The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-09 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a special court was held for the ditcut-
sion of two subjects of cousultratils inttr,st in is City of
Ltnion.

LEASEHOLD TENURE OP LANDS BILL.

Alterman LAWRENCE. in the absence of Aldermen
Hugel/bevy, the governor of the Lich Society, rose to present
petitions to both houses of parliament, preying that the is.
macs under the control of the Society be exempted from the
eperattun of the bell now pending. entitled " Au Act for
Converting the Renewable Lefewould Tenure of Lasts in
Ireland bete a Tenure in Fe ." Alderman Lawrence, in
ropoting the adoption of the petition, called the attent un
of the court to the a vrsordietery tact that the Kept rty of the
Irish S ciety was iecluded in toe operation of the bill, al-
though it was admitted by those who leer educed it that it
the c endnet of the Society had been imitated by the mass of
Irish landlords, much misery would have been aver:ed from
the Irish people.
Toe RECORDER advocated the objects of the petition,
which, as legal adviser to the Irish Society, he felt it
duty with all his power to endeavour to promote and carry
into execution. The bill from the operation of which the
corporation desired to have their Irish estates exempted,
involved, he might say, almost the very exists ce of the
Irish social. It was calculated not only to prevent it from
duieg good by the efficacy of their example, but it was a
positive impediment to the performance of the centract
intoisehich they had entered we h King James 1., when that
monarch granted them a charter to establish au Engiash
colony on •he estates forfeited by act of attainder against
c main of his Irish subjects who had been guilty of re
Mr. WIRE was detidedly opposed to the bill as to its
arpleability to Birder, and the esetates of the Melt So
cie.y ; but he expressed • firm belief In its efficacy as
• remedy fey the evils which existed ro abundantly in
other parts of Ireland, by affording the means of riddle g
'he land of that clam of men ey e. horn she wes ►auk into her
referent d plorahle condition. (Hear, hear.) Is wee his
int, naive to ask the court to si ply to aU the ride
frimpanies to joie. with the e erporation in buying some o' the
extensive estates in Ireland, io arcordateet wile the sugges-
tion of Sir Robert Peel, and he would instance that of Mr.
Martin, of Galway, as d eeeee iog of tierce in such a (Tem.
Mr. PEW TRESS said he was, notwithstanding all that
had been wild and read, at a lees to know hew the ten•tnte
of the Irish Society were to be injured by the bi.l. They
were waded to the gamer .1 tenantry of the country, and
participated in their feelings and wishes. It they were
happy an•l contented they would probably remsin as they
were, and not take advantage of Dm measure ; but, te
they were diseetiefied and discootentcd, he could
not see why they should be prevented tram testing its
ellt -icy.
aerie Sometimes they were to he found supporting free
trade, but the moment arything affecting their peculiar in-
terests we. brought forward they cried eut, '• Oh, you meet
exempt no fr m the operation of that bill. That well
never do for us." In hes opini n the tenantry of the !rah
Secie ty would remain as they were, whatever might be the
result, and woo d lee enabled to support their families with-
out resorting to the alternative of charity, the dependence
upon which was really the curse of that country.
Mr. BENNOCH slid he dil not understand the exact
nature of the bell, and he wished to hove some precise know-
ledge on the mihject.
The RECORDER here read the oe, inion of an eminent
efenveyaucer to whom the bill had been referred, w►o stated
that the authority of the society in Ireland would he totally
destroyed by the creation of the measure ; and detailed
other e. i s and inconveniences as likely to spring from its
application to those estates.
The petition was then ■ggrreed to, Mr. Pewtress being the
only pas en who held up a hand 'pined it.