The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

owner. Applice:sens for sale might be made to the Court
of Chancery b.; en ineumbrancer of an estate, but the entire
oats of that application were chargeable upon the estate,
whether the master in chancery made an order for the
tale or not. An owner might consequently be driven into a
snit against his will, for which be would have to pay the
entire charges. These objections might arise from his want
of acquaintance with the law, but he thought them very
setious objections, and that time at least should be given for
their coosideration.
Lord CAMPBELL said the astuteness of the noble lord
opposite was so great that had he been bred to the law there
would have been little doubt but that he would have sat on the
woolsack. But the noble lord was under a great misappre-
hension as to the effe:t of the bill, for its effect upon the
owner would be mainly to cheapen and simplify proceediven
ngs
of the Court of Chancery to which the mortgagee might e
at the present moment subject him. With regard to the
security of the purchaser, ho directed attention to the 26th
clause, under which any purchaser would have, not what
wan now called an Irish title, but parliantary title
world,
esta-
blished by the legislature, and good against all tbe
He very much rejoiced that the bill bad been introduced,
and he expressed his confidence that it would be of the
greatest benefit to the sister country.
Lord MONTEAOLE admitted the value of the 26th
clause, but thought it might be open to inconvenience to
remedy what was now no doubt a great grievance in the
partial manner in which this bill would operate.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said a few words in reply,
and the bill was then rem' a second time ; to be committed
this day fortnight.
AUDIT OF RAILWAYS ACCOUNTS BILL.
The committee on this bill was postponed until Tuesday
next.
The house adjourned at 2.S minutes after 7.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—TIIIIRSDAT, WNWAsT
The LORD CIiaNCELLon took his seat at 5 o'clock.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
SECOND HEADlNO.—Eacumbered &LOW ilreland) Bill.
NATIONAL DEFENCES.
The Earl of HARDWICKE withdrew his motion on the
subject of the national defences, as the public mind had al-
ready been directed in various was, to the subject.
THE "UNITED IRISHMEN" NEWSPAPIIL
Lord STANLEY begged to call the attention of her
Majesty's government to • publication to which he bad al-
luded a few nights ago. In consequence of different opinions
which had existed in Ireland upon the question of repeal of
the union, not as to the objtet; but u to the mode of attain-
ing it, the repeal party had been split into two sections, one
adopting the caution recommended by the late Mr. O'Con-
nell, and the other, being snore vielent, had formed an esta-
blishment, which they called " The Irish Confederation,"
consieting of the less prudent and cautious put of heelslepea
Association. In tee coofederationeas it was call rious
grades of opinion had kin introduced, and shortly after a
meeting of the body, whose[ published rem ar..Nlitehell
and another per-on, name he did notmber, but
he believed was Reilly, were discussed, and, being consi-
dered by a large number of the coefederation to be
of • highly seditious charecter, were condewrit ermned
as imprudent. Upon this, Mr. Mitchell, the
of one of the letters, withdrew. sod rerablialled a
newspaper under the denomination of the f 'need Irishmen,
which appeared for the first time on the 12th of this month.
Before he proceeded to notice some ps.agee in
delivered y
gentleman who condemned the too letters in question as im-
prudent—the speech of a Mr. Meagher, who said: "Is an
insurrection probable—if so, is it practicable ) Prove that HOUSE OF CONINIONS.—TIIIIRSDAY, FEB. 24.
to me and I will vote for it this very eight. You know I The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
am not one of those tame moralists who say that liberty is PRIVATE BUSINESS.
not worth a drop of blood. Min who subicribe to such • SECOND BEADING.—MoiIey Gas light Company Bill.
doctrine arc fit for out-door relief, and nothing better. PUBLIC BVSINEUL
Against this maxim a voice breaks in front the crowd crying, MIST READINO.I.eioing of mines in Ireland.
' Away with it ;' and would to Go Iwe could take every COMMITTEke-Ceneolidated Fund Bill.
Weems in the island this night, and purchase with our bleed PEEBLES ELECTION.
Irish freedom. My strongest Wine are in favour of the Loyd R. GROSVENOR reported from the committee ap.
policy of Mr. ?Sieben. I wish to God I could support it." pointed to inquire into the return fromthe county of Peebles,
The speaker then proceeded to recommend the work of in- that Mr. W. Forbes Mackenzie hart been duly elected.
'affection to the young and high spirited as noble and LANCASTER ELECTION.ILEGE. BREACH OF
praiseworthy. Ant it was precisely those very persons who PRIV
were likely to be b
isled y such vehetnent and high-flown Mr. DEEDES
it reported to the house that Jarnes Dodson,
oratory. Such pemrsons were most likely to be led away summoned as wness before the Lancaster election commit
to become the dupes n the first instance and the victis ie tee, having been guilty of great prevarication in his evidence,
the last of those whop were craftier, abler, and wiserm h than he had thought it to he his duty to cenmit the said James
themselves. (Hear, hear.) Ile would now t-all attention, not Dodson to custody.
to a c.asual article in a newspapr, but to the programme and Mr. DEEDES then moved that James Dodson, in peeve-
avowed objects of it. In 0,.e pan of it there was a discuss rication in his evidence belore a committee of the house, had
shin as to the mode in which the independence of Ireland been glv uiltyd. of a breach of the privileges of the house.—
was to be obtained, and in speaking of its being posesful, Resoe
the writer said '. Our method IS moral enough, but neither Mr. DEEDES next moved thst James Dodson, having
peaceful nor legal ; whoever desires to shake the English do- been guilty of a breach of the privileges of the house, be
minion must be a confederate of our:, and one of the mem. committed to the custody of the sierjetenteit.arme—Ordered.
hers of our lodge:" There was also a letter addressed "To Mr. DEEDES further moved that James Dodson be
the Earl of Clarendon, an Engeshman, calling hi seeelf Lord brought before the Laticaster committee, in the said cus-
Lieutenant of Ireland." The letter t.liu lid to his lordship tody, whenever the committee required his presence.—
as the representative of foreign dominion in Ireland, and Ordered.
stated " the Crated Irishmen newspaper has been under- LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
taken by men who say that your dominion is growing near On the motion of Mr. Ileeeineo, leave of ance for one
its latter days. A few bold things spoken, and a few bold month was granted to Lord Henry Lennox, onus rgent pri-
deeds done, end the whole English crew would vauish. An vate business.
exact half century has passed away since the last holy On the motion of Mr. W. Onalsee Goat, leave of absence
war waged in this ialandtosweep it clear of the Englininam until Eager was granted to Mr. Ormsby Gore on the ground
and the English nation," die. His lordship read other of illness.
passages of a seditious character. And thin was the lan-
CASE OF MICHAEL HOWARD.
guage used avoweely to excite the people of Ireland to re- Lori NUGEN r beg,:cd to ask the right hon. Secretary
hellion, who were tpoken of as having • deep irreconcilable for the Home Depertment whether government here had
disaffection to all British laws, ten givera, and law adminis. received information as to the case of Michael Howard, who
waters. Whateve r newsy be their lordships' opinion as to having been found guilty of murder before the Limerick
the prosecution of thin aper, ho would not apologise special commissioners heel since bi en respited from ex cu-
for having drawn ate .:'ion to it, for its purpose was to ex. non on the discovery that the
convicted evidence by which he had
cite disaffection and promote civil war—(hear, hear)--" lir been warpejured testimony ?
the perpose of de ereying everything English." If such a Sir 0. GREY had wen in the paters a statement that
publication had eppeered in Ergland, the good tease and Michael Howard had been respited on its being stated teethe
loyalty of the peenee would have revolted at it. (Hear, Lord-Lieutenant that the evidence against him was sue-
hear.) The very violence of the language, like an over- pected of falsehood; but he had ne official heformativn ea
dose of poison, would counteract its object. (Hear, hear.) the subject.
But this was language addressed to the excitable, enthu- MEDICAL CHARITIES (IRELAND).
nestle, and easily stimulated people of Ireland, suffering In reply to Mr. F. FRENCO,
under great chews., and who for years had been excited to Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that the report of the meal-
do the utmost con-anaot with the safety of the democrats cal charities in Ireland was under the consideration of
and revolutionists who led them to eirect their objects. He government.
had beet informed that this paper, which WAS published at BOARD OF HEALTH (IRELAND).
54., was eagerly bought up in the streets of Dublin at 11.6 d. In reply to Mr. F. FUENeIt,
and 2a. each. There was no doubt that these men were Sir W. SOMERVILLE stated that the papers relating to
rebels in heart, and meant what they said in pursuing this the proceedings of the beanie of health in Ireland were in
regular system of excitement to rebellion. Ho therefore course of preparation.MlTTEE OF SUPPLY.
wished to know whether the law officers of the crown had COM
been consulted on the subject, and whether it was the in- The CHANCEL
on LOR of
his theday), EXCHEQUmoveE the R intimated
house to
tentioa of the government to take any notice of it ? that he would, Friday (t for
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE hail na hesitation in say- so into committee of supply, fir the purpose of taking two
fag that he nail se n the paper referred to by the aoble short votes on account of oho Refer war and the excess of
lord, and had reason to believe that the noble lord at the navy estimates for the list year, previous to proceeding with
head of the government in Ireland bad hid his attention the Jewish Disabilities Bill.
CHINESE MURDERS.
directed to the articles complained of, as it wee, in fact, to
every material occurrence in Ireland. (Hear, hear.) He Dr. BOWRING postponed want Friday (this day) his
agreed with the noble lord that there WaS no step of false- question to tbe noble lord at te head of Ole treasury,
hood or seditien which, in the putettit of notoriety, thew respecting the murder of six Englishmen at Canton.
persons without property in Ireland would not take in pur- HYDERABAD PRIZE MONEY.
suing their insurrectionary okjeets. But he was net prepared Col. K. TYNTE begged to ask the lion. member opposite
to say that on every occasion when seditious and its- when the amount of prize money, captured at Hyderabad by
flammable language was used a prosecution ought to follow, Sir C. Napier and his division, would be distributed to thou
and still lens that the government ought to limit and fetter entitled to it?
that discretion of the Lord Lieutenant which on every other Mr. O. C. LEWIS made an indistinct reply, the purport
occasion he exercised with the greatest prudence. (Hear, of which was understood to be, that the mosey would aeon
hear.) The noble lord's attention had been called to the be put in distribution,
paper in question, and he would act without delay as excl. SELECT CO Niel ITTEES —E X PENDITL'RE.
mon might require, but he was not prepared to say Mr. HINDLEY asked the right hon. gentleman the
that h would rcsecute the wrier of these editious Chancellor of the Exchequer when it was his intention to
articles.e He doubted whether thet very extent ofs the ma- nominate the two select committees who were to examine
lignity did not render it innocuous, and excite that into the expenditure of the country.
tlisgust which was the best punishment for persons indulging The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that he
in such languige. It was, however, a subject that any wise should nominate the committees iu the order in which his
government ought to take into consideration, and be could notice stood on the paper of that evening.
only say that it would be taken into consideration, and what- Mr. B. OSBORN E sail that if the right hon. gentleman
ever was nee euery would be done. (Hear, hews.) attempted to nominate the two committees at • late hour of
ENCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND) BILL. the sitting, he should oppose him in so doing.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, in moving the second MAILS TO THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.
reading of this bill, said that the situation of property in Mr. DIVETT moved for a copy of the report of the Hy-
Ireland was not only detrimental to the holders of land, but drographer of the Admiralty, founded on which the route
to the tenants themselves; and if he was able to lay before through Torres Straits had been sanctioned by the Lords of
their lordship' avian by which the great evils which existed the Admiralty for large steamers conveying the mails to the
might be removed, lie thought it would have their lordships' Australian colonies.
approval. The greenest evil connected with landed pro- Admiral D. DUNDAS said there was no objection to the
party in Ireland wee that the estates were encumbered and return, as he should be very glad if any additional informa-
mortgaged to such an extent that it was difficult to know tion could be obtained respecting the navigation of the seas
who the real owner was. At present estates in Ireland could in question.
not easilybesold,andin fact not without expensive proces, Mr. HUhIE said the government night to lose no time in
and however advantageous ii might he to turn the Indioo making corrections in the admiralty charts in conformity to
money, it was now exceedingly difficult to do so ; and it was the latest surveys and discoveries, as daily accounts were
often the interest of the owner of the estate to sell it for the futnished of shipwrecks from reefs and shoals in places not
purpose of paying off the mortgage. If, therefore, a mea- marked, which ought to be inserted.
sure could be framed, enabling the holders of encumbered Mr. WY said that the surveys which had been exe-
estates to convert them into money, it would be doing a cuted by hensal service since the year 1820 had cost the
great service to the country. It would afford every tempts- country upwards of one million sterling. At the present
tion to the improvement 01 land, ant give the possessors of moment there was a vast amount of valuable information
it the power of doing so. And why should not parliament lying dormant at the Hydregrapher's office, which had not
interfere ? The principle was nut new, for in the cases of yet been published.
canals, railways, and other public improvements, they did Mr. COWPER entirely agreed in the observations of the
not hesitate to takeehe property required for such purposes. It hon. member for Buda in, and wished he would make his
was difficult, perhaps, iu every case to protect all the parties in- suggestion for increasing the naval estimates for the purposes
terested,but every endeavoue had been made in the bill to do so of the hydrographer's department, at the time when thou
IL was a subject of great complexity, and therefore the mat- estimates came before the committee.—The motion was then
ter had been left very much to the discretion of the Court of agreed to.
Chancery in Ireland. The bill would guard as much as poi WINDOW DUTY.
sible against the absence of any one interested in en estate Lord DUNCAN said that in rising to bring forward the
to be sold. It was proposed thatehe manager of the estate motion of which he had given notice, he was quite aware
should have a right to apply, by 'Teflon, to the Court of of the objections that existed to any props
al which
Chancery, to put the powers of the act in motion with regard might be brought forward at the present crisis for a reduc-
to such estate, and every one who conceived that he had an tion of taxes. lie had, however, entertained hopes that he
interest in the property might enter a caveat, and thereafter should have been anticipated in his motion b some move-
be entitled to notic Upony proceedings that might be tak n meet on Beeped of the noble lord (Lord ssell beams
with regard to it. a petition being presented, it would right hon. friend the Chancellor' f the Exchequer use
be referred, ie the first place, to a master, to inquire into the when he considered that a peace budget contained a pre-
fects of the case, and he would have the meats of obtaining posal for augmeating the properly tax, that augmentation
all the information necessary to see that justice was done ought to have been based upon the principle that it
He would also give notice to all persons interested was &substitute for other taxes which messed most grievously
in the matter. He would then make a report to the court on the working classes. Ho knew he should be told that
and recommend what, under all the circumstances, was the the present was not the time for repealing the window tax.
most expedient course to pursue ; and if he thought it desir Bat he would assert that the time for the abolition of that
able that the estate should be sold he would be authorised to tax had come. He had often observed that the opportunity
sell the whole interest. If the court thought there was a and the question of proper time had formed a pretext for re-
doubt that some interest had not been ascertained, and it fuming or for delaying to grant any demand made upon the
were subsequently proved, the money would be refunded ministry •, and when he had last brought the subject of the
Every means, in fact, had been taken to prevent the money window duty before the house, he had merely reeked for •
being paid out of the court into the wrong hands, as well as select committee to examine into the subject. Now, how-
to protect, in every possible way, the interests of the owners ever, he demanded the entire repeal of the tax. He threw
mortgagees, and other pereoas interested in estates ; and the himself upon the indulgence of the house. He knew the
object of the bill was to give to the mortgagee his money weight of task he had imposed en himself, and he would
and pay over the surplus to the owner, or invest it in land endeavour not to waste time in fulfilling it. In looking over
The noble and learned lord, who was vi ry inaudible through• the whole scheme of national taxation, he had found a substi-
out, concluded by moving the second reading of the bill. tete for the window-tax, and he would presently place that
The Earl of RODENT expressed his theeke to the noble proposition before his right hon. friend. It had been boasted
lord fur the great pains he had taken to explain the object in that house, by tame advocate for the continuance of the
and details of this measure. Certainly, without such a men window tax,that whilst there were ,500,000 houses inlinglend
sure it would be very iiiillouit to carry out the poor law now there were only eleo,ooo of them which paid the window tax.
in force in Deism!. That certainly wa, a most aeteuishine toast, for the fart upon
Earl FITZ WILLIAM thought it might be desirable to which
then as based wu that thousands of houses had re-
guard the public in England from farming any very exag duced umber of windows to seven, instead of allowing
gerated idea of what would be the results of thitmeasure. He the original number which they possessed to remain. Dr.
was far from (booking slightly of the bill ;on the contrary,he Southwood Smith had stated in a letter that no sanitary re-
thought it a very right and wise measure; but he had a strong form could by any possibility be complete until the window
impression that its operation would be very slow.
tide was repealed. la the same manner Mr. Byers,
deede-
Lord STANLEY concurred with those who thought that int of the Carpenters'Association of Loaelon, Burs,
the evil sought to be remedied by this bill was one of over- in • letter—and he (Lord Duman) called the attention of
whelming magnitude in Ireland. When peen of a nominal the noble lord opposite (Lord Morpeth), as the great
rent-roll of 10,00 W. or 12,0001. a year in Ireland were really sanitary advocate of the clay, to Mr. Byers' assertion—
receiving scarcely so many hundreds, it was clear that they that the windows in wrobhouses, pricier, and other places
weld not properly do their duty either to the state or to at the backs of private dwellings had been done away
those who were dependent upon them. But although the with, so as to lease them entirely without ventila'
evil to be remedied was great, he must also observe that the tion and light, two of the greatest blessings that had been
mode of cure was one accompanied by considerable difficulty. bestowed upon the human race. Mr. Byers also stated that
He trusted that time would be given deliberately to consider the greatest disfigurements were modern houses, owing to
the details of the measure. The principle he did not now the stoppage of windows, and that in one street (Compton-
object to; but it must be borne in mind that it was one street, Soho), he had stopped up windows at Nos. 21, 22,
which might be pushed to • very inconvenient extent. To 23, and 24, and indeed the whole street nearly was in the
tell • mass that it was for the interest of the state that he same state. He would venture to assert that the window tax
should dispoeusa himself of his property because he had not was not so much a revenue question as it was a question
sufficient capieal to develop all its resources was to establish whether light and air should be tree. The first net which at
a principle that it was at lout very dangerous to act upon. all related to the subject was passed in thsreign of Wm.lll.
Besides this, he thought that considerable practiced inconve- when a house duty of 25. was imposed on every privets:
nionoe might arise from the bill. Estates might see pressed dwelling. That tax was laid on, like the income tax, for
into the market, and the vat
of Irish property might three years at fiat ; but in the reign of Queen Anne it wee
thereby be putty depreciated. This was a consequence increased, and in the reign of George 11. it was again raised.
very much to be dreaded. liefwoul venture to ask, with In the year 1747 Mr. Pelham brought in an act, which was
reference to one of the details, i • tenant for Ulm entail passed, imposing, first, a duty on hotline and, in the second
Lye the power of selling ? place, a window duty. The tax remained in this state until
lelrd MTTEeNHAIII said he would be the ety cp make the year 1785, when Mr. Pitt passed his celebrated act
the application for male. Pa- called the Commutation Act, against the smuggling of tea.
Lord STANLEY said he thought the power of sale being The excuse maligned by Mr. Pitt for this act was toorder
-waited in a lite tenant would be open to great difileulry. Ha that it might effect a saving for the poorer dames • but, in
iril doubts as to the security given to the manna's lieu of the duty en tea which he abandoned, Mr. 'Pitt ire.
• "I. Mother difficulty he felt was, that the bill posed an increased window tax. It was in vain Mr. Fox
'.4 atifealY gave sogicient prcte‘tioo to the I ,:bnrred that tea am: wiado 4S hod no more to do with each

uhder the u...
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