The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-06-19 00:00:00

THURSDAY.

The Lands Improvement Company Bill was read a third
time and passed.
NEEDLEWOMEN.—The Earl of SHAFTESBURY moved that
the Bill for Limiting the Working Hours of Needlewomen be
referred to a select committee, and explained how he proposed
to obviate the notorious evils complained of,by prohibitingwork
during " the London season,"—defined as a period of time ex-
tending from the Ist of May to the Ist of August—between
the hours of 10 at night and 8 in the morning, and, during the
rest of the year, between the hours of 8 at night and 8 in the
morning.—Lord GRANVILLE did not rise to oppose the motion,
but to point out the extreme difficulty of legislating with any
effect on such a subject.—Lord MALMESBURY, on the contrary,
thought the plan perfectly feasible.—After some further dis-
cussion, in which Lord CAMPBELL, Lord STANLEY of Alder-
ley, Lord 0,7E1=0/.IE, and the Duke of ARGYLE took part,
the motion was agreed to, and the bill was referred to a select
committee.
"The Gold Finger Rings Bill was read a second time.—The
Cambridge University Bill was read a third time, and passed.—
The Administration of Oaths Abroad Bill passed through com-
mittee.—The Brighton Incorporation Bill and the Ecclesias-
tical Courts Bill (Amendments) were read a third time and
passed.—The County Palatine of Lancaster Trials Bill passed
through committee.
&LIPS' MEASUREMENT.—The Earl of HARDWICK, who had
placed upon the paper a notice that he would call the atten-
tion of the House to the subject of the measurement of ships
for tonnage and to the mode of estimating the steam power
for propelling ships, with a view to amend the law on the sub-
ject," said that on the present occasion he would content him-
self with laying on the table a bill for the amendment of this
law. Upon the second reading he would state more in detail
what the objects of the measure were. Their lordships ad-
journed at a quarter past 6 o'clock.

The Validity of Proceedings (House of Commons) Bill was
read a second time at half-past ten o'clock, a. m., and, the
standing orders being suspended, went through its other
stages and was passed.
The royal assent was given by commission to the News-
paper Stamp Duties Bill, Sewers ( House Drainage), Registra-
tion of Births ( Scotland), Ecclesiastical Property ( Ireland ),
Brighton Incorporation, Validity of Proceedings ( House of
Commons), Oldham Gas and Water, Over-Darwen Gas, Lan-
cashire Water and Gas, Liverpool Corporation Water, .Ashton-
under-Lyne Water, Manchester Improvement, and several
other private Bills.
A brief discussion took place with reference to the site of
the proposed new public offices.
RELIGIOUS WORSHIP BILL.—The Earl of DERBY, on the
order of the day being read for the recommittal of the Reli-
gious Worship Bill, moved that it be referred to a select com-
mittee, on the ground that it had been hurried through the
lower house, and that sufficient time had not been allowed to
consider so important an alteration in the law. He was not
desirous to impose restrictions on religious instruction, but he
objected to sweep away at one blow all difference between the
clergy and the laity, and abrogate the functions of the paro-
chial clergy. A discussion of considerable length ensued, after
which their lordships divided, when the numbers were—For
Lord Derby's motion, 47: against it, 30—majority, 17. The
bill was accordingly referred to the select committee.
The Education of Poor Children Bill was read a third time
and passed.—The Gold Finger Rings Bill went through com-
mittee.—The Administration of Oaths Abroad Bill and the
County Palatine of Lancaster Trials Bill were read a third
time and passed.—Their lordships adjourned at a quarter to
eight o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

TUESDAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'clock.
The Validity of Proceedings (House of Commons) Bill was
read a second time.
The House then went into committee on the Metropolis
Local Management Bill, commencing with clause 69, and
having proceeded as far as clause 124, further proceedings
were adjourned.
DECIMAL COINAGE.—Mr. W. BROWN moved a series of
resolutions, " that the initiation of the decimal system of
coinage, by the issue of the florin, has been eminently success-
ful and satisfactory ; that a further extension of such system
will be of great public advantage; and that an address be pre-
sented to Her Majesty, praying that she will be pleased to
complete the decimal scale with the pound and the florin, as sug-
gested by two commissions and a committee of the House of
Commons, by authorising the issue of silver coins to represent
the value of the one hundredth part of a pound, and copper
coins to represent the one thousandth part of a pound,
to be called ' cents ' and ' mils ' respectively, or to bear such
other names as to Her Majesty may seem advisable." He
argued at some length in support of the motion, citing many
authorities.—Lord STANLEY seconded the motion. There
were two practical questions—first, what should be the par-
ticular unit or basis ; secondly, whether any inconveniences
would arise in effecting the change that would materially
detract from its advantages. With regard to the first question,
three different plans had been suggested—first, that of making
the penny the basis or unit ; second, that of retaining the
penny and dividing the pound into 24 pieces of 10d. each ;
third, the plan proposed in the resolutions, which was that
embodied in the report of the committee. He pointed out
the objections to the first two plans, and the comparative
advantages attending the last, and upon the second ques-
tion he contended that there would be few real prac-
tical inconveniences consequent upon the change. Mr.
J. B. SMITH moved, as an amendment, to leave out from
the words " pleased to" to the end of the question, in order to
add the words, "invite a congress of representatives of all na-
tions, at some convenient place, with the view of considering
the practicability of adopting a common standard of moneys,
weights, and measures" instead thereof.—Mr. LOWE did not
think the plan suggested by Mr. Brown a proper one ; on the
contrary, it was open, in his opinion, to powerful objections.
He entreated the house, however favourable men of science
might be to the change, before it adopted a measure so puz-
zling to the poor, to give more time for maturely considering
the subject in a committee, and not rush at once into a pro-
ject which, instead of economising, would multiply labour.—
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the house was
under great obligation to Mr. Brown for bringing this subject
under its consideratien ; but, in doing justice to his motives,
it was necessary to examine the nature of his plan, in order to
form a judgment of its practical operation. Assuming the
pound as the unit, he had proposed to make the florin and two
new coins money of account, so that there would be four
denominations of money of account, two of them being new
coins. His first objection
.to Mr. Brown's plan referred to
the cent and mil, as con!, which would be so minute
that they could not maintain their ground in circulation.
Other inconveniences would result from their employment as
money of account. Serious difficulties would, moreover, arise
in the practical introduction of the new system, which could
not be carried into effect by a royal proclamation, or without
an act of parliament ; so that an address to the Crown would
be ineffectual. If the Crown should concur with the house, and
the house voted money for the issue of these new coins, they
could not be constituted money of account without the sanction
of Parliament. Under these circumstances, he thought the
house would not be prepared at that moment to record by a
solemn vote any resolution upon this difficult subject, and he
recommended Mr. Brown to withdraw the motion, assuring
him that the subject should receive the most careful con-
sideration of the government.—Mr. CARDWELL said no
doubt the scheme was beset with inconveniences, but the
difficulties were not insuperable, though he did not think
the time had arrived at which this great change could be
carried out.—Mr. BROWN proposed to withdraw all but the
first resolution ; but, this course being objected to by Mr.
Heallam and by Lord Palmerston, the house divided, when
the first resolution was carried by 135 to H. The second

resolution was agreed to without a division, and the third, for
an address to the Crown, was withdrawn.
Mr. KENNEDY was proceeding to move a resolution on edu-
cation in Ireland, when the house was counted out at half-past
eleven o'clock.