The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-24 00:00:00

THE SLAVE TRADE.

Lord BROUGHAM asked whether there would be any
objection to the production of the communications from her
Majesty's consuls at Cuba and the Hsysonih in reference
to an edict of the Governor of Cuba, which was calculated
to bare as iejuritais retrospective effect upon the coloured
Population.

Earl ORANVILLE made an observation in reply, which
was inaudible is the gallery.
ANNOYANCE JURORS (WESTMINSTER) BILL.
After a short discussion this bill passed through com-
mittee.

VOTERS (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill was read a seoootl time.
UNIVERSITY ELECTIONS BILL.

Earl POWIS moved the second reading of this bill, the
object of which was to enable oon•reeideot elector► to vote
es university elections by means of polling papers.
The bill was read ► second time.
SALMON FISHERIES BILL

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY moved the woad
reading of this bill, and explaieed that it was introduced in
order to forbid practices which had considerably dimi•
'lobed end still continued to diminish the annual yield
cd the salmon fisheries.

—Lid MilklAdiiiiiirßY thought the bill a practical mea-
sure, which, with some allegations, might fairly be passed
into e law.

After some mimics from Lords LONIDALI Ma UAW-
ona, the bill woo rood a second Wm.

IRREMOVABLE POOR BILL.
Lord WODEHOUSE, oo moving the wood reading of
the Irremovable Poor 871, stated that the object of the
measure was to amend the law made i 2 1846 in regard to
this class of poor by dimiaialtiag the timed continuous reel-
donee from fire to three years, sad by making contisuous re-
*Wawa within the limits of a pose-law union sufficient to
reader a person irremovable. A camp also was proposed
in the mode of raising commas fund from which the
relief of the irreinole poor was to be gives. Lord Node-
house pointed out that tie would benefit
the ratepayer and mum Cirautsedrer of poor, who
suffered great hardship in many cases owing to the present
law of removal.

Viscount LIFFORD objected to the bill that it destroyed
the present parochial system, and wee the first step, and
not • small one, towards the establishment of a system of
union rating. There was only one way in which security
could be obtained for the proper administration of the poor
kw, and that was a small rating area, that every man
might know how his money was being expended, and
use that it was hie interest to prevent as far
as possible poor /mons fro coming epee the parish.
The effect of the charge being made upon electoral districts
instead of upon parishes had been injurious enough in Ire-
land ; but the apnea proposed by the Noble lord was tuff-
nitely worse, because to Ireland they had not, as in Eng.
hod, the cankerworm of outdoor relief. The eel y remedy
against the evil was the establishment of small areas of
rating. He trusted their lordships would not defeat the
beneficial arrangements of the act of 1845 by the provisions
of this bill. He begged to inure that the bill be read • second
time that day air months.
The Earl of DEVON supported the bill. He thought that
whatever benefited the labourer and ameliorated his condi-
tion must, by • net remote consequence, improve the condi-
tion of his employer also. (Hear, .) The noble lord who
spite lAA, ater passing a just eulogy upon the former
poor-law act. implored their lordships not to interfere with
the principles of that great measure. But he (the Earl of
Devoe) contended that this so far from interfering with,
was simply a continuation of and supplement to that former
measure. The doctrine that the labourer ought to be per-
mitted to carry his labour with the most perfect freedom
wherever be pleased, was one which had been accepted ever
since the days of Adam Smith. AU that this biU did
was to throw upon the common fund the charge of the irre-
moveable poor, now contributed by the several parishes.
He thought the bill fraught with benefits not only to the
poor bat to the ratepayers. It came before their lordships
remeameeded by two committees of the House of Commons
rod by many leading authorities, and he strongly recom-
mended it to their lordships consideration. (Hear, hear.)
Lord Iff2RADBROKE looked upon the bill as the thin
end of the wedge by which union rating was to be intro-
duced, although the bill itself did not directly proves its
introduction. He should oppose the second reading.
Lord BRDLIDALE said it had been the object of those
who supported the bill to represent it as a little meager*,
but it was in point of fact • very large one. (Hear, hear.)
It was really impossible to agree to 1$ without oonsidering
the whole law of settlement. The bill would not altogether
cure the evil which it sought to remedy, because if a man
lived in a border parish and stepped ove- the
boundary of the union he would lose his irremoveability
just the mine as he would at present. (Hear, bear.)
He (thin noble lord) contended, thoraces, that they could
not deal with the bill without considering the whole law of
settlement. The measure would make • very great latent-
' tion in the incidence of the poor rate.
The Duke of NEW C. LE did not say that the bill was
either a small or unimportant one. On the contrary, ho col-
' teuded that if it paned it would cause the present session to
be looked back upon as one in which an act of great practical
ben•ficeoce had been done to the poor. (Hear,bear.) As
1 for the period of the year, there was still a fortnight or three
1 weeks of the session to run—(" Oh! ob r)-sod
their lordships had had sediment opportunities as
Loadlords for enquiry into the subject ; besides
which they had bad the advantage of the in.
Instigations of the other house which had thrown
• flood of light upon the subject. Every provision of the
1 bill hail been recommeoded by If,. Sotheron-Estoourt'e
. committee ; and, with the exception of a very strange
1 proposal, namely, that unite of population should be
added to the pouuds sterling of rateable value as • basis on
which to levy the common fund, the measure practically
embodied the report of that committee. It was en error to
speak of this as the thin end of a wedge, or as the WM.
menceinont of an attempt to upset the parochial system. It
nierely sought to correct the mode of levying the common
fiord, which at present was one of the most unjust
that could be conceived. In the first instance,
it was fair enough that each perish should pay
towards the union expenses in proportion to the number
lof its paupers ; but the moment they threw the
irretuoveable poor upon the common fund it became as un-
just as possible. Take, for example, the ease of a union
I which bad been referred to by the noble lord, sad of which
Ibe (the noble duke) had some personal knowledge. In the
union of Radford (Notts.) there were three contiguous ad
L'7l4l:umshltritsbetiwo iLbtiint
thetli rotes were in one case Ils.
eaci,aannd
equal number o' irremove•Zupoor • annd. edmthwessralle value
of each wee nearly the same - that was to say, it only varied
Ifrom 20.0001. to 21,000/. Now, if they charged each the
same sum towards the union expense they would do jue-
tios ; but if they made the contribution depend upon the
number of the settled poor, the one parish, already over-
t burdened, would have to pay nearly three times as much
as its neighbours towards its unsettled poor, with which it
I had really nothing to do. (Hear, hear.) He wee certain
the poor would benefit greatly by the provisions of the bill,