The Express.
London, England, 1847-02-27 00:00:00

t Tt

STATE OF PUBLIC BUSINESS.

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Lord STANLEY said he had, on the previous day, given
notice of his intention to put a question with respect to the
state of public bushier, or no-business, in that house.
Although parliament had sst from an unusually early period
yet no bill" had been proceeded with except the temporary
measures for the relief of distres in Ireland. At that mo-
ment, with the exception of the bills which stood for that
evening, and a bill for granting indemnity to the
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, there was no single
notice, nor a single bill upon the books for their
lordships' consideration. It appeared that' in the other
house the principal business for that night and for the
whole of next week was almost exclusively connected with
the provisina of the estimates, sad would not facilitate the
progress of any public measures. The measures fur the per.
mansnt relief of Ireland were postponed until the Sth of
March, and it was very improbable that they would pars
before the 22nd. He must confess that the promises held
out in the speech from the throne of business to be brought
forward were not of a very extensive character. With the
exception of the measures relating to Irish distress, he
thought the only measure referred to was one re-
lating to the health of towns. He was well aware
that in consequence of the jealousy of the House
of Commons, which he had always eensidered to ba
carried to an unnecessary and inconvenient extent, there
was great difficulty is originating measures in that house ;
although many measures, such, for example, as related to
the unitary condition of the population, to the amendment
of the law, or to the state of convict discipline, might be in-
troduced and discussed there in the first instance, with much
greater advantage than elsewhere; while their lordships
would, in that case, at a later period of the session. have
more leisure for considering the mass of bills which, being
usually brought before them in the months of July
and August, were passed very hastily and carelessly.
The questions which he wished to put were first, whether
it was the intention of the government to intriducemmi
if so, what measures, and at what period, for their
messideratiam Wm* the Bader ream ? sad, .77,
whether M wee likely diet any Me would le ant tip Ara
the other hues of parliament before the period which he
had mentioned ?

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that the noble lord
was only renewing a complaint which had been made from
time to time, including the period at which he himself was a
member of the government. (Hear, hear). On making
comparison between the business of that session and recer
megatons of parliament he found that much more bushyr bad
been transacted in the course of the six weeks which had just
elapsed than in the corresponding period of former year&
Taking the session of 1845, he found that parliament haying
met on the 4th of February, on the 24th of February a bill
for the abolition of deodands was read a first time, en the 28th
• bill of bail in error was read a second time, on the Iftth of
March the Jewish D.- ihilities Removal Bill was read a
second time, and the Pauper Lunatics Bill a first time ; on
the 14th of March the Jewish Disabilities Removal
Bill was read a third time, and the Stamp Du-
ties Assimilation Bill a third time ; on the lith
of March the Property-tax Bill was read a first
time, and the Pauper Lunatics Bill a second time.
Up to the last date, none of these bills were pared with the
exception of the Jewish Disabilities Removal Bill. That was
the state of the legislative business for the first six weeks of
the session of 1845, although a great deal of business had
been announced in the speech from the throne. In the pre-
sent sesdon six important bills had passed through their
several stages, vie.: the bill relating to the importation of
buck wheat, the brewing from sugar bill and the distilling
from sugar bill, and the bills relating to Chelsea pensioners,
to Irish distress, and to the navigation laws.
He said confidently that this constituted an infinitely
larger amount of important business than bad
been transacted in that house during the first six weeks of
preceding sessions. Ile had hoped that more of the Irish
bills would be brought up from the other house at so early
period of the session, but obstacles had arisen, partly Irons
the protracted debate on the question of Irish railways with
government money ; and it then became necessary to consi-
der the financial condition of the country, which was, in feet,
closely connected with the state of Ireland, on account of the
proposed advancer, of publicmoney. He had no doubt thatths
measures referred to by the noble lord would be proceeded with
on the Bth of March. It was impassible to say what timethey
would occupy in passing through the other house. One Irish
bill to which his noble and learned friend on the woolsack
had been directing very great attention, viz., that for cue-
bling proprietors to sell their estates in order to pay off in-1
cumbrances, would shortly be laid on the table; and his
noble friend at the bead of the Colonial Department would
also introduce bills with respect to the administration of the
penal law, the improvement of prisoners, and the reformation
of offenders. Ile did not think that the bill relating to the
health of towns could be introduced in that house with ad-
vantage.
Lord BROUGHAM thought that more time might be oc-
cupied in preparing bills for their lordships between Novem-
ber and the opening of the session.
The Earl of WICKLOW said that more blame must
attach to a government which was strong than to one which
was weak fur delay like that alleged. There was one point
upon which he must make a complaint. The noble lord. at
the head of the government said Chit lte bill for enabling
Irish' proprietors to borrow 1,500,0001. must proceed pan
parrs with the permanent poor-law bill. If that
determination were persevered is, the probability was,
that neither of the bills would come up to their
lordships' house during the present session. (Hear.)
But he denied that the government had any right to couple
them together.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that a general feel-
ing existed in the other house that the two bills should be
passed together ; hut the bill for making advances greatly
widened the extent of the objects for which those advances
were to be made. _ _ _

In answer to a question by Lord Amitituarox,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said the Charitable Trusts
Bill was under his consideration, and its introduction was
postponed ohly in consequence of the other measures which
were in progress. As soon as those other measures were
carried into effect, he would bring in the Charitable Trusts
Bill. With regard to the Church Discipline Bill, it would
not be proper to bring it in without submitting it to some of
the members of the episcopal bench. He was therefore in
communication with some of the members of that bench, and
he hoped he would be able shortly to bring in a bill on the sub-
ject. As to the state of the law between Debtor and Cre-
ditor, that was a subject of a difficult nature. It was
under consideration, and he hoped before long to be able to
bring in a measure for the purpose of improving the law in
that respect.