The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-15 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

IN the Horse of LORDS yesterday the Religious,
Buildings Sites Bill, and the Duchy of Corn-
wall Amendment Bill were respectively read a
second time.
The house then went into committee on the Sea
Fisheries Bill.°
The Marquis of CLANIIICARDS urged that Ireland
should be exempted from the operation of the bill,
on the ground that if it became law in the form in
which it now stood the Irish oyster fisheries would
be ruined, as strangers from a distance would have
the power of dredging upon them during the
breeding season.
The Duke of Itiensforte defended the bill, which
he said exempted all the fisheries within the three-
mile limit and preserved the rights of the Irish
Fishery Board.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said the government
had acquiesced in a claim by France thatthe oyster
banks off the coast of France should not be fished
in the close season ; and he saw no reason why
the Irish fisheries beyond the three-mile limit
should not also be excepted.
After some further discussion, in the course of
which
Earl Geev suggested that the passing of the bill
should be suspended until the French government
had conceded the claim of the Irish fishermen, and
The Doke of Iticrimozin said the convention was
already signed, and the only object of the bill was
to enact certain police regulations for giving proper
effect to the convention,
The Marquis of CLANKWARDE moved that the
Chairman report progress, which was agreed to.
The Industrial Schools (Ireland) Bill was read a
third time and passed, and the house adjourned
shortly before 7 o'clock.

IN the Horse.. of CommoNs, on the order of the
day for going into committee on the Boundary
Bill,
Mr. GLAD-TONE said the house was in a position
of considerable dthiculty with regard to this bill.
This did nut arise from the conduct of the Boun-
dary Commissioners, who were empowered to en-
large to any extent the limits of the boundaries of
boroughs, .but in no case to contract them. He
thought the house had acted with extreme short-
sightedness in this matter. In some cases the
effect of the enlargement of the boundaries waste dis-
franchise persons who lived in the neighbourhood
of large towns, inasmuch as the vote for the
county they now had would be taken away, and
they already possessed a vote for the borough.
The report of the commissioners could hardly
be considered as final. Where there was a dispo-
sition that the report of the commissioners should
be acted upon, he thought they would do well to
give effect to it. On the other hand, he was hot
prepared to override without examination an ex-
presion of opinion against it on the part of the in-
habitants of the town, or district affected. He
inquired whether the government had any pro
posal to make that would obviate the difficulty,
as if they had not, he should have no option but
to support Mr. Hibbert's amendment to strike out
clause 4, which related to the boundaries of old
boroughs.

Mr. DISRAELI said there were necessarily a
great many difficulties to encounter in passing a
boundary bill, but with patience, perseverance, and
temper they might be overcome. tie thought that
if they interfered with the report of the commis-
sioners it would be difficult to get gentlemen to
undertake sii.:ll duties again. This was not really
a government measure ; the government was merely
acting it as the trustees of parliament. It was
desirable that the bill should be passed by the
beginning of June, but if it were net, they might
by some short bill extend the time fixed by the
Reform Act, and shorten the time required for
registration. lie added that they might, if found
requisite, have recourse to morning sittings.
Mr. HiticEnr did not think Mr. Disraeli's pro-
posal at all satisfactory, and he should therefore
proceed with his amendment.
Mr. B.vs, suggested that the schedule should be
referred to a select committee.
Mr. G. 11.tnni, remarked that there were some
cases in which the report of the commissioners
might be set aside with their concurrence, and
there were only seven cases which required the
careful attention of the house.

Sir G. GREY thought if a select committee, ap-
pointed by the committee of selection, were to
consider the cases, they might report in two or
three days whether there were any to which further
consideration should be given.

Mr. BRIGHT considered that a mistake was made
when they gave the commissioners power to extend
the boundaries without any regard to the feelings
of the people who were to be affected by the exten-
sion. The inhabitants of Birmingham objected
strongly to their borough being enlarged, and those
whom it was proposed to include objected also,
and the same observation applied to other large
boroughs. He did not believe any party object
was to be gained by this.
Mr. NEWDEGATE should support the enlargement
of the borough of Birmingham, unless a third
member was given to NorthWarwickshire.
. .

Mr. ItoneCci; appealed to the government to
agree to the appointment of a select committee.
Mr. IL GURNEY, one of the commissioners,
wished to state that they had acted strictly in ac-
cordance with the instructions they had received.
It had been suggested that it would be disrespectful
to the commissioners to refer the matter to any
other tribunal, but they had no such feeling. Their
report had been on the table three months, and as
all the parties affected must have known of it, he
suggested that only those cues should be considered
in which there had been a petition, or in which a
notice of motion had been given,
Sir F. OROS:MIT, another commissioner, said
they had enlarged the boundaries so as to include
the additional town population.
Mr. DISRAELI, having heard the declarations of
the commissioners, should be willing to meet the
views which had been generally expressed, and he
proposed that there should be a committee of five
members, who should sit from day to day, and
that their investigations should be limited to the
places from which petitions had been received, that
they should have power to confer with the com-
missioners, and that they should only receive docu-
mentary evidence.
After some further discussion, in the course of
which Mr. B. OSBORNE objected to the principle on
which the commissioners had reported ; Lord
lloritast, as one of the committee of selection, ob-
jected to the proposed select committee being
nominated by that body ; and several members I
suggested that the boroughs to be considered
should include not only those from which
petitions had been presented, but those which had
presented memorials to the commissioners,
Mr. O. HARPY said, in nominating the com-
mittee they would also name the boroughs, and it
would be open to any member to move to add the
name of any borough which he thought ought to be
included, and in the meanwhile further progress
with the bill would be postponed.
The house then resumed, and the Chairman ob-
tained leave to sit again on Monday next. •
On the order for going into comdtittee of supply,
General Dumas drew attention to the Fisheries
Contention with France, and its effect on the Irish
fisheries, and

Mr. Alderman Lawsawca to the neoeimity of,
providing suitable approaches to the new law
courts.

The house then went into 'committee of supply,
and passed several votes, including one of three
millions for the Abyssinian expedition.
Mr. GLAurross moved for leave to bring in a
bill to prevent for a limited time new appoint-
ments in the church of Ireland, and to restrain for
the same period in certain respects the proceedings
of the ecclesiastical commissioners for Ireland.
Colonel S. KNox strongly 313jected to the motion
and quoted an extract frontmotion,
a former speech of Mr!'
Gladstone's in favour of maintaining the Irish
church.
Mr. NISWDSGATE asked if the bill witted
any reference to the Coronation Oath or the of
Union. •

GLeberowe denied the accuracy of the
yiotation made by Colonel Knox, who had re-

fused to state the authority on which he made it.
The bill merely carried out the second resolution,
made no reference to the Act of Union or the
Coronation Oath, and WA to continue in force till
the let of August, 1868.
Mr. VANCE said as they knew all about the bill
they would be justified in refusing leave to bring
it in ; and he then, amid much laughter, proceeded
to recommend hie hon. and gallant friend " to take
what course ho thought proper."
The house was cleared for a division, but it was
not pressed, and, amid much cheering, leave was
given to bring in the bill.
The cheering was renewed, when
Mr. GLADSTONE rose, and after reading the ex-
tract from the speech Colonel Knox had arttibuted
to him, said it was delivered by Mr. Whiteside.
The bill was then brought up, and after one or
two ineffectual attempts by Lord Ingestre and
Colonel Brownlow Knox to have it read by the
clerk at the table, it was read a first time, and the
second reading fixed for Friday next.
The house then adjourned at one o'clock.