The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-10 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The Loan CH A NCELLOR, Viscount DU NCAN NON', and the Earl
of SHAFTESBURY, took their seats on the Woolsack as Commis-
sioners, for the purpose of giving the Royal assent to several Bills
which had been passed sin:Le the 1a..7t Cummision.
The Usher of thy. Black lied ha-.IPg been directed to summon
the House of Common., the acwinpanied by sevei al
Members, appeared sho:tli aftemards at the bar, Isbell the Royal
assent, in the usual form, was given to the following Bills :
The Consolidated Fund Bill, Rankin's Ests'e Bill, Carn'gie's
Estate Bill, Lockhart's Estate Bill, Duke of Argyle's Estate Bill,
and some Naturalization Bills.

On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESBURY, the Leeds
Water Works Bill was read a second time, and ordered to he
committed.

Messengers from the Coral-3ons brought up the Turnpike Ac's
Continuation B. 11; tha Raul illilitary Canal Bill ; the Wigan
Rectory Estate Bill ; the 1 Irtttol Cemetery Bill ; the Liverpool
Improvement Acts Amendment. 1 1,11 ; the Barn,by Water-works
Bill; which were severally read a first time.
Mr. BERNAL then appeared at the Bar, and desired a con-
ference with their Lordships on the subject of the Muucipal Act
Amendment Bill.

The Message was ordered to be taken into consideration on
Monday next.

Their Lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAK ER took the chair at twelve o'clok.

MUNICIPAL COlti"011ATIONS (ENGLAND) BILL.
Lord J. RUSSELL move.l the Order of the Day for the con-
sideration of the Lords' amendments to the Municipal Corporations
(England) Bill. The Order of the Day having been read,
The Nonce. Loan observed with respect to the present Rill, it
was most desirable, particularly as it had been before Parliament
for so long a period, he might say two Sessions, that they should,
if possible, be able to pass an Act of Parliament upon the subject,
—( Hear.) Therefore he should propose that the Lords' amend-
ments be agreed to as far as possible, and that only where it was
absolutely necessary should he disagree with them. The first amend-
ment he should propose was to an amendment of their Lordships,
which provided that the Councillor who was assessed to the
largest amount of Poor-rates, should be the person ap-
pointed to preside at the election of Councillors, fie (Lord J.
Russell) did not quite approve of the principle of selecting the
richest person for that purpose; at the same time he was anxious
rather to amend, than strike out the amendment. He would,
therefore, propose that the Councillors among themselves tif; :loot
a person for that purpose; and in case of disagrtwou,, that the
person paying the largest amount of Poor.iltos' be selected,
Mr. BROTHERTON had great doubts as to whether the prin.
ciple of electing the largest rateqayer was a good one, He knew
a case in which the largest rate-payer in a borc.ugh could neither
read nor write.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. HAWKINS thought the most childish absurdity was visible
in the amendment made by the other House—(Hear)—and he
despaired of anti; being able to get any thing done while the
present system continued. The Noble Lord did not in his opinion
sae the whole absurdity of the principle, awl in his opinion the
election of Chairman sbetAd he to the burgesses.
84RN.47,.4:-,:etted they should be called upon to acquiesce
iy,ceelous pr.meiple, and he begged to be understood as by
tio means compromising his own opinions in giving his assent to
the proposition. He fully coincided in the truth and justice of the
remarks of the Hon. Member fur Salford ; but as it was desirable
to him tag their object should be to have it passed in
the least injurious shape possible.
The amendment was then agreed to,
Lord J. RUSSELL %;(1 there was another amendment which
112 iiiS.agt,ce to, by which he should restore the provision
cont4ilect in it to the state in which it was when the Bill had passed
the liouse g# Lords last year.
Ili WASON thought the Bill of last year should be in their
hands before they proceeded fnrtlicr,
Lord JOHN fit.TSSI.P.LL said that with respect to the auditing
of eepottuts, the persons connected with the auditing office had
stated many reasons why they could not satisfactorily perform the
ditties required of them, and they therefore proposed that a sum of
2,0311. as salary be allowed in consequence of such increased duty.
lie would therefote propose that clauses T and U be struck off,
The Committee was then appointed for drawing up their reasons
for disagreeing to certain amendments made by the Lords, viz.—
The Attorney-General, Lord John Russell, Mr. Wason, Mr. Ber-
nal, Mr. Seymour, the Chancellor of' the Exchequer, and Mr.
Hodges,
IMOISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND MARRIAGES.
The House then went into Committee on the Registration of the
Births and Marriages Bill, Mr. BEfotm. in the Chair.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the first clause referred to the ap-
pointment of a Superintendent Registrar, in case of the illnes or
absence of tho Superintendent-General.
Mr. WILKS observed that it was the opinion of many persons
that the marriage should be suspended in case of the absence of the
superior officer, and he thought such a defect required a remedy.
After a few words from Lord J. RUSSELL, tht devise was
agreed to.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said it had been considered hard by the
lion. Member for Oxford that the clergy should be debarred from
receiving payment for making entries. To remedy such an evil he
would propose that entries should be sent in four times every year,
and that 6d. should be received for every certified copy. The
two remaining clauses had no reference to the Bill of last year.
They went to give liberty to publish the banns of marriage in Ro-
man Catholic chapels, which were licensed by the Bishop of the
diocese.

Mr. -BROTHERTON said, as many persons had at. present an
objection to resister the births of their children, he should move
the insertion of a clause empowering persons to register the births
of their children at any time under the age of 12 years.
Mr PRYME thought the time should not be limited to twelve
years. He would suggest that it be extended still further.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL regretted that he should be obliged to
object to the clause altogether. It would most likely open a door
to fraud, and lead to much doubt and uncertainty.
Mr. HINDLEY supported the clause. He thought it would be
a very great benefit, particularly in the manufacturing districts, and
put an end to fraudulent certificates.
Dr. NICHOLS objected to the clause.

Sir H. WILLIAAISON thought the clause would be useful in
the case of children born abrosd, as he knew of no way in which
the registry of their births could otherwise be effected.
After a few words from Mr. Hitcm.ET and Lord J. RUSSELL,
The clause was negatived without a division.
Mr. LYNCH proposed as an amendment to the 18th section,
which provided that twenty resident householders should certify
that the place wherein the marriages were celebrated had been used
as a place of worship exclusively for twelve months previously—.
" That twenty inhabitants residing within five miles of the chapel
or bu,lding should certify," &c. He should also propose a proviso-
explanatory of what was meant by " public building."
After a few words from Mr. \VILKS and Mr. ESTCOURT,
who proposed to postpone the clause for further consideration,
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL thought the amendment un-
necessary and superfluous.
The clause was then agreed to, as was also another clause pro-
posed by Mr. Lynch, relative to the celebration of marriages by
Roman Catholic clergymen, between persons of different persua-
sions, the precise nature of which we could not catch.
On the question that the Bill be reported being put,
Mr. BAINES begged to ask the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell)
whether the Commission appointed to inquire into the Registration
of Births and Marriages had yet prepared a Report, or when it
might be expected ?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL believed the Commissioners bad taken
much trouble and pains to investigate the matter, but he believed
they would be unable to make their Report for some time.
Dr. NICHOLL said the Commissioners had about 5,000 regis-
tries before them, but it would be necessary to examine them care-
fully as well as the others that had not yet been sent in.
Sir S. WHALLEY regretted that he had not been in attend-
ance at an earlier period, as he had a clause to propose relative to
the appointment' of registries in parishes which were not under the
government of the Poor Law Commissioners. He begged to ask
the Noble Lord how he intended to act with regard to these
parishes?
Lord J. RUSSELL believed that some difficulty had arisen with
respect to that point, but he believed that it was intended to give
the guardians in these parishes a power of establishing a registry-
office; but where the provisions of the Poor-law Amendment Act
were not yet in force, he thought the churchwardens and overseers
of the poor should have the power to appoint an office of registry.
Mr. WAKLEY hoped the Poor-law Amendment Act was not
to be extended all over the country, as the obiervations of the No-
ble Lord would seem to imply.
Sir SAMUEL WHALLEY suggested that there ought to be a
clause, authorising the guardians or overseers to appropriate a sum
of money for that purpose. He scarcely could reconcile it to
himself that the Noble Lord would interfere with the constituted
authorities of the parish.
LORD JOHN RUSSELL acknowledged there was some dif-
ficulty about the subject, and be would look to it, but he did not think
there was any doubt about the term " Guardian." The Act pro-
posed to give power to guardians who had been appointed under
a local Act, and he thought the distinction made by the Honour-
able Member for Marylebone was not of very great moment.
He wished to see the Poor-law Amendment Bill adopted through-
out the country, but he did not wish to see any particular parish
seeking to avoid its provisions. He would therefore oppose the se-
cond reading of the clause.
Mr. WAKLEY begged the Noble Lord would say was it
his intention to have the Poor-law Bill enforced throughout
the whole country, for such appeared to be the purport of
his observation ; with respect to .the clause, he considered
it did not go far enough, and he hoped the Hon. Member for
Marylebone would withdraw it, and frame one on a more exten-
sive scale.

After a few observations from Mr. WILKS, Colonel PAnitY,
and Sir S. WitALLEY, the clause was withdrawn.

The Bill was then reported to the House, and ordered to be
taken into further consideration on Friday next.

STEAM-BOAT EXPLOSION AT HULL.

Mr. WAKLEY begged to ask the Noble Lord the Secretary for
the Home Department whether it was the intention of his Majesty's
Government to send an engineer to enquire into the late disastrous
occurrence at Hull ?

Lord JOHN RUSSELL replied that he was not aware that
the Government was called upon to take any such steps.
Mr. WAKLEY hoped the Noble Lord would feel it his duty to
do so. The case was a very serious one, affecting not only the
pleasures and the trade, but the lives, of his Majesty's subjects.
Such an investigation should not be left to the local authorities,
who might have reasons for not doing their duty as they ought, and
it was necessary that some disinterested person should preside.
After a few words from Mr. WILKS,
Mr. THORNLEY said he understood that the Government em-
ployed an engineer to inspect the state of the steam-boats, for the
purpose of ascertaining whether they were in proper order or not.
Mr. C. WOOD—There was a person employed to in-
spect the Government steam-boats ; and to take care that the
machinery was in proper order ; but he never heard that
it was the duty of the Government and of the Admiralty to provide
an officer for the purpose of inspecting the steam-boats and their
machinery throughout the kingdom. With reference to the ques-
tion that had been put, he entertained great doubts whether the
Government had the power to appoint an engineer without a spe-
cific Act of Parliament. —( Hear, hear.) The unfortunate acci-
dent, of which he knew nothing, except from the reports in the
newspapers arose, he believed, from tampering with the safety valve
and putting upon it a greater power than it could bear. The evi-
dence before the Coroner's Inquest would put the public in posses-
sion of any further information, although he doubted much
whether there was any possibility of procuring any evidence upon
that point, as the persons most likely to give information must
have been blown up when the explosion took place.
Mr. CHAPMAN suggested that a person should be appointed
by Government to inspect these steam-vessels every three months.
Lord J. RUSSELL doubted the expediency of such an arrange-
ment. Ulterior measures might be taken if such were thought ne-
cessary, after the Coroner's inquest had been held,
WAKLEY reminded the Noble Lord that in engineer had