The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-17 00:00:00

IM PE [AL PA It LIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNISDAY, )L►acn 16.
tank the chair at 11 n'thick.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The rep ,rts of the committees of the ILaekhurn Gas. the
1)ut11‘ y the Sanderland Ga•, and the Whittle Dean
Wet, r W Ks, hills, were considered and agreed to.
The s, Wokinithair, and Woking Junction Railway
Bill was rtad a second tune.

PUBLIC BUSINESS.
PF.T IT lUN S Phli'sr:Nl ED.
MAYNtiOCI GRANT.—By Mr. 0. DUNCAN. from the
Free Chnre.:, St. David's, Dundee; Mr. DUNLOP, from
the Fr,. Church cougreotion of the Island of Call, and
from the to' .hit-ants of the parish of Ithenie, Aberdeen-
shire; Mr ItOUVL:ItIE, Mr. A. lIASTIE, Mr. 0. DUN-
CAN, and Mi. ELIOT, from TatiOtif places in Scotland ;
•guest.
Caskat,;v itEstuves Bata. —By Slr IL INGLIS, from
Toronto, aniinst.
DtAABILITINS.—By Mr. HAMILTON, from the
M shine, county of Longford, against the n-
ano, d uf.

OENNIND i,r THE CIITITAL PALACE ON 81:NDAVI.—
By Mr. CUEETHAM, from member.' of the Coogregational
Cerra at ll•twi,o, sitairist.
OCEAN PENNY PcnlTAoll.—lly Mr. MI ALL, from a pub-
meeting A'. itlchdale ; Mr. CAIRNS. from the miAsters
wed elders of tue rissbyterian Church, :Collegeequare,
Bank Belfast, in favour of.
UNITEA•ITY Tear., SeITIAND.—By Mr. G. DUN-
CAN, Mr. 13.10 T, Mr. DOC VEIIIE, and other hon.
menibma, from various places in Scotland, for the aladi-
Mee et
PAILLIANINTAKT PAPISE.S.—By Mr. FERGUSON,
from mesalvers of the Catfish: Library, for itippfirs of.
EICISE Dyer os Sorte.—By Mr. C. TURNER, from
the Livery, I Chamber of Commerce, for the reveal of.
TANIS ON KNOWLEIXII.—Mr. :USDA RS, from the in-
habitasts or Wakefield, fir the repeal of the duty on paper,
the stamp I,i ~n n,,impapers. and the advertisement duty.

THE BYE ELECTION INQUIRY.
Sir J. lON c.. 11. a attention to a difficulty

which bad arisen in reference t, the assembling of the com-
mittee ap.. e.t.d to inquire into the alleged corrupt prac-
tices in the town and port of Ilve. The act under which
that cum:nineu we, appointed (Lord John Itusoll's Act)
required teat the committee, which. as the house au
ewers, we% nu" sesrily ccmpoerd of the same membrn as
the eleetion c .:nnaittee, should assemble within f wirteen
days aft- r the to nod when they. aa an election a remitter,
made theii ri pot.. Yesterday they tin pursuance of
that requir..wient, when it app. ond that two of their
numb r, Corhally llogdale, wens ab-
sent, the one beteg in Ireland, and the other is
• distant root of the couutry, mil the question arose,
under those e roumetances, whether the committee wt re or
wive not boon . by the law which regulated their proceed-
lags as an Ireton committee, or whi..her they stood in the
'whoa artily of an ordinary select committers ? In the
owe case it h • arcs', iry to report to the house the
fast of twee th.ir members being absent, having the
bons to d•.. 1 with them, and in the other it would be
Nicely ni cr., try to apply . for authority to richer. the
Mitres. The general opinion appestat to be that they
stood in r c 7,,,sition of en ordinary select committee, but
as he not tl.ink such an inquiry ought to her condu:ted
with bre I. an tire members, i,e,peaed and would move,
that the qua might lie educed to three, in order that
the eummitt• c might meet and atjonin over the holidays,
°therm., the li day. would 'mire, and the committee
lapse bettor they would bait an opportunity of scream
WASS.
Sir 0. 0111 Y inquiteil what notice bad been given on the
members of the committee as to the day on which they
were to meet ? _ .

B,r J. I'AkINOTON thought the members of the elm.
laittry wuu,d that they would M required to teas-
salable hewn. the heti lay.. The Irma form of committee
sammon. had !wen issued by the clerk..
Sir U. GIREY—The members of the committ• ought to
have been within reach of the summon., they were not
bewever yet in a pusitSos to say that they would not he in •
pavilion to remmesable before lolenday next, when the four-
teen days cspired. In hi, upini m the same members who
tried the election petition ought to sit on this inquiry, and
be though, the house would be exercising a very has adore
"ewer if it determined that a quorum of tlir.e should be
entlicient. It-. impresario was must they ought to deal with
Ns ere at that of an election committee—that on the day
far rt-as.. ultiii,„4 the members of the committee should be
galled over, and that, after waiting an hour, if any were
absent their eloence should be reported to ilia house, who
orevld aseertsin the cause and art accordingly. Ile trusted
that whatever course was taken the inquiry would not be

Sir J PAK INGION—But my right hoe. friend has not
pointed out h iw in this ease weary to preveut the committee
from lapsing.
Sir U. UILEY meant to have said that when the circum-
stance of the absence of two of the members was brought
under the ao.i.e of the house an the way he had sugghsted,
it would he competent for them if they thought fit to give
leave to those members to continue absent, and allow the
imaamittee to sit with the minimum numbsr sanet.oned by

the act. r 1.. three.
Mr. HURL' objected to any members of committees being
gonad tr..aa committees without a report being node to

the house
Mr. SOTHERON suggested that the committee should
Maid adjourned by perraysion of the house until after the
After • re w words from Mr. FiIIWILS,
Mr. M. DENISON thought the difficulty would be met
if the .chairm in would now report the abseil,e of the two
members, leaving the house to take the course suggested by
the riabt hen. baronet (Sir O. Grey).
Mr. HOU V BRIE believed that if the committ e met on
Maeda; neat (the last of the It days), and found that any
el their number were absent, it would be sufficient if they
reported the tact to the house when it re-emen:Mel alter the
helideys.
The SPEAKER had consuEed the law adviser of the
louse on the question, and his opinion was that though it
might have been the intention of the act to reconstitute the
maimittee us On election committee, after it hart reported
to the house, it could only have the power of an election
essmraittee in so far as ezamining witnesses on oath and
Mlling for persons and papero, mit that in all other respects
it would ilesiomd to the position of an ordinury select com-
mittee. It was clear that the act intended that the com-
mittee shoeW consist of the same members as the election
CinaMitnte, and the only mode of proceeding in the present
MSS was foe the house to order the attendance of the two
lees. members referred to, on Friday nest. The house could
then, if it ;clewed, legalise the sitting of the committee not-
withstimilitig the adjournment.
Sir J. PAK MOTO!: (in accordance with the Speaker's
enisiem) withdrew his motion, and moved that Mr. Cor-
kin; sad Mr Dugdale be ordered t) attend the house on
Friday next; which, after a Inlet cenversation, was agreed
to.
COUNTY RATES EXPENDITURE BILL.
Oa the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Sir J. PAW INGTON urged the postponement of the
gemmittee nutil after the Quarter Sessions, in order that
the magistrates, who would be effected by it, might have an
importunity of considering it, and pronouncing their opi-
Men upon its enactments. He had no desire to throw ob-
stacles in the way of the bill for the mere purpose of delay ;
he wished to meet it in a Mon if spirit ; bat it must be
borne in mind that this bill was widely different from that
which had bees discussed in precious sessions; and it was
only fair that time should be given for its consideration. In
eider to show what would be the real working of the bill,
be had moved for returns of the number of magistrate, in
such county, qualified to act on the county boards, and of
the several beards of guardians, and be had given notice
of au auseadnisot, which would come at an early part of
the bill, which them returns would tend to elucidate.
Seeing that the necessary information was not yet before
the house, and that the Quieter Sessions, at which the
magistrates of the country would have an opportunity of
taking the bill into consideration would not take place till
April, he appealed not only to the fairness of the right hon.
member for Manchester, but to the justice of the govern-
ment to support him in the amendment. He would now
mere that the committee on the bill bo postponed to the
13th of April.
Mr. DU GIBSON regretted it was not in his power to
swede to the right hon. baronet's request. (Hear, hear.)
It might be proper to postpone the committal of the bill, if
there were any absence of information on the subject, or if
say party interested was about to be taken by surprise; but
there was no reason for suppoeiog that ti, magistrates were
not fatly informed of the whole scope lied bearing of this
memare, and certainly no one understood it better than the
eight hen. gentleman himself, woo was a member of the
committee to which the bill had Men referred, sad had gone

through it clause by clause, air! than wheat -them wee at
person to whom the Quarter &bijou' justices (as they well
knew) could more safely entruat their interests. (Hear,
hear.) That the subject had b en brought under the con-
siderstion of the justices there could be no doubt, tar he
found in the account of the expenditure for the County
Palatine of Lancaster a charge of 221. 6s. for the expenses
of a deputation appointed for the purpose of watching the
of the Comity Expenditure Bill in parliament.
rigeTais in May, 1860, and again in the accounts of 1851
is found a charge for the same purpose of 41/ 7s, 6d,
(" Hear, hear, aad a blurb.) As he should be ex-
tremely sorry if the ratepayers were put to auy
further expense on this account, he hoped the
right boa. baronet would not persist in a mane which,
if successful, meat ham the effect of throwing the bill
weer to another swish. With regard to the information
the right hon. baronet sought in the rcieras for which ha
bad moved, he was glad to be able to inform him that that
lafornistion was already on the table; there was, therefore,
fairground for delay.
Hr. litioN observed tint the bill as it at present stood
had nem been Wrought under the attention of the justioes
el Quartet Swim. It was also worthy of remark that the
Inelliert same forward now for the first time with govern-
ment tappet.
Hr. dl. PALMER was favourable to the principle of the
bill, hut believed that the delay now asked for would in the
result occasion ae Lou of time. This present unsure was
vary different from the one of 1811, especially in retomj:
the clause definiag the eonstructioa of the county
and It wae but reasonable that an opportunity should be
given to those who would he affected by it to consider it.
Lard PALMERSTON-1f the measure were entirely
now or the present stage were the third reading, he would
anpaicice in the proposal of t hi. t.a.l.t hon. baronet—but the '
principle of the bill had been sander the cunbitleia,ion of
the *Amu') for several sad had been repeats' dly
reallercil the house, and all they were now called upon
to do was to go hill rommittre to discus. Oa various
attentions and niodnicatnius to the clause, whittt various