to 150, and regimental to 100. This being so, the district and the regimental courts-martial being both reduced one half of their former powers, we wish to impress upon the public mind the possi bility of even this instalment of mercy being wholly frustrated. The number of lashes may be reduced and the torture of the sufferers by no means dimi nished. Surgeon Henry Parkin, in his evidence be fore the Commissioners, is asked the following ques tion :—" Is the punishment inflicted in the naval service more or less severe than this ?" " Much more severe ; the cat is heavier, the blow •is heavier, but the stripes are fewer." This we think worthy of deep attention. We have no wish to charge cruelty, or neglect, or a disposition to evade the restriction of the punishment ; but in all public matters it is fit that there should be no chance left for cruelty, neglect, or evasion, without a corresponding responsibility. On application at the Horse Guards the regulation pattern of all matters of military equipment may be inspected by persons entitled to make the request. And we can see :no objection to our proposal, that a regimental pattern of what is technically termed a " cat" should be likewise kept, and accessible to all, in order that there should be no doubt left of the practical effect of the restriction which has been described. It would then be incumbent on every commanding officer to see that the instrument of torture was strictly according to the army pattern, any deviation from which he would be held responsible for. Should there appear any thing like mistrust of the authorities in this suggestion, the Whigs must attribute it to the sub terfuges resorted to by them in considering a question which we have throughout grappled with in a nervous and open manner. _ The only speech of the evening in support of the Government, calculated to strengthen their view, was delivered by one of their most uncompromising political opponents. In that gallant officer, opposition to Major Fancourt's motion was consistent with the avowed convictions of his whole military and political life. Sir Henry Hardinge, judging from his evidence, is only so far in favour of the system of corporal punishments as he conceives the power of inflicting them neces sary for the enforcement of secondary punishments. But when he, speaking of the gallant conduct of the 57th Regiment at the battle of Albuera, told the House that they were, from thoughtlessness and plunder, so subjected to the lash that they were known under the nickname of the " steel-backs," we think he in some degree led his hearers to an unjust conclusion. To use a somewhat trite expression, these brave men were fearless, not because of the lash, but in spite of it. The following sentence from the Gallant Generals peech will be read with pride by every Englishman:— " Out of 25 officers on that occasion (the battle of Albuera), no less than 23 were killed or wounded ; and of 520 men, no less than 387 were killed and wounded ; and it was observed that all the men fell in th e ranks as they had fought, and every wound was in front." But surely Sir H. Hardin g e does not attri bute this national valour to military flogging ? Mr. Poulter, we think, comes nearer the truth, when saying of the army, " their discipline and valour are owing to the energy and firmness of the British character." In a like manner, while anleeinc, with chat fact so thril lingly stated by the Duke of Wellington—namely, that " he could have gone anywhere or done anythino• with that army, that itimpossible to have a mac 3111 C was more highly mounted or in a better state of discipline than that army was, and that when he quitted it on the GaA ronne there was a total diseoninuance of all punish ments," we would wish to appeal to 'the illustrious chief himself as to whether the pride and martial he, by a long career of' a rdour which glory, in fused into the forces under his command was not the true secret of the soldier's discipline? When Colonel Napier briefly dedicates his history of the Peninsular war to the Duke of Wellington in the following sentence :—" This history I dedicate to your Grace, because I have served long enough under your com mand to feel why the soldiers of the 10th Legion were attached to Caesar, " he undoubtedly referred to the higher considerations of which we have been speaking, and not to any coercive discipline. Nor does it appear to us that Sir Henry Hardinge quoted a case in point, when alluding to the corporal punish ment inflicted on the troops under Colonel Evans. No man, we think, would reg ret more than Sir Henry Hardinge himself, the identifying the British army with the class of persons composing the Palmerston forces in Spain. This is a point on which we could say much, but we shall refrain, from a disposition to leave Colonel Evans the full benefit of the mitigating circumstances which his friends might urge in his favour. We were on the point of closing these remarks, when the debate of Thursday evening on the motion of Mr. Lennard suggested a word or two in addition. The motion of the Hon. Member was, that the following clause should form part of the report on the Mutiny Bill : " Provided nevertheless, that notwithstanding any thing hereinbefore mentioned, no court-martial whatsoever which shall be held in any part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (except during such time as the country shall be at war with . any foreign State or Power) shall be authorized to award the infliction of flogging on any soldier."' This motion having been negatived by about the same proportion of votes as that of Wednesday night, we are not aware that it presents the views and feeling; of Government in any other light than that under which . We have been considering them. Two circum stances, however, occurred to justify a passing notice. Firstly, Lord William Bentinck was present. This presence at the debate on Wednesday evening sur prised us, even more than that indolent Whiggery which enabled him to be a passive spectator where he ought to have been one of the most active debaters, and to give a silent vote on a subject peculiarly calling for an exposition of his Parliamentary views. The question of military flogging, as considered on Wednes day night, was not thought worthy of a single syllable. from the Noble Lord ; but when Mr. Barlow Hov brought the personal charge against Lord William Ben tinek, of having acted incautiously in his partial repeal of the punishment in India, without instructions from the Horse-Guards, the Noble Member for Glasgow thought proper to address the House. That he dill so to any purpose we cannot conscientiously say. But that is a matter interesting only to the constituency who selected his Lordship as a fit and proper person to serve in Parliament. As will be seen by a reference to the debate, the Noble Lord threw the responsibility on his Council. The second circumstance calling for se mark in Thursday night's debate is, that the leader of the Government, Mr. Daniel O'Connell, who had given a si lent vote on Wednesday, from an unwillingness to embar rass his Majesty's Ministers, found it necessary for the preservation of his influence among the Radical mem bers to say something ; and he very consistently de voted himself to a defence of Col. Evans, and to a de clamation against the general cruelty of corporal pi; • nisliments. It is not difficult to conjecture the fervent nature of the appeal which would have been made to the sympathies of the House had the Hon. and Learned Member been advocating this question against the views of a Conservative Administration. It is to he hoped that next session he will be relieved from the trammels which have, this year, interfered with the customary pathos of his liberal harangues.— Times. DUBLIN ELECTION COMMITTEE. The COMMITTEE met yesterday at 12 o'clock. The vote of Cornelius Duncan, who was in arrear of wide street tax, was struck off the p - 01l of the sitting Member by consent, and thus Mr. O'Connell was placed in a minority of one. Luke O'Beirne an insolvent leaseholder was struck off the petitioner's poll by consent of Mr. Thessigcr. Mr. HUTTON proposed to strike off the vote of George Cowan, an insolvent householder, who polled for Messrs. West and Hamilton. He contended, in the absence of proof, or admission to the contrary, it should be presumed that all the insolvent's interest, which included his right of occupation, bad passed to the provisional assignee. The COMMITTEE retired to the window on the motion of Mr. G. F. Young, and remained some time in deliberation, after which they announced the following resolution " That the Case of George Cowan rails within the scope of the resolution of the 6th of April, unless the counsel for the sitting members are prepared to prove the surrender of a beneficial interest by the assignment to the provisional assignee." The objection was not further pressed. George Latouche Powell was objected to by the sitting member, on the ground of having changed his residence be tween the time of the registry and the election. It appeared the petitioner's agent admitted, before the Com missioners in Dublin, the fact charged against him; but the sitting member, notwithstanding, intimated his intention to give evidence, which was put on the rejected sheet. Mr. THESSIGER contended that as the admission was refused it then ceased to be such as could be used against the party. Mr. AUSTEN made a few observations, and Mr. TIIES. SIGER having replied, the Committee deliberated, and decided as follows : " That the Committee do not feel justified in rejecting the ;.dmission returned in evidence by the Commissioners." The CHAIRMAN said he had been requested to make the fol lowing communication to the Counsel for the sitting Members : —" That they must express their disapprobation of the conduct of the sitting Members' agent, in refusing admission, and then going into evidence in proof of each case." Mr. HUTTON explained that, upon consultation with several counsel he advised the agent not to receive the admissions, upon the belief that the Committee would not act upon admis sions to which the voters were not themselves parties. It was one thing to take admissions in support of the franchise, another to destroy it ; and he assured the Committee that this course was not taken for the purpose of delay. Mr. BALFOUR and Mr. YOUNG expressed their gratification that Mr. Hutton had been allowed to make this explanation. Mr. THESSIGER objected to the sufficiency of the admission in Mr. Powell's case, and to the receipt of the affidavit of registry. The Committee were interrupted in their proceedings by the announcement that the Speaker was at prayers. Adjourned at a quarter to four o'clock. The petitioners are still in a majority of one. CHARLES X'S. FAMILY.—The following, of the 3d instant from Prague, is from the Augsburgh Gazette:— " The Diet has granted a millions of florins for the expenses of the Coronation, of which 200,000 are to be applied to a grand public fete. Charles X. lives in complete retirement at the Brandschin, whence he will not remove probably till the preparations for the reception of the Emperor are com menced in'the interior of the Palace ; he will thence go to Toplitz, and thence to Buchtiehrad. It has been again re ported that the ex-King had an intention to purchase an es tate in Bohemia, and wholly leave Prague. According to another report he will proceed to Saltzbourg. The Duke of Bordeaux, who now goes out more frequently than formerly, grows very fast, and appears to enjoy exce ll en t h ea l t h. Th e French journals, which represent him to be affected with a chronic disease, arc mistaken. The King, the Duke and Duchess of Angouleme, and even Mademoiselle de Berry, sel dom appear in public. The Duchess of Berry is said to pass a very agreeable life at Gratz, where she receives all the No bility of the capital of Styria. It is thought she will not re turn to Brandeis, although all her effects, and several works of art, of great value, are there." A GALLANT BRIGAND.—The mail to Ferrara was forced to have an escort of twenty men, when travelling this roy last week ; the diligence was attacked, and all the passengers were obliged to dismount, and render up their goods and chattels. Not one piece of finery, not one piece of merchandise, did the thieves spare ; they even despoiled the ladies of their ear-rings, and, it is said, with a very gentle hand; for in Italy even the brigands - have a certain politeness of manner, and rob you in a gentlemanly style. One girl sat apart from the rest ; she did not join in the clamour of her companions for mercy and forbearance, but she wept bitterly. The chief approached her, and, in answer to his interrogato ries, she said, " It is for my mother's picture I shed these tears ! I have left her—perhaps I may never see her again ; and you have taken her picture from me." The robber, moved at her artless distress, promised to return her treasure for a kiss, which, says our narrator, she right joyfully and heartily bestowed ; so heartily, that the chief, not to be out done in generosity, returned to her all her property. THE SANCY DIANIOND.—This diamond has been purchased by the Emperor of Russia's Grand Falconer for the sum of 500,000 roubles. The diamond was originally brought from India, and has remained in Europe for the last four Can turies. Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was its first owner, and he wore it on his helmet at the battle of Nancy, iii which he lost hi s lif e . I n 1489 it came into the possession of the King of Portugal, who, wanting money, sold it to a French gentleman for a million of francs. Nicholas Harley Sane;, w ho gave it his name, had it afterwards by succession: At the time of his embassy at S o l eure, Henry 111. enjoined him to send the diamond in order to pledge it ; the servant entrusted with it being attacked by robbers, swallowed it, and was mur dered. Saucy ordered the corpse to be opened, and the dia mond was found in the stomach. James 11. possessed it ia 16ss, when he escaped to France. It belong e d to Louis XI V., and Louis XV. wore it in his hat at his c oronat i on. The Sancy diamond has the shape of a pear; it is of the very first carats.—Mirror. wa ter, and weighs 531 IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS. APRIL 18. WESTMINSTER SMALL DEBTS BILL. Mr. TOOKE had a petition to present of a private nature, to which he wished very shortly to call the attention of the House. It was the petition of Arthur Morris, Esq., High Bailiff of the city of Westminster, against the Westminster Small Debts Bill, which was then in that House, and the pro moters of which, in opposition to the precedent set by the Hon. Member for Gateshead, had introduced a clause to re - lieve him from the duties of his office, without -an additional clause for giving him compensation for fees which he received to the amount of 4001. a year. FAMILY ENDOWMENTS' SOCIETY. Mr. TOOKE brought up the report of the Committee on this Bill. GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY. - _ Mr. BOWES presented a petition from an individual of the name of Russell, against this Bill. The same Hon. Member presented a petition from Darlington, in favour of the South Durham Railway Bill. ST. KATHARINE'S DOCKS' BILL. Mr. CRAWFORD brought up the report of the Corn rnittee on this Bill. LONDON AND CAMBRIDGE RAILWAY. Sir F. POLLOCK presented a petition from Huntingdon , most numerously and respectably signed, in favour of t his Railway Bill. KYAN'S PATENT. Mr. H. HUGHES brought up the report of the Committee on this Bill; and also the report of the Committee on the Lanarkshire Roads' Bill. ------- MANCHESTER JUNCTION RAILWAY. Mr. ORD presented a petition from the ironmasters of Staffordshire and Worcestershire in favour of this Bill. GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY. Mr. CLAY rose to move that the Bill for making a railway, called the Great Northern Railway, be referred back to the Committee on the Bill. The Committee to which the Bill had been first referred determined unanimously that the parties had failed to comply with the Standing Orders of that House. The point on which that decision was more especially come to was, that the plan deposited with the Clerk of the Peace, and that which was placed in the Private Bill Office were not similar, and duplicates of each other. He would not lightly throw obstacles in the way of parties coming be fore the House because of any informality, but he did not think the Standing Orders were trivial matters ; and he could con ceive nothing more inconvenient than that persons relying on the protection afforded by the Standing Orders should after wards'find that their reliance failed them. He did not think the Committee sufficiently adverted to this fact when they gave leave to the parties to amend ; and he trusted the House would consent to his motion for having the Bill re-committed. Sir JAMES GRAHAM would shortly state to the House the grounds of the decision of the Committee with respect to the Standing Orders. It was always, of course, competent for the committee to alter or revise the orders agreed upon by the Committee. The standing orders required that the whole plan of any line of railroad should be deposited with the Clerks of the Peace of the counties through which the railroad was to run. In this instance, however, only . some portions of the plan were deposited.—( Hear. ) The sole objection upon that point, therefore, was, that the map or plan of the entire line had not been deposited. The Committee had come to the unanimous conclusion that, consi dering the great length of the line, and the enormous expense of preparing the necessary maps. The error had been one in judgment, but that it was not a violation of the Standing Orders. The second point was, that the assent of 43 owners and 36 occupiers had not been obtained ; but it was distinctly proved that the whole line havin g been divided into two parts, and a person appointed for each division, one of them had neglected his duty, but the moment the mistake had been ascertained, the promoters of the Bill had called upon the owners and the occupiers—(Hear)—and it so happened that there was only one dissentient among them. The Committee, therefore, had thought that that objection was not of .much avail. The third point was that the map and plan lodged in the Bill-office did not exactly correspond with that lodged with the Clerk of the Peace for Middlesex, but it appeared that there was merely a trifling difference in the scale. His Hon. Friend had totally abstained from touching upon the merits of the question, and upon that point he was hound to say that the Committee were unanimous, and that they were of opinion that these objections were merely technical. It appeared, therefore, that the Standing Orders were not arrested to the extent that would call upon that House to arrest the further progress of the Bill ; and if his Hon. Friend persevered in his motion, he ( Sir J. Graham) would feel himself bound to op . pose it.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. O'CONNE LL said it was scarcely correct to say that they had been unanimous in the Committee. He had yielded to the opinion of others, but he had been of opinion that it was necessary that. an entire map of the line should be depo sited in the office of the Clerk of the Peace—though he had not urged the objection, for a favourable construction of the Standing Orders might sanction the plan adopted by this. Co mpany. As to the second point of the sections, no controversy was raised about_them before the Committee, and therefore they had come to no decision upon the matter. If parties neg lected to raise points below, he thought it would be opening too wide a field for expense to allow them an appeal to the House. The Map in the Bill-office was much more full than those filed in the office of the Clerks of the Peace ; it was most im portant that the latter should afford every information, for a man had a perfect right either to use or abuse his own propeHy as he liked. He could not see the use of sending the Bill back to the Standing Orders Committee unless the Standing Orders were rescinded. Major H ANDLEY was acquainted with many northern Gentlemen whose property was to be taken away, who knew nothing of the matter until after tile Bill had been introduced. It appeared to him that the engineer had gone directly from one point to another, taking a gentleman's pleasure ground here, his kitchen garden there, and anon going through his dog kennel in the most ignorant manner. Ile supported the motion. It had been frequently said that the Committee was the proper place to discuss the details of a Bill ; that might be so, but it it was a great hardship on gentlemen that they should be put to the expense of employing Counsel to protect their property before Committees of that House. Mr. D. W. HARVEY thought the statements made by the Chairman of the Committee would at once set the subject brought forward by the Hon. Member for the Tower Ham lets at rest. Although the petition came quietly before the House, it was not to be concealed that one line was strugginig against another; he had no doubt, if it was enquired into, although the petition was signed by a great number of respectable persons, that more than half of them would be found to be interested in another line. If the House was to defeat the Bill it would deprive the public of the advantage of having competitors before the Committee—(Cheers) —if there was competition the incon venience of other lines would be brought before the Com mittee. He agreed with the Hon. Member that it was a matter the Government ought to take up, on what princi ple gentlemen were to be drawn before the Committee to pro tect their private property at an enormous expense. It was a se rious embargo upon gentlemen to be brought before a Committee to preserve their hereditary property, and to be obliged to employ counsel, who were running all the day from one Com mittee room to another, and were never to be found when wanted.—( Laughter.) He trusted that as regarded this ap plication, tile House would be the guardian of the public in seeing that the best line from London to York was adopted. He was not prepared to give any opinion himself in this stage of the proceedings, but he hoped the public would derive all the advantages they ought to derive from such an undertaking. • Mr. PRYME, as a Member of the Committee, could state that it was their unanimous opinion that the standing orders had not been complied with. One of the grounds for coming to that decision was, that the plans deposited with the Clerk of the Peace were not of a proper scale. This they con sidered so decisive that they refused to go into other grounds that were offered. It was attempted to be proved that the greater number of the owners and proprietors of land on the line had made an application in favour of the Bill, but he re collected the Hon. and Learned Member for the City of Dub lin saying what was the occasion for going into this question, when the matter was clear and decisive on other clauses—viz., the deficiency in the plans. That was the opinion of the Com mittee, and accordingly they shut out evidence that was ten dered on this question. They had relied on the Committee upon the Standing Orders sanctioning this decision ; they thought that they could say that it was sufficient for the inha bitants of those places through which the railway passed, to learn this after the Bill was in Parliament. They were of opinion that there ought to be time for consideration and meeting of persons resident in the counties through which the line of road was intended to pass. He assured the Hon. on owi t ttp h tl i ye : Member . for Southwark that they ought not to go into the r merits of the question then, and he would therefore abstain from any further observations at present. Mr. RICHARDS said that the arguments of the Hon Member for Southwark were founded upon the assumption had nte og b certainly trhooeurgdpher etrssfeonhr present had been forward de r s i bt g i o h nt t et which hmo complied phm g ve e eaars that this Bill was beneficial to the public. He (Mr. Daniel pwhetherWhittle conceived t with Harvey)the reference tsh t e Standing nc adi Tower Hamlets sufficient to prove that the decision of the committee was not a wise one. He held a petition from a ;e -spectable and numerous body of his constituents against the Bill ; and on their behalf he claimed the protection of the Standing Orders. He begged to give his cordi a l su port to the motion for the recommitment of the 8i11.—.( Heal?) Mr. SCARLETT said the argume n t re li e d on b y the sup porters of the motion was the want of sufficient notice. N o fact was, that out of 5,201 occupiers of land along the line, 3,128 had assented to the Bill. 0 71 - 900 had di ssented, and from the remainder sufficiently explicit answers h ad not been obtained. He thought there was, therefore, a sufficient notice. Mr. G. F. YOUNG said that even admitting the justice of the course pursued by the Committee, as !tated by the Right Hon. Baronet, still if the -allegations contained in the petitions were,true, the Standing Orders had not been complied with The Bill was allowed to proceed on certain mi di :. tions, namely, that the defect should be suppli e d , and the whole of the pla n s deposited in tee proper quart er . These conditions had n o t been complied with, and he th ere f ore thought it ought to be referred to the Committee to enquire into the fact. Lord STOItMONT said the question had been already d e _ cided, and the question was whether the House should stand by their standing orders ? Mr. CLAY said a few words in reply. Sir J. GRAHAM contended that no ground had been shown for recommitting the Bill, and he should therefore feel it his uuty to oppose it. The SPEAKER made some observations relative to the re gulations of the Standing Orders' Committee, hut in so low a tone that we could not catch a single sentence. Mr. CLAY, seeing that the authority of the Speaker was against him, would withdraw his motion. Mr. M. PHILLIPS presented a petition against the Maid stone and Norwich Railway. Mr. HUME presented.. a petition from certain butchers, praying that a Bill for abolishing Smithfield Market might be passed. He remembered that certain parties obtained a Bill last Session, on the ground of doing away with a monopoly. As the Bill in question would continue the monopoly, only in other hands, he hoped it would not pass. Mr. RICHARD S presented a petition from Knaresborough against the North Midland Railway Bill. Mr. PEASE presented a petition from Great Marlborough against the Naturalization Bill. Mr. A. TREVOR presented a petition from Durham, praying to be heard against certain parts of the South Dur ham Railway Bill. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS BILL. Lord J. RUSSELL moved the Order of the Day for the House going into Committee on the Regulation of Voters' Bill. Mr. P. SCROPE wished to know whether it was the in. tention of Government to produce, in the course of the pre sent session, any 'series of measures founded on the report of the Commissioners directed to inquire into the state of the Poor of Ireland ? Lord JOHN RUSSELL would say at once that it was the opinion of the Government that it was inexpedient to bring in a series of measures, founded on the Report of the Poor Law Coinmissioners during the present Session ; he was not, however, prepared to say that no specific measure might not be brought forward in conformity with the Report. PUBLIC PETITIONS. In reply to a question from Captain PE CHE L, The SPEAKER said he would not be doing his duty by the House if he recommended it to re-commence the system of morning sittings. _ _ . ____ NEW CORPORATIONS. In reply to a question from Mr. MARK PHILIPS, Lord J. RUSSELL said that Government had in contem plation a measure for rendering more effective Corporations in towns which had petitioned for charters. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS. The Order of the Day for the House going into Committee on the Registration of Voters Bill having been read, Mr. T. DUNCIIIMBE rose for the purpose of submitting the motion of which he had given notice, " That it be an Instruction to the Committee to insert a provision to re peal that portion of the Reform Act which requires in boroughs the payment of poor's rates and assessed taxes as a condition of registration, the amount of the constituency of Great Britain having been thereby reduced much lower than was originally meant by the Legislature." The Honourable Member proceeded to point out what the effect of the clause to which his motion referred had been, and in the instance of London, which, according to the calculation of the Noble Lord (John Russell) would hare an increase of 95,000, the increase had been only 40,000; the result had been the same in all the Metropolitan Boroughs. It was most absurd to make the payment of these taxes the condition of a man's being entitled to vote. Surely the Chan cellor of the Exchequer had quite a sufficient remedy, for the recovery of any arrears of taxes which were due by the seizure of his furniture and effects, without also seizing his vote, and thereby depriving him of that high political pri vilege which had been conferred upon him not for his private benefit but for the good of the community.—( Hear, hear.) All he asked was that the Borough constituencies should be placed on the same footing as those of Counties, and he did say that the abrogation of these clauses would effect that oh jcct,and would also do away with great bribery and corruption in small boroughs—it would also tent much to simplify the du ties of the Revising Barristers, and render their decisions more uniform and consistent with each other. The first Par liament which carried the plan he proposed, would not only be entitled, but would receive the warm gratitude of every true Reformer in the country. Mr. EWA RT seconded the motion, not only because he agreed in the principles laid down by his Hon. Friend, but because he was one of the minority of. two who voted against the clauses in the Reform Bill. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL felt it his duty most strenuously to oppose the motion, and he thought he would be enabled to do so and yet detain the House for a very short time. This tras not the time for bring ing forward the motion—the Hon. Member ought to have brought in a specific Bill for the purpose of effecting his 'object. The Bill then before the House was merely for the purpose of laying down the mode in which the registra tion should be taken. The payment of rates was absolutely necessary, in order to be a check upon the rating, which was the foundation of the right to vote—it was not only so now, but was perfectly analogous to the old scot and lot franchise—the most ancient practice of England. He was surprised that the Hon. Member should bring for ward the example of the metropolis. He should conceive, looking at the opinions entertained by the Members for the metropolis, that the Bill had worked well.—(Hear, hear.) It was true that some inconvenience had taken place from inadvertently not paying taxes; but for that there was a remedy provided by the Bill itself. According to the statements of the Honourable Member for Liverpool, when the Bill was under discussion, only two Members were in favour of the proposition of the Honourable Member. Mr. WARBURTON said that he should support the pro position of the Hon. Member for Finsbury. The Attorney Ge neral had stated that no inconvenieuce had arisen from the fact of making the payment of rates a qualification to vote. Now, what was the fact ; why, that the making the payment of rates a qualification had led to great inconvenience; inas much as it had certainly led parties to pay rates for the electors.—(Cheers.) In his opinion, if the landlord thought the party sufficiently respectable, that was quite enough. For these reasons he should support the motion of his Hon. Friend the Member for Finsbury. Mr. HUME was surprised at the statements that had been made by the Learned Attorney- General. He had stated that no inconvenience had resulted from making .the payment of rates the ground of a right of voting. Was it no convenience that out of 240,000, only 12,000 had the power of voting ? ( Cheers.) Could that be called fair representation ? It was the bounden duty of the Noble Lord in his (Mr. Hume's opinion) to render his Bill effective, and he thought the Noble Lord should not oppose the present motion. Mr. BROTEIERTON supported the motion. Mr. WAKLEY said the existing state of the law gave the greatest dissatisfaction, and he trusted his Hon. Col league would press his motion to a division. Mr. KEMP supported the motion, and hoped the Attorney- General would see the necessity of introducing a clause to cor rect the evil complained of. The gallery was then cleared for a division, when there appeared— . . For the motion. Against it 154 Majority against the motion -103 The House then went into Committee, Mr. Bernal in the chair. Lord LINCOLN complained that the schedules referred to in the first clause had only been delivered that morning. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, as we understood, ex plained that these schedules were the same as in the former Act. Clauses 1,2, 3, and 4, were then agreed to. On Clause 5 having been read, Mr. ELPHIN STONE objected to the clause. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL defended it. The prin ciple was the same as in the Bill introduced by the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Tamworth. Mr. HUME, seeing that the office of high censtable being so various, some b e i ng p a id an d ot h ers no t, thought it was better to have the business performed by the overseers. Mr. E. BULLER observed that as a change was about to be made, it was better to make a sensible one, and take care to have the duties performed by a responsible officer. Mr. VILLIERS thought it was a duty which required to be executed by some responsible person. It might be done by the clerk of the union. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL sa id t h e c l er k of the union had quite duties enough as registrar. Sir R. GRE ISLE Y said, if the Hon. Member pressed his amendment to a division he should vote with him. Mr. WYNN was understood to Support the amendment ; which, however, after a few words from the ATTORNEY GENERAL, was withdrawn. • Mr. MACKINNON then moved the fellowing amend ment :—" That a provision be made for appointing a registrar or officer for the purpose of preparing the list of voters for counties, cities, or boroughs, in lieu of overseers of the poor, and otherwise for carrying the Act into effect, so far as re lates to the duties at present required of overseers and con stables, with a view to the diminution of expense, the obtain ing the list in a more correct form, and the prevention of unnecessary delay before the Revising Barrister." The ATTORNEY-GENERAL contended that the ma chinery proposed by the Bill was the best calculated to serve all requisite purposes. Colonel PARRY suggested that the clerk of the p eace should put himself in communication with the Clerk of the Petty Sessions for this purpose, or if that was not thought ad visable let the Clerk of the peace communicate directly with the overseers. Mr.:GROTE would give the preference to the mode pro posed by the Bill. Mr. MACKINNON replied. After some further conversation the gallery was cleared for a division, but none took place, and the clause was understood to be agreed to. Clause 5 was then agreed to. Clause 6 was agreed to, after a long conversation;.in which several verbal amendments were proposed and agreed to.: On clause 7 being put from the chair— RUSSIAN POLICY. Mr. P. STEWART said that it had been an understand ing with the Government that his motion respecting the policy of Russia should come on at a certain hour of the evening. As it was then half -past nine o'clock he suggested to the Noble Lord that it would be only justice to him to postpone the further consideration of the Bill before the Committee until his motion should be disposed of. Lord J. RUSSELL denied that any such understanding existed on his part. The only understanding of which he was cognizant was, that the lion. Member should have the oppor tunity of bringing forward his motion after the Bill before the Committee had passed through certain stages. He (Lord J. Russell) was opposed to the 'p o stponement of the Bill to the motion, but in another hour or two it might be brought on. Mr. P. STEWART complained that he had given way se veral times to the entreaties of the Government on the subject of his motion, and that now he was as distant as ever from the point at which he aimed.—(Hear.) After a few words from the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, Mr. ROBINSON set the question at rest by taking the opinion of the House, and moved that the Chairman do report progress and obtain leave to sit again. Lord D. STUART thought it was an unfair proceeding on the part of his Noble Friend to say that he did not under stand, what he (Lord D. Stuart) believed there was no Hon. Member in the House but did, that his Hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster should have permission to bring on his motion at a certain hour.—(Cries of " No, no.") In proof of the participation of the Government in that under standing he ( Lord D. Stuart) should merely mention the fact of the Noble Lord, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, having come down to the House at nine o'clock. The opposition of his Noble Friend the Secretary for the Home Department would go far to strengthen the opinion en tertained by the country that he—not the Government—was adverse to any discussion of the subject involved in his Hon. Friend's motion. Mr. F. FRENCH moved that the Chairman do report pro gress and obtain leave to sit again. Lord J. RUSSELL repeated his denial of any understand ing on the subject of the motion with the Hon. Member for Lancaster. Sir R. PEEL had proposed an arrangement in the early part of the evening, that the motion of the Hon Member for Lancaster should interpose at a certain stage of the Bill before the Committee, but he was bound to say that the Noble Lord opposite had delined to acquiesce in it. That was what had strictly passed. After some words from Mr. P. Stewart, Mr. P. Thomson, Mr. T. Attwood, Mr. French, Mr. J. Jervis, and Captain Pechell, on the suggestion of Lord Stanley it was fixed that the discussion of the motion should take place on Wednesday evening next, at five o'clock, on the bring up of the Report of the Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates; and that to facilitate that object all private business should be suspended after that period. The Committee then resumed. Clause 7 was agreed to. Clauses 8,9, 10, and 11, were, as verbally amended, agreed to. On clause 12, relative to the appointment of revising bar risters, being put, Mr. WARBURTON objected to the number of revising barristers' Courts, which the clause, if agreed to in its pre sent state would establish. By the clause the same day was fixed for revising the whole of the lists; but if, instead of that arrangement, different days were named for the pur pose, twelve barristers would, in his opinion, be amptly suf cient to revise the lists of the whole country. He, therefore, proposed that an amendment to that effect be made in the clause. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL should support the clause as it stood. Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET contended that the state of the law at present was unsatisfactory. There was no single year in which there were not contradictory decisions of the revising barristers. He thought it would be most advan tageous if the persons appointed to act in this capacity were persons of longer standing and greater experience. He thought that their standing ought at least to be five years. The Noble Lord proposed an amendment to the effect of his suggestions. . _ - Lord J. RUSSELL did not think that the amendment of the Noble Lord would go to meet the objections which he (Lord G. Somerset) had himself urged. The Government had taken the course which they thought best calculated to se cure the most efficient discharge of those important duties. Mr. AGLIONBY hoped that after what had been now ad.. milted the Bill would not be, pressed forward at present, but that the Noble Lord and the Right Hon. Gentleman (Sir J. Campbell) would consent to postpone it, or at least the pre sdnt clause, to some future day. Mr. FINCH was opposed to allowing the nomination of the Revising Barristers to rest in the hands of the Government. Mr. \VARBURTON stated his intention, on the bringing up of the Report to move a clause to effect the object he had proposed. After a few words from Lord G. Somerset, Mr. Pemberton, Colonel Sibthorp, and the Attorney-General, the Gallery was cleared for a division, but none took place, and the clause, with one amendment, was agreed to. Clauses 13 to 18 inclusive were then agreed to ; and, the House, having resumed, the Chairman reported progress, and asked leave to sit again. Mr. FINCH asked a question respecting some trees which had disappeared from Kensington Gardens. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER referred the Hon. Gentleman to the Office of Woods and Forests, where he could get every information on the subject. He be lieved they were cut down for the improvement of the gardens. Mr. HA WE S obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the better regulation of inns, ale-houses, and victualling houses. The other Orders of the Dav were, then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Half-past 'Twelve o'Clock. HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 18. In consequence of the second reading of the Irish MuniciFal Corporation Bill being fixed for this evening the gallery was filled at an early hour. There was also an unusual attendance of Peers, particularly of those who generally sit on the Opposi tion side of the House. THE BETTER OBSERVANCE•OF THE SABBATH. The Earl of RIPON presented several petitions for the better observance of the Sabbath. The Earl of FALMOUTH presented petitions from the Wesleyan Methodists of Truro, Charlestown, and St. Austell, in Cornwall, to the same effect. A NOBLE Loan presented a petition from the boatmen and watermen gaining a livelihood on the Severn, praying for a better observance of the Sabbath. HULL AND SELBY RAILWAY. The Earl of RIPON presented a petition from the Trustees of the Turnpike Roads of the East Riding of Yorkshire, against the Hull and Selby railway. BIRMINGHAM AND GLOUCESTER RAILWAY. Lord SEGRAVE presented a petition from the inhabi tants of Stroud and Cheltenham against the Bristol and Bir mingham Railway. The Noble Lord also presented a petition from the inhabitants of Gloucester, against the Cheltenham railway. Lord ABINGER presented a petition from Worcester, against certain clauses in the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway Bill. PROTESTANT DISSENTERS. The Earl ofRADNOR presented a petition from the Pro testant Dissenters of Wolverhampton, praying for the removal of their grievances. IRISH MUNICIPAL CORPORATION BILL. The Earl of LIMERICK presented a petition from the Mayor, Sheriffs, and Aldermen of Limerick, against the Irish Municipal Corporation Bill. A NOBLE LORD presented a petition from the city of Lon donderry, in favour of the Bill. The Bishop of DURHAM presented a petition from Chi chester to the same effect. Lord FITZGERALD presented a petition from the Corpora tion of Drogheda, praying before the Bill passed they might be heard by Counsel at the Bar, and stating that they could satisfy the House that the property with which they had been entrusted had been administered in the performance of those trusts for which the property was given to them. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. Mr. BERNAL and others from the Commons, brought up the Bill for the amendment of the Act abolishing Slavery in the island of Jamaica, and several other Bills. CHELTENHAM AND STROUD RAILWAY. The Earl of HADDINGTON presented a petition from Tewkesbury, against the Bill for a railroad from Cheltenham to Stroud, and in favour of the line by Oxford. SABBATH OBSERVANCE. The Earl of WINCHIL SEA presented several petitions from congregations of Wesleyan Methodists, praying for a Bill for the better observance of the Sabbath. IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. Lord WYNFORD presented a petition from Macclesfield, signed by 4,000 persons, against the system of Imprisonment for Debt. LANDLORD AND TENANT (IRELAND.) Lord TEMPLEMORE presented a petition from the Ba rony of Kingscourt, in the King's County, praying that land lords might be compelled to give compensation for valuable improvements in case he should eject the tenants from their holdings ; also a petition for a modified system of poor laws in Ireland. Lord LYNDHURST presented several petitions from certain rural districts, praying to be relieved from filling cer tain offices which interfere with their agricultural occupations. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS—(IRELAND.) A NOBLE LORD presented a petition from Newry against the Bill for the regulation of Municipal Corporations in Ire land. The Marquis BRE ADALBANE presented a petition from the city of Bath, in favour of the Irish Corpo ration Bill. The petitioners stated, that they, hav ing experienced the good effects produced by the Municipal Corporation Bills for England and Scotland, they wished that an equal measure of justice should be extended to their fellow-subjects in Ireland, and that a different system of government from that hitherto adopted should be pursued. Lord MELBOURNE presented a petition from Cork in favour of the Municipal Corporations Bill, and that the franchise might be reduced to 51. ; also a petition from the parish of the Holy Trinity, in the same city, to the same effect ; also a petition from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of Hull, to the same effect ; also from the Mayor and Corporation of Ayr, to the like effect. AFFAIRS OF . The Earl o f ABERDEEN begged to ask a question of the Noble Viscount opposite. The House might recollect that about a month ago he had moved for a copy of the correspondence between our Ministers at Madrid and the Spanish Government, in order to show what efforts had been made to humanise the warfare then going forward in that country.—( Hear, hear, hear.) From what fell from the Noble Viscount, in assenting to that motion, they had not reason to expect any voluminous returns ; but whatever they might be, they had not yet made their appearance on their Lordships' table. He now observed that since last lie addressed. the House, greater reason existed for .the immediate produc tion of those papers. The Government had unncessarily em barked themselves, and his Majesty's arms, in this cut-thr?at system of warfare, and had a ff or d e d to one o f t h e part i e s active co• operation and effective support. He begged to ask, why e fore, if the Noble Viscount was aware o f an y r eason the papers had not been yet p ro d uce d, an d h e hoped l e would have the goodness to say when they might be expected. Viscount MELBOURNE was not aware had taken o f any reason for the delay, and w as surpr i se d that it place. But after that day the papers should be laid before the House immediately. It was t i d e s teps had been taken by his Majesty's Government, which rendered these papers of greater interest. At the same time he had the satisfaction of assuring the Noble Earl, h e h a d on l y t h a t day iseen a dispatch whi c h that House respect stated that th e representat i ons ma de ing the utter in e ffi c i ency o f the treaty n y of Lord Eliott, were entirely u n f oun d e d . I t h a d been obeyed in a ll t h e d The barbarities w hi c h parts to w hi c h i t ex tenue • p -I t h a t treaty. other parts which were not comrehenden in h e erdee had been committed, had been committed in Catalonia, anu Nob n) le (Hear, hear, hear.) It must be satisfactory to tb ith good —that they had been the means of humaniz in g the c to know that their efforts had not been una ttended with good —that they had been the means of h uma nizing the character (A Duke (Wellington) and the Noble Earl human of the war, and of saving a considerable number of lives.—(Hear, hear.) RESOLUTIONS UPON RAILROADS. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE rose to move, do concur to the notice which he had given, that that House i „ . rob in the resolutions of the House of Commons respectinogf roads. These resolutions would have the effect where viatir.g the necessity of putting parties in all cases rules railways were not opposed, of going through the same a dditio and forms as if opposed. He meant to propose according two resolutions to roof resolutions be not understood to dispense with the the following effect —namely, orders? of compliance hitherto required ,by the standingg were of the House of Lords, and that, in cases where railroads ittee not opposed, it should be in the discretion of the Comm to state what rule might be dispensed with. that the that resolutions these The Marquis of LONDONDERRY thought . House was rather hastily called upon to adopt the res_orloutLon..,.. The House of Commons adopted every proposition of e uw". 7 ye of brought before it, and it was only in that House, that ti with anything like determined opposition. t so able om r nanY these railroads were extremely detriment al w hich to show that in the county of Durham two railroads parts of the country. —( Hear, hear.) He w ould be now had been brought forward upon public prospectuses, wa ttl e en.. completely in the hands of his Majesty's Govern most He called upon the Government and the House to look_ narrowly at the propositions now before the Houses, othawls* the northern part of the country would suffer verygrfll! loss.--( Hear, hear.) He complained, also , of the , nu e Z„ pence to which parties were put, by being obliged L defend themselves and their property before Parliamen. thought the Companies ought to pay them. The Earl of MALMESBURY su‘sgested that, th e- e v whole question be referred to a select 'C o mmittee u_e! e ` , it would be more calmly considered than in the Hon' where they would cause constant discussions. The Earl of WICKLOW enTecal with the IsTdbla Earbl tetter a Committee would be able to consider the questi on than the House. After a few words from Lord ABINGER and L ord BURTON, SOW' The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved the re v.. tions, with two additional ones, on the subjectof the °l3gerto ance of the standing orders of the House, and with re s p ect hat cases in which no opposition was offered. The question was put, and resolutions agreed to. MUNICIPAL REFORM (IRELAND) BILL.• The order of the day having been read for the second rea" ing of this Bill, f his Viscount MELBOURNE moved that that portion 0 Majesty's speech from the Throne at the opening of the ses tor sion, relating to this subject, should be read, and it w as ac dingly read as follows : You are already in possession of the Report of tbe Crl; mission appointed to inquire into the state of the MunimPiall be eCrporations in Ireland, and I entertain the hope that it w in your power to apply to any defects and evils which may have been shown to exist in those institutions, a remedy ded upon the same principles as those of the Acts which h" been already passed for England and Sc o tland." A rds, Viscount MELBOURNE then rose and said—MY in rising to move that your Lordships do assent to this tant Bill, which has been sent un from the House of C 01".. mons, I beg leave, in the first place, to o bserve that it oh: Bill which, in all its parts and all its details, and with ll t o p regulations which it proposes to carry into effect, con le " ape y to this House backed by the strong recommendation o f a v .. t . considerable majority of the other House of Parham our More than this, I would particularly point out to Y e a.. Lordships the fact that—with respect to the whole a` .... stract question—the reformation of these Corporat L i ells the condemnation of them as they exist at present —tile ad mission that the evils of the whole system, as it Tlow,,'d, ists, can no longer be su ff ere d t o remain unrerneu' e en upon all these points I have th e gra tifi ca ti on t o state that toe, Bill comes recommended to your Lordships by the unaninwra opinion of the House of Commons.— Hear, hear.) The o was not the slightest difference manifested upon the subject these respects, and the conclusion which the House of Coi l moos came to, deduced from the Report of the Ir Commission, was as decided as it was general. My L°r is this Bill, like that which your Lordships passed last Session, founded upon a Report emanating from a Commission .9; pointed by his Majesty, and which went into a very detal ish MuniciPdas, consideration of the whole state of Corporations in Irei al/ t i: and the result of whose labours has been laid upon your Lor. ships' table. My Lords, before I heard what took Place rg the course of this evening' s d e b a t e , I was go ing to ro ta a that, neither in reference to the C omm i ss i o n who reported jest; the Irish boroughs, any more than in reference to the B u g!, o f Commission, had I heard any condemnation of the condu c t the Commissioners, either as to the course of their ineuir. le.+, . or as to the result which they had drawn from these inciairl.eoss't I was going to say that I had heard no accusation a 2 ; a ! these parties, no condemnation of their conduct, no tation of unworthy motives, or anything which could the effect of detracting from the value, or diminishing. the authority of their Report, or of the recommendations %%la it made to the Legislature.—( Hear, hear.) A 14 „g Lord„however, in bringing up a petition this eve lli t ij e from the town of Drogheda, stated some imputations upon o f' conduct of the commissioners who examined into the stat e , to that borough. Of course lam not prepared at the moree!" e - 0 give any specific answer or opinion upon this point, but 1 c ; safely say that up to the present day these reports have beent: attacked ; but on the contrary have been admitted to have '-; f nished the Legislature with fair and impartial pictures of e state of the Irish Corporations, of th e i r n um b er , o f the manses in which they are and have been carr i e d on , o f the tw i t l 0 which have prevailed in th em , o f th e insufficient ran, n a rle t . hef which they fulfil the objects and attain the end s for winteas were instituted, and of the necessity of applying to then' Urma perate and cautious, but at th e same ti me an e ff ec t u al, r e ' a hich tion. My Lords, you have probably rea d th e r eport i 3 - ara tly are stated the reasons why c or p ora ti ons i n I re l an d are ge n- irre made close, more restricted in their nature, and m ore fin , sponsible for their proceedings, than were even those that porations in England to which, notwithstanding all tlia,b, t he urged by some of your Lordships, notwithstanding a" the splendid eloquence which your Lordships heard notwithstanding mouth of a ,late Counsel at the bar of your House-700 laugh)—and which made an impression upon many of ) diag . Lordships to which your Lordships last year, notwithstanareb.. all this, thought it necessary and proper to apply a very st or d s , ing and a very decisive remedy.--(Hear, hear.) MY it is stated in the report that— a eat or in "ln the great majority of the corporations no no - - - re choatc title to admission, as a freeman or member, la ° ' ia ere cognized, and admission or exclusion depends on the i,bts pleasure of a select or gove r nin g b o dy. Where such r are acknowledged to ex i s t, th e y var y cons iderably in the " ferent corporations." And thatestablished n The modes of admission which have become in most corporations have further contributed to limit the And ber of freemen, a n d p reven t th e f ormat i on of a genesa comprehensive commonalty. ve , toe " Possessed of these powers, the governing bodies m t. ,. . commonly, used them without scruple, not as trusts to u: os of ercised for the benefit of the community, but as the m e % ge attaining for themselves an exclusive dominion over tu. a of neral inhabitancy, and political influence in the election to Members of Parliament. The course which they see coil have almost universally pursued for this object has been to joht cede, with the utmost parsimony, to the inhabitants the r to become members of the corporations as freemen. en go " With such exceptions as we have thus noticed, t e ' d ari d verning bodies of the Irish Corporations are self-ele et in acrs, irresponsible ; yet in such bodies the admission of m e n d po the selection of the local officers, judges, magistrates, a ° fun ds lice • the administration of the patronage, propertYt i l p os ition of the Corporations, and the general conduct and "le of the affairs of the municipality, are absolutely vestc ja My Lords, the report also states that that serious defect J i 9 Irelan the Constitution of the Municipal Corporations ors ]]embers are aggravated by the fact that the majority of the bt imes frequently non-residents, for the political spirit of ' Ol Geo induced the Legislature, in the year 1747 ( II.) to dispense with the important qualification off rthe j r ish s tatute eside oe for corporate offices, in all, except a, very few, 0t in theta Corporations, under the pretence that there were n il , Core a sufficient number of resident Protestants to form ration. The effect of this was to make these bodies 'of e re' of persons entirely alien to the feelings and interests. an of spective towns, over which, however, they exercised Wards dos the most important privileges with high and impe l l l aw ds of use the w mination.—( Hear, hear.) The result is, to the report, that what may " The operation of these defects extends beyo lid . have rations a t be deemed mere Corporate limits. The Corr As -- serl long become unpopular, and objects of suspiciofun.o ; present constituted, they are, in many instances, to the community ; in others, injurious ; ia all, i n su u t c l. b e iastitu inadequate to the proper purposes and ends of their O cerg c onsis t tions. The üblic distrust in them attaches on t nee for, resP and nominees; and the result is a failure of that • , Which and confidence in, the ministers of justice , here theY ought to subsist in well-regulated committees, s of s ecietY exist, conduce so much to the peace and good orderue dreaded' and without which the authority of the law may , on, ill but cannot. be respected or effective." intenti re My Lords, it has always been my w i s h and d when the cases where pressing evils require reformation , anst takingostrict a is a general disposition to reform them, not to ca- no look back, and not to insist upon the Legislature'soecn place., and policy.,do tice of any wrong or malfeasance which may have so m uch particularly when the condemnatory reflection is ".in,agFd in thrown upon the individuals who may have been °f w hich " it, as upon the system which gave rise to it, and % ot ,hare is the consequence.—( Hear, hear.) I can imagine t ying . large there are bodies self-elected and irresponsible, to bon' property intrusted to their management, and 150 balc to render an account of their stewardship, and all legal proceedings are peculiarly expensive,. _ is r ot u uncertain —I can imagine that such a state of thinr adro i t tha b ' likely to enerate a good deal of abuseea: qv, it mal l ! while it icessential thoroughly to reform the syst re see er e i unjust, and perhaps imprudent, to press with too f disP °s l . B l upon individuals.--( Hear, hear.) I'am, there ° the g ene t o a ( fi a' l l a iti to s r t ; ,cha°n Y l . in this, as in the English measure, to look more CO principle —to the political evils which result h a bad t ee . system as it at present exists—the divisions,tt gives rise ' h i c k the enmity among fellow-townsmen which a _ ce woe and malfeas than to any individual cases of abuse bear.) f t he Hear, may have occurred under its operation.—(l the Repor t o val _ Noble Viscount then read two extracts froi Etrniskilicn an d the m Commissioners respecting the towns of d revailad all from the coflirollg, donderry, exhibiting the abuses which ha under the present system, and then proceeded : tiaE AUNT, LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1836.