The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-05 00:00:00

object was to discourage adultry, and it was not wise,
therefore, to insert a provision by which the woman,
having once committed adultry, would be forced afterwards
to pros'itution or poverty.
The amendments were then agreed to.
The report of the committee on the administration of
oaths to witnesses was brought up.
Lord Campbell moved the witnessess before committees
should be examined on oath when their depo,i'ion had
relation to matters of fact; but not when they involved
merely matters of opinion.
The in )tion was agreed to.
Their lordship rose at half-past six,

HOUSE OF COMMONS—THURSDAY.
The Speaker took the chair at four o'clock,
The Atlantic Telegraph Company's Bill was real a third
time and pased, and the consent of the CrOwn was sig.
nifted.

Tha Australian Agricultural Company's Bill was read
a third time and passed.

Tile recognizanecs in the cases of the following election
petitions were declared to be Unobjectionable :—Lisburn,
Newport, Beverley, Taunton, Borintin, Weymouth, Gal-
way. Bath, Maldon, Lanark, Bridport, Ipswich, Ftlkirk,
Sligo County, Hun' intzdon, Peterborough, Queen's County,
partsmputh, Chatham, Lymington, Sandwich, North
Staffordshire, YarMoutb, Totivss, Athlone, Clare, Leith,
Shrewsbury, Sligo Borough, Berwick, Dover, and New-
castle-undel-Lyne.
The petitions against the Newcastle-under-Lyne election,
and North Staffordshire election were withdrawn.

A communication from Mr. Richardson, stating his
intention not to defend his return for Lisburn, was read by
the Clerk at the table.
The members to serve on the General Committee of
Elections, including Sir W. H-athnote, IVIr. Sullivan, Mr.
B. Csrter, Mr. Walpole, Sir W. Somerville, Colonel
Wilson Patten, and Mr. Mills were sworn.
On the motion of Sir W. Jolliffe, a new writ was
ordered to issue for Carmarthen, in the room of Mr. D. C.
Davies deceased.

Mr. Hamilton gave notice, that en the 23rd of the pre-
sent month, he should move for a Select Committee to
inquire into the working of the Grand Jury Laws in
Ireland,

Sir F. Thesiger announced the intention of the op-
ponent., of the Oaths' Bill in reference to that measure,
he stated in the introduction that he would not offer any.
opposition till the next stage, but since then he bed care-
fully considered the measure, and had taken the advice of
those who thought with him on the question. They all con-
sidered that its simplicity and the removal of obsolete parts
made the form of oath proposed by the noble lord a great im
provement upon the existing form, and objected only
to that part which had for its objection the deduction
of the Christian character of the Legislature ; they, there-
fore, considered it expedient to effr no opposition to the
second reading, but to propose in committee the insertion
of words which would retain the Christian character of the
house, and clearly and simply present the implrtant ques-
tion—whether members were prepared to admit persons
who were not Christians to seats in the Legislature.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that, in the event
of the Oaths' Bill net leading to any lengthened debate on
Monday, the Government proposed to proceed with the
committee of supply, and if the army estimates were com-
pleted to-marrow, to go on with the civil service estimates
on Monday.

Mr. Hamilton itquired whether it was the intention of
the Government, wi' h a view to the promotion of education,
to propose any measure for granting: a drawback on the
paper duty, as regarded piper and books used for the pur-
pose of education.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, it was not
intended at present to introduce any measure with the
object referred to.
In reply io Sir John Trelawney, Lord Palmerston said,
that the government hid a measure upon the subject of
church rates in course of preparation, and he hoped before
long to be ilblo to introduce it.

Lord Robert Cecil moved for a select committee to
i-quire into the expediency of taking the votes at elections
in counties and universities by- way of voting papers The
object of bts motion was to imitate voting, and in proof of the
efficiency of the system, he alluded to its success in the
case of the poar-law election. _

Mr. T. M. Cullagh moved the previous question, he
objected to the appointment of a committee on the subject
at the present time, when so many election com-
mittees would be sitting, and objected to the
end which the noble lord had in view. (Rear.)
The case of the poor-law system of sitting was quite dis-
tinct from that of parliamentary voting. ; and even if they
wire analogous, he denied that the system in the election
of poor-law guardians had proved sueces•ful. Any one of
these objections was, in his opinion, sufficient to justify
the reject on of the motion, and oa that ground he had
proposed that the precious question be put.
Lord Ebriogton believed that the frauds in the Poor-
taw eyatcm uroac from ot-loap and its ltoiont machinery.
He supported the motion of Lord Robert Cecil.
Lord Stanley would not have opposed the motion had it
had reference solely to University elections, but he could
not consent to an application of the system to counties, as
he believed it would terra to increaee bribery and perso-
nation.

Sir F. Kelly supported the motion for the appointment
of the committee, and generally concurred is the applica-
tion of the poor-law system to parliamentary voting.
Sir George Grey opposed the motion on the ground
that it was a question for the house, and not for a com-
mittee to decide. He thought the adoption of the prin-
ciple of the motion would offer facilities to bribery and
personation, but would not have opposed the introduction
of a bill setting forth the views of the nobie Lord.
After a few more remarks from Mr. H. Berkeley, .
Lord J. Manners appealed to his noble friend to with-
draw his motion, and both the amendment and the original
motion were withdrawn by consent.
Mr. llorsfall moved for a select committee to inquire

into the origin, the past and present constitution, and the
powers awl duties of the Board of 'Trale. He •eferred to

the anomalies of the present constitution, the board having
authority in private bills, agriculture, railways, science,
and other mattess, with which, he contended, they were
not competent to deal. He also deprecated the inter-
ference of the board with local government in regard to
commerce, and attributed great loss to the trade of the
country, and therefore to the revenue, by the course taken
in reference to the Liverpool and Birkenhead docks. He
contended that the board should consist of a large propor-
tion of mercantile men, and urged the house at least to
consent to the appointment of a committee of inquiry.
Mr. Labouchere opposed the motion on the ground that
the question was not discussed and decided upon by the
house. The objections particularised by the honourable
members were objections of detail, and might still exist
under a reconstitution of the board. "With regard to the
argument that the board should be composed of mercan-
tile men, men while holding that connexion with commerce
should not constitute a disqualification. He submitted
the public, whose interests, primarily, the board had to
consider, should be principally represented.
Sir James Graham alluded to the effect of the reduction
and remission of duties on raw material since 1830, and the
consequent effect in giving impulse to manufacturing
industry, and to the repeal of the Navigation Laws, and
the increase since in the merchant vessels. He stated that
since 1842, £10,000,000 of customs and excise duties had
been remitted, and yet, in 1856, with all these remissions,
the customs and excise duties together amounted to
£39,700,000, while in 1842 they only reached £33,542,000;
now the imports balanced the exports, and there was,
therefore, no necessity for reciprocity tre sties, and the
intr .duction of local self government into the colonies.
diminished the necessity of consulting with the Board of
Trade. There were other points, in which, by salutar:
measures, the board had been relieved of duties, and I
contended that there was uo ground for the motion of th,
men of Liverpool.
Mr. Bentnick and Sir G. B. Pecholl supported the mo-
tion, and Mr. Lowe opposed it.
After some further discussion, Mr. Horsfall replied, and
the motion was then negatived without a division.
Mr. Shiley moved for a standing committee, on unpaid
commission, to consider and report from time to time on
practical suggestions, free from party differences—to give
facilities for improvement in the social condition of the
working classes.
Sir G. Grey opposed the motion, as not likery to lent to
any practical issue.
The motion was then withdrawn.
Mr. Atherton obtained leave to bring in a bill to regulate
the quantity of licenses to keepers of ale-houses, inns, and
victualling houses.
Mr. Hardeastle brought in a bill relating to burials on
consecrated and unconsecrated ground.
Mr Mallins brought in a bill to enable married women
to dispose of reversionary interests in personal estate.
Sir John Trelawnev moved for a select c unmittee to
inquire into the circumstances of the dismissal of Mr.
Bertolacehi from the office of Auditor of the Duchy of
Lancaster.
The motion was agreed to.
The Attorney-General obtained leave to bring in a bill
to revise and amend the acts relating to Cousity Cess in
Ireland, and also a bill to amend the constitution and
procedure of the Court of Exchequer Chamber in Ireland.
The sheep, &c., Contagious Diseases Prevention Bill was
read a second time, and was referred to a select committee.
The Princess Royal's Aannuity Rill was, tea 4 third
time and passed.
The report of Supply was brought up i'i agreed to.
The Ministers' Money (Irelantl) Do'
was read
a third
time and passed.
!The house 4clictgrnod at twenty' minutes to one o'clock
I