The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-21 00:00:00

EVENING, MARCH 21, 1848.

eteded in accomplishing that object. His right hon. and
teemed friend the member for Bute (Mr. Wortley) had
shown him some amendments which he thought would meet
the objections raised to the bill so framed. His right hon.
friend had been obliged to leave town, and therefore he (Mr.
Walpole) would propel* now to read the bill a second
time pro foreto with the intention of enabling his right hon.
and learned friend to lay on the table his amendments, and
then, when those amendments were printed and in the
hands of members, it would be competent to the house to
say whether they would go into committee on the bill and
embody in it those amende.l clauses. He would, therefore,
suggest that the bill be now read a second time pro forma.
Mr. CRIPPS said his right hon. and learned friend (Mr.
Wortley) had left in hie charge the amendments alluded to,
which he was ready at onco to lay on the table, so that they
might be printed and in the hands of members to-morrow
(this) morning.
Sir It. H. INGLIS opposed the second reading of the bill,
en the ground that the passing an ex post facto law on such
a question was moat objectionable.
Sir G. GREY suggested that the proper course would be
that before the bill was read a second time the amendments
should be printed, with a notice that incase the bill was read
a second tone those amendments would be moved in com-
mittee.

Sir B. HALL said this bill seemed to consider the cases of
the sitting members only ; but he thought that of the peti-
tioners'ought to be considered.
Mr. REYNOLDS, as one of the sitting members included
in the bill, thought that, though petitioners bad rights, the
sitting members had tights also.
Mr. C. ANSTEY thought it right, atter what had fallen
from the bon. and learned member (Sar. Walpole) that the
house sheuld content to the b.ll being now read pro forma
a second time.

_ .
Sir It. PEEL thought that nothing could be more becom-
ing than the course proposed by the hon. and learned mem- 1
ber for Midkurst, who had no other object in view, than
ueder circumstances of very great difficulty to take a course
which on the whole would be most consistent, if not with the
letter of the law, but certainly with substantial equity, and
thereby to prevent its being said that the house had closed
its doors against inquiry. As the organ of the commitO e,
the hon. and l!arnedaentleman had introduced this bid ; but
alter what had pas.ed, in might well abandon it. However,
u there were other hon. mem era who entertained different
views as to the details of the bill, he had moved the second
reading for the mere purpose of enabling those hon, mem-
hers to submit their views to future consideration. There

being no interference on the part of the house, all the mea-
sures would be referred to the several committees. He
would suggest that the bill should he allowed to be read a
second time, when notice might Fe given of the amend-
ments to be proposed.
Mr. HATTER said, his impression from the beginning,
had been that the whole of this proceeding was utterly
useless. Let the necessity for further legislation be esta-
blished, before the bill was read a second time.
Mr. GREENE contended, that the necessity for the bill
had been sufficiently shown, and the sooner it was pawed
into a law the better.
Mr. BERNAL, though he had been a member of the
committee out of whose recommendation the bi.l had arisen,
conceived that the existing law was amply sulficicent.
With the multiplicity of business before the house, he saw
no chance of the committee getting through the business
which this bill would create.
Sir G. CLERK said if the house did not come to a speedy
decision on this bill, the committee of elections must proceed
with the choice of committees, which they had hitherto
postponed in expectation that some legislation on the sub-
ject would be came to.
The LORD ADVOCATE thought that b,..fore the bill
was read a second time pro f orma , the house ought to be in
possession of the amendments to he proposed.
Sir W. IIEATHCOTE thought the house bed made a
mistake by interfering in the matter at all. (Hear, hear.)
Though he had acquiesced in the introduction of the bill,
he would not urge the hon. and learned mover to proceed
with it.
Mr. SHELL raerred to the Galway case, and observed
that the reference by the house of the Cheltenham petition
to a committee was an admission that the certificate of the
examiner was not conclusive.
Mr. NAPIER thought the house ought to consider itself
bound by the decision of the examiners.
Mr. WALPOLE said that after what had passed in the
house he did not mean to press the motion, but out of con-
sideration to the hon gentleman the member for Bute, he
thought it would not be right for him at present to withdraw
the biU. .

The motion was then withdrawn.
FREEMEN OF GREAT YARMOUTH.
On the motion of Mr. K. SEYXEk leave wee given to
bring in a bill to dietranchi.se the freemen ut the borough of
Great Yarmouth.
The house then adjourned at a quarter past one.

ELECTION COMMITTEES.—YESTERDAY.
AYLESBURY.—Mr. Bull, agent to the Marquis of
Chandos, was examined on behalf of the sitting member,
and proved that be had not insisted in treating the electors.
DERBY.— One witness was under examination
throughout the entire day.

GENERAL COMMITTEE OF ELECTIONS.
The committee struck the following committee:
Horsham : Lcrd Courtney (chairman), Messrs. J. M. Gar
kell, B. Sheridan, G. Baukea, Shafto Adair.

Vie Orprtai.

MAILS._

The mails for Vign, Oporto, Lisbon, Madeira, Cadiz, and Gibraltar
will be made up on the morning of the 27th March.
The West India Mintz, including Bermuda, NAPSIU, Havanna,
Honduras, New Orleans, Vera Cruz, Tampico, and Porto Bloc, and
excluding those for Madeira, Jamnel, Carthagena, Santa Martha,
Cbagres, Panama, West Coast of South Amens, and lit. Juan-de-
N• will be made up on the morning of the 27th March.
The maill for New South Wales, Van Dieman's Land, and New
Zealand will be made up on the evening of the Slat March.
The mails for the W. at Cattet of Africa and Madeira will be made
up on the evening of the Pt March.
The overland math lot Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian Islands,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Bong-Kong, and China, via Southamp-
ton, will be made up On the morning of the Srd April.
The mails for the Brazils, the River Plate, Monte Video, Pernam-
bar*, Bahia, Madeira, and Buenos Ayres., will te made up on the
evening of the Ith April.
The overland closed mails, fin Marseilles, to the Mediterranean,
Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, India, Hong-Kong, &c., will be made up on the
evening of the 24th April.
The mails for Briush North America, Bermuda, and the United
States, will be made up an the evening of the 24th April.