The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-19 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

BOITSE OF LORDS.—FRIDAY, MAY 18.
The Loan CIWICTILOI took his wt on the woolsack it

S o'clock.
ROYAL COMMISSION.
The Royal Assent was given by oommission to the fol-
lowing ME—Public OMose (Site), Qualification for
Offices Abolition, Customs Duties (Isle of Man), Local
Government Supplemental, Exchequer Bills and Bonds,
Drainage and Improvement of Lands (Ireland), Dock-
yards Extension Act Amendment, Labouring Claws'
Dwellings, Inclasure, Harbour Loans. Superannuations
(Officers% Metropolitan Vestries and District Boards, and
• number of railway and other private bills.
The Lords Comminsioners were the Lord Chancellor,
Lord Foley, and Viscount Sydney.

- -
PETITION.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a petition from
ToHorton against innovations in church ceremmiaL

THE STATE OF EUROPE.
Lord STRATFORD de REDCLIFFE asked whether any
negotiations, or preliminaries for negotiations, official or
confidential, are actually in progress on the part of her
Majesty's government, with the view of settling, by a
congress, or by other means, those unli4py differences
among the great continental powers, which expose to
imminent peril the peace of Europe, and whether any
seasonable hopes may be entertained of an amicable issue.

. _
The Earl of CILARENDON—My lords, it is impossible
to over-estimate the importance of the situation at the
present crisis, and I therefore thank my noble friend for
Laving exercised such a wise discretion in asking the
question he has addressed to me before the house separates '
for the vacation. In reply to his question I will state that
official, and I may say confidential, communications are at
this moment in progress, but it would scarcely be advisable
that I should state their exact character. They are going
au at this moment, and I hope they may terminate in the
meeting together of all the powers concerned, not only
those which are neutral, but those which are armed. I
cannot hold out any hope that that may insure peace, but
I think that a meeting of all the powers, both those con-

_ . .
werned and those not immediately concerned, to deliberate
en these differences, may give some hope of an amicable
issue. I can only say that no effort of her Majesty's
government will be wanting to preserve peace, and I
believe it is also the wish of the Emperor of France ; but

in the present state of the communications—l will not
say negotiations—l think it would not be silt-iambi° to say
anything further.

LAND DRAINAGE SUPPLEMENTAL BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
CATTLE ASSURANCE BILL.
This bill passed through committee.

SELLING AND HAWKING GOODS ON SUNDAY

BILL.
On the motion for the third reading of this bill,
Lord HEDESDALE said that, in consequence of his
noble and learned friend (Lord Chelmsford) having with-
drawn from the charge of this bill, he (the noble
lord) felt it his duty to continue the progress of
the measure, with a view of seeing whether it
could not be rendered beneficial. He thought the bill
might be made of great utility for the purpose for which it
was brought forward, and that by closing shops after ten
o'clock in the morning, and not allowing them to open
until one o'clock, a great check would be put upon Sun-
day trading. All public houses were at present closed
during that perimlof three hours,and it was only reasonable
that other shops should be closed also. Thus a great advance
would be made in obtaining a proper and more pious ob-
servance of the Lord's Day in that respect. He trusted
their lordshipe would see that this bill could not do any
harm, that it was in accordance with the principle on which
similar legislation had proceeded, and was calculated to
produce good results. He therefore moved the third
reading of the bill.
''' • • •

Lord TAUNTON was really to admit that the bill as it
now stood was a considerable improvement on what it had
been, yet at the same time he thought it was still open
to grave objections. He therefore moved that it
be read a third time that day six months.
The noblelord the chairman of committees proposed by this
bill to prohibit Sunday trading between the hours of 10
o'clock and 1 o'clock and to allow the sale of any articles
during the rest of the day. (Lord REM:Sr/ALE. —No, no.)
Of course the old obsolete law of Charles 11.wotild continue
in force, but it would be wholly inoperative in practice,
and as had been said by a right reverend prelate in the
course of the discussion on this bill, whatever was not
forbidden by the law would be considered as permitted and
encouraged. The bill, it should be remembered, applied
not to the metropolis alone, but to the whole of F..r,Pind,
and it would he difficult to make unsophisticated people
in the country understand that the legislature objected to
trailing at other hours of the day than those during which
it was expressly prohibited.
Lord LIFFOHD thought the supporters of the measure
had scarcely been fairly treated in the course which had
been taken with regard to it. The opposition to the second
reading and the committee was carried on by one noble
Lord, who was unable even to find a teller; and now they
found suddenly a great number of noble lords entertaining
an opinion which they might as well have expres,ed at an
earlier stage.
The Earl of HAHROWBY, while entertaining objections
to the measure even in its present shape. was SO conscious
of the extent of the evil of Sunday trading in some parts
of the metropolis, that he should be willing to support an
alteration of the law with the view to providing a p entedy.
Under these circumstances, if the third reading were
carried, he should propose an amendment, which would
have the effect of connning the operation of the bill to the
City of London and tha metropolitan police district.
Lord RAN ENSWORTH thought the anirialment sug-
gested by the noble earl a wise one, and would his e it his
support.
Lord TEVN HAM said the cry for a law to repress the
selling of goods on Sunday was a kind of intermittent
feverwhich arose in the public mind from thee to time. The
noble and learned lord who introduced this bill brought for-
ward one of a similar character a few years ago. and he had
been in hopes then that the malady was entitely
cured. He need not remind their lordships how it broke

out in Southampton and in the City of andon when Mr.
Pearson was the city solicitor, and then it was no new
thing, for it Kid raged in the beginning of the century,
when it extended into Carmarthenahire and many thou-
winds of poor persona suffered from it. If they :Mowed this

bill to pass, the number of persons brought to puni,hrlent
would be greater t:vm it was in those days. It was not
levelled ag.tinst a natural evil, and there would. tLtrefore,
be great diversity of opinion as to the magnitude of the
offence, and while one magistrate would be incting the

smallest fines, another with-sabbatarian views would impose
the full penalty of 40s. for each sale. Then again, the
sales being more numerous in the case of articles of small
value the poor person would be liable to heavier punish-
ment than the person who dealt in articles of greater
value. He hoped their lordships would throw out a bill
which would indict such great injustice.
Lord STRATFORD de REDCLIFFE thought it next
to impossible to legislate upon the subject. If this bill
were sent to the House of Commons it might give rise to
delicate and embarrassing debates. In short, he bad heard
nothing that induced hint to think they could effect any
successful legialatioa ou this subject. He she ald oppose
the further progress of the bill.
The Duke of CLEVELAND felt unable to support this
bill. He admitted that the house was to some extent com-
mitted to its principle, by having passed the previous
states ; but taking everything into consideration, and
bearing in mind the discussions which bad taken place on
a similar subject in the other house of parliament, and
another amendment which had been moved by the noble
earl on the cross benches, confining the operation of the
bill to the metropolis, he felt that it would be inexpedient
to pass what now must be admitted to be only a partial
measure.
Lord REDESDALE saw no reason to anticipate that the
public, who acquiesced in closing the public-houses for
three hours on the Sabbath would object to a similar re-
striction with regard to other places of business. He
believed that if trading were prohibited during the hours
of Divine service there would practically be achieved a
get diminution of Sunday trading altogether, as business
being interrupted thus in the morning would, in most
cases, not be resumed in the afternoon. He :bought the
amendment of his noble friend on the cross benches a
desirable addition, and he was willing to accept it.
The house divided. For the third reading
Contents
Non-contents
On the question that the bill do pass,
The Earl of HARROWBY rose to move his amendment,
but gave way to
LOP.D PORT3IAN, who moved that the words " re-
quiring the assistance of the police in carrying out the
objects of the bill" be struck out. He could not think of
anything more inexpedient in the interests of that great
force than to rekuirs them to perform this duty. The
Smoke Nuisance Prevention Act had been quoted as a
precedent, hut in reading the act be found that it con-
tained no clause calling on the police to interfere. On the
contrary it was provided that they should not interfere
except under the orders of the Secretary of State and when
the municipal authorities had failed to do their duty ; he
therefore moved to strike out that portion of the bill
which authorised the employment of the police.
After some discussion,
The Marquis of CLA.NRICARDR moved the adjournment
of she debate.
Lord REDESDALE was of opinion that an adjournment
of the debate was not necessary.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he had not taken any
r= the discussions on this bill, but he thought an &d-
-ent was absolutely necessary, es he did not believe
any one of their lordships knew what would be the effect
of the clause after the alterations proposed were made, and
it would not be consistent with the dignity and
respectability of their lordships' house to leave a clause
in inch a shape.
The noble and learned lord then, amidst soma laughter,

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