The Express.
London, England, 1851-02-07 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LOl(DS.—Tnrasimy, FEB. 8.
The LOYD CIIANCILLOR took his seat at 5 o'clock.
PETITIONS PRESENTED.
PAPAL AOOKILSSION.—By Lord STANLEY, from •
place not heard ; the Bishop of M.ANCIIESTER, from a
*de in Lancashire; the Earl of EGLI NTON, from East
Wickham and other places; the Earl of 'LODEN, from the
Church of Enirluad Lay Association, and trim a great many ,
places in Ireland; the 'Duke of ARGYLL, from the county
of Butt; the Earl of BIOUNTCASIIEL, from Newport,
the county of Cavan, and other places; Earl WALDE.
GRAVE, from several places; the Earl of LANESBO-
MOUOII, from a place in Ireland; and the Bishop of
OXFORD, from indsor, Eton, and adjoining parches ;
the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, from the clergy of the
county rat Wile...a. I other place*, sdl against papal *germ-
-I•oll.—The po :item. presented by the Bishop of Oxford
prayed fur the :al Trion of some measure on the subject, or
the exert-hie of the • siding power and authority, to prevent
the assumption of the titles given by the Pope to the re-
cently appointed Roman catholic bishops.
Lord IlltOetill.tAl thought such a prayer could not be
entertained. Ile should be very sorry to see that house,
which was the highest court of judicature in the land and
to which a final appeal might la, made upon an indictment
or information of the Attorney-General--he should be sorry
to see that house entertain a petition to put the law In
motion in the first rustence.
The lii.hop of OXFOItD said their lordship' might ad-
dress. hoe Majesty to discountenance tlit temporal rink
which had been a—umiel by certain mom and he thought
be doing so they would ht, • the prayer of the
retina.,
LORD LIEI:TeINANCY OF IRELAND.
The Marquis of LONDONDEItItY asked whether it
was the lot uti tttt of the government to introduces measure
for the abolition of the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ire-
land, and if so, whether sufficient time would be given to
the people ut Ireland to petition their lordships house
apainet It?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said it was the intention
of the gourmet nt to introduce such a measure; but as
there were several important measures which at present
galled for the attention of the government, be was nut pre-
pared to my when that measure would be introduced.
LAW 1,1 MARRIAGE. .

The Earl of ST. GERMANS brought in a MI to legalise
marriage with a derviro d wife's ,i•ter, and gave notice that
ht bill JUlli mine the I.r..nd reading on that day fortnight.

Pt )sT-OFF ICE.

Me Num.'s EAlll.lii,6;; notice that nn 'Monday next
bc should provott • no tibia from a clerk in the money
order othe,, prrying for an inquiry into the eircum,tunces
wader which bo had IN i n diobarged from his employment.
THE EARL MINTO AND TOE COUltl OF

gentleman if It was his intention to Introduce a bill to amend
the Stamp Ad.
THE LORD LIEUTENANCY (IRELAND).
Mr. GRATTAN gave notice that, on the bill for the
abolition of the Irish Lord Lieutenancy being introduced by
the First Lord of the Treasury, it was his intention to move
that it be read a second time that day Is months.
(Laughter.)
IRISH DISTILLERS.
Lord NAAS row, pursuant to notice, to know from the
Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it was the intention
of her Majesty's ministers in the present session to introduce
a measure for the remission of duty at present levied on
waste and evaporation occurring to home-made spirit'?
(Hear, hear.)_
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated, in
reply, that there was no such intention.
FIRE AT THE HOUSES OP PARLIAMENT.
Mr. LAWLESS rose to ask the hun. member fur Lanese-
tcr the estimated expense of the damages dune by the late
fire, and what precautions had been taken, or were in-
tended to be taken, to prevent the recurrence of such
disasters? but he understood the hon. member for Lan-
caster was now in Rome. In the event of that hon. mem-
' bees absence, he had intended to auk the noble lord the
member for Tutues (Lord Seymour) the same question, but
not seeing the noble lord in his place, he trusted that some
member of the government would have the kindness
to give a reply, as it would tend greatly to relieve the pub-
lic anxiety on the subject.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER mid that
the amount of damage WAN exceedingly trifling.
Mr. LAWLESS wished to know how that could be.
'I he CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the place where the Are occurred was nearly empty at the
time it broke out.
OATH OF ABJURATION.
Mr. W. P. WOOD wished to know from the noble lord
at the head of her Majesty's ministry, if he was prepared to
introduce • measure with a view to the carrying out of the !
resolution of the sth of August, in the last 'Lesion, to the
effect that the house would take into consideration the oath
of abjuration, with • view to removing all disabilities at-
tachiug a permits not professing the Christian religion ?
Lord J. RUSSELL—It u my intention to introduce
such a measure,. (Hear.)
Mr. W. P. WOOD—At the earliest opportunity ?
Lord .1. RUSSELL could not say as to that. Ile would
be guided by the progress of the measure which he intended
to introduee to-morrow (this day).

MINISTERS' MONEY (IRELAND).
Mr. FAO.tN wished to know if it was the intention of
the noble lord—he having pledged himself in the last ses-
sion—to introduce a measure for the abolition of ministers'
money in Inland? If not before the Easter recess, when?
Lord. .1. RUSSELL—The government do intend to
introdueo suds a measure • but I cannot just now state
whether before or atter Easer.

......
LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
Mr. MILES inquired if it wits the intention of ministero
to bring in • immure for the alknition of the Liw of

I:ttletnent ?
Mr. BAINES replied in the affirmative.
STAMPED PUBLICATIONS.

In mp to a question from Mr. SCHOLSFIELD, to
whether the lawsuit between Mr. Charles Dickens and the
Boanl of Inland Revenue had been abandoned or was still
pending,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that
it had not been abandoned. It would be tried before one
of the Barons of the Exchequer.
Mr. M. (DOWN Inquired if it was a suit for penalties
for printing on nnstamind paper ?
the CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER replied in
the affirmative.

Mr. BRIOHT wish.' to know if papers of a sitnilar
character would he allowed to be published under the same
eircunistanees until the case should be decided? Until the
question was decided it ought to be held that the subject
ROA free to publish.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER should
politely &s lime to answer that question. (A laugh.)
ADDRESSES TO THE CROWN.
• -•

Lord J. RUSSELL, rica;;;inirice jouowing resolution
—" That this house will not proceed upon suy motion for
an address to the crown tow Inch opposition is otti:red but
in a committee of the whole house, except with respect to
matters which have been had
submitted to s select
oininittee"—said that he hail given notice of his intention
lwt session to move such a resolution, hut he thought it
better to defer it till the commencement of the present one.

It was obvious that in the multiplicity of towniesss and ea-
rims topics which that house hail to deal with, there must
be eases in which questions of considerable importance
would have to be discussed and decided in a very thin house.
In cases where bills were brought in, the house hail frequent
opportunities during the various stages of their progress of
deciding upon them, and stopping their progress if it so
thought fit. In the ease of a resolution being carried
which afterwards appeared to a majority of the house to be
at valiance with the public interest, it could be rescinded,
and no further proceedings could be taken in respect to it.
But the ease was different with regard to motions for an
address to the crown which might be carried in a thin
house, and with no great majority. In that case it was
elisions great inconvenience must arise, because that ad-
dress was ordered to be presented by such meridiem as were
privy councillors, and no further proceedings were neces-
sary on the part of the horse. Now, if the ministers of the
crown were of opinion that the address ought not to be
carried into effect, it placed them, and indeed the
crown itself, in great difficulty. Supposing a majority of
the house were of opinion that the address was one which
ought not to be carried into effect, and was at variance with

the : public interests, the crown, in refusing to comply with
it, though seemingly placing itself in opposition to the
House of Commons, was in reality carrying its wishes into
effect ; whereas if the crown complied with the address
carried by a majority on a division in a thin house, but in
reality at variane. with the
wishes of the 211ajarrity of the
house, it was placing itself in real opposition to the will of
the House of Commons. The crown had full liberty and
discretion not to comply with the address of the house
when it appeared to the advisers of the crown
that compliance would prove injurious to the public
interests, yet that power should be very sparingly
exereird, and only in cases of grave importance.
If the house agreed with him so far, it would agree that it
was desirable there should be the same kind of preceding
with respect to addresses to the crown as in regard to
bills and resolutions, that was to say, that the house should
have the opportunity and power on a subsequent day when
the house was fuller, of reversing its decision with respect
to addresses suddenly adopted. It might so happen that 40
members would carry on address one day, which would be
rejected by MO the next. What they wished to propose
was already in spirit in operation with respect to money,
for all measures relating to the voting ,of public money
were brought forward in the first instance in a committee of
the whole house. Ile need hardly mention instances iu
which such a resolution as he now Imposed would have
been useful and prevented great inconvemence.There were,
however, two Coors which occurred in late years, and which
he would bring in support of the motion. One was an
address to the Crown for the purpose of setting free some
persons who hail been transported for political offences.
That address would not be carried in a full house, and it so
happened that it was not carried in the thin house which
considered it, solely because the Speaker had the firmness
and judgment to decide against the address being carried.
(Hear, hear.) The other case was fresh in the recollection
of the house, being the case relating to the post-office.
Immediately after that address was carried he had been
inked if the government meant to comply with it,
and although he did not think the address con-
veyed the opinion of the majority of the house,
yet being a formal act of the house, he did not
feel himself authorised in saying that the address which
had been carried by a majority was not the wish of the
house. He therefore advised the crown to comply with the
address, but he thought it would have been much better if,
instead of the agitation and inconvenience which followed,
the hour had had an opportunity of reversing the decision.
They all knew that it was quite impossible to expect a full
house on every motion that came before them, and there-
fore it was desirable to have such a resolution in force as
that which he now proposed. (Hear.)
The resolution having been put,
Mr. HERMES said he considered the motion as an at-
tempt to abridge the privileges of individual members of
the house, and ono which it would be inexpedient to adopt,
and the statement of the noble lord had in no respect re-
moved that impression. (hear, hear.) He was strongly
of opinion that the revolution was inexpedient and unneces-
sary. The tendency of late years was to curtail the privi-
leges of individual members of the house. And in all those
eases where that bad been done with manifest propriety, be
for ono never offered any opposition. But here the case
was different. The present question arose out of a case
which occurred last year, and which was distasteful and
inconvenient to her Majesty's government. (Hear, hear.)
They should therefore look the more narrowly into the
grounds on which it was proposed. (Hear.) The noble
lord's position was, that with regard to any motion for an
address to the crown, to which opposition was offered, it
should be made before a committee of the whole house, ex-
cept to matters which hail previously been considered by a
select committee. Now, he would ask the noble
lord, in the tint instance, in what way that resolution
could bo complied with. With regard to the motion'
for an address in answer to the royal speech no one could
say that opposition would not be offered, and there was no
previous committee of the whole house to which it hail
been referred. lithe noble lord meant that every address,
before it was Presented, should be referred to a select com-
mittee to be drawn up, he apprehended that the same rule
would apply to motions for an address in answer to the
Queen's Speech, but that was not expressed in the words of
the resolution. If this motion had been, that an address
should not be presented until the preparation of that
address bad been referred to a select committee, then he
could have understood it; but that was not the case, and
the noble lord did not mean to myths: it was either implied
sr expressed. (Lord J. Russell made an observation, which
Was nut beard.) If the noble lord was disposed to snake an
amendment to his own motion, or allow him (Mr. Berries) to
do as, that would be another question, but as the motion
stood at present,* would be an obstacle to public businna.
Supposing, for instance, that some foolish insane person
should make an attack upon her Majesty, the house ought
to be in a position immediately to snake a communication
of the expression of their feelings at the occurrence ; but
the resolution of the noble lord did not meet that difficulty.
Mid it should be recollected that before the address could
be referred to a committee of the whole house it would
have to be made an order of the day. This of itself fur-
nished a good ground of opposition to the motion of the
I .noble lord. The noble lord bad adverted to the occur-
' rence of last year, when an address was moved to the
crown on the question of postal regulations on Sunday.
Now, if he recollected rightly, ample notice hail been given
of the intention to move the address, and therefor* the
. goo mist bad axopro time to prepare link Aiello to