The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-04 00:00:00

LAND DRAINAGE SUPPLEMENTAL BILL.

This bill was read a second time.
GRAND JURIES PRESENTMENT (IRELAND) BILL.
The house then wont into committee on this bill.
Clausen up to six inclusive were, with; verbal amend.
menta, agreed to.
Sir H. BRUCE moved the addition of a clause, to the
effect that nothing contained in this act, or in the 6th
and 7th Wm. IV., cap. 116, should be deemed se binding
grand juries and magistrates and oesepayers in road sea-
Mona assembled to take the lowest tender, provided it had
been proved to their satisfaction that the person making
the tender had been a bad contractor.
Mr. C. FORTIICUE opposed the clause as inconsistent
with a clause in the bill.
After a brief discussion the motion was negatived.
Upon the motion of Lord J. Baowna the following
clause was agreed to :—" And whereas doubts have arisen
as to whether the provisions of the 17th section of the act
of the 19th and 20th yearn of Victoria, chap. 6J, are appli-
cable to ' continuous contracts,' be it enacted, that from
and after the pawing of this act the provisions of said sec-
tion shall apply to all continuous contracts in the same
manner and degree as to any other contract."
Lard J. BROWNE then moved the insertion of the fol-
lowing clause :—" That if at any adjourned sessions for
any county, county of a city, or county of a sown in
Ireland, no justice shall be present, it shall be lawful for
the associated cesspayers to choose ono of their number to
preside thereat ; and all acts or proceedings of such ad-
journed sessions shall be in all respects as good and valid
as if a justice had been presiding."
Colonel VANDELEUR moved the insertion of the
wort "presentment or" after the word " any " in the
first line of the clause.
The committee then divided, and the numbers were—
For the amendment 5
Against it
The amendment was accordingly negatived.
Lord J. BROWNE moved the following clause :—" And
be it enacted, that in all cases where the grand jury of any
county in Ireland shall be satisfied of the solvency of the
securities of a high constable or collector of cesa proposed
to them ; and when it shall be considered by them expe-
dient that ouch securities, or any of them, should be taken
as hereinafter mentioned, that it shall and may be lawful
for such grand jury, or for the justices at special or quar-
ter sessions, as the case may be, to make an order in
writing that such high constable and his sureties, or
any one or more of them, shall be at liberty to
enter into the usual and necessary bond and warrant
before any master extraordinary or commissaioner for
taking special bail, appointed by her Majesty's High Court
of Chancery in Ireland (and which bond and warrant
he is hereby empowered and required to take), such bond
and ' warrant to be executed, however, within 21 days
nextafter said :maims, or general quarter or special ses-
sions as aforesaid ; and such bond and warrant, when so
entered into as aforesaid, shall be perfectly valid to all
intents and purposes as if same were entered into pur-
suant to the several acts now in force relating thereto ;
provided, however, that if no such bond and warrant
shall be executed within the time so limited as aforesaid,
that then and in such case the appointment of such high
constable shall be from thenceforth null and void to all
intents and purposes, and a new appointment made pur-
anent to the provisions of the several acts now in force
relating thereto."
Agreed to.
The preamble was then passed, and the house resumed.
NOTTINGHAM WRIT.

Mr. AYRTON moved that Mr. Speaker do issue his
warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to make out a new
writ for the electing of two burgesses to serve in this pre-
sent parliament for the town and county of the town of
Nottingham, in the room of Sir Robert Juckes Clifton,
baronet, and Samuel Morley, Esq., whose elections have
been determined to be void.
Mr. R. MILLS thought that the house before it lamed
the writ should not overlook one or two important paassges
in the report of the committee on the Nottingham election.
The committee reported that violent and tumultuous pro-
ceedings took place at the last election for Nottingham,
and that on the day of polling especially, bands of men
armed with sticks committed various outrages on the
inhabitants, and created alarm which was not without its
influence on the result of the election. The fact was
that for a fortnight before the election the town
was in the possession of a mob, and so alarmed were the
magistrates that the muniments of the town were taken
from the Office where they were kept, and sent into the
country for security. On one occasion, when there was a
meeting on behalf of Paget and Morley, the mob took pos-
session of the hustings, smashed the windows of the hotel,
and drove their supporters to another part of the building.
And Mr. Mundell° gave evidence that, although his own
hones was watched day by day by the county
t=
during their absence for half an hour, atones were t
through the windows, and the inmates greatly alarmed.
Voter, were not to be intimidated because the town was in

the possession of a mob. Some of the rioters were taken
before the magistrates, but they were discharged the next
day, and he thought that nothing could be more encourag-
ing to a mob than such s mode of dealing with those who
had been guilty of a serious riot. Many of
""
the magistrates being owners of large mills, were
afraid that if they took active measures against the rioters
their property would be jeopardised, and he thought that St
under these circumstances it was that a stipen- St
diary magistrate,who would notbe likely to influenced by ISO
local considerations, should be appointed. He should be sorry
yt
to interrupt the issue of a writ, but he thought the house as
would not be doing justice to the inhabitants of Notting- 10
ham or to itself if it did not examine further into the St
matter. St
Sir H. VERNEY said, as the hon. gentleman who had 10
just sat down had not concluded with a motion, he would
move " That the proceedings before the select committee gi
be printed, in order that the house might have time to al
consider what steps should be taken before the writ was fh

issued."
Mr. J. R. MILLS seconded the amendment. BS.
Mr. S. BOOTH concurred in the remarks of the hon. St.
baronet who had moved the amendment. St.
Captain VIVIAN, as a member of the it
select commtee at
which had inquired into the proceedings at the late else- St.
tion for Nottingham, stated that although there had been St.
a good deal of disturbance in the town, which was for the Si
most part created by a mob who were headed by non-elee- rtt
tors, to whom the title of " lambs " had been applied, St
there was no riot in the parliamentary sense of the word. at,
It was proved that voters were largely employed upon a Stt
colourable pretence of canvassing for Mr. Morley, whom S
the committee had consequently unseated ; but the corn- St
mittee did not think that what had occurred would justify 1:
them in recommending the house to suspend the issue of 10
the writ. lo
Mr. AYRTON said he had moved the issue of the writ in lo
consequence of havingt received a petition which he had Sc
presented to the house from a large number of the electors, 6,1
prapug that the writ might issue. In his opinion the house g
had had sufficient time since the termination of the St
inquiry by the select .committee to consider what steps at
it was necessary to take. After the report of the com- St
mittee there was really no ground for refusing the writ, 24
and there was even no foundation for addressing the crown St
for a committee of inquiry. After all, if the papers re- g
(erred to by the hon. baronet were before the house, what 24
could they do with them except look at them (A laugh.) I v
Sir H. VERNEY thought that the statement which Si
had been made by the hon. gentleman (Captain Vivian) It
was enough of itself to make the house pause ere it issued
the writ. "si'
The writ was, however, ordered. Si
Mr. BRAND then moved a new writ for Windsor.
a

Agreed to.
Colonel TAYLOR also moved a new writ for Northal-
lerton. Si
Agreed to. 21
THE HARDEN PETITION. Si
Mr. FERRANI) moved that the select committee on the 11
Representation of the People Bill (Harden petition) do SI
consist of five members, to be nominated by the General 81
Committee of Elections, and that two other members, to
Si
be named by the General Committee of Elections, be ap-
pointed to serve on the select committee to examine wit-
nesses, but without the power of voting.
Agreed to.

NEW BILLS.
Leave was given to Mr. CIIILDDES to bring in a bill! to
consolidate and amend the laws 'elating to the valuation
of rateable property in Ireland ; and to make better pro-
vision for the management and use of the Curragh of
Kildare.
In committee of the whole house leave was given to bring
ins bill to amend the " Companies Act, 1862."
The house adjourned at twenty-five minutes past twelve
o'clock.