The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-02 00:00:00

THE SUN, 'LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH .837.

cretaries of State for the Home and Foreign Departments, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, the First Lord of the Admiralty,
the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretary at War,
the Lord Steward, the Lord Chamberlain, the Groom of the
Stole, and the Master of the Horse.

At the Council Viscount Falkland was, by command of the
King, sworn of his Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council,
and took his place at the Board.
A petition from Margate, praying for a Charter of Incorpo-
ration, was submitted to his Majesty, and a proclamation was
ordered on the subject.
A number of judgments of the Judicial Committee were
confirmed.

The Hon. William Bathurst was the Clerk of the Council
in Waiting.
The Recorder of London was introduced, and made a re-
port to the King in Council.
The Court then broke up.

His Majesty gave audiences to the Archbishop of York, the
Earl of Albemarle, Marquis of Conyngham, Viscount Pal-
merston, Viscount Melbourne, Earl of Minto, Viscount Dun-
cannon, Lord John Russell, Lord Hill, Sir Charles Vaughan,
and the Right Hon. Henry Ellis.
Lord Frederick Gordon and the Hon. Captain Campbell
were the Lord and Groom in Waiting.
The Princess Sophia visited their Majesties at St. James's
Palace yesterday.

The -Queen left town at four o'clock, attended by the Conn-
tessof Mayo and Earl Howe, for Windsor Castle.

His Majesty gave audience to Sir William Woods.
To-day is the birthday of the Duchess of Cumberland.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH 1.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
EAST INDIA COMPANY.

Mr. Campbell brought up the further report of the Com-
pensation granted to reduced Officers in the service of the
East India Company.—Laid on the table.
HAMMERSMITH RAILWAY.

Captain ALSAGER presented a petition from the in-
habitants of Battersea against this Bill.
SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY.

On the motion of Mr. HARDY, this Bill was read a
second time.

THE BIRMINGHAM EQUITABLE GAS COM-

PANY.

Sir E. WILMOT presented a petition from Birming-
ham and its neighbourhood in favour of the Equitable Gas
Company's Bill.

Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY presented a petition
signed by 1,500 gas consumers of the town of Birming-
ham against the Bill. The Hon. Baronet also presented
a petition from Duddestone to the same same effect, stat-
ing that it was his intention, on the second reading of the
Bill, to take the sense of the House upon it.
Mr. DUGDALE presented petitions in favour of the
Bill.

Mr. M. PHILLIPS presented petitions from Man-
chester against the Bill.
Sir E. W I LDI OT moved the second reading of the Bill.
Sir J. WROTTESLEY opposed it. He did so know-
ing full well that the House bad a strong prejudice in favor
of going into a Committee, but he felt it incumbent upon
him to state the grounds upon which he felt it his duty to
oppose he second reading of the Bill. Originally in Bir-
mingham a Company had been formed for lighting that town.
In 1825 another Company, called the Birmingham and
Stafford Company, was incorporated by an Act of Parlia-
ment which passed in that year. The provisions
of that Bill extended three or four miles into
Staffordshire, and that Company at present lighted not
only part of Birmingham, but three or four miles on the
Staffordshire side of it. In the narrow streets of Bir-
mingham there were no less than three lines of
pipe laid—those belonging to the two Gas Companies,
and those of the Water Company ; and the inhabi-
tants of Birmingham, who presented the petition, stated
the necessary consequence would be if three different Com-
panies existed at the same time, that the streets would be con-
stantly impeded from the repairs which the gas pipes occa-
sionally required. It would be recollected that some years
ago there were several competing Companies in London for
the,supplyof water—the result was that all those Companies
joined in a combination for the purpose of increasing the
charge for the supply of water, so that the public did not
benefit much by the competition. That would be the case
if the present Bill were allowed to pass. At present there
was sufficient competition between the two Companies al-
ready established ; but if the House established a third
Company, the three Companies would combine together for
the 'purpose of raising the price, without which they could
not remunerate themselves. He should therefore take the
liberty of moving that the Bill-he read this day six months.
Mr. M. PHILIPS had presented a petition from the
shareholders of one of the Companies that had been incor-
porated, stating that the necessity for an increased sup-
ply- of gas had been done away with, by the improve-
ments and alterations of the existing Companies. He
thought if the Bill had been much wanted, the Hon. Mem-
ber for Birmingham would not have been backward in
coming forward to support the Hear, and a laugh.)
The borough of Birmingham was better lighted, was better
supplied with gas, than almost any other town ; and there
was in reality no good reason for putting the inhabitants to the
great inconvenience which they must suffer from the breaking
up of the streets, which would necessarily be the result of the
Bill then before the House passing into a law. The peti-
tioners who had done him the honour of entrusting him
with their petition, had also taken into consideration the
state of the money market, and they deprecated the esta-
blishing of this Company, as it would withdraw more money
from circulation. Besides the profits of the two Companies
now in existence had by no means been inordinate.—
( Hear, hear.) The one which had been first estet,
blished had never divided more than 8 per cent.; while tie
one established in 1825 had not paid more than six per
cent. upon its capital—and that without any provision for a
sinking fund. The new Company held out that they would
divide the fourth part of the profits among their customers
every four years, but that would prove a delusion. Bir-
mingham was already well supplied with gas, both as to quan-
tity and quality—therefore the House ought to have
very good cause shown for putting the inhabitants of
that town to the inconvenience of a complete stoppage of
trade by the breaking up of the streets—the more especi-
ally also as the new Company did not pretend to say that
they could produce gas of a better quality or at a lower
price. He denied that there was now any monopoly in the
supply of gas ; neither could there be much excitement in
the borough, as the Members connected with it would have,
been entrusted with the conduct of the Bill. For these
reasons, he begged, to support the motion of the Hon. Bart.

After a few words froni Mr. Wilks, Mr. Seliolfield, Sir
E. Wilmot, and Mr. Baines, strangers were ordered to
withdraw, and the Gallery was cleared for a division, but
none took place. The Bill was then read a second time.
LICENSED VICTUALLERS' ASSURANCE
COMPANY.
On the motion of Mr. WALL, this Bill was read a se-
cond time, and ordered to be committed.
BRIXHAM HARBOUR.

On the motion of Mr. PARKUR this Bill was read a se•
mud time, and ordered to.be.eoMmitted. • •
MANCHESTER AND STAFFORD RAILWAY.

(Lord Morpeth) could not give an immediate answer to
the question of the Hon. -and Learned Sergeant.
Mr. O'BRIEN wished to be informed by the Noble
Lord, whether it. was the intention of the Government to
extend to Ireland the provisions of the Imprisonment for
Debt Bill ?

Mr. Alderman► COPELAND presented a petition from
Stafford against this Bill.
MIDLAND COUNTIES' RAILWAY BILL.

Sir JOHN BECKETT begged permiSsion of the House
to bring before it a point of some importance as respected
the presentation of petition* on railway. Bills.- , The ques-
tion arose out of the case of. the North Midland Counties
Railway Company, who, having lost their Bill in the first
instance before the Committee, had presented a new peti-
tion, and commenced proceedings de novo for a fresh Bill.
He had taken the liberty of mentioning this chiefly with a
view of hearing the opinion of the Right Hon. Gentleman
in the chair on the point. He wished that it should be dis-
tinctly understood what was the proper course ; whether,
for instance, every Company is entitled, after failing before
the Committee on any particular point, to bring forward
another petition ; and after failing again, then to present
another, and so on, talcs qupties, or not.
Mr. G IS BORNE moved that the order for referring the
petitions against this Bill to the Committee be discharged.
The SPEAKER said that the course contemplated in
the motion of the Hon.. Member would, if established as a
rule, be very unequal in its, operation, and therefore, he
thought, could not meet the sanction of the House, who
having laid down Standing Orders, ought not to dispense
with those Orders, unless it could be shown that they were
unadapted to the purposes for which they were originally
destined.

Lord MORPETH said there was no such intention.
PUBLIC PETITIONS.

The SPEAKER, in reply to a question put to him by
Mr. Baines, gave notice that he would take Chair at three
o'clock on Friday, in order to receive public petitions.
. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS' BILL.
Sir J. GRA HAM asked whether it was the intention
of Government to move the committal of the Registration
of Voters' Bill this evening ; and if not, whether they
could fix the day on which that question would be brought
forward ?

After a few words from Mr. R. Palmer, Mr. Gisborne,
Mr. Denison, and Mr. Baines, the House divided.
Ayes
Noes
114jority -104
POOR LAW AMENDMENT ACT.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said it was not his in-
tention to move the Committee on that Bill this evening.
He was anxious, however, to proceed with the Bill as soon
as possible, and would take the first favourable opportunity
of bringing it on, of which he Would give the Right - Hon.
Baronet his due.

Mr. HUGHES HUGHES gave notice for the Hon.
Member for Berkshire, that be would to-morrow move
that the following gentlemen be added to the Select Com-
mittee appointed to inquire into the operation of the Poor-
law Amendment Act :—Major Beauclerk,•Mr. Freshfield,
Mr. Hardy, Mr. Attwood, and Mr. Hindley.
"IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT BILL.
The ATTORNMGENERAL moved the Order of
the Day for the House going into Committee on the Im-
prisonment for Debt Bill.
POOR LAWS (IRELAND)- BILL.
_ . . _

Mr. Sergeant JACKSON begged t,o ask the Noble
Lord when he proposed to bring on the Irish Poor-law
question ?
Lord MORPETH was in hopes that ids Noble Friend
(Lord John Russell) would have been in his place by this
time, and if he had been, he would have made some ar-
rangement ; but as he was not at present in his place, he