The Sun.
London, England, 1837-07-12 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS, Jtrzr 11.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his scat on the Wolsack
at Five o'clock.

Lord PORTMAN brought up the report on the Bath
Gas Bill.
MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN DOWAGER.
Tie iqurquis of LANSDOWNE said that he and the
drputation appointed to wait on the Queen Dowager with
their Lordships' Address bad waited• on her Majesty, and
had received the following answer :--
"My Lords,—l thank you most sincerely for your
Message of Condolence, and for the deep sympathy yclz
express on the afflicting, loss I have sustained.
It shall be my anxious study to merit the respect and
affection of the British nation, and I shall endeavour to
prove my gratitude for this touching mark of your affection
for the wid:)w of your late excellent Sovereign."
The Noble Lord concluded by moving that the answer
be inserted on the journals,—Agreed to.
PUNISHMENT OF DEATH BILL.

Lord DEN MAN moved that the House go into Com-
mittee on this BR He said that ho did not think it would
have the effect of increasing crime, but rather of diminish-
ing its extent considerably.
Lord WYNFORD believed that this would be a most
dangerous alt ration of the law, and it was one he was de-
cidedly opposed to. The Noble Lord concluded by moving,
as an amendment, that the Bill should be committed that
day three months. _ _

The Earl of DEVON said that although the Bill had
been introduced at a late period of the Session, as the prin-
cipal legal authorities of the country, after consideration,
thought it a wise and judicious measure, he should give
it his support.
After a few further observations from Lord WYN-
FOR D the House resolved itself into a Committee on the
Bill.

Lord ELLENBOROUGH thought that setting fire to
any of her Majesty's men-of-war ought to be considered a
capital crime, and should be punished with death.
Lord COLCHESTER thought the seduction of any
person on board her Majesty's ships to commit a crime was
a greater crime than the committal of the offence itself.
Lord DENMAN said that great difficulty existed in
proving the seduction. If any Noble-Lord thought there
was any doubt as to the construction of the Act as it was
now proposed, it was competent for him on the third read-
ing to introduce a clause to correct any errors that existed.
Lord BROUGHAM said the repeal of the Acts in
question would not alter the law as supposed, for they only
contemplated the act of seducing a soldier to commit mutiny
whore the crime had not been completed. _

Lord WYNFORD wished that the punishment of
death should be preserved ; also in smuggling cases, where
the parties were guilty of firing on any of his Alajesty's
ships, thereby endangering the lives of twenty or thirty
men ; or where they beat the officer, almost to the de-
privation of life.
After some further conversation, and the introduction of
several amendments, the Bill passed through the Commit-
tee, the House resumed, and the report was ordered to be
received to-morrow.
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS BILL.
The Duke of WELLINGTON wished to know when
the Noble Viscount opposite intended to move the further
proceeding with the Parliamentary Elections Bill.
Viscount DUNCANNON said it was his intention to
do so to-morrow.
The Duke of WELLINGTON submitted to the No-
ble Viscount the expediency of postponing the proceedinc,
beyond to-morrow, as Wednesday was not a day on which
it was usual to bring on business of any importance, with
reference to the convenience either of the Queen's Mini-
sters or of other persons.
Viscount DUNCANNON then fixed Thursday for
proceeding with the Bill.
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT BILL.
Lord LYNDHURST observed that he had recently
presented to their Lordships a petition on the subject of
the Imprisonment for Debt Bill. He was desirous of know-
ing whether or not his Noble and Learned Friend intended
to proceed with the measure in the present Session of Par-
liament.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said that he had him-
self been very anxious on the subject, and had watched the
progress of this important measure both during the present
and during the last session. It had certainly been a long
time in the House of Commons in the present session.
But the delay was not the fault of those who had the ma-
nagement of the Bill in the other House of Parliament. It
was attributable solely to the pressure of public business,
which from time to time rendered the postponement of this
Bill a matter of necessity. He admitted that it would not
be easy to deal with such a measure in their Lordships'
House in the short period during which Parliament would
in all probability sit, unless no opposition were made to the
principle of the Bill, and unless there was aprospoet that
its details would be agreed to without much discussion. He
had been anxious to ascertain the probabilities on these

points, and the result of his inquiries was, that although it
did not appear that there was much difference among their
Lordships respecting the principle of the Bill, it was likely
that the details would occasion so protracted a discussion that
he had felt it to be inexpedient to attempt to proceed with
the Bill in the present Session under circumstances which
rendered it hopeless that it would receive the attention
which its importance deserved. For these reasons he had
not proposed any day for the second reading of the Bill.
He would take an opportunity, however, at the earliest
period of the next session to call their Lordships' attention
to the subject, being perfectly convinced of its importance,
and that it was not only essential to the interests of the
creditors themselves, but to the interests of all parties, that
the question should be settled, as he trusted that in the
next session it would be.
The Marquis of L ANSDOWNE, while he perfectly
concurred in the propriety of the course adopted by his
Noble and Learned Friend, of withdrawing this Bill in the
present session, wished it to be most distinctly understood
that it was so withdrawn, not from the slightest hesitation
as to the importance of the Bill, nor from the slightest
doubt that it was the duty, as it was the feeling of Govern-
ment and Parliament to pass such a measure, but from the
quantity of detail in the Bill, and the difficulty, or rather
impossibility, of doing justice to that detail in the short pe-
riod which would intervene between the present moment
and the end of the session. He hoped, however, that the
principle of the Bill would find the same favour in that as it
had found in the other House of Parliament, and he joined
with his Noble and Learned Friend in the hope that in the
next session the great object of passing such a measure
would be accomplished.
Lord BROUGHAM entirely agreed with his Noble
and Learned Friend and with his Noble Friend in lament-
ing the impos:ibillity of passing the Bill in the present Ses-
sion of Parliament. Its postponement for the present could
not be objected to ; but he hoped that bringing the subject
forward at the earliest period of the next Session was not
the only security that would be afforded for its passing. A
further security must be afforded, unless the business in
both Houses of Parliament were conducted in a much bet.
ter manner than it bad recently been. That farther secu-
rity was, bringing the Bill in the first instance into the
House of Lords. If that course had been pursued in the
present Session, his firm belief was, that the Bill would at
that moment have been the law of the land. The present
Bill, nay, a Bill much larger than the present Bill, was
passed by the other House in the Session before the last.
There was every reason, therefore, to believe that if the
Bill received the sanction of their Lordships it would not be
long delayed in its passage through the other House of
Parliament. He threw out no blame whatever o❑ any one.
He only regretted the course which had been adopted. He
might have done the very same thing, and it was but com-
mon candour to acknowledge that it was much easier to
judge of any course of conduct after the event than before it.
EXCHEQUER BILLS BILL.
The Exchequer Bills Bill was read a third time and
passed.