The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-26 00:00:00

EDINBURGH ELECTION.

The SPEAKER announced tiatTeiiiiitroeived the rol-
l= letter, dated Nov. 19, front Mr. Cowan, the recently
member for the city of Edinburgh
el —1 beg Mails that at the recent eked= kr the city of Mtn-
lamb I bad the Yaw to be retorted as one of the members for that
deg. It yes ttatwlfl some time after I became aware of my discos.
alludinalami at the time of my election engaged In • ooninet
tat Me meg* ef to gorerament ; ro teak although lam
aoleaggif atisaltaller, I am nevertheless, as I am informed, liable to
VIIt or vote in the house. lam desirous of dia-
higialost &enema to the home. Mart no desire to ahrlok
also I mayors to my somentuents, but the eiresmstanon I
ban ugalltsed will reader it requiniss that, la easformity sib the
aeries nine reedred, I should decline blithe the oath or my seat.
I have respestrolly to request that you will communicate this my de-
dre sad intention to the —I have the honour, See.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
Mr. BROTHERTON took the opportunity of there being
no motion before the chair to offer a suggestion which he
trusted would be acceptable to the house. He put it to the
house whether it would not be expedient that until after the
Easter holidays orders or the day should take prioedeuce of
notices. There was no member, he was sure, who could
wish to stop in town at this season of the year. (Loud
cheers.) He did think that at present they should confine
themselves to public business et the greatest importance.
(Loud cries of 'Hear.")
BANK OF ENGLAND.

Mr. HINDLEY moved for »tarns of the rates of distannt
charged by the Bask of England since the passing of the
Bank Charter Aet.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had no ob-
jesniess to granting the returns. Ha had communicated
with the authorities at the Bank, and they had no objec-
tion to giving the information required.
Mr. F. T. BARING thought' that, as the Bank of Eng-
land and its affairs were likely to become the subject of
much discussion, the better way would be at once to prepare
all the information that might be required.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had ex-
pected that to call for all necessary information would have
been the lint business of the committee about to be ap-
pointed. The Bank of England and the government were
prepared to grant the fullest information.
Mr. HASTIE thought that any returns produced rela-
tive to this suhieet should contain the maximum and mini-
mum rates of discount since 1834.
Mr. BLEW ITT asked whether it was the inteutionUf go-
vernment to introduce any measure enabling the Bank et'
England in ease of need to issue bone beyond the fourteen
millions specified in the act?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought It
would be better to defer until Tuesday nest his statement of
the intentions of the government.
The returns were then ordered.
LAW OF ENTAIL (SCOTLAND).
Mr. B. COCHRANE asked whether it was intended to
bring forward any measure for the relief of entailed property
in Scotland ?
81r G. GREY said that the Lord Advocate had a bill in
aa advanced state of preparation, which he hoped to intro-
duce shortly after the recess.
LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
Sir J. PAKINOTON begged to ask the right hon. the
Secretary for the Home Department whether it was the in-
tention
of government in the course of the present session to
introduce any bill to alter the law of settlement
Sir G. GREY was not able to state at present that the
government would introduce a bill on the subject. This did
not, however, preclude his doing so at a future day, should
the state of public business allow it.

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.

Sir J. PAK INOTON wishest to know from the noble lord
at the head 0!,...th,ve government, whether it was his intention
to take any p *hags in that house, in consequence of the
extentto which bribery and corruption were reported to have
been carried on during the late general election ?
Lord J. RUSSELL -I have net any measure to propose
on that subject.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
Mr. ANSTEY, who spoke in a low tone of voice, raid
that the mischief which he sought to remedy by the bill
he was about to introduce was shortly this • down to a very
recent period the law of superstitious usage—not resting
on the express letter of the statute, but resulting from the
general tenor of enactment. sgainat the Roman catholic*
—made endowments for the advancement of the Bo-
man catholic religion illegal. In 1829, the Laws stigmatising
Roman catholic@ were repealed, but still great doubts ware
entertained as to the retrospective operation of the relief act
with respect to charities existing at the time oT it. paring.
In consequi nee of this, and a recent decision of the Vies
Chancellor, suck Roman catholic charities were completely
at the mercy of the trustees, against whom there was me
power of proceeding in the temporal courts. His proposition,
was to give the act of 1829 a retrospective *N
so u to make all Roman catholic charities founded
. _
- the provisions of Sir Samuel
was identical with that into-
oed member for Kinsale during
merely went to remove penal ap-
athetic', which had long become
learned member concluded
bill to amend the laws re-
-see ; also a bill for the further
against Romau eatbolies on st.
to the introduction of the
member would find great

difficulty in carrying them thwack their stages. He(Sir O.
Grey) bad understood that the bill of the hoe. member for
Kinsale had been withdrawn, as being unacceptable to the
parties for whose benefit it was intended. (Hear, hear.)
I•se his own part, be could only promise his careful cond.
derides.
Sir R. INOLIS said that the first bill wee not limited
merelto Roman catholic charities existing previous to
1829,bat contemplated a repeal of the law of mortmain.
He fully remembered that the bill of last session bad been
withdrew°, for the reasons stated be his right hon. friend.
With respect to both bills he (Sir R. Inglis) thought that
the prime minister would do well to instruct the law officers
of the crown to watch them, and to see whether the latter
did not trench on the supremacy of the crown. (Hear.)
'The hen. and learned member called his bill a bill fur the
removal of Roman catholic disabilities, but it should be recol.
leeted that the Roman catholic church was *egret°vr in
every country of Europe. He would ask the govern-
ment, were they prepared to state by what autho-
rity the church of Rome had been permitted to create
dioceses within the provinces of her Majesty's dominioas ?
And also, whether there was any instance in which the church
of Rome bad been permitted to exercise that authority in '
any Roman catholic state in Europe ) He believed that in
no country in Europe had the church of Rome veneered to
create bishoprics without the consent of the sovereign power
of such country. He wanted to know, then, whether the
consent of her Majesty had been given as to these domi-
nions ? Retaining all the objections he had expreseed when
these measures, in former *miens, were before the house, he
gave the hon. member notice that he should oppose them to
the best of his poser.
Mr. FIUME submitted that the hon. baronet had intro-1
duced a question that was not properly before the house.
How far, and under what authority, the influence of the
Pope had been exercised in the creation of Roman catholic
dioceses in England had nothing to do with a measure for
placing the Roman catholic subjects of the Queen in the
same position as their protestant brethren in respect to the
rights of property. Ile understood the object of these bills
to be the abolition of three discriminating laws which had so
long unjustly pressed on Roman catholic,, which it bad long
been admitted ought no longer to exist, and if so, he should
"Wed both
Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY wished it not to
be supposed by his silence that he would support these bilis.
He would give them his best consideration, and if he ap-
proved of them, he would assist in carrying them through
their future stages.
Leave was then given to bring is the first bill, and in re
spect ts the second, at the suggestion of the Speaker that it
could only originate in a committee of the whole house,
the house went into committee, and having passed the neces-
sary resolution, leave WAS given to introduce the bill.
ACCUSATIONS AOA I NST 'rHE ATHOLIC

CLERGY OF IRELAND.
Mr. MAHER rose, pursuant to notice, to move for copies of
correspondence between the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and
the Roman catholic clergy of the diocese of Cashel, relative
to reports made by Captain Morris, a government inspector
under the Board of Works in Ireland, reflecting upon the
character of certain of the catholic clergy of that diocese.
He felt bound, as chairman of two relit f committees in the
county of Tipperary, to bring forward this motion in justifi-
cation of the conduct of the Roman catholic clergy. That
body had done their duty in the trying circumstances in
which the country had been placed in a manner that en-
titled them to the thanks of the country, and the value of
their services had been acknowledged by members of the go-
vernment. He admitted they had been well auplorted by
the protestant clergy, who had united with there and
both had acted together usefully for the good of
the country and in relieving the domesav that prevailed.
Unfortunatily, however, Capt. Morris, at the suggestion of
some invidious person, had, in a report made to the commis-
sioners, stated " that the leading members of many of the
committees arc catholic priests, who have no landed pro-
perty, and consequently no interest in keeping down taxa-
tion, while they have an interest in enabling their flocks I.
pay them their stipends. Some of the resident gentry, in
disgust at their proceeding., rarely or never attend, while
others are afraid to perform their duty, knowing that if they
object to place improper persons on their list, the small far
mers, many of whom are also on the committees, and
who are only one degree removed from those who I
are employed on the public works, soon make it
known to the applicants out of doors who are their
friends, and who arc those who refuse to admit them to
relief." This report appeared in the public paper., and had
been commented upon to the prejudice of the Roman ca-
tholic clergy. He believed that the charge inainucted in
this report against that body was a gross libel; and the best
proof that it was so was, that they had themselves memorial-
ised the Lord•Licutenuit to institute a full inquiry into the
accusation. That, however (he did not know for what
reason), had been refused. They asked the government to
send down a Queen's counsel, or to call on Mr. Gore Jones,
the resident magistrate, who was himself the friend of Capt
Morris, to investigate the transaction. He was anxious that
the libel should be refuted, because, as it appeared on the
records of the house, if it were not, it might hereafter be
quoted in the house to the prejudice of the Roman catholic
clergy generally.
The question having been put,
Mr. LABOtiCHERE said, having been the Secretary
for Ireland when the correspondence alluded to took place,
he might be permitted to trouble the louse with a few ob-
servations. The facts of the case, he believed, had been
correctly stated by the hon. and learned member. It was
true that Capt. Morris was an officer sent down by the
government to superintend the relief works in Tipperary,
acting in which capacity he had made a report to the
government of Ireland, which was afterwards printed in one
of the blue books, and laid on the table of the house.
He was ready to admit that, owing to the great
mass of documents included in the report which
had been presented as to Irish distress, expressions
had, in some instances, been inserted, which (though he be-
lieved to be justified by the facts) it would have' been well
not to have made public. So in Captain Morria's report
there was a sentence implying that some of the catholic
clergy of Tipperary had not performed their duty as they
might have done in assisting the government in checking
abuses in the distribution of relief. Of this the catholic
clergy naturally complained. Captain Morris's charge was
in general terms, not specifying names, end it had been
asked that an inquiry should be instituted, in order
that the guilty parties might be aimed. He (Mr.
Lehouchere) did not see any good result that
could arise from such an inquiry. Capt. Morris bad already
stated that nothing was Blether from his intention than to
make a charge generally as against the clergy of Tipperary ;
on the contrary, he admitted that as a body their conduct
had been most praiseworthy ; but he added that there were
I (as there would always be in every large body) some ineli
victuals amongst them whose conduct was reprehensible. He
bad no objection to the production of the papers asked for,
bat he was sure that those members who sat on the commit-
tee of last sewsion on Captain Wynoe's case would agree
with him that an inquiry into every individual
cam of this kind could be productive of no led-
vantage, while it would be attended with great in.
eoneenience. He assured the hon. gentleman and the house
that nothing was further from the intention of the govern-
ment than to bring any general charge against the Roman
catholic clergy of Ireland or of the county of Tipperary as a
body, from whom, during the last year, they had received
the most valuable assistance, both in relieving the distress
and preserving the peace of the country under circumstances
the most trying and difficult. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. O'CONNELL thought some punishment should
be awarded to those government officers who, in their
official correspondence, insulted the Roman catholic clergy.
He complained also of an observation used by the Lord-
Lieutenant as bearing unjustly on the catholic priesthood,
to the effect that it was is consequence of the superiority of
the prtsbyterian religion over the Roman catholic that the
north of Ireland was in a better state than the south. Such
expressions could tin no good, and ought to be avoided.
Major MACNAMARA said that the charges which bad
been made against the catholic priesthood were malicious
and fah's.
THE MAIIRITLUS,
Mr. HUME, in reference to his on as to the supply of
labour to the Mauritius, said that be was anxious thee the
whole facts should lio before the house before they were
called upon te discuss it ; as, however he understood the
noble lord intended to make some observations upon it, be
would poetpoae his motion for copies of the despatches till
to-morrow.
EXCISE LAWS.

Mr. HUME asked whether government proposed to make
any alteration in the Excise laws, with a view to the re-
moval of those vexatious and injurious restrictions which in-
terfered with trade and manufactures ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that
previous to the conclusion of the last session le had re-
quested the chairman of the Excise Board to inquire into
the subject, and he believed he had been occupied on the
subject ever since, some of the moat experienced officers of
the department having been called in to agent him; and he
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) hoped that before the
end of the session he should be enabled to introduce a mea-
sure for removing the restrictions complained of as bearing
injuriously on trade.
The house then adjourned at half.past five o'clock.

previous to 1829 subject to the
Romilly's act. The other bill woo
dead by the han. and learned met
dVi frivious session, and merely a
=l:icatzt!st
IHoman'ebonca. anthrrei
ts. litetioliotilneava to bring in a t
. to catholic charities;
of "esti osodukents against
1 :-/Mtersi :r tletr
M: G. t:ilitliY, o objection
:4lbebst ka appitte the hon. ,
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