The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-03 00:00:00

PERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—MONDAT, JULY 2.
The Earl of SitArriericaT (Deputy Speaker) took his
mat at 6 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
SECOND READlNOS.—Sheffield and Tinsley Eqad,
Re.; But Lancashire Railway Acts Amendment anc. De-
viation ;
_Bills.
THIRD READINOS.—East Lothian Central Railway,
de.; Shrewsbury and Chester Railway, ac. ; Bills.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
PETITIONS PRESENTED.
Maanuoas BILL.— By the Marquis of LONDON-
DERRY, from the presbytery of Newmatle•upon-Tyne,
maims any alteration fa the law of Marriage.
AOSICULTuItAL PILOTICTION.—By Lord STANLEY,
am tr places in Lincolnshire , Duke RICHMOND, fromo-
several plame, signed by 4,448 persons—for .return to pr
motive duds&
.—B
NATIONAL litotrcartowy Esrl NEL13914, fr.= f,„=;.
pool, Rochdale, and Wigan, on the subject of educatbnal
grants. Lord COLBORNE, from fun Steen of a poorlaw
anion, praying for a superannuationd.
Tan AininekLlAN Cot.oxias.—By Lord MONTEAGLE,
from Sydney, New South Wales, on the subject of the pro-
posed alterstisn in the constitution of the Australian ooknies,
and complaining of the inefficient state of the print
franchise.

FORTPATRICK AND DONAOHADEE.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY moved that thew be
laid before the house copies of all communications that
have taken plan between the rostmaster-Cieneral and
the parties who have contracted for carrying the nails
from Greenock to Belfast. Also, copies of any contracts
that have been made, stating the period for which they
have been !leaden And also any statements to show the
economy and saving proposed by the new arrangements.
He would suggest the expediency of keeping, at least br a
year, a steam-vessel between Portpatrick and Doasghtdes,
and daring that time the experiment might be tried of the
longer passage between Greenock and Belfast. This night
be done at a very trifling expense.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE did not object Waive
the information required, and begged to add that there
would be also given the reports of the different surveying
officers of the Admiralty from 1835, who had examined the
ports in question. He knew, however, that public opinkn
was in favour of the proposed change.
After a conversation tke motion, as amended, wu agreed to.

AUSTRIA.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid on the table the
eommuniesuon made by the Austrian government as to the
advance of the Austrian troops into Tuecany and the Lege.
tions. It was mule on the 17th May, subsequent to the first
convenation which had taken place in the house on the

subject.
Lori BROUGHAM wished to know whether any step
had been taken to recognise Kossuth in Hungary
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that no such recog-
nition had taken place, nor could be made under clisting

CLlGlAaMmuaucw.
IRISH POOR LAW.
The Earl of FORTESCUE presented the report of the
committee on the Irish poor law.
ENTAILED ESTATES BILL.
The Duke of RICHMOND brought up the report of the
committee on this subject, and moved the first reading of a
bill embodying the views of the committee, the objert of the
bill being to enable landholders to borrow money for the
purpose of draining. He could not be present to mere the
second reading, and he hoped therefore the government
would take charge of the bill, which could do no harm, and
would, in fact, enable many gentlemen to employ a great
number or labourers who were now prevented from doing so.
The Bari of HADDINOTON wished to know if this bill
was to extend to Ireland ? _ • - •

The Duke of RICHMOND replied in the negative.
The Earl of WICKLOW thought the bill ought to apply
to Ireland as well as England.
The Duke of RICHMOND would not object to its being
extended to Ireland, but as he wished the bill to be passed as
quickly as possible, he bad not included Ireland, because he
bad lived long enough te know that any bill applying (to
Ireland wiu,not likely to go very rapidly through its stages.
(" Hear, hear," and laughter.)
After a few words from the Marquis of LONDONDEIIRIf,
The Earl of CARLISLE said that he quite approved of
the bill, and he should be happy to give any eminence in his
power in forwarding It through its remaining stages.
Lord BEAUMONT supported the bill, bet thought it
would not be effective unless it was accompanied by another
measure to improve the outlets of dudes. At present they
were often below the level of the neighbouring riven, and
the land was therefore moat imperfectly drained. The erre-
ticn of steam engines, to draw the water off and empty it
into the river, would be a great improvement and attended
with comparatively little expenu.
The bill was then read a first time.
THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.
Lord MONTEAGLE, on presenting the petition from
Sydney, asked whether it was intended to proceed, in the
praseet session, with a bill for altering the constitution of the
Australian colonies. The house ought to be cautious in
colonial legislation. A constitution had been prepared for
the colony, and sent out by the col snial s revery; but it
was received with so much ducoatent that it was withdrawn.
Earl GREY would not enter into the merit. of a bill which
was not now before the house. It had long been the practice
to refer all questions of a colonial character to committees
of the Privy Council, and more particularly to this com-
mittee. It was found inconvenient some years ago to have a
colonial beard, and the duties and responsibility were ere-
tore vested in the colonial secretary ; but the advice otfh the
crown was alwaesiu the form of a recommendation from the
Committee or Beard of Trade and Plantations. The Secre-
tary of State for the Colonies gave his opinion as a member
of that board. And it was nothing new that that board
should be called on to advise on questions of col oiled policy.
His noble friend contended that parliament ought by no means
to proceed at this period of the session, and without the
previously ascertained knowledge and consent of the colonial
legislature, most interested, to pate this bid. But if his
noble friend, and their lordships generally, would carefully
look into the papers on their table, it would be seen that the
bill in question preceded on this principle, and on this only,
that it left to the colonial legislature, as and possible, a
power to legislate na local matters, upon such
alterations in their constitutional forms as from time to
time the wants or wishes of the colonies might seem to re-
quire, with only this limitation—that any colonial acts go-
ing to this extent should not peas into law in the colonies
until after having been laid for a specified time before both
houses of parliament and been sanctioned by the con-
sent of her Majesty in council. Now, the principle
recommended by the report before their lordships was
simply dole. It confirmed the existing constitution of New
South Wales pretty much in the form it now ix teased, only
separating from it the district of Victoria. It rendered ap-
plicable to the other Austrclian colonies all the acts of parlia-
ment now in force with regard to New South Wales, so as to
establish the constitution of their respective legislatures on
precisely the same principles Si that of the former was
founded upon; and then the report recommends that all
these legislatures thus to be cleated, or thus invested with
new powers, shall be at liberty to adopt any alterations
in the constitution of the colonies in which they respectively
sit, subject only to such limitations of that general principle
as he (Earl Grey) had already indicated. It was not his in-
tention to propose any material alteration in the provisions of
this bill from thou comprised in the former one. The prin-
cipal alteration proposed to be introduced into this was, in
fact, an omission—the omission of a clause which he himself
bad been moat desirous of retaining. He meant the clause
that would have provided a common tariff for all the Aus-
tralian colonies. It had appeared to him that it would be
of the very highest importance to establish such a
common tariff, inasmuch as it would have ;operated
greatly to facilitate and increase colonial commerce
and intercourse. But practically, it had been dis-
covered that it would be nec,rsary in the first place
to get at a vast variety of details which could not be sup-
plied here, bat could only be procured by a colonial legisla-
ture ; and as it was intended that only one part of the mea-
sure—that which had been already brought under their
lordships' notice—should come into operation this year, it
had not been deemed expedient to hazard the chat ce of that
event by retaining a clause that was not meant to have ope-
ration till some time nest year. Thus altered, he hoped
that the bill, being one of very great importance to the best
interests of the colony, might be allowed to pus this year.
From personal communications he had had with some gentle-
men connected with the colonies of Australia that day, he
felt himself justified in assuring their lordships that the
parfait of the bill was anxiously desired by them.
Lord LYTTBLTON had heard with the greatest possible
surprise that it was the intention of the noble earl if possible
to press through this bill. In the very able paper now on
their lordships' table, the objections to this bill were so
strongly stated that he was astonished how they could have
been overlooked by the noble earl. The measure prepared
on the reeommendetion of this report fell very far short,
he repeated, of the objects it professed to accomplish, and in
other respects was intrinsically objectionable.
Lord STANLEY concurred with his noble friend who had
just spoken. Without asking the noble earl, then,
for any distinct pledge at the present moment, he would
only reiterate his own hope that on further considera-
tion the noble lord would withdraw this bill.
Earl GREY would eertainly avail himself of the sugges-
tion of the noble lord, in so far as it did not call for any im-
mediate determination on his (Lord Grey's) part. It would,
however, be matter of deep regret to him should the bill not
par this session.
The discussion haviag thus terminated the petition was
ordered to lie upon the table.
AUDITORY OF RAILWAY ACCOUNTS BILL.
Lord MONTEAGLE, on moving the second reading of
this bill, said that at so advanced an hour of the evening
he would not call upon their lordships to enter on its dis-
cussion, but would propose the second reading now, pro
prow merely, and to take the debate upon it on going
into committee.
Tke Earl of LONBDALE declared himself entirely
opposed to the principle of this bill—(hear, hear)—and
could... no advantage limply to arise from its second read-
ing. It introduced • new principle, and one he thought
most objectionable, namely, the admissien (sedulously re-
fused by all other bills of an analogous nature) cf
government officers and agents to become interested
parties in a trading speculation ; for what else was any rail-
way but • trading speculation ? He thought it his duty
to pretest against the measure, and he would therefore move
that it be read a second time that day three months.
Lord MONTEAGLE said his noble friend might recollect
that the principle of the bill had been unanimously approved

sible.