The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-21 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE 1F COMMuNS.—Tues.)Ay, JUNE 20.
The S eßanitll took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
SECOND READINIS.—/arrners' Estate Society (Ire)an ; I
tick's Estate; ells.
TIIIKD REAOlNOS.—Caledonian Railway (branches connecting
the ei.1.1.1:110 Junctl fn and Wishes: and Colter. Railways &c.)
;o
;
Walsall Improvement and Cemetery (No. 2); Wishaw and C
Railway (des iation connecting branch and improvement); Bills.
PErITCIONS. —Petitions in favour of Mr. name's motion for pm-
liasnentary reform ware presented from a rust number of places:
but any lit given would be necessarily imperfect, from the circum-
stance of their twine In numerous instances preecnted en i.e.., and
from eases
th linpiroindity of hearing correctly in all the places (when
named)e from whence they proceeded, or their numbers I
CALEDONIAN RAILYDLWA E) Y (BILL. BRANCH ACROSS TIIE
C
On the m,tion that this b.ll be engrossed,
Mr. HUME raid he felt bound to oppose,
on the ground
that it would injure the navigation of tke river.
Mr. F. NIAU LE said, that in far front the navigation of
the river b, iota impede d by the cawing of the railway across
it, the first commission that reported on the subject gave
their oninim that it would not be in the least injured. ins
passa4e of the railway was above Glasgow bridge, beyond
which no cralt went.
The Earl i f LINCOLN believed that the Admiralty
must have been under some misapprehension when they
withdrew their opposition to the bill.
After a few words from Mr. LOCKHART,
The house divided—Ape' l9
Noes 129-110
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY EXTENSION BILL.
On the motion Cr consideration of the report oa the
Great Western Railway (loop line tor the Birmingham
and Ozford Junction Railway through Leamington) Bill,
Mr. LABOUCHERE presented petitions from Bath and
elsewhere, statin,f that Ibis company had not kept faith with
the pble in rt,pect to a reduction of tolls, and ayin the !
houses to past no measure relating to the Great Wesg ter:
Railway until such reduction had been made. Mire some
observa•io, A from Mr. E. Denison, Mr. Labouchere, Mr.
Christopher, Sir E. 114 ts, and Mr. Monte, the report was
conaered, aome clauses added, and the bill ordered to be

engrossed.
LONDON AND SOL7TII-WESTERN EXTENSION
RAILWAY BILL.
On the mnti ns br considering the report on the London
and Siuth-Western Railway Company, and Southampton
and Derclie.ter Railway Company Amalgamation Bill,
Mr. BERNAL said this bill involved rather a loose princi-
ple • namely, the confirmation by the house of the purchase
Of ;bares by one line in another. As the committee, how-
ever, had pa-sed the bill it was not his duty to do more than
call attention to the circumstance.
It port cocs:dered, clauses am, nded end inserted, and bill,
as &mited, ordered to be engrossed,
WRITEHAVEN AND FURNESS RAILWAY BILL.
On motion to consider the report on the hill for the exten-
sion or deviation line from Sdecroft to Foxfield,
Mr. BERNAL said one of the clauses of this bill was vary

ob'ectionsble.
r. HUDSON defended the measttee 48 it stood, and the
bill was considered, emended, and onhere to be engrossed.
BRITISH SPIRITS.d
Mr. FAG AN begged to ask the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer orb. thee he intended Pe give the manufacturers of
British spirits any advantages to compensate to them ter
the reduction which the government announced upon
spirits the produce ot'the Dritish West Ineirs?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER etid, he had
already introduced a bit for removing some of the grounds
of complaint alleged Ay the distillers of the three kingdoms,
and lie was turther cousilering the ect, with the view of
rentevMe re.trictioue, except those which were deemed
necessary fn te velure purposes.
THE DECIMAL COINAGE.
Dr. BOWRING asked the Master of the Mint whether
any_ progress had been made with the decimal coinage ?
Mr. SHRIL replied, that a commission was now sitting on
the subject, and until they reported, it would be extremely
difficult to enter into a new contract with the moneyers.
EXPULSION OF ENGLISH WORKMEN FROM
FItANCE.
Mr. B. COCHRANE wished to know whether any corn-
pensatinn had been received or announced from France for
the Eeglish workmen who, on t heir expulsion from that
country, hee been deprived of the money they kad lodged in
the savings banks?
Vi,c..unt I'ALMERSTON said there bad been a corre-
spondence on the subject between Lord Normanby and the
French 20Tkroment, and that the French government had
promised t return the deposits of the English workmen in
fufi, although • different arrangement had been adopted
with reference to French depositors. The deposits, however,
had not yet been refunded—(hear, hear)—and he had re-
guested our ambassador t) inquire further into the matter.
Sir DE LACY EVANS suggested that in the meantime
it would he extremely serviceable to those workmen who
were stem. to proceed as emigrants to various parts of the
world, if the Colonial office would advance them some money
upon the contingency thus intimated by the noble
Viscount.
Viscount PALMERSTON said he would mention the
suggestion to his noble friend.
WEST INDIA MAIL.
In answer to Viscount INOBSTItE,
Lord J. RUSSELL said that the West India Mail would
not be delayed beyond to-morrow (this day), and he could
give no promise that a government war-steamer should be
specially despatchedCAPE afterwarGOOD HOPE.ds with the result of the debate.
OF
In reply to Mr. GLADSTONE,
Mr. IIAWES said that the papers respecting the Cape of
Good Hope were in active preparation. and should be laid on
the table of the house at the earliest possible moment,
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
The SPEAKER intimated that this would be the most con-
eenient time lor receiving petitions with reference to the
motion of the hon. member for Montro-e, which stood first
on the piper.
Mr. P. MILES said that the hon. member for Bristol had
presented !several petitions on this subject on • former occa-
sion from Bristol Would the hon. member inform hirn
what was the number of those petitions, and by how many
persons signed ?
Mr. H. BERKELEY said the petitions presented by him
from and which were termed " liume's Family Peti-
tions a sough)—had been le.) in number, signed, on the
average. by six persons each. He had five more to present
that evening.
Mr. HUME (alter the presentation of a vast number of
petitions, which occupied the house for upwards of an hour
rose to twint forward the motion of which he had given
notice. He said—After the exhibition which has taken place
this evening, and which also took place yesterday evening,
I hope I may be allowed to say that there is some interest
taken by the country in the question which. I am now about
to submit to the house—(loud cries of " Hear, hear")—and
further, I mast ebservo that, to my knowledge, no arrange-
ment whatever has been made loy any one connected with
the committee to which I belong, tending to cruse that exhi-
bition. As far, therefore, as I know, it has not been at all
the result of any organisation ; and if so, I consider
that, by the various petitions which have been pre-
sented this eveniag, the short speech ot the noble lord
on a recent occasion has been folly answered—(hear, hear)
—while they justify the opinion I entertained when I un-
dertook to submit the question to th t house , which I can
assure the noble lord and the house I undertook to do with
the greatest reluctance, because of the importance of the ques-
tion itself, and the pressing nature of the business already be-
fore us. But it is known to hon. gentlemen about me, that
it was tee their suggestion and not my own, we came to the
determination of doing :o in order to avert threatening evils,
and to prevent the community at large from adopting
opinions that seemed to be at variance with and
acts that seemed to endanger the public peace. (Hear,
bear.) Although requested by a considerable body
of reformers before the loth of April to bring forward
the question in order to divert the attention of those
who leek so long agitated for reform from :acts of violence
it was not until aster the 10th of April we agreed to meet
and consider whether we could prevent the necessity of re-
contact being had to such means as were resorted to in the
metropolis on that day. It will be recollected that the
public peace was then threatened. In my opinion the alarm
was much greater than there was any necessity for ; but the
occasion exhibited what may be a lesson to other countries,
namely, e readiness on the part of every class from the
highest to the lowest, to come forward in support of peace
and public order. (Hear, hear.) I know nothing
more important to the peace, prosperity, and welfare of any
count than the maintenance of magisterial authority and the
supporting of the civil power, instead of having recourse to
military measures. But my belief is that if, Oil the occasion
I refer to, interference had [come necessary, the civil power,
aided ne it was by a universal desire on the part of the inha-
bitants to maintain the peace, would have sufficed. Even
en that ground I think the house ought to bear with me on
the peewit' occasion, and not refuse to consider what it was
that led to the alarm of the 10th of April—what it wee than
caused various breaches of tempeice in different parts of th
country during the last ten years, and terminating in the
crisis of the 111th of April,—to co.. ider also whether there
existed on the part of the radical ref vmers called chartists
any just groped of complaint,--whether they ,who formed a
much nitre numerous portion of the cemmeoity than those
who hae a voice in the re; -7wntati• e of members of parks.
meat were me jeatiiitel • an te. nsion of the
suffrage, ea tar rarliamentery ref. .•, at... .. so—whether
it is nut the duty of this house to attend to their complaints,
and to renindy it. ( Hear, hear.) I need not remind the house
that our position, es well as that of the working classes,
has beeu much uttered by the events which have taken
place in neighbouring countries. Hitherto we have stood
prominently forward amongst the countries of Europe,
as containing a better constitutional government than
any other, as possessing a House of Commons fully
representing the people, and as having the power,
through the agency of parliament, of carrying all measures
eneemaary for the welfare of the country quietly and peace-
aLle, and without recourse to military interference.
Al( the other countries of Europe were distinguished
by• military government, some of them by a mill.
tary despotism. Pit w@ yensidered ourselves, and
were, a civil cation, arse ,apported our institutions without
baying recount. '..c) other than civil means. It bas ever been
saie, and her We're I think truly said, that our military forces
him been required more for maintaining our foreign
goes then for any domestic purpose. lam not one or Zees;
who think that we ought not to have • proper military es-
tablishment, or that we ought to depend entirely on the
civil power. I think we ought to have • fair divi-
sion of lateour and distribution of ocenpation ; but
I think we have gone far beyond the exigency of the
case, both in a moral and political sense. We have, in fact,
become a military .earion, and seem to be fast sewing to-
wards that system es.kich has overthrown the dynasties of
continental (reentries. (Hear, hear.) I think the time is
now come when we ought .so examine whether there are jam:
grounds for that discontent vision emote amongst oo large a