The Sun. — London, England, 1847-06-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUN'E 9, 1847. thought that the measure brought forward was a most admirable one, and calculated to put a stop to the pre sent increasing system of railway legislation. Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE said that there could be no doubt that these resolutions were of a private nature, and ought not to be brought on to interfere with the public business which was upon the paper. There was one Bill upon the list which the House had come down to discuss, and which affected the interests of many thou sands of starving people in the Midland Counties, and was that to give way to the private interests of a parcel of railway jobbers? Mr. R. YORKE said, that as it was admitted that these resolutions were private business he should vote against the adjournment of the question, as their present discussion would greatly facilitate the disposal of all the private business connected with railways. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he would make a proposition which might, perhaps, meet the convenience of all parties who were interested in the business which was to succeed the present discussion. Would the House agree to sit at twelve o'clock to morrow for the purpose of considering this question? and he would now withdraw it. The debate was then adjourned until twelve o'clock to-morrow. PORTUGAL. Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from the compositors of London in favour of the Health of Towns Bill. Mr. SPOONER prasented a petition against the Bill Mr. OSBORNE said that he wished particularly to know when the motion of the Hon. Nfember for Montrose upon this subject was to be brought forward. It had been fixed upon for to-morrow, and then again post poned. It was, as he had heard, postponed in conse quence of there being a Queen's ball upon Friday evening. It had been said that " wretches hang that jurymen may dine ;" he would, however, para phrase the line and say, " patriots die that se nators rosy dance."—(Laughter.) He wished to know whether the motion was to come on on Friday. Mr. HUME said that the delay had taken place in consequence of the absence of certain papers which would be produced upon Friday. The motion, would therefore, in the event of the production of these papers, come forward on Friday evening. Mr. BANKES wished to know why they had not been produced before. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that the delay had taken place in consequence of the time taken in printing them, and they would certainly be in the pos session of the House on Friday evening. Mr. OSBORNE said that the censure which had been applied to the Hon. Member for Montrose was not de served, for he had done all in his power to bring forward this subject. He thought that a most unaccountable and unnecessary delay had taken place in the production of the papers moved for. Sir H. INGLIS said that he thought the less excite ment that was created on the subject the better, as the matter w H a O s s t to come ß y on Friday. MANUFACTURE BILL. The adjourned es debate on the second reading of this Bill wasrunied. Mr. M. GIBSON said thathe th f i e s ltitte fo b r e b h y is re d f u e t ry. of to oppose the second reading Bill, ring the matter to a Select Committee, which they would have to do, they would be pledging themselves that the Legislature had a right to interfere with and regulate labour. He thought the measure which had received the sanction of Parliament last year could not be brought forward as an argument in favour of the present Bill. If they interfered and increased the cost of the production of hosiery, how could they show that it would not have a most injurious effect upon the working man? How could it I be supposed that that House could know the manu facture of the article as well as those engaged in the trade? But let that be as it might, how could they show that any saving that might be effected would go into the pocket of the labouring man? Were they not, on the contrary, justified, if they adopted the statements that had been made as to the conduct of employers, of arriving at the very opposite conclusion? It was shown from the testimony of those who had investigated the subject that the distress that existed among those employed in the hosiery trade arose from the increase in their number; and that could not be well prevented from the very nature of the employment itself, in which competing was easily ob tained, and to which that vast number continually employed in this country would naturally turn themselves. The Committee asked fur by the Ho nourable Baronet was not one that was to consider the merits of the measure, but merely to go through the details of a Bill the principle of which had already been sanctioned. He objected to the provi sion which did not allow any person who was not a hosier manufacturer to employ any person in the hosiery trade ; in fact, a middleman could not employ his own child. He believed that it was necessary that some person should intervene between the employer and the workman. He would, therefore, give his opposition to the proposition of the Honourable Baronet ; it would be open to evasion, and he consi dered it was most objectionable to pass measures which it was possible to evade. It was against all principle to interfere and by legislative enactment to prevent hiring out of machines. lie could not conceive a more legitimate investment for pro perty than in machinery. If they adopted this principle, it might be extended to ali classes of property. He hoped that the House would never give its consent to a measure fraught with so many evils, and which he felt convinced would bring great ruin upon the hosiery manufacture. Mr. PACKE said that the present Bill was founded on the facts and evidence taken before Mr. Mugr,grldge, who sent down as a Commissioner to int:mire into the speech of the Right Honourable Gentleman who spoke last would have led the House to suppose the Bill was a crude and visionary scheme, which had only found its advocate in the Hon. Baronet who intro duced the Bill. These machines only cost about 51 a piece, and the owners used to let them out at the rate of a shilling a week, which was more than fifty per cc at. Now this was a tyranny which was most unbearable, and as long as he bad a seat in that House he would raise his voice against such cruelty, in favour of his poor .neighbours,—(Hear, hear)—and he would therefore give his decided support to the second reading of the Bill. He was sorry to be any party to divide the House upon such an absurdity, but he felt it to be his duty to oppose the Bill. Sir J. EASTHOPE said that he did not conceive that by supporting the Bill he was becoming a party to any such an absurdity as that which had just been represented. Unquestionably, if this Bill were to be carried out strictly in accordance with its present provisions, he would aban don its support and repudiate its principles. What was he asked to do? Why, not to go up stairs into a vain in quiry, which would protract the provisions of this Bill, but to ascertain its merits and obviate its defects. He had no reason to doubt that this Bill might be so mo dified as to become greatly altered, and unquestionably useful, after it came out of Committee, and seeing that it proposed to affect the interests of from 50,000 to 60,000 individuals, he was certainly inclined to give every facility to the working of its principle. There was no greater evil than that of middlemen, and no where was that evil more severely felt than in the case of those who were now suffering so severely from frame rents. And further, he was the more induced to desire the success of the Bill, because he was aware that the men who were suffering from the evils complained of had acted in the most admirable manner. They had not lent themselves to chartism ; they had in no way evinced un easiness or impatience; but had waited with remarkable forbearance till they obtained relief through the aid of Parliament. He repeated that the Bill in its present shape was a crude, imperfect piece of legislation, with which he would have nothing to do; but he be lieved it might b e very greatly amended in Com mittee, and therefore ho should vote for the means by which the advantages of it might be obtained, and the inconveniences avoided. He re collected that the same objection had been made to the Bill for the abolition of the truck system, and yet he believed that his Right lion. Friend the President of the Board of Control had taken an active part in carry ing out that Bill ; and he trusted, therefore, that no serious opposition would be offered to the Committee, whose labours would enable the House to test the state ments in the report which, with all its bulkiness, had been placed in the hands of the Members of the House, and he should, therefore, vote for the Committee. Colonel ROLLESTON said, that having lived for a eteataber of years in the locality, he had had every means of knowing the condition of the workmen, and to ascer tain the extent of the evils of which they complained, anti he could say with truth that the representations had in no way been exaggerated. A more orderly set of me n never existed ; they had been parties to no dis turbance, but had patiently made their appeal to the reg ularly constituted authorities, and only corn pia; wed of a hardship which no power but that of Parlia met at could mitigate. He knew, from the most authentic sou rces that many of the most excellent workmen were at else present moment subsisting on the wages of ss. a I Peek. Sir J. HOBHOUSE said that really the only argu mei st that had been advanced in favour of this Bill was that it was a very bad Bill, and ought to be amended ; an .d he must acknowledge that he never heard a mere cuai ous reason than this for proceeding with what his Honourable Friend behind him justly characterised as a crude, imperfect piece of legislation. From his own knoa ledge of the locality he could say that the masters of tl le hosiery district were as anxious as any men to alley iate the distresses of their workmen, and both they and he were quite ready to allow the distresses to which thoss a men had been subjected. He, indeed, himself woui dbe deaf to the complaints of the people if he were not sensible of the evils which those men endured. MEDICAL BILL. Mr. R. YORKE presented a petition from York in favour of the Medical Registration Bill. Mr. HUME presented similar petitions. BEERSELLERS. Sir GEORGE STRICKLAND presented a petition from the beer sellers of Preston, praying that they might be put on the same footing as the licensed victuallers. CARRIAGE BY RAILWAYS AY") CANALS. Mr. ILUNTZ presented a petition frt,ln the Birming ham Canal Company, praying for an inquiry into the system of carrying by railways and canals. NAVIGATION-LAWS. The Hos. MEMBER also presented a petition from the shipjoiners of the port of London against any inter ference in the navigation-laws. STANDING ORDERS. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented a petition from Rochdale complaining of the effect of the standing orders. The petition was ordered to be referred to the Standing Orders Committee. EDUCATION GRANT. Mr. P. HOWARD presented petitions from certain ROlllllll Catholics in Carlisle, and other places, praying that Catholic. might participate in any grant for national education. Mr. STREIT presented similar petitions from Bath and other places. Mr. WILSON PATTER presented similar petitions from parts of Lancashire. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented similar petitions from Rochdale. SMITHFIELD MARKET. Sir E. FILMER presented petitions from Tunbridge Wells an.d Sydenham against the removal of Smithfield market. TRADING IN SEDUCTION. Mr. R., SPOONER presented petitions from tke clergy of L 9 ion and Bristol in favour of the Bill to prevent tradi nr, in seduction. CORN-LAWS. MI:. M. GIBSON presented a petition from the Clay tuber of Commerce of Manchester, praying that ail d'aVies on corn might be done away with immediately &iv d the navigation-laws suspended. Mr. W. PATTEN begged to call the attention of the 1 7 Louse to a circumstance which occurred in yesterday's 'private business. He was yesterday about to move the further consideration of the London and North-Western Railway Bill, when he was informed that it had been already done. That appeared to have been a mistake, as it had not been moved, and therefore he hoped the House would permit him to move the further consideration of th e Bill then.—Motion agreed to. RAILWAY RESOLUTIONS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that, in pursuance of notice he had given on Monday night, he rose to move certain resolutions connected with railways. Sir 'ii. HALFORD rose to order, and asked if these resnlutions were strictly to be called private business. T'ee SPEAKER said that all matters connected with privrate Bills was properly to be considered private business. 'l' T 7 ri IT .1 rvr) r t_ _ TWITT,MT, 0 _el fortnight since, an Hon. Member had brought up cer tain resolutions to impose restrictions upon the railroad pace at which the railway business was proceeding. In conseques ce of that he had framed certain resolu tions, to which he was now about to ask the consent of the House. Before doing so, he thought, however, tisat some explanation of them was necessary. In the cour,;e of the debate which had taken place a short time ago, the course which had been suggested was, that the House should interfere, and, by compulsion, stop all further 1 proceedings in the railways. That course was not deemed advisable, and it was then suggested that a se lection of certain railways which should be allowed to go on should be made. The Government had considered that proposition, and had come to the conclusion tl sat they would not stop any of the proceedings of the rs a way companies by compulsion, but would give them t he power, accompanied by certain inducements, to stn y their preceedinga for the present. The course whin h they had taken was founded upon the opinion that i t would not be advisable to attempt to compel a stoppage of the railway proceedings, but they had come to the determination of withholding certain powers which had hitherto been granted to railway companies, giving them at the same time the power of suspending the Bills till a future period. The first resolution merely gave the parties the power to suspend their Bills till the seas ion of 1848, and by the second and third they merely re stored the regulation of the House which had existed previous to the enormous increase of these speculative proceedings, which had of late assumed an ascendant 'Y, not only inconvenient but dangerous. The third tees 0- lution prohibited the payment of interest upon capit and was thus calculated to check the increase of the se speculations which were got up merely for the purpo le of being sold. In former Acts of Parliament for prim to proceedings, no such thing had been heard of as U to payment of interest upon capital, and it was now best properly about to be checked. The next resolution, t he fourth, prohibited companies, which were only enabl ed to complete a small portion of their line, to declare &sur plus profits; and the fifth placed restrictions upon th e sale or lease of railways to other companies. Man, y railway companies were got up merely with the inters tion of leasing or selling the line, and the parties ham not the smallest intention of ever constructing the lint themselves. Many companies sought powers to gua rantee the payment of interest to others, being by no means substantial bodies ; and this resolution would re strict any such powers being given to any company which was not in a position to make their guarantee a bona fide security. The last resolution also placed other restrictions upon other minor details, which he would not enter into then. Ile should move the resolutionst, and if the House agreed to them they would be bindings only so far as this session was concerned. He there- ; fore proposed the resolutions for the approbation of the. House (tor which see another part of our paper). Sir H. LIALFORD moved the adjournment of the de bate. The matter was stated to be of private business,. but was literally of public importance, and it would in terfere materially with most important public business.. Mr. SPOONER seconded the motion, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he had cited no power which the Government possefeaed in bringing forward this matter. He had merely nett 4 : 1 as any private Member in that House would have done under similar circumstances. Mr. ESTCOURT said that the question was whether the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite was acting con sistently with the practice of the House in bringing for ward these resolutions at that time. The subject was one of considerable importance, and he thought that the sooner it was determined the better. He hoped the House would not postpone, upon a merely formal objec tion, the settlement of a question in which such great in terests were involved. Mx. S. CRAWFORD supported the motion for the ardallottrnment of th e d e b ate. H e did not think that way bu s i ness should take up so much time of the House, and he was aware that many Members who were sanxious to express their opinions on this subject would e noel opnpoowrtunity of doing so if t h e question were ea s:r. of . r '".'SSTHOPE said that the determination of this quest on was most anpxeioolelylooked forward to, but there were thousands of a in _ _distress, whose mi series were to be alleviated bp y ponera ill en svhich was on the list of that day. The post of the railway injury to it, question for one day would not be of t and the case of these people required theana"ost immediate consideration. After a few words from Mr. Hum E, BANKES said that the time was come when they should consider the question of whether the rail way business was to keep off and swamp all the public businest of the Th.use. Night after night rail way dis eassisn were taking up their time, and the consequence Was that the House was frequently counted out, to the great (/ ("laY of matters whien the House should imme ,tiately deal with. He hoped that those Hun. Members who were fur the adjournment of the debate would per st:vero in their intention. Sir GEORGE GREY admitted that the pressure of private business had very much of late interfered with the public business, au d he thought that if any complaints were made about the discussion of the present motion, it would be better to take the sense of the Huuse at once, and not waste more time in discussion. After a few words from Mr. CRIPPS and Mr. E. B 'LLER, Colonel SIBTTIORP said that upon th e present °coa ti.) i he should do that which he did not v ery often do— atyport her Majesty's Government.—(L aughter.) He But let the House look to the consequences which Thi s. Bill . would produce. It would at once set aside all the frame rents , and would thereby destroy the value of upwards of 1,: 700 frames in Sutton and in Ashfield alone, whose props ietors mainly depended on these rents for their support. Did the Honourable Member know that out of the forty thousand frames upwards of ter 1 thousand belonged to independent proprietors ? Itwii 4 because he consc i en ti ous ly b e li eve d that th i s Bill would not benefit the parties who were distressed, and becatt se be also believed that it would inflict injury on othlelrri. , 11) th i.T a N t he would give it his decided opposition. nufac turer, paerodtect the honest earnings of the poor ma- MBE said that the object of the present Bill 'as t o raise or regulate t w as not by any means an attempt to Hon. Baronet as inconsistent in him seeev,i.neL sever he had expressed his consi dered by the Ri g the rate of wages. It had been consi oial objectionable details to s ipport it, p nic)n, but the only way opini , on that there la it. True that was his good.econd read ,Cemraitte t(tiel'ltssar' hear rby s t e o ndi i . n •e g me t d2 e - those ßil l to aad t hat was the reason he supported in , , f or he believed the principle of it was owner : of these frames, who was a middleman, let the e frame to the workman, and in doing so he required him to deal with a certain butcher or baker. the e fleet of which system he would illustrate by th e f o li o r i n g fact:--A mail, who had a wife and five children, rented out a frame; his wages for twelve weeks aveleaged at 71.; he was obliged to deal with a baker; and when he came to be paid for his labour, he found that 41. 12s. was stopped for the single article of bread. An enormous charge was made for the rent of the frame, but the result was, that only thirty-seven shillings was left to the poor man and his family, to feed and clothe, pay rent and taxes, for the spacn of twelve weeks. They might say that they should not interfere with the rights of property. They had al ready done so in the Ten Hours' Bill, and it was nonsense to say that a number of independent frames would be rendered valueless; there was not one of these frames which had not been paid for five times over. He did not propose that they should say that these middlemen should not hire out their frames, but that such hiring out should be declared " truck." He hoped that the House would not deal so contemptuously with the distresses of these pcor people as to throw out the Bill without a second reading. Mr. ROEBUCK was an opponent of the present Bill, as it was a direct interference with capital in the country, and because it would reduce the already wretched con dition of the labourer into greater wretchedness. What was the case which was charged as a robbery? Why one man brings his labour and another brings his money. Well, where then was the robbery? for as it seemed to him there was an equable exchange. lie might cite the example which he had previously adduced of the farmer who brought his skill and his money also into the market, and it the landlord exacted a more than sufficientrent the time would come when the cause of loss to the farmer would be discovered, and the land- lord would have to come down with his rent. This Bill, therefore, he repeated, if carried would only be successful i❑ working a great loss. They could no more regulate wages by Act of Parliament than they could regulate the price of bread, or the profits of the mer chants of London, by Act of Parliament. It should be recollected that machinery was now in existence, and was every day improved, and it was firmly established in his mind, that if this Bill were to be adopted, the very first persons to rue its passing, would be those whom this Bill was intended to benefit. They all knew the case of the hand-loom weavers. There was not the slightest doubt in the world, that if there was to be any interference with the hosiery weavers there would quickly be machinery invented to supersede the assistance of the artizan alto gether, and everything would be effected by machinery; and if Parliament did not desist from its headlong career, and refrain from interfering in matters which it could never improve, the consequences would be that greater evil than benefit would ensue from the alteration. He was sorry to have trespassed so long upon the House, but trusted that he had not treated the subject in a spirit of asperity, and that what he had said would be received as it was intended, with the hope that no step would be taken that would not be eventually instrumental in pro moting the welfare of the operative.--(Cheers.) Mr. BANKES perfectly agreed in the opinion ex • pressed by the Hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Roebuck), to the belief that they ought to go into the inquiry to ascertain how benefit could be rendered, but he totally differed with him in the conclusion at which he had arrived; for he seemed to assert that :if even this in quiry were to turn out favourably to the Bill, he still would oppose it, as it was contrary to the principles of political economy. But such a course had not been pursued by the Honourable Member for Finsbury (Mr. T. Duncombe), for, although that Hon. Member had declared himself a supporter gene rally of the principles of political economy, yet still he did not restrict himself from deviations from the strict principles of that science whenever the occasion arose from particular causes, and he was not, consequently, opposed to this inquiry. —(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Bath had objected to the 7th and Bth clauses of the Bill ; but what was the object of those clauses ? Why, simply declaratory that a mischief had been practised and ought to be prevented. and that was, in fact, the principle of the Bill. The Right Hun. Baronet at the head of the Board of Control had stated that he had made great exertions to overact the truck system, and yet he opposed this Bill, although its principle was precisely the same. For what reason, then, did he oppose the Committee for which his Hon. Friend had moved? None but that of personal conve nience; and, for his own part, he believed that the best reason for voting in the affirmative was, that the inquiry, whether successful or not, must prove useful. Mr. BROTHERTON was desirous of not giving a silent vote on the occasion, because he was anxious to state that, although he was favourable to any emancipation of the operative, he did not anticipate any good effects from the Bill this session, and because he believed that it would be easier to make a new Bill than to amend this. He should, therefore, oppose it, not because it would be bene ficial to the manufacturer, but because it would be inju rious to the operative. Mr. FERRAND said that the very reason which had been adduced by the; Hon. Member for Salford was that which would induce him to support the Bill, for he evidently felt that there was a case for inquiry, and he regretted that the Right lion. Baronet the Presi dent of the Board of Control did not conceive himself to be the Member, not for the manufacturers only but for the artizans also of Nottingham. He (Mr. Ferranti). when Mr. Gladstone was at the head of the Board cc Trade, waited upon him. with a deputation from the Midland districts, and that Minister had sent down a Commissioner who had ascertained that the operatives had far understated their case. Mr. MARK PHILIPS said that he was perfectly convinced that this Bill was most objectionable. The object pf the Bill. namely,to_teeplat.e..waw.eatiu.Y.ottd more delusive than an attempt to meddle with the question and he saw so much that was objectionable in the Bill, that he would not give it his support. Sir HENRY HALFORD said that the dis tress had lasted thirty years, which fully proved two things—first, that there was no corrective prin. ciple in the system itself ; and, secondly, that it was therefore necessary for the Legislature to interfere. He had been accused of having devised a crude system. That was the fault of the Government, for he had no ambition to be a legislator, and the question ought to have been in the hands of the Government.—(Hear.) Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House was cleared for a division, when there appeared— For the second reading Against it Majority SEDUCTION AND PROSTUUTION. Mr. SPOONER presented several petitions in favour of the second reading of this Bill, and moved that it be read a second time. The question was then put, and the gallery was cleared for a division, but no division took place. An HoN. MEMBER having observed that strangers were present, the gallery was again cleared. After a considerable interval the gallery was again opened, when we found Mr. ROEBUCK concluding a speech in opposition to the Bill. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE opposed the Bill. Mr. P. BORTHWICK and Col. SIBTHORP supported the Bill. After a few words from Mr. ifumE and Sir G. GREY, The Bill was read a second time, and was ordered to be referred to a Select Committee for the consideration of the clauses. SAVINGS BANKS ANNUITIES BILL. The House then went into Committee on this Bill, and the clauses were agreed to. Mr. DUNCOMBE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to provide for the better ventilation of mines and col lieries, fur the protection and preservation of the lives of persons employed in and about the same, and to !Lake other provisions relating thereto. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at Six o'clock. RAILWAY COMMITTEES (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF LORDS. Room B. warzEronD, 'WEXFORD, WXOXLOW, AND DUBLIN. The Committee cn this Bill met this morning, at eleven o'clock, and the opposition having been withdrawn, the Bill, was passed. The Committee adjourned until to-morrow at eleven o'clock. Room D. The Committee met this morning at the usual hour; the Duke of Richmond in the chair. WINDSOR, STAINES, AND SOUTH-WES TERN (STAINES TO ASCOT AND WOKINGHAM, WITH BRANCHES). WINDSOR, STAINES, .A_alra. SOUTH-WES TERN (RICHMOND TOFWINDSOR). Mr. AusnN addressed the Committee at great length in opposition to these projects, and contended that the lines proposed by the Great Western, which had an undoubted right to supply the district with railway accommodation, would afford greater advantages to the district than the lines of the South- Western. Mr. WARREN was proceeding to call evidence in opposi don to the line of the South Western from Windsor to Slough, but Mr. Sergeant IVRalmitax objected, on the round that the line had been admitted in the House of Commons by Mr. Talbot not to be a competing project; and besides the line of the Great Western to Slough had been thrown out. The Committee decided that it was not a competing pro ject. Evidence in opposition to the other portions of the South Western line was then adduced. HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP X. The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills comprised in this group, re-assembled at the usual hour this morning; Lord Qive in the chair. 118.1LUTICII AND EASTERN COUNTIES JUNCTION. 1 The Committee were occupied the whole of the day with the usual general local evidence in favour of this line. The Committee then adjourned. GROUP XXX. GREAT WESTERN (EXTENSION TO EXETER). Mr. Brunel was cross-examined fora short time, when the Committee stated that, in consequence of an important mea sure coming on in the House, at which they were obliged to be present, they must adjourn the Committee till twelve o'clock to-morrow. The Committee then adjourned. GROUP XIV. The Committee were engaged%X all day arranging and pass ing the clauses of the r.T.A.NcuESTRITL. SIEEPPIEI.E AND ZXII COLEBRIEE (ASHTON PURCHASE). and TEE OLDHAM ALLIANCE. , The Guaraittee afterwards broke up. GROUP XLV. EDINBURGH AND PERTH. The Committee met at twelve o'clock, and proceeded to hear evidence for the promoters. Mr. Charles Jopp, C.E., had assisted Mr. Miller in laying out the line. Its iength (both main and b ranc h es ) was over 34 miles ; its cost, including land, 650,000/. ; the heaviest gradient, lin 80; the sharpest curve, 2 furlongs 5 chains. There were two tunnels on the whole line, one of 400 and the other of 500 yards. It had two viaducts, one of 160 and the other of 700 yards. Mr. Miller corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. The Committee afterwards adjourned. c,OMIVIITTEE on PRIVATE BILLS. HOUSE OF LORDS.—(THIS DAY.) The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat at One o'clock and passed the follow ii,g Bills : Cork and Bandon Railway. Cork, Blackrock, and Passage Railway. Midland Great Western of Ireland (Extension from Athlone to Galway). Imperial Continental Gas Company. Warrington Gaslight and Coke Company. Dunfermline Waterworks. Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway. STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE. HOUSE OF LORDS.—(THIS DAY.) The Earl of SHAFTESBURY decided th at t h e f ol l ow i ng Ra i l . way Bills had complied w i th the sta n di ng orders:— East Lincolnshire (Deviation to Boston and Branch to Grea' Grimsby and Sheffield Junction , Railway at G r i ms b y ) . Glasgow, Barrhead , and Neilston Direct. Waterford and Limerick. London and South Western (Andover to the Basingstoke and Salisbury Branch). Newport, Abeigavenny, and Hereford Deviations. Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Deviations (Extension to Taff Vale). Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston and Eastern Junction (Alteration of Line and Branches into or near the town of Nottingham). REGISTRY of BIRTHS and DEATHS DURING THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 5. Deaths registered in the week. Births registered in the week. Males... ... ... 4.26 Males ... ... ... 706 Females ... ... 360 Females ... ... 619 Total . • 786 Total ... 1,325 STATE OF TRADE. MANCHESTER, TUESDAY, JUNE B.—For the last three days there has been very little demand for goods ; for yarn, still less ; and prices of both have declined since Tuesday last. The re action in the price of corn, and the unfavourable intelligence respecting the re-appear ance of the potato disease in various parts of the king dom, are generally assigned as the causes of this unfavourable change in the condition of our market ; and they certainly are quite sufficient to account for it. ROCHDALE, MONDAY, JUNE 7.—The flannel market still remains inactive, and the demand for goods is limited. In some cases pieces have been bought at lower prices, and those who are compelled to sell must submit to the reduction. There is little change in the wool market ; the dealers complain of having little to do, and prices for foreign wool have a downward ten dency. HALIFAX, SATURDAY, JuNE s.—There has been a somewhat better attendance of merchants, we wish we could say buy&•rs, in our piece hail to day ; and fancy goods, chiefly for the American market, are rather more in demand, but prices continue wretchedly low ; and in the general trade of the district there is manifested no improvement. The demand for yarn continues very limited, with a di , pusition, on the part of the spinner, to yield slightly in price. In lung wool nothing Is bought but to supply the most pressing wants, and what is dune is at lower rates. In short wool there is little doing, and without any alteration in price. HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY, JUNE B.—ln heavy goods there has been but little dune, in consequence of the nearness of the wool sales. Manufacturers of vestiugs continue busy. LEEDS, TUESDAY, JUNE B.—Our this day's market is so little different from that of last week, that we can no, vary our report; one might perhaps say that there nas been a slightly Unproved business doing to-day, but very slightly indeed. —Manchester Guardian. THE MONOPOLY IN CORN. TO THE LDII 01? OF THE SUN. Sin,—The lamentable high prices of provisions, af fecting, as it does, all classes of individuals (arid espe cially the poor), induces me to offer a sug.estion to the public, through the medium of your kind indulgence. No one can deny the failure of the potato crop last year; but has not the report of a scarcity of corn in this country been much exaggerated ? We now frequently read of speculators and farmer., in various parts of the country, having large stocks of wheat on hand, _holding of tit:111)0dr are ridable to purchase a - snpply of bread ; and, alas ! in poor unfortunate Ireland hundreds have perished by famine ; and this at a time when the grana ries of certain speculators have been almost choked with grain, thereby tending to uphold famine prices for personal gain, and thus taxing the poor. It appears to me, Sir, that a great national calamity is inflicted on the people by this monopoly in the principal staffof life; and I humbly suggest, as a remedy, that the corn trade should be placed in some measure under the power and inspection of the Excise, to compel periodical returns of the quantities held by private individuals in every county throughout the United Kingdom. This would enable the Government to know how to provide against scarcity, and ascertain the real state of the market. Further, I would suggest that no private individual should given q uant i ty of wheat (to be m after i t h as attained a certain pr a e n e e recent prop os i t i on o f t h e Earl of nied by liyoeld Parliament)ons beyond ider t h a Winchilsea, to provide public granaries for purchase of grain by Government, as most excellent, and deserving serious consideration ; and I offer these remarks in connexion with such a plan. Certain it is that bread is very dear, and equally certain that there are large holders and monopolisers of corn. We are near a ge neral election—let then the constituents of England look to themselves, and select such representatives only as will pledge themselves to assist in correcting this great and crying evil, that the Government fail not to apply an early remedy. And let all remember the words of Scripture—" lie that withholdeth the corn the people shall curse hint "—I remain, Sir, Sze., AN ENEMY OF MONOPOLY IN FOOD. June 8, 1847. THE ACCIDENT at -WOLVERTON. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—The alarming and astounding account of the simplicity with which a terrible accident is caused, deal ing so much death and destruction, arouses the anxieties and feelings to discover where or how the remedy lies. I. Sir, as a rigid observer during years of travel to the extent of 700 or 800 miles weekly on all the railways, have never failed to notice the every-day apathy evinced by the inferior officials to some of the most important details o f t h e railway ménage. There has more par ticularly appeared to me to be an absence at such im portant stations as Wolverton throughout England (York excepted) of any generally intelligent, eagle-eyed, indefatigabl e p arty, who, with energyand delight in his duties, snould have to be here, there, and everywhere, with a strong memory and clear head, to watch over all sorts ol matters, and see that everything is done that every body could wish. There are plenty such to be had : other businesses have them, why not railways? There is watching stringent enough that passengers should not exceed their provin.,•e or tre,pass on the companies' int , rests ; but here is a lever which a child can raise, arid capable of hurling hundreds into eternity, left to the charge and irresponsibility of one individual. Again, it luggage arid wail trains are expected at Wolverton sirbultaneou,ly, there should be a difference in lights or signals. According to evidence the officers at the station sAw the train diverge (to their astonishment), and were powerless. Granting that at inferior stations, where there is no congregation of carriages, a policeman is sufficient for such a purpose, it is the more obvious that at such a station as Wolverton there ought to be such a watching, ruling power of the working minutia as I name above. --4 am, Sir, &c., I. L. W Commercial Traveller. June 8, 1847. ABOLITION OF SMITHFIELD MARKET.—The Select Committee of the House of Commons on the abolition of Smithfield-market, met again yesterday in Committee-room No. 7. Se vera l witnesses were examined. Mr. W. Sylves ter, butcher, of Chan cery lane, said the sheep an d b easts suf. fered no inj ury up to the time of their arrival in the neigh bourhood o f L ondon. He considered that the damage was done in mo v i ng them from the suburban layers to Smithfield, where the s p ace was so confined as to render excessive cruelty unavoidable, whi c h caused the meat to be very much bruised. The greatest cruelty was, he considered, in forming the ring droves, which was i n consequence of the very limited space of Smithfield o b l i ged to be practised, and it was done in the following manner :—A graz i er who had on l y b een a bl e t o get 150 instead o f 2 00 feet standing room for a certain number of beasts, formed them into a ring by which all their heads met in a circle, and to compel them to go into those rings the most horrible cruelty was adopted. Chairman—How do you account for the fact that salesmen have preferred Smith field-market to any other which has been proposed P—Wit ness—Smithfield is maintained by a combination amongst money takers and salesmen, against whose influence no market, however a dvantageous, could compete successfully, and the sooner that conibinatron is done away with the better for all parties. FIRE IN LElTlL— Yesterday (Sunday) morning a confectioneri, 53, fire brae: out in the p rem i ses of M'Pherson and Brown, ToJbooth-wvild, about half-past five o'clock. Two engihtS were speedily on the spot, but no water in the pip es, until the Leith water officer journied to the Castle•hill, an d ordered it to be put on. By this time the fire had obtained a considerable ascendancy, but was ultimately subdued about ei4ht o'clock. The tenement con the firm, and i s fi tted up with ovens, ' sists of five fl oors; the underground flat is the workshop of flues, &c. ; the street flat is the retail s h op of the establishment, and the first flat above is the wh o l esa l e department. These three floors all I communicate by i ns id e stairs, and are completely destroyed. Both the stock and building are said to be insured.— Cale timzian lifercury. Th. weather s i nce our last has been most favour owe s, aiserve, is telli ng i n price, , ,ii and the cr o p s are mailing great progryss. Corn, re i s every prospect of an ;abundant an d comparatively ea rly narvest.—Boss- Akar* Adoortiser, GROUP XXXVIII. The Committee met at the usual hour this morning; Mr. Rie,•;:: LIVEIZPOOL. MANCHESTER. AND NEW CASTLE-UPON-TYNE JUNCTION (ALTERATION OF MAIN LINE AND HAWES BRANCH). NORTHERN COUNTIES UNION DEVIATION. The Committee having passed the preambles of these two Bills, were engaged the whole of the day in disposing of the clauses. The clauses were agreed to, and the Chairman was directed to report the same to the House accordingly. This closed the labours of the Committee. The complainant, who stated that she was an autho ress, and lived at No. 117, High Holborn, said that on the 26th of last month she called un his Seremi High nest for the purpose of forwardinu es a packet to him. sihe saw the defendant, w h o o p ene d the door to her, and she requested him to take the packet to his master. lie asked her whom she had it fr,m. • Complainant replied it was from herself. He then said he would not take it, upon which complainant remarked that the Duke of Brunswick knew her perfectly well, and that it would be all right if he would take it. He then closed the dour with great violence. Complainant subsequently went to Mr. Wanfurd, the solicitor of the Duke of Bruns wick. Mr. RANYLINSON—Confine yourself to the assault. What was the nature of the injury you received? Complainant—Ta o of my fingers were nearly jammed in the door, and my right hand and foot were much hurt. Mr. RAWLINffON—WeII, what do you say to the assault ? Defendant—l did not know that the door touched the woman. Mr. RAWLIZsTSON—You forced the door in a way you ought not to have done. Defendant—l did not, sir. Mr. RAWLINSON—She swears that you did. She came for a lawful purpose, and you might have shut the door with mildness. Defehtlatit—l told her I could not take the packet in. Mr. RAWLINSON—have you power to refuse anything? Defendant —Without knowing from whom it comes. Complainant —Had he looked at my letters, he would have known his master's handwriting. He would not give me time to show them. The defendant was fined 10s., er fourteen days' im prisonment. LAMBETH. Alfred Marshall, the young man who had been ex amined on the preceding day on a charge of firing a loaded pistol at Miss Louisa Rofe, with whom he was desperately in love, was again placed at the bar before Mr. Elliott. Mr. Binns, the attorney, appeared for the prosecution; and Mr. Games for the defence. After the examination of one witness, who deposed to having seen the prisoner throw a stone over the paling, and at the door of the house where the prosecu trix lived, Mr. Binns made an application to the magistrate to have the prisoner further remanded, so as to give him time to summons three witness, whose testimony in the case was most important. Mr. Games said he had no objection whatever to a re mand, provided the young man was admitted to bail, as it was the wish of his client, as well as his friends, that the fullest investigation should take place. The prisoner was remanded f'or a week, but was ad mitted to bail, himself in 801. and two sureties in 40?. each, to appear on Tuesday next. THAMES. William Handley, a police-constable, No. 85 H, ap peared before Mr. Ballantine, by order of the Corr rnis sioners of Police, to answer a charge of uttering a coun terfeit crown-piece. Mary Simon, of No. 29, Hosier. lane, Smithfield, stated that during the last Whitsuntide fair she was assisting her mother, who opened a shop for the sale ef provisions, at the corner of Fairfield-place, Stepney. On the evening of Wednesday, the 26ch of May, the pri soner asked for a penny loaf and tendered in payment a crown piece. She was unable to give change, and went to the White Lien beer-shop, the next door but one to the house she was in, to procure it. She returned with ss. worth of good silver, and the policeman was then standing outside the door, where she left him. He wits eating the loaf which he had purchased. She requested him to wait a short time longer until she obtained some coppers. She met her father-in-law, and inked him for fieepence, which he gave her. As she was returning to the house she met the policeman crossing the road eating the loaf, but he did not ask her for the change or visit the shop any more. On the following morning Mr. Starr, the landlord of the beer-house, returned the crown piece and said it was a bad one. ilr. Powell, the Mint solicitor, put some questions to the witness, who said the police- constable tine standing outside the shop when he asked for the loaf, and when he gave her the crown-piece he held it. en the tip of his finger. She said, " I must get you to wait till I procure ehaiige." The prisoner cross-examined the woman with much acuteness, and asked her if he did not give her the crown-piece in mistake for a penny. She replied in the negative. He then questioned her as to whether he heard her say that she would procure change. She would not swear whether he heard her or not. The policeman, in answer to the charge. said he was in possession of three crown pieces ou the day in ques tion, arising out of three charges he had brought bet re his worship at that court. The last charge was brought be fore the magistrate on the Tuesday in Whitstm we, k. On the following day he Feet ived .. B s ich the three base crowns. He was stationed on duty is Stepney fair, and he purchased the loaf, and tendered in payment what he thought was a penny, and never waited for any change. He solemnly declared that he did not hear the complainant request him to wait for the change. He was allowed, by the regulations of the police, to re tain possession of base coin for 21 days. Mr. Powell said the regulation alluded to did exist, and that the superintendent of each division of police de livered the base coin to the authorities of the Mint every month. Mr. BALLANTINE said he would do all in his power to put an end to such an arrangement, which ought never to have existed. Police-constables ought not to retain possession of base coin for one moment after they had produced it in evidence. The superintendents or in spectors were the prop( r persons to take charge of coun terfeit money. If spurious coin was left in the posses sion of police-constables it might get into circulation, as was the case in the present instance. Inspector Scott, of the H division, said the constable had stated that which was incorrect, and was quite ignorant of the regulations of the force. It was his duty, after the case was disposed of, to d, posit the base coin with the inspector at the station-house, enclosed in a piece of paper, with the name of the person charged, the date, and other particulars, and at the expiration of twenty-one days the superintendent would have for warded it to the solicitor of the Mint. Mr. BALLANTINE—That is very proper and a per fectly practicable regulation. Why was it not done in this case? The prisoner said he supposed he was to keep posses sion of the counterfeit crowns for twenty-one days, and he carried them loose in his pocket. Thy were all marked. The one in dispute was marked with the initial " G. G." and a cross. Inspector Ellis produced the counterfeit crown, which was marked in the way stated. He received it of Mrs. Simon's father-in•law. Mrs. Moore stated that she was the mother-in-law of Mr. Scurr, the landlord of the White Lion beer-shop, and that she changed the crown-piece between the hours of nine and ten o'clock, and not between the hours of eight and nine, as stated by the first witness. There aas some doubt as to its being a good one when she changed it, but Mr. Scurr's brother, on being referred to, said it was a good one. The complainant, Mrs. Simon, said it must be a good one, tur she had just. taken it or a policeman. Joseph G. Scurr, landlord of the White Lion, stated that he tint discovered the crown-piece was a bad one, and on returning it to Mrs. Simon she said she took it of a police-constable as a penny-tiece, in payment of p.1)111-100; and that she laid the chance, 4a. I Id., on a shelf, in expectatb;ll the constable would find out his mistake and call for it. AIL BALLANTINE said he would give the prisoner the benefit of tne supposition that he had given the tbrged piece in mistake for a penny, and discharge him, bus he was not at all satisfied with his conduct. Whether the Police Commissioners, who ought to make an in. quire, would be satisfied with llandleys conduct he would not say. He could not understand why the po lice-constable was allowed to have possession of base coin at ail. The policeman must have known he had lost one of the spurious crowns ; and it was strange he never made any inquiry after it, instead of leaving the case to be made the subject of this investigation. The prisoner said he did miss it on Thursday night, and made inquiries. He was then informed that the base crown i:..id been delivered to the superintendent. Mr. 13ALLANTINE—Well, I am not satisfied, but I dis charge you as regards the uttering of counterfeit coi❑ knowingly. ALARMING RAILWAY RIOT.—It appears from the Fifeshire papers that serious disturbances have taken place, during the last few days, among the l a b ourers on the Edin burgh and Northern Railway. On Sat ur d ay l ast, being the pay day on the Gallatown sect ion, some squabbling ensued between the Highlandmen and Irishmen, and two or three broken heads were the consequence. The police, how ever,: by apprehen ding some h a lf-d ozen of the ring leaders, succeeded in restoring quietness for the night. The prisoners were lodged in the lock-up house at Path head, and on Tuesday morning last were brought into Cupar, where two of them were sentenced to forty days', and two to sixty days' imprisonment each. The case of the others being of a more serious nature is under investigation. On Sunday morning, it was evident, from the numbers hanging about the streets, that there was considerable risk of a collision between the Highlanders and the Irishmen. The Irishmen turned out to the number of between sixty and seventy; and having sent off a dispatch to the Links of Kir kaldy for a reinforcement from their countrymen residing there, about three o'clock a body of no fewer than about 500 marched in regular procession, with railing stobs, shovels, and pokers, through Kirkaldy, till they joined their comrades, when the crowd, of one sort or other, might amount to more than 1,000. Against these, ab , ,ut 200 High landers, some of whom were armed with knives and dirks, marched up, but, finding their inferiority of numbers, re treated, and hence no collision took place. For a time the town was completely in the possession of these armed men. —North British Mail. POTATOES FROM DENMARK.—On Tuesday last Mr. Miller, from Glasgow, exposed a very fine sample of potatoes imported for seed from Denmark. The y . were part of a cargo o f eleven tons purchased at Holste in by a broth er o f M r. Miller, assisted in his selection v an experienc e d nurseryman in that place. The b sam pl e ar in our m ar k et was purchased in parties, a t t h e rate of lls. per cwt., • sm or dl lll/. 4 p s e r y to v n. An excellent opportunity has thus been secured of testing the utility of a c h ange of seed.--Ayr Advert is er. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MAR YLEB ONE. Frederick Bates, porter in the service of the auk-. • Brunswick, appeared before Mr. Rnwlinson, charged with assaulting Miss Ann Johnson, at the mansion of his Serene Highness, Harley House, Ulster-place, Re gent's Park, On the name of the defendant being called, Hooker, the warrant-officer, stated that he had been denied at the house, upon which the complainant accompanied the officer to the mansion, when upon being identified by the complainant, he attended 71t, the court. sttro,nfi,n. •h.. which it see m ed t o th em would not be calculated to enable them to suggest to the Legislature any measure which might remedy the evil complained of. Lord BROUGHAM moved that the petition be printed, and that its further consideration be postponed until Friday next. Earl FITZWILLIAM thought it would be a great misfortune if the Comittee close d its labours in the way mentioned in the report. Ile had been much in favour of the appointment of the Committee, because he thought that through its medium they would have got at the evil, not in this particular transaction, but others of a similar kind, which prevailed in connexion with other railway companies. After some conversation the motion was agreed to. SEE OF MANCHESTER. The Marquis of LANSDO WNE b , gaed to lay on their Lordships table a Bill for the constitution of the new Bishopric of Manchester, and moved the first reading of the Bill, to be read a second time on Thursday next. Lord BROUGHAM, advancing to the table, seized up the Bill as soon as it had dropped from the fingers of th:e Noble Marquis, and, after looking in vain fur the provisions of the Bill, asked the NobleiMarquis if that was the Bill, holding up at the same time a parcel of blank paper amid shouts of laughter. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—Oh, it's a mis take.—(Renewed laughter). Lord CAMPBELL—It is matter of history that there have been former Lord Chancellors who have presided on your woolsack, and laid on your Lordships table again and again Bills which were a mere sheet of blank paper. Lord BROUGHAM—I wish all Irish Lord Chan cellors had never had any Bills on your Lordships' table which were of another description.—(Loud laughter.) The Bill was then read a fir,t time. REPRESENTATIVE PEERS OF SCOTLAND BILL. On the motion of the Earl of EGLINTON, this Bill went through Committee. , TOWNS IMPROVEMENT BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF (AMMONS. June S. The &MAIM% took the Chair at Four o'clock. REPORTS. Tee report on the South-Eastern Railway (North Rent and Bricklayers' Arms Junction), was brought up and aereed to. COVENTRY, BANBURY, AND OXFORD JUNCTION. Mr. DENNISTOUN moved the further consideration of the report on the Coventry, Banbury, and Oxford Junci , ti Railway Bill. Sir G. CLERIC objected to the motion, and stated that if it was acceded to he could not see how say objection could be offered to the existence of the broad gauge to Birmingham, Derby, or any part of the north of England. After some observations trom Mr: DENNISTOUN, Mr. ELLICE supported the further consideration of the report. Mr. HUDSON thought there was no public call for the Bill, and he should-therefore object to the reception of the retort. Mr. WILLIAMS said he had never seen such a lamentable degree of ignorance displayed as had just been exhibited by the Lion. Member wha had just sat down--(Laughter)—such lamentable ignorance that the merest boy from a Sunday-school would be ashamed or it. And he spoke of his disinterestedness. His disin. terestednesr 1 Why, the House knew what that meant. —(Laughter.) But after such a display of ignorance he would not detain the House by one word of reply to him. He (Mr. Williams) their contended that the London and North-Western was a grant monopoly, which ought to be put an end to, and therefore he should support this Bill. Colonel ANSON opposed the further consideration of the Bill. Mr. COLLINS supported the Bill. In his opinion the London and North- Western Railway was the best ma naged in the kingdom ; its fares were the' lowest, and it afforded the most accommodation to the public. Mr.ELLICE said,had ho been aware that this line had been offered to the London and North-Western Com pany for sale, he should have taken no part in the dis• cussion. - ICII:DENISON denied that the directors had ever offered to sell the line. _ er h is e e c d ou p ld roverptyte ethatthe the line was offered authorised -- Si 1 7 C lIAR L ES ~ DOUh yG Le nA S r London ROEBUCK said they ought t o support the deci on and North-Western Company a t 5/ . premium. I nd ' • Select Committee. If the House had no these tribunals it ought to abolish them. confidence in 'RU I'TOpposed the Bill on the ground that Mr. Si- • line was not of sufficient importance to justify their sion of their the passing it, in violation of th e resolutions of the House en th e subject of the gauges. ROYAL ASSENT. The Usher of the Black Rod appeared at the bar of the Houseand summo ne d i t to attend the House of L r d t o hear the Royal Assent g i ven by commission to public and private Bills (t or t h e names of which vaerioes see Leeds' report). Mr. H. HINDI.: said that he did not think that the word gauge should be in the Bill at all, and if it were competent to him to move without having liven notice, he should move that the word " gauge" be struck out from the report of the Committee,or if it were not com petent in him, without having given notice, be would give notice this he should more that the word "page" IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS, ...Time S, ROYAL ASSENT, The Royal Assent was given to-day by commission to the following Bills: Factories Bill. Naval Service of Boys Bill. County Buildings Bid. Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill. Landed Property (Ireland) Bill. Newmarket aed Chesterford Railway Bill (Extension to Bury St. Edmunds, with a Branch to Ely). Ne a - market and Chesterford Railway Bill (Repeal of proiiaions authorising ,fse alonipany to use the line of the Eastern Cinnties Railway). Newmarket and Chesterfurd Railway Bill (Extension to Thetfurd). Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury, and Halstead Rail way Bill (Extension to Melford, Lavenham, end Clare). Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury, and Halstead Rail way Bill (Lease to the Ipswich and Bury St. Ed- Islands Railway.) Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury, and Halstead Rail way Bill (Extension from, Lavenham to Bury St. Edmunds.) Caledonian Railway Bill (Extension to Motherwell, &e.) Caledonian Railway Bill (Branches to Wilsontowe, &c.) Caledonian Railway Biii (Branches from the Clydesdale, &e.) Eastern Union and Hadleigh Junction (Sale to the Eastern Union Railway Company). Ayrshire and Galloway Railway Bill (Smithstown to Dalmellington). Newhaveo Harbour, Ouse Lower Navigation, and Levi es and Laughton Drainage Bill. Hartlepool West Harbour and Dock Extension Bill. Leith Harboar and Decks Dues Bill. Rochdale Waterworks Bill. Manchester Markets Bill. Bristol and Clifton Oil Gas Bill. Wolverhampton Gas Bill. Inverness Gas and Water Company Bill. Bolton Improvement Bill. Ryde Improvement Bill. Wolverhampton Rates Bill. Shipowners' Towing Company Bill. Dunfermline and Cupar Court-houses Bill. Kingston-upon-Thames Small Tenements Bill. Doddington Rectory Division Bill. Scottish Union Insurance Company Bill. Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Society Bill. Claridge's Patent Asphalte Company Bill. M'Leod's (Dalkeith Glebe) Estate Bill. Cleveland-squire, St. James's, Westminster, Improve ment (Archbishop of York's Estate) Bill. Martin's Divorce Bill. The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Clanricarde, and the Earl of Minto. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool sack shortly after five o'clock. Messengers from the Commons brought up several Bills, which were read a first time. LUNATIC ASYLUMS BILL. On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, this Bill was read a third time and passed. IRISH ELECTIONS. Earl ST. GERMANS rose, pursuant to notice, to put a question to the Noble Marquis the Lord President of the Council, relative to polling votes at Irish elections. Their Lordships were aware that, under the existing law, the polling at Irish elections was kept open for five days, and the system was productiie of great incon venience both to the electors and the elected. Now he wanted to ask the Noble Marquis if it would not be ex pedient to introduce a measure to assimilate the law of Ireland to the law of England ? The Marquis of LANSDOWNE entirely agreed with all that had fallen from the Noble Lord respecting the desirableness of the shortening the time for polling is Ire land, but there were such difficulties in the way of carry ing such a measure into execution, that be was afraid nothing caul' be done for that purpose during the pre sent session. The subject, however, was under the con sideration of the Government, but he could not say when a measure would be brought forward respecting it. NATIONAL SCHOOLMASTERS. The Bishop of EXETER gave notice that on Frida) next he would move a resolution to the effect that every ore in holy orders, but not exercising any ecclesiastical function in the Established Church, should be considered eligible to the situation of schoolmaster unaer tho Government scheme of education THE BIRMINGHAM AND OXFORD RAILWAY. The Earl of CHICHESTER, the Chairman of the Committee appoined to investigate the allegations in the petitions presented from some of the share holders in this line by Lord Lyndhurst, reported that the Committee had met to-day (the proceedings will be faund fully reported in ;Another part of The San), and that they had cam, to the opinion that, supposing all the allegations were proved, they could only esta blish the fact that certain parties had bought up a number of shares in the Birmingham and Oxford Company. It appeared,. however to the Com mittee, that it was the intention of the Legislature that the Birmingham and Oxford, and the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley, be amalga mated, and that they should oper . i . itompetition in the district which they were prepared to. traverse. But the Committee were unwilling, without further in- 1 4, 2, ._,., ,, ..„...4.,„ ---,-,-. b s ....i .._ , i a on SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPICA/An took the Chair shortly after Twelve o'clock. Long'i Estate Bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed. REPORTS. The reports on the following Bills were brought up, and ordered to lie on the table : Bristol Buildin g and Improvement. Colchester Navigation and Improvement. East Lancashire Railway (Deviations and Rawtenstall Coal Branch). Glasgow, Airdrie, and Monklands Junction Railway (Cowlairs, Carmyle, Central Junction, and Coplaw hill Branches, and Montrose-street Terminus). Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's Railway (Branch from Ipswich to Woodbridge). Liverpool Corporation Waterworks. Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Junc tion Railway. London and Blackwall Railway Improvement and Branches to the St. Katharine and Loudon Docks. London, Oxford. and Cheltenham Railway and Branches. The reports on the following Bills were further con :Aered, and agreed to :- 1 American Land Company. h Waterworks. THIRD READINGS. The following Bills were read a third time and passed: Falmouth Waterworks. Manchester and Birmingham and North Staffordshire Junction Railway. Sunderland Improvements, Markets, and Bridge. Wexford Free Bridge. HEALTH OF TOWNS BILL be omitted on the third readinc or t; e Bill. (The Hon. Member was nearly inaudible in . i uence of the loud cries of " Divide.") Dr. NICHOLL contended that Parliament had con templated a future period when a deviation from the 4 fret 8 inch gauge would be necessary, and therefore he should•support the decision of the Committee. Mr. STRUTT explained. Sir G. STRICKLAND said that where the Com mittee thought they should pass a line on the broad g•euge principle they had a right todo so, and the Souse should support the decision. Mr. FERRAND said he thought that public Bills should have precedence of these private Bills. He h ad attended evening after evening, and he found the House occupied with discussions on these private Bills. The amendment was then read and passed. After a few words from Mr. HODGSON, Mr. JOHN DENNISTOUN thought it better St once to decide upon the clause. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw. On oU re-admission we found— For the insertion of the clause 105 Against it Majority for the clause GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREENOCK RAILWAY. On the motion for the third reading of the alesge w ' Paisley, arid Greenock Railway Bill, Mr. HUME said th a t he had a question of g r _t t importance - to submit to the House with referent,: to this railway. He wished to pat it tO • Ittel House whether any company, having obta i its Act with a v i ew t o the benefit of th e around, it had a right to give away the power of afford ' i h n o g od th . that bAeneefiat.itiaolthceommapratint;s: incjaullreydofothee niteirgditroobfgorour- Canal Company had obtained the permission_ twin House to make a canal to Paisley, or fourteen miles. They subsequently_ was an arrangement with the company whose sbeinllgers if before the House, to forbear from carrying Pa s e ach they would forbear from carrying heavy galas, certain a distance a ra party being bound to ful fi l the contract un de r penalties, and having permission to charge fullest extent allowed by the Act o f rattan; By this means the community, who were so m e a l w ith terested in the subject, were left unprove d e eir railway accommodation. By the evidence otwf.n John Maxwell, and others, the Committee , this matter came before them, rejected the Bill. b rew diately after that decision the canal compani so t 1 11; boats, and kept strictly to tine aereement whie' tw o had entered into. He had received a letter want Paisley, complaining very strongly of the jle of railway accommodation to that toem e __. l , o would, therefore, move the suspension of the In.nd progress of these Bills for ten days. and that they erg:, be referred to the Railway Commissioners to hear en, deuce up..n the suoject, and report to the House :- the subject of the agreement referred to. ife Mr. HOPE JOHNSTONE was not person but , terested in either or the lines before the War! De from what he could learn, it appeared proposed to be made was not of more t," w ith mile in length, and was proposed Oleg' . fle a view to the accommodation of the public. and did not think that the Bill was an objectionable ot. he should therefore support the third reading of 11: that. t.e_on ono Bill. After a few words from Mr. BAINE, inaud BANK ES B i in the gallery, MrES said that he had been Chairman of be Committee, and h e c o n f esse d that the delay ecieg the Memb e r f or M ontrose was very desira bi t nao ple agreement was of an intricate nature, the work r t ; s eta were in the h a bit o f h av i ng their work ca rried aid from Paisley by th e canal, for which tbeerr, twopence, that means of transit WAS entirely dest_,W and they had only now the railway to depend uPe ll sois • by it they were charged a shilling. Now great hardship. and he would not consent to give the power seught unless that agreement was alterr e , o f The motion was agreed to, and the third reit e le.t ic , the Bill poetponed to this day week; the third r.e: ec a of two others, the Glasgow, Paisley, and Greeno.F.e the Paisley, Berrhead, and Hurlet Railway also postponed till the same day. that theta THE TEMPLE—CONSEAVANCY OF Tl° THAMES. ; of t" Sir F. THESIGER moved " That the petit-e n „f the Musters of the Bench of the Honourable Soeieti cs' the Inner Temple be referred to the Committee o Thames Conservency Bill, and that they hav e le sv v to appear and be :heard before the said Commi e the The op eration of the Bill would be to interfere with k „ re , free access of the frequenters or the garden, and to' , fore they had a right to be heard. • h After a few words freer Mr. GREENE, w hit ' not reach the gallery, The motion wee withdrawn. and The fellowing Bills were read a second titt le, ordered to be ceirenttted : Kiugston-upen Hull Dock Company. Poyntzfield Estate (Lords). Surrey and Kent Commission of Sewers. The reports upon the following Bills were broug ht and ordered to lie upon the table : East of Fife Railway (Markinch Deviation). London and North-Western Railway (Ormskirk Rainford Branch, &c.) York arid Newcastle, Newcastle and Berwick, and Nor th British Railways Amalgamation. The following reports were further considered, ordered to be engrossed Aharihedeep and Gri Fit I•Tnrth or go.tland 32ailwaye Areal"' garnation or Leasing. Aberdeen Railway (Brechin Branch Deviation). Airdrie and Bathgate Junction Railway (Amendment and Deviation). Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction Ballw a l (Deviation of Main Line and Chester Branch, &c.) Blackburn, Darwen, and B o lt on R a il wa y A c ts Aurae" ment (Diversions of Line in the parishes of Blackballs and Bolton-in-the Moors). Boston, Stamford, and Birmingham Railway (Branch to Wisbech Harbour and Wished) Harbour Improv e ' ment). Boston, Stamford, and Birmingham Railway (Wis bech to Sutton Bridge, &c.) Buckingham and Brackley J unc ti on R a il wa y, and .„9 1 8 ; ford and Bletehley Ju n cti on R a il wa y ComP' -- Amal,;:amatiou and Extension of Lines. Cheltenham and oxford Railway. Eastern Coueties Railway (Wisbech to Spalding). ,„ East Lancashire Railway (Southportßranch,and Pres to ' s Extension). Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Burntislaad Pier, &a•) Glasgow, Airdrie, and Monklands Junction Railer° , (Cowlairs Branch). Great Northern Railway (Branch to King's Lynn). , Great Western Railway (Amendment and Extensions )' Leeds Central - Railway Station. Leeds and rhirsk Railway (Deviation of Main Line in Crimple Valley, &e.) London and North-Western Railway (Kenilworth to Berkswell, Branches and Extensions, &c.) London and North-Western Railway (St. Alban's, WO and Dunstable Branch.) London and North-Western Railway (Birmingham and Lichfield Line, &c.) London and North-Western Railway (Lime.streett Liverpool, Station, Extension, &c.) Lynn and Ely Railway (Lynn and Wormegay Navi gation.)Mances Manchester and Leeds Railway (Branch from the Hale derafield and Sheffield Junction Railway to Barnsley, tamaifilwrtahyß(raßni (Branches, Manchester n a s n i o d Leeds nofli R Deviati ons , an d Al terations of Lev)heelas, Works)—(a Cl ause to b e proposed.) and Manchester Southport R a il way and B ra nches. Brighouse Branch o f the West Riding Union Extensions , an d Manchester Westand Leeds R a il way (Alter • wren o feßahLeesii Railways and and New Line into Leeds.) Manchester and Lincoln Uniee Railway (Deviation). Manchester, Buxto n , M atlock, and M idlands Junction Railway Deviations. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Branch at Bugsworth to join the Peak Forest Canal Tramway and Amendment of Acts). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Louts and 11 rncastle and East Lincolnshire Junction Branches) (a Clause to be proposed). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Sta. Lion Approach in Manchester). Midland Railway (Erewabh Valley, &c.) Midland Railway (Leicester and Swannington Rail waf t i Widening, Deviation, and Branches, Enlargement " Leicester Station, and extending Powers as to Ibst oek Branch). Midland Railway (Syston and Peterborough Rail wa y Deviations and Approach to Manton Station). Mold Railway. North Western Railway (Di vers i ons at Skipton, Caster ton, and Sedbergh). Portadown and Dungannon Railway. St. Helen's Canal and Railway (Warrington . and Black . brook Branches, &o.) Shrewsbury And Chester Railway (Branches and Station). „ South-Eastern R a il way (N ort h K ent an d B r i c klayers Arms Junction). Strathtay and Breadalbane Extension Railway. York and North Midland Railway (Harrogate Branch'. Extension, and Terminus). The following Bills were read a third time and passed:— Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales Drainage and Inclosure Companies Incorporation Bill. Wexford Free Bridge. The Lords' Amendments to the following Bills W e " considered and agreed to:— Bingley Gas Bill. Darwen Waterworks and Reservoirs Bill. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. Mr. GISBORNE rose to call the attention of the House to a paragraph which appeared in the Tinos newspaper connected with the late lamentable loss of ; life at Dee Bridge. Mr. Locke (who was doubtless well known to many Members of that House as an eminent engineer, who had been particularly fortunate in the character and stability of his works), was reported to have said at the coroner's inquest that great blame was attached to the Board of Works, the Railway Com missioners, and the Admiralty, who required that bridgeo should be built with that large span which was likely to endanger the safety of human life. He (Mr. Gisborne)• thought it his duty to bring forward this matter before the House ; but before he did so, he referred to Mr. Locke himself, and he would, as nearly as he could recollect, state what was the substance of the conversa— tion held with that gentleman. After some remark% Mr. Locke said that the Lords of the Admiralty and the Board of Trade were disposed in the firgt case to attend more to the requirements of the water way than to, the safety of the public. He added that Stephenson, Mr. Brunel, and himself had address" ' a letter to Lord Dalhousie, embodying these opiniro,tt which letter had never been replied to. He (Mr. borne) thought it right to bring this matter before diet Horse is order to giy• his Right Hon. !cloud at ulf hehd 0 , __ Y / 1 ~~