The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-31 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

defer the committee for three months.—This led to a
lengthened discussion, and, upon a division, the amendment
was negatived by 70 to 47, and the house went into committee
upon the bill. Before the clauses had been gone through, the
chairman was ordered to report progress.
The order for the second reading of the Powers under Im-
provement Acts Regulation Bill was discharged.—The Cus-
toms' Tariff Acts Amendment and Consolidated Bill went into
committee pro forma', for the purpose of receiving amend-
ments.—The lords' amendments to the Edinburgh Lands Bill
were agreed to.—The Ledbury Prebend Bill was read a second
time.—The Inverness-bridge Bill was read a third time and
passed.—The Encumbered Estates (Ireland) Acts Continuance
Bill was read a third time, and passed.—The Church-rates
Abolition (No. 2) Bill was withdrawn.—The Office of Speaker
Bill passed through committee, as did also the Joint Stock
Banks ( Scotland) Bill, the Island of Tobago Loans Bill,
and the Passengers Act Amendment Bill.
The house adjourned at six o'clock.

THUR.
The Speaker took the chair atSDAY 12 o'clock.
Petitions were presented by Mr. Horsfall, from Liverpool,
and by Mr. H. W. Wickham, from the shareholders of the
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, against the Accidents on
Railways Bill.
LAW OF PARTNERSHIP.—On the order for going into com-
mittee upon the Limited Liability Bill, Mr. MIINTZ, in
moving to defer the committee for three months, denounced
the whole policy of the bill, the principle of which, he argued,
was unsound.—ln the course of the subsequent discussion,
Mr. W. BROWN reiterated his objections to the measure. He
might say from his own experience in transactions which he
had bad with France and the United States, that, whensoever
he had come in contact with parties who were established
under the principle of limited liability, it had always injured
the credit of those parties in his estimation. He was reluc-
tant to part with the advantages this country now possessed,
unless he could be assured of some countervailing advantages
to be obtained from a new law.— The discussion
having continued some time, Lord PALMERSTON said,
I really do entreat the house not to waste time in discussing
whether we should or should not discuss these bills, but to
go at once into committee and discuss them there, where
those who object to the bills may state the grounds of their
objection, and those who are in favour of them may state the
grounds on which they support them. My own opinion is—
and no one denies—that these bills are of the utmost interest
and importance. I confess lam quite surprised that gentle.
men who have been the strenuous and successful advocates of
the principles of free trade should now turn round and try to
defeat these bills, which are based upon those very principles.
I will say in a few words that this contest lies between the
few and the many. It is just one of those instances in which,
I won't say the prejudices, but in which the opinions of the few
are to be set against the interests of the great bulk of the com-
munity. There is nothing,l am persuaded,that would tendmore
to the general advantage of the public than the setting free, as
these bills will do, small capitals, that they may be turned to
profitable employment. The present law prevents that being
done. There is, consequently, a great quantity of small capital
looked up, which, if these bills were passed, might be em-
ployed for the benefit of those who possess them, and also for
the advantage of the community at large. It is a question
of free trade against monopoly. I don't say it offensively,
but that is the real fact. You may disguise it as you will,
but it is a principle well understood by every man in the
country, I can assure you ; and I tell the House that I feel so
strongly on this question that I will urge the House to go on
day by day, and morning after morning, with these bills, and
if it is attempted to talk these bills out, and to consume time
by long speeches, the country shall at least see with whom
the fault rests, and who it is that would deprive the nation
of that advantage which I contend these bills would afford,
if passed. Of course, at this time of the session, if gentlemen
are determined to waste time by long speeches, and prevent
business from being done, the consequence may be that we
shall have to sit, perhaps, into the month of September. I can
assure the house that no exertion and no determination shall
be wanting on my part to give the public the benefit
of this change in the law during the present session.—
Mr. MITCHELL remarked that with regard to what had been
said by Lord Palmerston, he thought they were observations
altogether uncalled for ; and more improper observations he
had never heard fall from the lips of any minister. The com-
mercial members of that house were far from deserving the
character of obstructors of public business. Their whole
deportment in the house was most unobtrusive. Why had
the noble lord allowed those bills to sleep ? They were in-
troduced before Whitsuntide; and yet the noble lord chose to
occupy the time of the house by the discussion of two bills
which he knew there was but little chance of passing—
the Tenants' (Ireland) Compensation Bill and the Scotch
Education Bill—and suffered these bills, which he now
deemed to be of such vital importance, to lie dormant.
And, when honourable members wished for time to express
their opinion upon them, the noble lord sought to intimidate
them by threatening to continue the sittings of the house
from morning to morning till thelmonth of September.—
The debate still continued, and in the course of it, Mr.
BOUVERIE said he, on the part of the Board of Trade, pro-
tested against their being intrusted with the odious power of
granting charters. He thought that this question, apart from
the general one of limited liability, was one which the house
ought speedily to decide, and he therefore trusted that hon.
members would support him in going into committee.—Mr.
CARDWELL agreed with the hon. gentleman in thinking that
nothing could be more objectionable than that the Board of
Trade should be intrusted with the arbitrary power of grant-
ing charters, but when Lord Palmerston said that these were
important measures and that the house would incur great
responsibility if they did not carry them through this session,
he (Mr. Cardwell) might be permitted to ask, if this was a
question of such cardinal magnitude and importance, why
were the bills only introduced, without a speech, the night
before the Whitsuntide recess. And why, since the Whit-
suntide holidays, had not a single evening been afforded to
the house for the purpose of investigating the subject. (Hear,
hear.) He wanted to know why they had been occupied so
long by the Scotch Education Bill, which was thrown aside in
the other house ? and why had they been occupied so long
with the Tenants' Compensation Bill, which was dropped as
soon as they had got through the controverted points of that
measure. He also wished to know, if this was a measure
of such great importance, why they were not asked
to go into committee upon it until the day after
the other house would not read a bill a second time ?
Ultimately the amendment was negatived by 123 to 42, and
the house went into committee ; but, it being near four
o'clock, the chairman was ordered to report progress before the
first clause had been discussed.
PASSENGERS ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.—A great number of
the clauses of this bill were agreed to, when the chairman re-
ported progress : the house then suspended its sitting until six
o'clock. The house resumed at six o'clock.
SALE or BEER BILL.—Mr. H. BERKELEY brought up the
report of the committee appointed tip inquire into the working
of the act of last session relative to the sale of beer on Sun-
days, and gave notice that on Monday he should move for leave
to bring in a bill to alter the law upon that subject.
THE RECESS.—In answer to a question whether, in the
event of circumstances arising during the recess calculated to
put an end to hostilities, the noble lord would consider it his
duty to call Parliament together before ratifying terms of
peace, Lord PALMERSTON said if during the recess any cir-
cumstances should occur which in the opinion of Her Majesty's
Government would render it desirable or necessary to call
Parliament together sooner than the usual period, they will
feel it their duty to do so. He could not at present answer
such a question more precisely.
The Turkish Loan Bill was read a second time.
EDUCATION.—The House went into a Committee of Supply
on the Education and other Civil Service Estimates.—Sir G.
GREY, in moving a vote of £396,921 for public education,
explained the various items, the details of the application
of the Parliamentary grant, and the condition of the schools.—
After a discussion of at least four hours, the vote was agreed
to. ;The vote of £215,200 for public education in Ireland was
the subject of another long discussion, but was ultimately
agreed to. Two more votes having been agreed to, the
CueruniAli reported progress.
The house went into committee on the Excise Duties Bill,
and the several clauses were agreed to after some discussion.
—The Public-houses (Ireland) Bill, and the Turnpike Acts
Continuance (Ireland) Bill were read a third time and passed.
—The order for the second reading of the Nuisances Removal
(Ireland) Bill was discharged.—The Joint Stock Banks (Scot-
land) Bill, and the Island of Tobago Loans Bill were read a
third time and passed.
The remaining orders were then disposed of, but some few
o'clock, 19 members
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