The Sun. — London, England, 1847-05-21 00:00:00

RAILWAY CONIMITFEES. (YESTERDAY.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The Earl of Shan esbury, Chairman of Committees, took his seat at three o'clock this afternoon, and, after investigating the objects of the under-mentioned unopposed Bills, declared Oat the preamble of each had been proved : H a rtlepool West Harbour and Dock Extension. Glasg:ow, Dumfries, and Carlisle Railway, and Glasgow, p a i s i,;v, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway (No. 2). Caledonitu: Railway (Branches from the Clydesdale Junc tion Railtiay to the Douglas and Lesmahagow Mineral Fields, and ti' Strathaven). Caledonian (Exwnsion of the Motherwell Branch of the Clydesdale Junction to Auchinheath Mineral Field, with Branches to the Wishaw and Coltness, Canderside, and Hamilton). Caledonian (Branches to Wilsontown, Fauldhouse, Biggar, and Broughton). Eastern Union and Hadleigh Junction (Sale to the Eastern Union Railway (:ornpany). The following preambles of private Bills were also de clared to be proved : Wyndham's Estate. Mylne's (or M'Nabb's) Estate- Bolton Improvement. Shipowners' Towing Company. Bingley Gas. HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP IV. NASICEILN COUNTIES (STATION ZZTBN SION AT STILA.WPORD). The Committee (Viscount Castlereagh, chairman), were engaged all the morning a djusting clauses and in this Bill. The clauses baying b een agreed to, the preamble passed and ordered to be reported to the House, the Com mittee adjourned to t he 7th of June. GROUP VI. 'WILTS, SOMERSET, AND I. I 7EYMOUTIE AMENDMENT (No. LT). (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yeaterday.)) Mr. Sergeant MURPHY appeared for the Earl of Pembroke and other landowners against the Bill. His cross-examina tion of this witness was abruptly terminated by the Chairman stating that his line of evidence was of the most singular and extraordinary nature for a Railway Committee. Mr. J. Knight was then called, who stated that if a railway were made he would not use it. He would not send his forward ewes or lambs upon any line of railway. The CHAIRMAN said this was really the most anti-rail road evidence that the Committee had yet heard, and hoped that the time of the Committee would not be wasted by further evidence of that nature. Mr. Jennings was called on to show that there was not sufficient traffic between the west and south-eastern Iles of England to warrant the construction of a railway. Mr. T. Chedder, clerk to the poor-law union at Tisbury, stated that an unbroken connexion between Tisbury and Shaftesbury and the clothing districts of the north would be of great service to the districts. Mr. W. Squire, actuary of the savings' bank at Shaftes bury, gave evidence to the effect of the people of Shaftesbury being in favour of the line of the Great Western Railway, as opposed to that of the South-Western Company. Mr. Kymes, grocer, at Shaftesbury, was called, with a view of showing the traffic which existed between Bristol and Shaftesbury, and the importance of an unbroken line between those places. Mr. Dewey, butter-dealer and mister, of Salisbury; Mr. Whits, butter-dealer, of Portsea, Mr. Mealing, dealer in poultry, and also residing at Purtsea ; gave evidence as to the importance of the market at Salisbury. Mr. Fisher, draper, of Blandford, thought it important to the interests of that town that there should be a line on an un broken gauge between Bristol and Blandford. Other evidence of a similar nature was adduced, and the Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP XV. The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock. ROYSTON AND WARE. Mr. Linn opened on behalf of the Eastern Counties Com pany's project for forming a line between Royston and Ware, and stated that beside the necessity for a line between the two places, it was peculiarly necessary as completing a chain of communication through a large district. He had no ob jection to a Bill for amalgamation, as, in the event of the other preambles being passed, the company would of neces sity be compelled to transfer a great portion of their traffic either to the Hitchin and Royston line, or to the Direct Northern Company : After some inquiries from the Chairman respecting the several interests of the different parties the room was cleared, and on the re-admission of the parties, The Committee declared that We preamble of the Bill had been proved, and thus, with the Bill passed the other day for the line to Foxton, the Eastern Counties have obtained their loop from Royston to Shelford. The clauses were then gone through, and the Bill was ordered to be reported. GROUP XVII. The Committee on this group re-assembled this morning at the usual hour in Room 11; Sir James Buller East in the chair. GREAT NORTUERN (DISVIALTZONS BET WEDN LONDON AND 0: The clauses on the deviation from Peterborough to Gran- tham were, after some alterations, amendments, and addi tions, agreed to. The clause proposed by the Ambergate Company was re ferred, a slight alteration having been made in it. The Committee then adjourned till to• morrow. GROUP XVIII. GLOUCEST2MBND STONEMOUSE BILANCIEL This Committee on this group met this morning shortly after twelve o'clock; the Earl of Lincoln-in the chair. Mr. HILDYARD stated, that although the Bristol. and Glow tester Company felt that they were making a hard bargain, in consenting to make a payment to the Great Western Com pany after they had laid down a line of their own, yet as they felt they had no alternative, they had acceded to the suggestion of the Committee. In acceding to this proposition, how ever, the directors, acting under the advice of Mr. Robert Stephenson, who of course governed them on such points as these, they felt entitled to deduct from their payment the sum which the Great Western would save in wear and tear. It was ultimately agreed that the clauses, which had been prepared, should be submitted to the counsel for the latter company, and that, in the meantime ; the case of the oppos ing landowners should be taken, Mr. Helps having a right to sum up after the decision of the two companies. Mr. Hall, a land agent and surveyor, was then called to show the way in which the property of Mr. Niblett, a gen tleman who is now a magistrate, and who has been high sheriff for the county, would be affected. The estate of that gentleman was represented to be a very fine one, and almost within a ring fence. Mr. HlLDraap here interposed with a proffer that the Midland Company would bind themselves by a clause not to go to their limits of deviation. The Noble CiLeinmAN, whose suggestions throughout the inquiry have frequently been of aumirable service in clear ing ,theway, inquired on what principle the Midland Com pany intended to proceed in laying down the narrow guage line? To which Mr. litranAan replied, that it was proposed to widen the embankment of the present Great Western line. Mr. Brunel stated, that if this were to be done the Mid land Company would have to pull down all their bridges. Mr. Flail said, that if there was to be a separate embank ment the narrow gauge line would come much nearer than it otherwise would do to Mr. Nihlett's house. The line, as now laid down, would come within a trifle less than two hundred yards. At present the approach to the house was a rose the line upon a level, and of course the inconvenience of crossing two lines would be greater than that of crossing ono. Mr. Hats then continued his examination on the way in which the line would affect the city of G loucester, particularly in crossing Barton. street, a very considerable thoroughfare on the level, and indeed witness believed that the proposed line could not be made at all unless the loop was also granted, as at present it cut off a considerable suburb of Gloucester, which at the present time is populous, and which has lately been made an ecclesiastical district. Mr. HILDYARD then examined generally upon a supposed arrangement between Mr. Niblett and the Midland Company, but it was shown that the conversations had been understood to he without prejudice. Mr. Edmar, a trustee of the Gloucester and Strcud group of roads, stated that the traffic on the roads to be traversed by the railway was very considerable, and that the tells on those roads were generally let at an annual rental of 650/. the interest of which would be destroyed if the Bill were to be granted. Mr. Jones who holds a considerable quantity of land under Lord Sidmouth and other proprietors, and who is a surveyor for part of there roads, stated that there was a fair of two days' duration held annually in Barton-street and its neigh bourhood, and in Gloucester, at which there was a consi derable concourse of people. There were, besides, two statute or highway fairs, and at the period when they were held there must, of necessity, be considerable delay, if not danger. On re-examination, Mr. Jones stated that he was un aware that there were several crossings in towns, but could not deny that there were two crossings on the level in Bouthanipton, or that there were others in Canterbury, Bir mingham, and other important places. Some other witnesses were examined to show the disad vantage that would be suffered by the crossings on the level at Gloucester, and this closed the case of the landowners, after which the Committee adjourned. The decision cannot be given until the report of the Rail way Commissioners is received, and the time when that will be made is at present uncertain. GROUP XXI. The Committee met at the usual hour this morning ; Sir James Graham in the chair. IIXR.MINGHA.IVi, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND STOUR VALLEY (No. I)• XtraMINGHANI, WOLVERHAMPTON, AND STOUR. VALLLEY (No. II). . The Commi t t ee was occu pi e d nearly the whole of the day n going through the clauses of these bills. The whole of the clauses were agreed to, and the Chair iiniaonuslev.as instructed to report the Bills accordingly to the This closed the labours of the Committee. GROUP XXV. rdzarcrtzsTr.n. BUXTON. AND DIA.TEOCX AND IvaDx.arzus (4-UNCTION AND DEVI. ATIONS ) The Committee met at the usual hour in Room 13. but In consequence of the report of the Railway Board not being received, Th s Ognmittee adjourned till the 2d June. GROUP XXVI. The Committee on this group re-assembled this mornin g in Room 12, at tiro o'clock, to resume the consitleratiun,)t the lizas y sinave , sTfirrortzsxxxam, AN D AVOIZCZTZU,S.II.7.2Z ..7UNC7TION, and they shortly afterwards adjourned till three o'clock to. morrow. GIZOCP XXVII. The Committee in this (group (Mr. Cardwell, chairman), were engaged all the morning arranging the c lausesin The Eastern Counties Railway ( Wisbeach to Spaldi n g) . 'The Great Northern Railway (Branches to King's Lynn). The Boston, Stamford, and Birmingham (Wisbeach to Sut • ton-bridge). The clauses having been agreed to, and all the business of the group disposed of; the Committee broke up. GROUP XXIX. MIDLANDS (BRANCH TO BRALYFORD AZZIZE). Di* ClNztwittea met at t7c-Ivi THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 2l, 1847. There being no opposition to the branch, evidence Was gone into Iwo forma, and the preamble was declared to be proved. The Committee then proceeded with the clauses. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS, May 20. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat on the Wool sack at Five o'clock. SUNDAY TRAINS ON RAILWAYS. GROUP XXXIII. GREAT NORTHERN (EXTENSIONS TO LEEDS AND WASZTIELD, DEVIA- The Bishop ofIIE1:1 10RDPresent;ci;;;e;al peti tions against the running of trains upon Sundays. Ordered to lie on the table. NORTH KENT AND MID•KENT LINE. TIONS, &c.) (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The room was then ordered to be cleared. The Committee d e liberated, and upon the parties boing called in, The CHAIRMAN said, the Committee are of opinion that the objection taken by Mr. Talbot is a good one, and must prevail. The Leeds and Dewsbury Railway having sold themselves to the London and North-Western Company, and the Committee having proceeded, ever since they were made aware of that fact, upon the assumption that the London and North-Western parties were really before them, the Com mittee do not think that they can allow the Leeds and Dews bury Railway to turn ronud and repudiate the London and North-Western Company, and stand in an independent posi tion; they think the objection, therefore, a valid one. Mr. Sergeant WILKINS then claimed to be heard on behalf of the Manchester and Leeds Railway;as against the Mid land Counties scheme. On the motion that the Liskeard and Caradon Rail way Bill be read a second time, as also the South. Eastern Railway (North Kent Line) Bill, the south- Eastern Railway (Strood to Maidstone) Bill, and the South-Eastern Railway (Mid-Kent and Direct Tun bridge) Bill, The Duke of WELLINGTON said, that these Bills sought to give fresh powers to the South- Eastern Company. He was anxious that all these railways should be rendered as useful as pos sible, and that every measure should be adopted which could give the Government a knowledge of what was being transacted. was obvious that it would be a very great object to the county of Kent and the town of Dover to bring them into such a close approximation with the metropolis. He would move;that the Bills be referred to the Railway Commissioners. Lord BROUGHAM said that he was extremely glad that his Noble Friend had taken this subject into his hands. It well became his Noble Friend, because it had• been his constant recommendation to Parliament that more care should be taken of these railway schemes. He (Lord Brougham) was always of opinion that much more attention and care should be bestowed on these railway schemes, and he would propose that the Bills should be referred to a Select Committee. Mr. TEMPLE objected to such a course. Mr. Sergeant WILKINS replied, and the Committee again ordered the room to be cleared. Upon the parties being realled, the Committee decided that they were of opinion that the preamble of the The Earl of RADNOR said that it appeared very strange that those gentlemen who now opposed the Bills were the very parties that got up the opposition to these Bills. No less than a million had been expended upon the line to Folkstone. Lord BROUGHAM said he wished to be understood as not referring to any petitions on the matter. Earl FITZ WILLIAM said, that ten or twelve years ago he had suggested that Government should have powers to exercise a certain degree of control over rail ways, in fact that the whole subject should be taken into the hands of Government, and he was of that opinion still. The Duke of WELLINGTON said that he had thought it necessary to call the attention of their Lord ships to this question. He entirely concurred with his Noble Friend (Earl Fitzwilliam), that the subject of railways should be under the control of Government. Lord REDESDALE said that he thought it of great importance that the present . Bills should be brought before the House. It would be impossible to pass these Bills before next session, as the matter stood at pre sent, and yet there were no Bills of;greater importance on the railway question, and, if possible, the Bill ought to be got through this session. The Bills were then ordered to be referred to a Select Committee. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 20. The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly after Four o'clock. fore he sat down he would refer to a subject which had Ibe a much larger quantity exported. It was generally t day of September, 1846. By this return th_ay wn'ild see , been brought under his notice by the Noble Ble on .gip- balky, d that then; oie about ‘'ix oolions of that co" 113 to so. 's c ure . - c heir erg !,od is the posite (Lord Colohester). The Ncbh. I s o ad soil eons-Ala-I 'a "' ' a. r traoo the I.a F l -•i74 if to. 1 .. tint naval courts marial sh- uld o - • • .4' : -1 , • . . • ogle sixr..e for f!It• r gallantry. o ot. r. tain cases, not of passing 6e,:toeoe ui Wit:, onto out gain_ ttorre ire oe. uuuted ; and i mined to see, it he had health and strength, to the of such other punishment as the case might seem to de- as it is known that upwards of two millions are taken bottom of all these matters, no matter how high serve. He entirely concurred in that object, and if his by the English and Scotch distillers, in order to keep the parties were, who were concerned. These fees were Noble Friend would bring forward a Bill to amend the them out of the export market, so that, allowing only 3d. most excessive and it was a great hardship upon those law in this respect, he would give it all the assistance in a gallon for the loss the English people are taxed to the who spent their lives cruising about in these unhealthy his power. extent of 100,0001. per annum. He was, therefore, situations to be thus defrauded. The judge of the ad- Lord COLCHESTER thanked the Noble Earl for the anxious, he must confess, to ascertain what reason the miralty court at the Cepe of Good Hope said that he had manner in which he had met his suggestion. With re- Chancellor of the Exchequer had to allege for any oppo• no cognisance of any other party save that of her Ma specs to'the Bill now before the House, he had no doubt sition to the measure. Whatever the article, rum, jesty. They were all aware of what Lord Cochrane said the principle was one which might be put into operation brandy, or gin, the same evil was liable to occur to the of admiralty courts. He feared, however, that since his beneficially, and therefore he should not object to the consumer of spirits, and he should therefore conclude by time another reformation would be exceedingly desirable second reading ; but he should oppose some of the d e . moving th a t th e H ouse reso l ve it se lf into a Committee of as f ar as t h e C ape o f G oo d H ope was concerne d . tails. His intention in the measure referred to by the the whole House. Mr. HUME seconded the motion, and begged permis- Noble Earl was to assimilate the powers of naval courts- The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER must sion to add St. Helena and the Australian colonies to the martial to those of military courts-martial. As the law really resist the proposition of his Hon. Friend. True return; because he had been informed that matters were now stood, with respect to the navy, cert a i n offences it might please the English and Scotch distillers, while it just as bad in those quarters. Those courts were under proved to the satisfaction of a court-martial, they must, might not prove injurious to the revenue ; but it other- no control; they might do as they liked, and if any sub whatever were the circumstances, pass the sentence of wise might prove detrimental to the public service. ject ever deserved inquiry the present was that one. death. He wished them to have the power of passing Mr. HUME said, as to what would please or Mr. WARD said that there could be no sort of objec such sentence as the offence might seem to deserve, displease the distillers of England and Scot- tion to the return, and from a specimen of a bill which which would correspond with the practice in the army. tland was not the question for that House or he had seen, there were other courts which were nearer After a few words from the Earl of AUCKLAND, the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consider. The home which also appeared to have the capability of which were not heard in the gallery, question to be considered was, whether it was right and making out a smart bill. If his Hon. Friend could sug- Lord SALTOUN said the Bill was susceptible of im- just that all spirits should be put upon the same footing. gest any new method for the organization of these provement, but he should reserve his opinions till the Why rum coming from Jamaica should be allowed to courts, he would be happy to attend to them. measure was in Committee. be bonded, and rum coming from Scotland not, was most COMMITTEE ON FEES. The Bill was then read the second time. extraordinary, and an anomaly he could not account for. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved The Naval Service of Boys Bill was read the second He thought that the House ought to accede to the mo- to add Lord Seymour and Mr. Pattison to the Com time. tion of his Hon. Friend, and resolve itself into a Coin- mittee on Fees in Courts of Law and Equity. The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL postponed till after mittee of the whole House for the purpose of considering Motion agreed to. the recess the presentation of a petition, of which he had the important subject brought f orwar d by his Hon. Mr. BORTHWICK moved the preparation and pro given notice, from the Rev. M. Kettlewell, master of the Friend. duction of accounts of the quantities of British sheep and endowed school of Clonmel. lambs' wool, and woollen yarn, exported from the The House then adjourned till Friday, the 28th inst. United Kingdom in the year 1846 ; specifying the coun tries to which they were sent. 01 the quantities of wool of the Alpaca and Llama tribe imported into the United Kingdom in the year 1846 ; and of the quantities re exported during the same period, and the countries to which they were sent. Of the quantity of mohair (or goats' wool) imparted into the United Kingdom in the year 1846 ; and of the quantity re• exported during the sarn period, and the countries to which they were sent. Of the quantities and declared value of British woollen manufactures exported from the United Kingdom in the year 1846 ; specifying the countries to which they were sent (in continuation of Parliamentary Paper, N 0.341, of session 1846). The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he had no objection to the return moved for. Agreed to. Mr. BARCLAY thought that the House ought to enter promptly into the redress of the grievance com plained of by the Hon. Member. The indirect result of this question was far more important than it at first appeared. The present Excise regulations required an immense outlay of capital, and the consequence was that the trade of distillation was in this country confined to a very few persons, and by means of this monopoly the prices of the article were kept up very considerably. He• thought the first proposition of the Hon. Gentleman was very reasonable, and that the second was based on perfectly sound principles. Now he believed, if they allowed British spirits to be rectified in bond, they would lay the foundation of a considerable export trade iu that article. Mr. MOFFATT replied. He bad heard nothing from the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the slightest weight against his motion, and he hoped his oppo,,ition would be considered equally unsatisfactory by the public. The principal ground of the opposition of the Right Hon. Gentleman was, flint the ri•venue would lose if his Bill became law ; but he (Mr. Moffatt) did not think that any such result would follow. ADJOURNED DEBATE., On the motion for the order of the day for the ad journed debate on the second reading of the Poor laws Administration 13111, The House then divided, %hen there appeared— Fur the motion 5l Against it Majority against the motion BRITISH SPIRITS. Mr. MOFFATT moved that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, with a view to adopt a Bill to purmit British spirits to he rectified in bond for exportation, and to permit rt ctifiyd spirits and compounds to be warehoused for exprtaiion, The CHANCELLOR of the EXU lEQUER said that the objection to this Bill WAS that it would ultima!ely Ise impossible to r,-ctify spirits at all, for if the duty was only to be charged after the spirits left the premises of the rectifiers, the Excise would not have the slightest c:otek for levying the duty on the spirits in the co un t r y. Th e li on . Gentleman ;laid that his Bill was founded on the Bill of an Hon. Friend of his, who seine years ago was Secretary to the Treasury ; but that Bill had not been proceeded with from that time to this. Experiments had been made as to whether it was possible to ascertain the different state of spirits while they were in the hands of the recti fier. If they succeeded he should have no objection, but at present he did not apprehend any such result. The adoption of the Bill would result in a loss to the Exchequer, and he should, therefore, have to raise the duty to supply the deficiency, which the state of the country would not permit him to do. Mr. HUME said, at the present time large quanti ties of spirits imported from Holland were exported to the Colonies, in preference .to a better and more desirable spirit which could be exported from Scotland if this measure were adopted. He was surprised that more of his free-trade friends did not support the last motion. He was at all times ready to support the Mi nistry when they were acting rightly, but in oppos ing this proposal they were stultifying their former votes upon free trade.—(Hear, hear.) He thought the best way to remove the difficulty would be for the House to resolve itself into a Committee on the subject. Mr. FORBES said that, if he understood the case rightly, it appeared that a great portion of the trade of this country found its way into the hands of the Dutch distillers. He really hoped that those Hon. Members who were in favour of the British distillers, and those who were in favour of free trade, would give their support to the motion of the Hon. Member. Sir GEORGE GREY, in reply to a question from Mr. B. Escott„ said that no doubt that illegal ptoceed is had taken place in some parts of the c6untry, but as et ncf personal vi.oleflc been committed, anti thcught it unfair to charge the thicurhancts that had taken place from the high price of c',:rn to the conduct of the poor guard:ans. Mr. HENLEY said that the law was in operation for fourteen or fifteen years: The attention of the Poor law Commissioners had been directed within the last few days to communications feat had been received on the subject, and he trusted that they would take the means necessary in reference to the subject. He thought they should not make a violent change in this law to which a majority of the people still adhered, from an approval of its principle, namely, local administra tion and central control. The question of due local ad ministration depended upin the weakness or the strength of a Government, when Government was strong it might snap its fingers at poor-Itsw officers, and when there was a eeak Government, this most important law, the operation of which was so beneficial to the country, would be endangered. He did not wish to enter into the abstract question whether or not Parliament had power to delegate its authority on the subject in question. The authorities that had been advanced on this matter were not at all analogous to the matter, and the defini tions that were given of what was understood to be unjust cases of distress, wens most contradictory, as Hen. Gentlemen would perceive by a reference to the report of the Commissioners of 1839, 1841, and 1844. With respect to the medical treatment of the poor, the Commissioners said, in their report, and he would read that report to the House.—(The Hon. Member then read an extract from the report of the Poor-law Commis sioners;)—from which it appeared that the parishes were in the habit of paying small salaries to the medical prac titioners, leaving them to make up their incomes from other sources. The Hon. Member then read an order of the Commissioners, recommending that the charge and salaries of the medical advisers should be left open to competition, but expressly providing that the charges made under that order should not exceed the expenses under the previous system. Now, had it not been for the humanity of the medical men themselves, the con sequences to the poor would have been disastrous in the extreme. In the parish in which he resided the salary formerly paid to the doctor was 101. per annum ; under the present system it was reduced to 21. 17s. 6d. per annum.—(Hear, hear.) And in the union in which that parish was situated the Commissioners had reduced the amount from 3001. to 2901., being a reduction of the paltry sum of 10/. Now, it was evident that the poor must suffer under such a distressing state of things. Then, with respect to workhouses, he must say that he felt great astonishment at the statement of the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home De partment, in answer to the speech of the Hon. Member for Dorsutshire (Mr. Bankes), that the inspectors of prisons had the same power in the regulation of the diet of the prisoners as the Poor. law Commissioners had in regulating the diet of the poor in the workhouses, such state ments should not be. made in that House without, at all events, his (Mr. Henley) endeavouring to show that such was not the case. There were express regulations by an Act of Parliament, the 4th Geo. IV., cap. 64, fixing the minimum of the allowance to prisoners. The amounts fixed by that Act haee never been re duced : they might have been increased. '['hut Act also made aitriqtta:e prevision for the spiritual vverits of the prisoners, slid ap - ,onittnent of chaplains. Sir G. GREY was nod: rsteed to say that in the speech h tee Hee. :Sleinher had alluded to he had me re l y C!(.. , irguitie“rs or the am. for , 11'..h (Mr. Ferrand).—that the Cientoissietisrs ha,] es:re* heir powers in regulating the dieters' of re. _ _ _ Mr. BARCLAY thought so much weight ought not to be attached by the Government to the objections of the Excise. If those objections were always to be raised as a barrier against fiscal improvement, the effects might be most disastrous to the best interests of the country. Mr. MOFFATT replied, and the House divided, and the numbers were For the motion ... ... ... 56 Against it . . 63 Majority ag ainst the motion ... —7 CASE OF MR. I)ILLON. Mr. S. CRAWFORD moved for copies of the follow ing papers respecting Mr. John Dillon's claim for prize money out of the proceeds of the smuggler brig Peru:— Statements of George F. Young, G. Punic, and Fergus O'Connor, Esqs., as to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's agreement in Mr. John Dillon's case. The decision of Admiral Sir E, Codrington on said agreement ; and the opinions of Admirals Sir C. Martin, Sir it. Stonford, and the late Sir P. C. Our?iatti then•on, and the legal opinions of Justice Sir IL Manic and the late &r William Follett thr,r, o n ; also the affidavit of Mr. William Burt, then chit-t - boatman of the Coast Guard station at Milk Core, c..Atnty C-rk, w;th rtlcrence to the Pei•ti ; and ;iltowi:e the afti:lav,t of clearance from the Cust.,m-house of New Y.rk by. Junes Hitche.,x. r of the P,ru, it , ,d the manife s t s of the cargo of the d and iiie uflrlavits ~f Ur. Patrick Monaghan ;:i. ; al=e. for a r> tout the vantity of Aid the Lohowit paid to Mr. 11,,t,ry a lct CU3N,4,-110t1%41 cilik;er ati Kin.ialc, as priZ: In At j ". ; ; . t.r a tifrity the ad.treswd to th , .. :q the 1:;: - asiiry by John dated t h e 20; it ~,y of March, 1847, The Hon. Member went into Lae particulars, which have already been several times bet,.r., the House, and coo tended that Mr. Dillon had been badly umed in regard t , this matter. It was said that he was not the actual captor of the brig in question, or directly engaged in the business ; but to that he would reply, that it was gene rally admitted, it' it could be shown a party was in any way a party to such a capture he was fairly entitled to his share of the rize-moni-y. That Mr. Dillon had been so engaged had been satisfactorily proved by high authorities. The Hon. Member then referred to several naval and legal authorities, to show that the claimant was fully entitled to his proper share of prize-money. He had no intention to follow this out, but the officer was exceedingly desirous that his character should be cleared of the charge of cowardice under which he now laboured, and that he should receive some remuneration fur his loss of pay and character. He trusted, therefore, that the Government would take the matter into their consideration, as the petitioner, he believed, had expended much money and time too, and was, he believed, in very reduced circumstances. Mr. PARKER said that on the part of the First Lord of the Tresury, he had to say that the papers were now in so different a shape that it was impossible to render them as they were desired. The original papers had been returned to the memorialists. Lord Spencer, through the medium of Sir Edward Codrington, had already decided the question, and he could not consent to have it re-opened. The question had been decided over and over again. All that were really public and official papers the Treasury were ready to produce, but those that were copies of private documents returned to Mr. Dillon himself they must decline. Mr. WAKLEY said that ho could not help thinking but that Mr. Dillon was an injared man; at one time his request was refused because he was charged with cowardice, but when that is challenged and found to be inaccurate, then they went upon another tack. Why, then, was the question of cowardice raised, unless it was intended to be relied upon—it was unbecoming the Minister of the Crown, or the conduct of a great de partment, to act in such a petty manner. Now, he would ask the Hon. Gentleman was he prepared to refer the question to a Select Committee - if he refused; he was quite confident that he did so, because he did not feel thoroughly impressed with the justice of his case. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he had not any objection to grant the returns moved. Mr. TIF;NLEY i in his course of argu ment, cm l (•tid,,,iv.iar to co:,tirist the direful Lk' rte.'/lei (0, , ith in- reckless c , :nduet o f t h e " t o tt,.. c..urse which they ha l pur sued the p.,or in the institution.; of this country. Tim [lon, then proceeaed to re the cl iuse of the Act of 4 'Coo. IV. c. 64, regulating the appointment of and fixing their duties, and contrasted with that. elAuse the order of the Poor-law Commis sioners on the. subject. By the one, two sermons on Sundays were to be vreached to the prisoners, but by the latter, only one to the pauper:. He was not required to catechise' the children, or to instruct the inmates, as by the Act of Geo. IV., and a miserable stipend was paid to the clergyman for the performance of his duties. By the operations of this Act, the unfortunate girl who was delivered of a child in the workhouse, was treated worse than the destitute girl out of the workhouse, who had taken away the life of her child, for which offence, a merciful jury found her guilty of the comparatively mild crime of concealing the birth of her child. And when these two girls should meet again in their native villages what would be the result of the treatment they had each undergone? but to impress upon their minds, and the minds of all who were acquainted with the subject, the fact that those who had committed crime obtain better treat ment than those who were guilty of no crime, except their poverty. Now could the House believe that had the Poor law Commissioners made the same provision for the pauper as Parliament made for the criminal, could they have witnessed so much disease and misery as had recently been found in many of the workhouses throughout the country ?—(Hear, hear.) An HoN. MENBER here moved that the House be counted. The galleries were accordingly cleared, but there being more than 40 Members present, , Mr. HENLEY proceeded to say that he bad shown-L. at least he had endeavoured to show—that the adminis tration of the law ought not to be taken out of the hand of the Legislature. Now he was particular that in making any revision of the present system, they should not in crease the difficulties of parties seeking relief, and he, therefore, regretted the more to see that this Bill did not take from the Commissioners any of those powers which they had indecorously exercised, both as regarded the law and the people. It relieved them of some of the formulas which had brought them into so much dis credit, but it did not take from them the real_ powers exercised by them formerly. It was intended by this Bill to associate three or four Cabinet Ministers with t t h he e Commissioners s ; te a p nd ? w w. ha h t ." , ,, le w t h h a i t m ch a a sk, nee w w o e u e lt l i d b a e party have of making an application in that of a' grievance, committed four Cabinet Ministers, who under House, t h f e o r l a w the, against redress would constitute a third of the whole Cabinet. Would not every question of that sort have to be fought tooth and nail as a Government question, and then how could these Cabinet Ministers give their attention to the working of the commission. It was foolish to supims,t, that they could, and th , , result would be that there would be one or two men as now, conducting the entire business of the commission. Still, however, every question o f grievance would be fought as if these Cabinet Ministers had taken part in the matter, and of course it would I become a Government questio;. Look again at the vast political influence it would give to the Government. There were thousands employed throughout thecoueneirny. under the poor•da w, a nd i n times ot a severe tested election it would be ann,tst ini eissibb- for Government to refrain from exerc a i l , r i e r a tg dy its ba it d i r tiu suffi - ei,lit , eiete ever them. Besides, he thought they number o: Gctvertiment officers in the Hobs:, but it was no t so much on that account that he objected bo t' ac t d hi va s whose whit of h i e p h e petty uldas the mixing up of Cabinet Ili a isters w j i t h' ci'llneete g i u ' a vi r l d h ia m ns, examining of ac the election ( o .ir f officers; s a l t :o r : . duties were merely de tail,cot;eu,eihmadsappoilituier.t e re t a o te b r e le m n length i ( t 3 h i 4 t a b o d n t i t:; ) e t ri v ci a i u . n rit_ s i t t l t i s i tilt! a• tti l T i s e connected had t'now w g w o i i t i l e i a h t as g t co ,ee n it t l e t, mplated; and in the Bill than he efitinthPehpreoioirtohft:g'thaii; Country in the state they te tn which conclusion h l were in at present—he imploreudsethh leseonttoil the agitator and thetlualteeafrsyoms- Il i: l e e s:: cl, legislated and for w h which he in pon which he now demagogue the powerful wea ddiidsconntnetntedscpriuioprl,ethattoParwPliteld when ho told the one mode, and tbr the rich in another. Hitherto the people of the country had looked up to the Crown as the redresser of grieva nces . When they felt that there had been a mal administration of the l aw , th e y a ppealed to the Minister ; b ut if the whom Crown wo uwldertehmeyadheatvhe t o the app eal: adminis trator of the l aw , t o lie warned the H ouse in pulsing this , then, not to be two precipitant inßill, but to direct,their serious attention Mr. F. BARING said that be hoped justice would be done ; and denied that there was any indisposition on the part of the Government, to which he had the ho nour to belong, to render Mr. Dillon, or any one else, all that justice or propriety demanded. Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD thanked the Right Hon. Gentleman for the courtesy which he had mani fested towards him, upon the present occasion ; he, of course, should remain satisfied with the concession which had been made to him, but the impression must still remain upon his mind that Mr. Dillon had been hardly ,treated. He would, therefore, withdraw his motion. NE W FO LINDLAND. Mr. HAWES morwil for leave to bring in a Bill en titled, " An Act to render permanent certain parts of an Act of the fifth and sixth years of her present Ma jesty, for amending the constitution of the Government of Newfoundland, and to declare that the rest of the said Act shall thenceforward cease to be in force." Mr. HUME desired to know whether there were any other colonies included in the Bill ? Mr. HAVES said that the object of the Bill was to restore the ancient constitution with some few ex ceptions. ADMIRALTY COURT AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Captain PECHELL moved for returns of all fees pay able in the several Vice-Admiralty Courts at the Cape of Good Hope and St. Helena, with a return of all offi cers and persons holding appointments in the said Courts, with the nature of the duty performed, and the amount of salary received by each, and, if paid by fees, the annual amount received by each since the Ist day of January, 1842 ; of the registrar's copy of the marshal's certificate of breaking up of the hull and of the sale of the cargo of the slave ressel Diana, condemned in the Vice-Admi ralty Court at the Cape of Good Hope, and transmitted by the agents for the captors to the Treasury on the iith LEEDS CENTRAL STATION BILL was proved, and that the preambles of the remaining Bills referred to the Committee were not proved, viz., the Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester (Extension to Water ford, &c.) Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland Junction Railway. Great Northern (Extension to Leeds and Wakefield, &c., and Deviation). The Committee then adjourned until:Tuesday week, when it is proposed to proceed with the clauses of the Leeds Central Railway Station Bill. GROUP XXXV. EAST LANCASHIRE DEVIATIONS (RAW STENSTAX.X. COAL BRANCH). The Committee met this morning, Mr. Fitzroy in the chair, when they first took the Rawstenstall Branch, which is merely a short extension, of ten chains lona, of the East Lancashire line, to enable the directors to get at certain va luable beds of coal. There was no opposition to the Bill. GROUP XXXVI. The Committee on this group re-assembled to-day at the usual hour, in Room 14; Mr. Roebuck in the chair. MANCHESTER AND SOUTHPORT AND 1111.A.NCELES. The decision on this line has been postponed till the report from the Railway Board be received. EAST LANCASHIRE (SOUTHPORT BRANCH AND PRESTON EXTENSION). Mr. Meek, C.E., was examined as to the engineering works required on the line. Mr. Nicholson, the director of the company, was also exa. mined in favour of the line. Mr. Part, solicitor, was examined in opposition. The decision in this case was also postponed. ST. HELEN'S CANAL AND RAILWAY (WAR RINGTON AND BLACKBRO OIC BRANCHES). Mr. Sergeant WRANGLIAM opened the case on behalf of the promoters of this line. Several witnesses were examined for the line. The case of the opposition will be gone into to-morrow. The Committee adjourned till to-morrow, at the usual hour. GROUP XLIV. The Committee met this morning at twelve; Mr. B. Deni son in the chair. DUNDEE AND PERTH (ALTERATION AND EXTENSION, AND INCHTURE, POLGA VIE, AND INCHMICHAEL BRANCHES). The preamble of this Bill being unopposed, was, after a formal examination of Mr. Thorns, declared proved. The clauses were then read and agreed to, a clause being in serted, giving the Perth Harbour Commissioners a dispensing power over the swing bridge propo►ed by the railway com pany over the river. DUNDEE AND NEWTYX.Z. _ The report of the Railivsy Commissioners was made on this Bill this morning, and the preamblewas declared proved, and the clauses read. The Committee then adjourned till eleven to-morrow. GROUP XLV. This Committee met this day in Room 16; Sir Dennis le Marchant, chairman, and proceeded to take the EDINBURGH AND NORTHERN (ST. AN DREW'S AND NEWBURGH BRANCHES). Traffic evidence was taken in favour of the promoters, and the formal proofs were put in by the secretary of the com pany. This closed the case for the promoters. Mr. WHATELKY,: Q.C., addressed the Committee for a Mr. Hay, of Maydrum, and then called witnesses to prove the injury to his property if this Bill were sanctioned. Mr. Ross then opened for the Cupar-road trustees, who were also petitioners against the Bill. The Committee then broke up. GROUP XLVI. NORTH intrrxsix RAXX.V7AY (No. X). _ . The Committee met at the usual hour, Mr. Bother= chairman. The CHAIRMAN stated the House would adjourn to-mor row, bat that it was the intention of the Committee to sit upon that day, and also that after that day the Committee would not meet again until Tuesday week. The cross-examination of Mr. Miller was then resumed by Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS—The proposed line would take about ten acres of the property of Mr. Miller. The water courses made for the purposes of irrigation were not shown upon the Parliamentary sections. Iu such parts where the railway would pass below the level of the water courses, there would be no difficulty in carrying the water across the line by means of a syphon ; ample provision was made for these expenses, under the head of contingencies. The radius of the curve at the part in question of the railway wcs ten chains. The railway would cross upon the level over several of the roads in the neigh bourhood of Mr. Miller's property. - Upon the roads pro posed to be crossed on Mr. Miller's property, there was a considerable traffic, chiefly among Mr. Miller's tenants, who were very numerous. He did not anticipate any objection from crossing the roads on the proposed plan. The North British crossed many of the roads by the same mode. Application was then made on the part of the Leith and Granton Railway Company, to cross-examine the witness. After some discussion upon the question of their locus standi, the room was ordered to be cleared, and the Committee decided that they should not be allowed to be heard. Mr. Merrit, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce at Leith, gave favourable evidence of a similar nature. Mr. 'Wilson, banker, of Kelso, also gave evidence to the same effect. This closed the case on behalf of the promoters. Mr. Sergeant BELLASIS then addressed the Committee on behalf of Mr. Miller, and contended that a better line could have been found, and one which would not at all have inter fered with the property of his client. At the conclusion of his address, The Committee adjourned till twelve to-morrow. GROUP XLVIL Thii Committee met to-day at three -o'clock; the Hon. Eliot Yorke in the chair. AIIiDUIE AND DATUGAT.E 3'I7NsTION (AMENDMENT AND DEVXATIOUT). The report of the Railway Commis,ioners on this Bill having been received to-day, on the meeting of the Com mittee the preamble of the Bill was declared to be proved, and the clauses of the Bill gma through and agreed to. This terminated the business of the group. GROUP XLVIII. GLAsGO `37" AND IVIONIELANDS TUNCTION (COWLAIRS CENTRAL. ZUNC• TZON AND CAR-AWL BRANCHES). (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. Johnston, C.E., was examined, with the objet of showing that Mr. Dixon's works, in Tradeston, would be conMerahly injured by the proposed line of railway, which passed under his tramroads, and altered their gradients very much. Mr. N. Robson corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. Mr. Mann, manager of Mr. Dixon's works, deposed as to the damage the intersection would do to the works, in sup port of the previous evidence. Mr. Errington, C. E., followed to a similar effect. This closed Mr. Dixon's case. Mr. AUSTIN replied on behalf of the Corporation of Glasgow. The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at twelve o'clock. GROUP XLIX. EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW. This Committer; met this morning, but after waiting two hours for the Railway Commiiaioners' report, and finding that it was not forthcoming, adjourned till the Ist June. COMMITTEES on PRIVATE BILLS. LIVERPOOL CORPORATION WATERWORKS BILL. The Committee assembled yesterday morning at 12. in Room 35, and were occupied with evidence on the above Bill, after which they adjourned. NAMUR AND LIEGE RAILWAY. The second annual meeting of the proprietors in this rail way took place yesterday, at 12 o'clock, in the London Ta vern, Bishopsgate-street. The chair was taken by Andrew Spottiswoode, Esq., President of the company. The Secretary having read the advertisement convening the meeting, the report was read, which was a very lengthy document, and related principally to descriptions of the works and cuttings carried on on the main line and its branches. It was stated, that between the bridge over the Meuse at Hemalle and the Pont du Val Benoit, on the right bank of the river, the greater part of the land has been acquired, and that the works were proceeding rapidly. A similar statement was also made respecting the line between Namur and Hey, which comprises a distance of eighteen miles and a quarter. The construction of the bridge over the Meuse at Hemalle is also actively progressing. This bridge will consist of five segmental arches, 82 feet in span, with a versed line of 10 feet. The directors had not been able to hopen any part of the line as yet, but they hoped soon to be enabled to do so. A. discussion arose as to the forfeiture of the line, in consequence of the works being incompleted ; but the directors assured the company no such advantage would be taken of them, for, in the first place, the delay in the corn • pletion of the works was occasioned by the Government them se!yes and, in the second, it was too much the interest of the Belgian Government that the line should be made. It Was five a pP l u s e Ls di t : a net t noo e ut d t.shi ye t e l c i an a nd t al t ttn l h l el e dae,n d atn i hr r dee e m c a t a o i r n s d u er 'ere n f willing the to pay tal tizzleale paid . up. The resolutions adopting the reporr meeting vote ot' separated. thanks having _ - REGISTRY of BIRTHS and DEATHS DURING THE WEEK EN DIN Deaths register e d i n the week. Births re G MAY 15. giitered in the we e k. Females ... 466 Males ... •.. 512 Males ... ..• ••• 668 Females ••• ••• 659 - - Total . • 978 Total ..• 1,327 Saturday s MALT.—An official docume n t, issued on S s tates - s tates that from the 10th of October, 1845 J u ne, 1846, duty was paid on 13 , 5 12,024 bush e l s Istof ria of The duty received in the period was 1,818,60 4/, From . ihe 10th of October, 1846, to the sth of April last, duty had been charged on :":7,922,962 bushels of malt. FACTORIES BILL. The Earl of CLARENDONpresented a petition from Halifax against the Factories Bill. REPORTS. The :Marquis of LA.N9/30 WNE laid the second report from the Relief Commissioners in Ireland, the report of the Commissioners on Lunatic Asylums (Ire land) for 1846, and other reports, on their Lordships' table. The NOBLE MARQUIS also moved, that the House, at its rising, do adjourn till Friday week.—Agreed to. CLERGY OFFENCES BILL. The Bishop of LONDON, who was but indistinctly heard in the gallery, moved the second reading of this Bill. He said that alteration in the existing law was allowed on all hands to be absolutely necessary. Lie himself submitted a Bill last session to persons who were well acquainted with the state of the law eccle siastical and common which was intended to effect some of these alterations. The Bill of this year referred those cases of offences in the doctrines and opinions of the clergy to the usual, the ancient court, where those sat on the bench who were acquainted with the eccle siastical and the common law. It proposed likewise an alteration in the trial of a clergyman before the bishop. Hitherto that had been conducted without the intervention of a jury. Now, however, there was a constituted and organized body in the Church, the canons, and canons residentary, including the archdeacons; and in case there should be no canons residentiary, the rural deans, who should be a jury, with power to the accused of challenging two of the jury, and likewise the next two that should be appointed in room of these by the bishop. The Bill, likewise, provided against the suspension of accusations over a clergyman's head for a length of time,—it provided that no person should have power to prefer a charge against a clergyman after five years subsequent to the alleged occurrence, except the bishop. He had stated to their Lordships his views with regard to this Bill. It was not so arbitrary as the measure under which the clergy now laid, for, under the old Jaw they might be brought to the bar of the court without any assistance from either their brethren or counsel. They might be now brought before the court assisted by their brethren, who would naturally be inclined to protect them, and by experienced lawyers. He would attend as far as was consistent with the main principle of the Bill to any suggestion for its alteration. There was nothing in the Bill contrary to the spirit or constitution of the Church or clergy, or to the principles of justice, either civil or ecclesiastical. Re only desired to give to the clergy that protection which the law as it now stood did not give. Lord BROUGHAM (who was nearly inaudible) was not prepared to deny that some such measure as the one proposed by the Right Rev. Prelate was necessary. Cases of the most scandalous description had come before him is the Court of Queen's Bench which would have come completely under the operation of this law. He was, however, far from saying that the whole of this measure ought to be carried into effect,and he wished shortly to state two obj , ctiouable points to which he wished to direct the attention of their Lordships. The deputies might be chosen by the Crown, and indeed there was nothing to limit the choice of them ; but, in the first place, such a court was not a regular, constant, or permanent court, and it could only meet as a distinct court every time any offence was committed. There were some provisions to which he could not give his adhesion. He would be anxious that the Bill should go into Committee, and they would then be able to see what beneficial alterations they could make. He cer tainly was, however, of opinion that the clause giving a right of challenge was also defective. The Bishop of EXE I'ER said that when the ecclesi astical court was originally constituted, it was in tended to be strictly and purely a court of appeal in ecclesiastical matters. It was not a matter of blame to those that sat in the other law courts that they should be incompetent to adjudicate upon ecclesi astical matters when they had not received the necessary education upon ecclesiastical subjects. The Act of Henry the Eighth, giving power to the law courts to deal with ecclesiastical ques tions, was oppa ed to the spirit of the Constitution. He rejoiced in the hope of his Noble and Learned Friend applying his strong and powerful mind to amending the Bill. But he thought that to leave the doctrines of the Church of England to the decision of a single mind was injudicious and impracticable, and was of opinion that a court of divines should be appointed to try cases of this sort, and decide what the doctrines of the Church of England were Any measure to be passed ought to be an effective mea sure. The Bishops were under a s:rict law of discipline. They were tried by the Archbishop, with six Bishops as assessors. The LORD CHANCELLOR said he could not feel very confident of the result of the measure which hal just been brought in. A measure which had been brought in by himself, with the consent of one of the Right Reverend Prelates on the front bench (London), but it was thrown out because of the opposition of the Right Rev. Prelate who had spoken last. It seemed, however, that all parties now agreed, and that Right Rev. Prelate with them, to com plain of those bad effects which that measure was in tended to remedy. Not only would the existence of a court of appeal operate beneficially upon individuals, but it would exercise a wholesome effect upon those who ad minister justice. Those who know the matter were well acquainted with the fact that no court could be so efficiently constituted as not to make the judges of the same perform their duties better by the knowledge that they were under the jurisdiction of another court. The conclusion of the Lord Chancellor's speech was quite inaudible in the gallery. - The Bishop of LONDON said ho was prepared to adopt any system that would work beneficially. After a few words in explanation from Lord BROUGHAM, Lord CAMPBELL replied. He said there was al ways a degree of suspicion about the fairness in clerical trials, and the common law judges and doctors of civil law. The Bill before the House left it very much in the same state as it was. The Bishop of OXFORD said there was great necessity of interposing by a stringent law not to convict the innocent but to protect the inno cent by convicting those who were really gu il ty. —(Hear.) Clergymtn felt often a great reproach lay upon them, if there was an impure member of their body, whom no law and no conviction could reach. He wished, especially, to press this up:m the atte nt i on of the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack, and his colleagues. After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM, The Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed this day forto4;ht, Earl FITZWILLIAM then moved for an account from each rateable district (whether union, electoral division, or otherwise) of the rates struck, levied, and in arrear, under the provisions of the Act for the tem porary relief of destitute per. ons in Ireland ; also accounts of the number of porsons, distinguishing males and females, adults, and children, to be relieved in each such district, accordin' to those provisbna of the said Act by which lists of such persons are to be made within each electoral division ; also return of the esti mates (made by the relief committees of each electoral division) of the sums needed from time to time for the purchase, &c., of food, under the provisions of clause of said Act ; and also a siatement of the rate per cent. of the rates, whether struck or levied, upon the valuation of the district according to the poor law valuation. After a few words from Lord MOUNTCASHEL, Earl GREY said he had no objection to the returns. The motion was then agreed to. ARMY SERVICE BILL. The report of the Army Service Bill, with amend ments, was brought up and agreed to. NAVAL PRISONS BILL. yw reason outlod believe liev madee would to the operate principle, beneficially. which Earl o f AUCKLAND, in moving the second reading of thi s Bill , sa i d he did no t a nticipate that any eobjectionver hat! , any objecti ons were made he should b e glad to to the details of the measure , consider them in Committee. Be hficihalhlye. l THIRD READINGS. The following Bills were read a third time and passed:—Belfast Port and Harbour; Birkenhead Com missioners Dock Acts Amendment (Construction of New Docks and Alteration of Culvert); Dublin Consumers' Gas; Duffryn, Llynvi, and Perth Cawl and Llynvi Val ley Railways Amalgamation; Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle Railway, and Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway (so. 4); Inverness Gas and Water; London Sewage Chemical Manure; M'Leod's (Dalkeith Glebe) &tate; Runcorn Gas; Hyde Improvement. On the motion of Mr. W YSE, the third readings of the following Bills were postponed:—The Waterford Road Bill, and the Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, and Dublin Railway (No. 1) Bill. REPORTS. The following reports were brought up:— Aberdeen Harbour. Ambergate, Nottinghum, and Boston and Eastern Junc tion Railway (Alteration (,) Line and Branches to Nottingham). Ayr Harbour. krshire RuudA. Caledonian Railway (Branches to Cationbie, &c.) Caledonianß way (Lease of part ui G;asguw, Dumfries, and Carlisle Railway). Coventry, Banbury, and Oxford JuNcLion Railway. East Lincolnshire Railway (Louili l'ilvigaiion Pur chase). East Lincolnshire Railway (Branch from Louth to Liu cola). Glasgow and Shotts Road. Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport Railway and Branch. London and South Western Railway (Andover to the I3ishopstoke and Salisbury Branch, &c.) Mac I),:ff Harbour. Metropolitan Sewage Manure. National Mercantile Life Assurance Society. Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford Railway De, viations. Newport, Aberaavenny, and Hereford Railway (Exten sion to Taff Vale Railway). North Staffordshire Railway (Alterations andßranches.) North Staffordshire Railway (Churnet Valley Line and Trent Valley Railway Junction). Portsmouth Paving, Lighti►ig, and Improving. Regent's Canal Company (Paddington and Limehouso Railway and BranCli): Sandwich Haven. Sunderland Improvement, Markets, and Bridge. Swansea Docks. Warkwurth Harbour. West Cornwall Railway. Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Harbour and Bridge Trusts. The reports on the following Bills were considered and agreed to : Kingsnorton, Northfield, &c., Rates. Lynn and Ely Railway (Deviation and Lynn Docks). LORDS' AMENDMENTS. On the motion of Mr. R. SPOONER, the Lords' Amendments to the Newmarket and Chesterfield Rail way (Extension to Thetford) Bill were agreed to. EDUCATION. Mr. THORNELY presented petitions from Wolver. hampton, praying that in any grant for the purposes of education, the Roman Catholics might be included. HEALTH OF TOWNS. Petitions were presented in favour of the Health of Towns Bill from Hull, Leeds, places in Cornwall, and Warrington. TRUCK SYSTEM—COAL MINES. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the coal• miners of England and Wales, complaining of the truck system, and praying for the appointment of Go vernment inspectors . POOR-LAW BILL. Mr. HENLEY presented petitions from Henley-on- Thames and Warwick praying for the amendment of the Poor-law Bill of last year. REPORTS ON RAILWAY BILLS., Mr. GREENE moved that the report on the Paisley, Barrht-ad, and Hutlet Railway Bill be taken into con sideration this day, notwithstanding that the breviate of the Bill, as amended in Committee, has not b..,en laid on the table the day previously. Also, that the report on the Paisley and Renfrew Railway ('ale and Inapreve• ment) Bill, be taken into consideration this day, not withstanding that the breviate of the Bill, as amended in Committee, has not been laid on Elie table the day previously.—Agreed to. ANATOMY AC I'. Mr. FERRAND presented a petition from numerous working tradespeople in the town of Leeds, c,tinelaitt ing that the provisions of the Anato,ev Act w,-re not, (tarried out, and that the in4p,etor tlid Lot te.,d anousl returns to the Houses of Parliament :).Zi brand to do. The petitioners prayed for su info the provisions of the Act. RAILWAYS BILL. The order of the day for the s, r,:alinv: or tfic Railways Bill was diseharzed. AGRICULTURAL TENURE. Mr. PUSEY presented several petitions from different parts of the country praying for an improvement in the law of agricultural tenure. REPORTS ON PRIVATE BILLS. Mr. GISBORNE gave notice that, at the time of private business, at the first meeting of the House after the holidays, he should move that it was not expedient that reports upon private Bills should be further consi dered in that House. PAROCHIAL RATING. An HoN. MEMBER (whose name we could not learn) presented a petition from an union in the county of Buckingham. praying that a system of union rating should be substituted for the present system of paro chial relief. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr. FERRAND begged leave to give notice that to morrow night he should ask the Secretary for the Hume Department, if any inquiry was to be instituted into the truth of a report now circulated in Sheffield, that the body of John Darby, an inmate of the union workhouse there, who died on the 10th of Dec., had been cut up into quarters, and sold for Os. a quarter, and that the Governor had refused to the friends of the deceased any inspection of the books or any information. Also, whether, on the 19th of February, five weeks after the death, a coffin, purporting to contain the body of John Darby, was interred in the church of the district. Mr. E WART gave notice that to-morrow he should present a petition from the inhabitants of Newcastle, in New South Wales, against the present system of trans portation to that colony ; and also that on Tuesday after the holidays he should move for an inquiry into the salt monopoly in India. SCOTCH REGISTRATION. Mr. MACKENZIE gave notice that, on the order of the day for going into Committee upon the Bill regu lating the registration of births, deaths, and marriages, in Scotland, he should move that it bo read that day six months. Mr. HUME gave notice that to - morrow he should ask her Majesty's Government if they had any objection to lay upon the table of the House the instructions under which the naval officers at Portugal at present interfered in the affairs of that country. BUSINESS OF THE lIOUSE. In answer to a question from Sir J. DUCKWORTH, Lord J. RUSSELL said, that it was intended to post pone the Health of Towns Bill from Friday, the 28th instant, to the Friday following. He would inform Vie House to- morrow whether on Fiitlav, the 28th inst , the Chancellor of the ; xchequer weeild lake me, Loan Dis count Bill, or whether he would I tope e that the house go into Committee of Supply. Mr. BUCK hoped the Government would not press forward the Health of Towns 11;11, a. it was generally Opposed by the lending towns in the kingdom. COLONIAL AND BRITISH SPIRITS. Mr. MOFFATT, in rising to bring before the House his Bill for assimilating t h e warehousing priv ile g es on colonial an d British spirits, said that he should trouble the House with very few observatiene, as this question had b een sufficiently discussed already. His object was to assimilate the warehousine ! •rivileges on colonial and British spirits. In S c otland and freland th e p rivile g es of bonding and paying duty only on that portion which was taken outer bond was already conceded, and he wiehed that England would adopt the same rule. The principle ; of the Bill h a d been recom mended by the parties m ost interested, an d t h erefore b est acqua inted with the sub ject, a n d h e t h ought that on t h e qu estion of revenue little oppositi on wou ld b e g i ve n by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. With reference to any defraudin g of the rev e n ue , h e b 'ggod to remind the Hou se, that while there w ere 17 8 di st i llers in Scot l an d there had been only 67 informationsinformations lodged within the la st few y ears, w hile in Ireland, where there were ninet y -seven distillers, no informations had been lodged. Let them contrast this state of things with England , where there were few di s till ers and many informations. This regu lation only a ff ected the manu f ac turers of spirits, and therefore he was en ti t l e d to e ither one protection or the other, and h e b e li eved that di s tillers generally, if they wore left unt rammelled, wou ld rather distil from wet corn than fro m aucyar, On the other hand , t he y would be glad if they haethe opportunity to distil from barley , and, consequently if that were alloiT ed, t here would to more effectually removing the evils of the pres ent sys t,m, with "L adee - g- t , the tower of the Minister, or zi tie would come when the. p e a plc viroele t inn titalt r into spelt own hanils.--(C hee rs ) Mr. P. SCROPE said it had been rema rked by other Members who had previously s poken, besides th ose who had just sat down, that this discussion bad brought forth three or four different subjects, each of them differing from the other. First, there was the question of the Bill before the House ; secondly, the question which was raised by the amendment of the Hon. gent.: ber for Knaresborough, as to the merits or demerits ot the Poor-law Amendment Act of 1834 ; and, thirdlir there was the question of the merits and personal con duct of the Poor-law Commissioners themselves.„ (Hear, hear.) He agreed with the Hon. Gentleman w,o_ last spoke as to the difficulty he had po inted out in !ay existing system, such as the inefficient remuneratio: given to the chaplain and medical offi cer of parisheu; and the distinction that was made betwee n the refire instruction of the pauper and the criminal; butetshos; were matters for after consideration. Th e real for them now to consider was, whether the present law Commission was good; but before considering tte; point, he must first ascertain what was hen o principle of the Act of 1844.-0 104 e the The principle of the Poor-law Amendment Alt wa s asserted removal of local abuses, and to that principle he huoit„ at the time the measure was introduced. tte , t he ° r was however, that to abolish the commission aLtog e '" aQ on e not the way to get rid of local abuses. Thai * - c-- d put down reason of the unpopularity which the coninussion met with, for in consequence of their seekingpo vosition speculation, favouritism, and jobbing, a str° ll gAfi, g reat was excited against them. Another reason o unpopularity, was the prepossession against wh i c h bad sive workhouse test to the able-bodied poor, ifS not the effect, as was anticipated, of raising the of the labourer. The poor-law was the very worse.e, the exclu the allowance system. The latter applied no tests,._L", former applied the labour tests, and tended to D l3l * back the pauper to the condition of a labouring mil' There was a confusion in the mind of s ome Upon tolideol two very different systems. He always disaPPW the allowance system. At the same time tittle there it much to be said against the union workhouses...be might be too much to say with the Hon. lew_ O f for Knaresborough to call them gaols, but the defenreefor these same rt ceptaeles, by the Learned iden 3 ,,, be go to Bath, was very bumble, when all that he eO O3 „' lt tes show that they were not gaols was, that tbe could walk out when they pleased. Mit it' .1 0 t rea son mitten, with a recent author, that there W ee h - te ore difficult to express. Why. every decent man t _e 33 ,l; every decent woman, felt they ought not to h ouse Wall On the motion of an HON. MEMBER, the •R e , °- ",,," bees counted, but there was a sufficient number of rae present. fier y Ott Mr. P. SrROPE continued—He thought i ' a g "„' cub: must be left to the Central Commission. .•1. - ,„ 41 but give his support to the measure before the neu;i t o he tut, ted that by amendments yet to be intr? d A g °o wed Bill would be carried out in the manner he 'l' out. ha d fdl Sir W. JOLLIFFE said that, after whatleft from the lion. Member for Stroud, there was littleber bsd for him, although he thought that the Hon. Me stn thfre alto ether seemed to mistake what bad fallehr to s hir t Hon. Member for Oxfordshire. He aPPe gre ' g oer . that that Hon. Member objected to a central __ D O Now the Hon. Gentleman had advocated the °T.7 O be for a central board of control. He regretted,..a could not coincide in all the opinions advanced see 0' by the Noble Lord who had sat as chairman on the:_ or .lan' Union Committee. He had to defend the Commissioners in dismissing the Assistant toy sinners, and he alleged that they were course; because Mr. Parker, one of these assier e w s . 1 ( 150 d o l; conducted the inquiry into the practices at An, poor,` very partial manner. No wonder that Mr. Par:;orlaff have exhibited something like partiality. Th distr ics Commissioners had sent him down to his own , ob iotae• make these inquiries, and they it was who werL ow iedg e and not Mr. Parker. The Noble Lord did OA' t Appel at that the proceedings against Mr. Parker mi l on the part of thecommtssioners irregular e ere.: he (Sir W. Jolliffe) thought they w ere more yr...aolud trary, he thought that they had been also t hey altogether at variance' with the A ct under Whl'" o , the full ra t : J 3 -111 es had been constituted. He felt in a s Hon. Member for Oxfordshire the d efects of t in order at present proposed, and be trus ted that,__ 4 l o to make it what it was intended to be, cousir had ever provements would be introduced into it. -.e out this endeavoured, as an ex officio guardian, to cagyi e a l w ays law in a humane and lenient manner; but he,p l . - of the found that there were inherent evils in itself ° not be overcome. One of the greateste ~adreiseioo law as et present administered workhousesne for the of the able-bodied poor into the I ritY order or regn-e House might rest assured that no . as Old could be observed in these establishments as Yong class was admitted. Ihisich could • Baron et Sir JOHN WALSH regretted that the fion O had felt it necessary to advert to the proceedings ,b 9 Andover Union, as 'that inquiry had already occuplee greater portion of last Tuesday's dikussion. 'He (Sir ° Walsh), as one of th e Memners of that House w as obliged to give his atte ndance during these sil k ", days, deemed it right that he should state a few Of L t". l reas ons which had led him to a conclusion s omewi l , different from that arrived at by a majority of the ot ee ing ; and in the first place , it should be remelt:: bered, that the Poor-law Commissioners were b ra u i n g a n i e . d ibtefsohroeulda be m o r s e t me s m ev b e e r r e ed a t n h d at a s s tri tti ng e e w rif el fe : _ rs themselves n elve o s bn u o n x p i o o p u u s of th lar p ; e i w t e s r hou th ld e beeefuelmthiessriereninerk"'''. rreoaf that the Committee was comprised of a great nnio", e- -, et h Hon. Gentlemen well acquainted with these inclultnee and in particular there was one Hon. and 14 1 r w ho Member who acted as the advocate of Mr.Parkeriaeu„,is. took throughout a course, the most hostile to theeo°3l-0. sinners. He would say that it was impossiblef oranY Note lie men to submit to a more severe ordeal theit they , s subjected to during the whole investirti,oi!.ooeiri was, also to be recollected that the coinntle.st in , were also subjected to the suggestions and . tilt i :nte e formation which a person thoroughly aeclualioeil with their every act, who had been OM into the most intimate confidence of the codnissiol!te_[l.: who was familiar with the whole coutse of their colle'_,u, and who was, I must - say, most unscrupulous7-(Ch —inasmuch ns he was prepared to mike use of anY' ne , formatien which he received in the strictest confidFeioo however private. No pas Sing expresiiion . of °P in ke r en any subject, however confidential, that Mr. Pe r was not ready to bring lorward before the Comrait tee violation. as he (Sir J. Walsh) must say, Of- all th°_, rules which he did think it was of the utmost importanG; to the Wine service, as well as the security of prilt . t , society, ought to be kept up.—(Cheers.) The fact V': per ectly admitted that great evils existed in the unto_P . workhouse, but those were no t attributable to the eoe!ii missioners. But the main question was the treatulocia which the Assistant Poor-law Commissioners receiv, at their hands—and here he might remark that ,11 00 Assistant Poor law Commissions was not an e lli „ 0 of that permanent character which some gentleo3-a suppo-ed it to be, it was always undere t f, ° ft , to be rather of a temporary character, and thereW'd dismissals and changes ought to have been suffered , t in e were so, without either complaint or remonstraneee h ; l g they all admitted tile power of a central authority, should all admit the perfect right to check and Cont e ,, their subordinates. With regard to th e case of r• he he must say that that gentlemanappeared b fore t Committee with every adv e side ; he had been led to upon his, brou gh some misunderstanding, that o hesepposes been d ir placed to make way for er w hich as soon as it was explained some other offtc _ :tte d to him, he at once stall" his error. Mr. Day was a most person' an' excellent kiw ei man of very considerable talent, but be rendered very unpopular while cl . h • d • Ise arging theduties of a Ft)(3l - Commis • w olf , Commissioner, in a very critical period, 0 o tt er during the Rebecca riotsand it h f re • a 035 • ; of great importance that he should be removed • in opinion, they acted with regard to Mr. Da y perfeet l i accordance with the nature of the discretion irupolef the the commissioners, who embraced the c apabilitY ° par person who was employed. With respect to Ur. that ker, it does not appear a very strange circtunstanc? !D.:a a resolution should be carried that he had not cont i luT ien the inquiry at Andover with impartiality. ella, e l ' ha a that a cry should be made at the treatment which n 0 received. That would be removing all the discrett ib o power, which ought to rest in the ha nds of the co lAA, stoners. And now, with regard t o the Bill itself, he °, 3 „,,, say that, although always a friend ; to the new pooreu'e, it was with great difficulty that he gave his adhesion:s it. The Ministry would be very assailable from t h m e modification which it was intended to introduce, but t 1 should not carry his opposition so f a r as to ob j ect to second reading. Mr. FLOYER said that he considered it was ratl' e d t painful and humiliating, that after a period of thirt ee n years, since the passing of the Poor-law amend o l li n - p and after the numberless Committees which had 58 " the stair-, that the result of their labours should be t ae removal of the Act of last session, end „ s ale present Bill, which did not, by any means, gr gi ril 0 . with the real or fundamental part of the q uesO nf Th .re was a provision that should enable Members in this b eird to s:t in the House. He thoug ht thas e• some pints of vie w, that that was a benefi c ial arrs i lhe ment, but there were also many objt ctions to it. .O Right Hon. Baronet had, however, stated his views hector:, clearly upon the'subject, that he thought that t lance was, upee the whole, in favour of t h e prop o4 _ o In leoking through the Bill, he thought that there ra the only provisions of any real importance in the sure. It was true that a central authority naustkevo maintained as long as the Act of 1834 wa i s . t he in op The eration in all the unions to which ele ord, r of the commissioners app lied. re lie f bodied pauper was disentWeri from r,,ceiving ari/ rig ht except i;1 the workhouse. The measure inig' , t wider in some paints, btu it certainly was one of very often and able pres'ure upon the p or man, arid it would "I wh ich that last weight to the difficulties of the poor man of would ruin and sink him. 'there was another tpar'ino the power of the Poor law Commissioners, nanio:gerhe power of making regulations for the workhousecetnery, Right Honourable Baronet 'he Horne S &ge lled alluded to that the other night, sou . out pared it to the power of t he visiting niagistr atses wised. how was the power of visiting magistrates_ j ipin by They must go in accordan ce with the ru l es laid 00 1 ,0 rules bee the Acts of P a rliament. In this measure the absolute and undivided authority to pass such _ :e d its he did think that the House would have well occupied time in framing these regulations instead of many other measures, whose importance was nothing of when us' e re comparison to it. In the year 1836, fficers 11- guardians were formed,auditors among other o t _ appointed they continued to be in o ffi ce shoo .e l o u f their /era bat a subsequent regulation altered the mod se I election. Considerable abuses had since, d tbe 'n ao instances which he could mention, crept performances of some of these officers was bydower@ in conformity with the Act under which their ow } i