The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-03 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS.—THDRIIDAT, MARCH 2.
The Loin Canwonmos took his east at 6 o'clock.
POBLIC InNUNESS.
SECOND BLlDlNCL—Coosolidated Toed (8,
.000,000 L) BBL
001LILITTBIL o
LATE CLERK
THE LATE CLERK ASSISTANT.
The LORD CHANCELLOR read a letter (ruin Mr.
their o: his gratitude tor the resolutions peered be
their lordships allowing him to retire on a pension of 2,0001.
I ;lit lordships then adjourned at halUpset 3.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TituaaDAY, MARCH 2.
The Semites' took the chair at 4 o'clock.
Col. R. Ferguson and
an Kilkean
P. 8. Butler took the oaths and
their seats for Kirkaldy d y County.
BOLTON ELECTION COMMITTEE.
Mr. HAMILTON brought up the report of the committee
on the Bolton election petition. The committee stated in
their report that William Bolling, Esq., WAS duly elected to
nerve for the borough of Bolton, that several freemen had
been proved to have received bribes, but that such bribery
was not proved to have been with the knowledge or consent
of Mr. Bolling.—The report was agreed t no.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR gave notice that, on the 17th March,
he should move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the laws
relating to friendly societies.
Mr. ItOMILLY gave notice that, on the 16th March, he
should move for leave to bring in a bill to abolish certain
offices in the Court of Chancery.
CASUAL POOR.
ADAIR, seeing the right hoe. gentleman, the
President of the Poor-law Commission, in his place, begged
to put a question to him, of which he had given notice some
time since. lie wished to ask thent hon. gentleman
whether he purposed, during the p tendon, to make
' any alteration in that part of the Po..r law Amendment Act
which related to the ',lief of the casual poor in those eases
where the expenses of such relief were thrown exclusively
upon the parishes wherein the relieving officer resided?
Mr. C. BULLER woe very glad the hon. member had
asked the question, se the subject of it had often attracted
his most serious attention. Complaints had been repeatedly
made to the poor-law commiasioners of the heavy burden
thrown upon single parishes, in consequence of their being
obliged to sustain solely the expense of relieving the casual
poor who applied to the relieving-officer, or at the workhouse,
the site or residence of one or the other being within the
limits of such parishes. The subject certainly manifested
the existence of a great evil. He did not know what the in-
tentions of the government in this respect were, for he had
never brought the subject under the notice of his colleagues.
The question was intimately connected with the law
regu-
laing the law o rnti ng in subjects union, and a dfficult existed
auto separating f the two .s The acti knowny by the
name of the Bodkin Act would, howevet, come under the
notice of parliament during the present session, as it was
about to expire, and then the house would be able to deal
with the whole question. The reconsideration of Bodkin's
Act would bring the question under discussion during the
present session, when the house might depend upon it he
should give the point his best consideration.
PAID GUARDIANS (IRELAND).
Mr. A. STAFFORD wished to know whether govern-
ment had received any information from Ireland as to thel
dismissal of more boards of guardians
Sir W. SOMERVILLE believed that some additional
boards bed been recently dismissed, but he did not at the
moment recolect the name, except one, Ennistymon. To-
morrow (this day) he would, give the hon. member the par-
ticular'.
POOR LAW COMMISSION (IRELAND).
Mr. HERBERT asked the right hon. baronet the Score-
Eery for the Home Department when the recently granted
commission to inquire into the operation of the Irish poor
law would be laid on the table ?
Sir G. GREY said that when the commission had been
issued, end the commissioners appointed, it would, in due
course, be laid on the table. He was at present in commu-
nication with the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland on the subject,
and believed that one commissioner had been appointed.
SIBTHORP inquired whether it was to be a paid
comeniseien ? (A laugh.)
Sir G. GREY believed that the commissioners would be
selected from among persons already receiving government
pay, but be could not speak positively on the subject.
Dr. BOWRING, in rising to bring under the notice of
the house the grievances of the Isle of Man, said that the
master grievance of that island was the self-elected character
of their legislative assembly, the House of Keys. To that
assembly was intrusted the government of the island, and
they were a body wholly irresponsible. But this was not all.
The House of Keys was alai the ultimate court of appeal
from all the inferior courts, and many of its members being
judges of the inferior court., as also attorneys and advocates
at the Manz bar, it might easily be imagined what chance of
justice such a tribunal gave to the people. The people of
Man also complained that there was no written law, no do-
cuments to refer to, everything was left to the Deemater,
who decided everything according to his judgment or caprice.
In neither law nor law-making had the people of the island
any controlling voice, the popular principle being wholly ex-
tinct, although it was a historical fact that in ancient times
when Man was only an appanage, the Lords of Man were
frequently in the habit of consulting the people in parlia-
ment assembled on the formation of laws. Another branch
of the Manx grievance was the commercial system, The
rich were in everything protected, while the poor were
mulcted in every article which they purchased. Some of
th, se grievances, such as the hewing system, had been re-
moved, but there were still enough remainiog to make the
people discontented. The people also complained that their
towns were unlighted and undrainod, because no rate could
be levied without a proper representative assembly. He
hoped he should hear from her Majesty's government a de-
claration of their intention to issue a commission to inquire
into the grievances which it had been his duty to bring un-
der their notice.
Mr. EWART seconded the motion.
Sir G. GREY was not prepared to deny that there were
many grievances in the Isle of Man demanding inquiry. He
did not think, however, he could say more than he had al-
ready said in a letter to the governor of the island—namely,
that the real remedy for these grievances would not be a re-
construction of the local courts, but an incorporation of the
island for all legislative and judicial purposes with the rest
of the United Kingdom. (Hear, hear.) The hon. member
was not right, however, in saying that the House of Keys
was wholly irresponsible, as some of their acts had been ne-
gatived by the Commons. lie believed that many valuable
acts bad been passed by that body. He did not see that
there would be any u‘e in a commission, and therefore
he could not hold out any hopes of its appointment to the
hon. and learned member. The people of Man were lightly
taxed, and he believed very contented, but if they had
grievanci a the only remedy would be that which he had
already indicated.
Sir R. INGLIS would recommend the inhabitants of the
Isle of Man to take the hint which had fallen from the right
hon. baronet the Secretary for the Home Department. If
they preferred • local legislation, they should be careful
about bringing local questions continually before the im-
perial parliament.
Dr. lb WRING, after one or two observations, withdrew
his motion.