The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-28 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JUNE 27.
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly before Four
o'Clock.

Mr. OSWALD took the oaths and his seat for Glas.
gow in the room of Lord William Bentinck, deceased.
Returns were presented froth the Custom House.
On the motion of Mr. LIDDELL the Lords amend.
merits to:the West Durham Railway Bill, were agreed to
Mr. BAINES brought up the Report of the Com•
mittee on the Pontefract Honour Courts Bill.

•
Mr. HAYTER brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee on Ivanoff's Naturalization Bill, which was read
a third time, and passed.

Mr. GREENE brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee on the Duke of Buckingham's Estate Bill, which
was read a third time, and passed.
The HON. MEMBER also brought up the Committee
on the Rotherham Small Debts Bill.
On the motion of Mr. BARNARD the Deptford
Pier Bill was read a third time and passed.
On the motion of Mr. LOCKHART the Lords
amendments to the Wishaw and Coltness Railway, and
the Stamannan Railway Bills were agreed to.
Robertson's Estate Bill and Sharpe's (or Giles's)
Estate Bill were read a third time and passed.
BELFAST WATER WORKS.
Mr. O'CONNELL moved the second reading of the
Belfast Water Works Bill.

Mr. EMMERSON T ENNENT presented a
petition from a Water Works Company in Bel-
fast against the Bill. He felt it his duty to
oppose the further progress of the Bill, inasmuch
as it was not desired by the people of Belfast. He
defied the Hon. and Learned Member for Dublin to
produce a single petition in favour of the Bill ; on the
contrary, every meeting of, the inhabitants had con-
demned it. He begged to call the attention of the
House to the late period of the Session (within two or
three weeks of the prorogation) at which the Bill was
brought forward, when the parties opposing it could not
take proper steps to defend their interests. The Hon.
Member concluded by moving that the Bill be read a
second time that day six months.
Colonel VERNER hoped the House would permit
the Bill to proceed. He would call the attentio❑ of the
House to only one fact—that was that it was not of a
party or political nature—(Laughter)—as it was proved
by the Bill being introduced by himself, in conjunction
with the Hon. and Learned Member for Dublin. He
trusted the House would send the Bill into Committee
for the purpose of seeing whether it would benefit the
people of Belfast.

_ .
Mr. O'CONNELL hoped the House would not
stop the progress of the Bill in that stage. Belfast was
in great want of water, thousands of the poor people
being obliged to purchase it from water carriers in their
cans. Belfast was the town which was increasing
in Ireland—that increase being no
less than Pi
tharan2dl,oYoo annually. The opponents of the Bill
had appointed a surveyor, from whose report it appeared
that the present supply was only 112 gallons per minute,
and the necessary supply amounted to 509 gallons per
minute. There was a sum of 2,5004 paid annually to
the water-carriers. Was that a situation in which a
manufacturing town like Belfast ought to be left ? If
the opponents of the Bill had any merits, why should
they not go before the Committee, and not take the
obnoxious step of opposing the second reading ? The

case for the Bill was so strong, that he would not
trouble the House with more than one fact. The Bill
did not impose any rate or tax. All they wanted was
the power to sell water, and obtain payment from those
who were customers.
Captain PECHELL supported the B:11, as the Hon.
Member for Belfast had made a most extraordinary
failure in his opposition to it.
Mr. DUNBAR was perfectly aware that the Bill
was no party one, for all parties in Belfast were
opposed to it. There had not been one petition
for the Bill. Would 'there not had the people
been in such a destitute state as described ?' He
hoped the House would follow the precedent d the
Hon. Member for Brighton, and throw the Bill out on
the second reading.—.( Hear, hear.)
Mr. O'CONNELL observed that the Hon. Member
for Belfast had not denied the statements in the Report
made by their-own surveyor.
Mr. E. TENNENT then rose to make some obser-
vation, but was prevented by Mr. O'Connell and seve-
ral other Members near him crying " Order, order,"
" Spoke, spoke."
The SPEAKER said it certainly was contrary to
the rule of the House for any Member to speak more
than once, except in explanation, in any discussion.
Sir J. GRAHAM (to whom Mr. Tennent apparently
communicated what he had wished to mention to the
House) stated he should not have troubled the House,
if- the Honourable Member for Belfast had not been
prevented making known an important fact (notwith-
standing the Honourable Member for Dublin had,
by the courtesy of the House, addressed. them more
than once, although not in explanation), which was
this that at a meeting in Belfast, called by public adver-
tisement, a resolution was agreed to, stating that any
application to Parliament for a Bill establishing a private
company should be opposed as oppressive, impolitic, and
unnecessary, and that their representatives be requested
to give their vigorous opposition to such measure, as it
would increase the rates.—(Cheers.)
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
House divided.
For the second reading .. lO7
Against it
Majority in favour of the Bill
On the motion of Mr, HODGES, the Earl of Darn-
ley's Estate Bill was read a third time and passed.
Mr. GREENE brought up the Report of the Com-
mittee on the Dublin and Drogheda Railway Bill.
Mr. FINCH presented a petition from Walleall, in
favour of the Government plan of education.
Mr. BAINES said that he had to present a petition
affecting the manufacturing and commercial interests of
this country ; and as the petition related to a matter
which required the immediate attention of the: Govern-
ment, he should state to the House its material con-
tents and prayer. This was the petition of the mer-
chants, manufacturers, and other inhabitants of the town
and neighbourhood of Leeds interested in the woollen
and woollen stuff trades. - The petitioners alleged that
the trade and manufactures of this country had been
seriously injured by the regulation of the Ger-
manic Commercial League, and by the want of
a commercial treaty founded on the principles of free
and unrestricted intercourse between this country
and the States included in- that League. That
independent of the general principles of the Ger-
manic Commercial League, there are several circum-
stances connected with its details which imperiously de-
mand the attention of this country. Before the foun-
dation of the Tariff the standard of duty on English
goods was 101, per cent. ad valorem, but that duty is
now levied by weight, and the result has been to in-
crease the impost on English goods to a very alarming
extent, and operates upon certain woven fabrics, almost
to their exclusion, the amount being in some cases
not less than thirty, forty, and fifty per cent, instead
of the original duty of ten per cent.—(Hear, hear.)
That this evil is likely to be aggravated by a prospec-
tive change, which, unless guarded against, will have
the effect of still further increasing these exorbitant
duties at least 7 per cent. The petitioners further al-
lege that a meeting, consisting of the representatives
of the different States included in the Germanic
Commercial League is appointed to be held at
Berlin in the month of July in the present year,
for the regulation of the general affairs of
the League, and that the sittings of this year
appear to the petitioners to be peculiarly impor-
tant, inasmuch as two Members of the Confede-
racy, who have the largest trade with England, viz.,
Prussia and Saxony, must give notice before January,
1840, of any alteration which they wish to have made
in these duties, and unless those States give such no-
tice, the terms of the present League or treaty must con.
tinue in force for twelve years longer. The petitioners
say that they are informed that the merchants of Leipsic
are petitioning their Government to return to the original
standard of taxation, viz. 10 per cent. ad valorem on the
manufactures imported, and that the King of the
Netherlands has lately made a treaty favourable to his
subjects with the members of the Germanic Commercial
League, and that the City of Hamburg has also suc-
ceeded in obtaining equally satisfactory terms. They
further submit to this House that the present is a crisis
highly favourable to the negotiation of a commercial
treaty with the States comprised in the Germanic Com-
mercial League.
.A.nd thex. pray.that, Mneilsures may
be taken to secure tic aetenJance of some dilly autho-
rized and competent representative of the British Go-
vernment at the approaching sitting of the Commission
at Berlin, to promote a commercial treaty between this
country and the Germanic States, on the principles of
a free. And unrestricted intercourse. The Hon. Gen-
tleman concluded by moving that the petition should be
printed with the votes, and by signifying his Intention
to bring the subject under the consideration of the House
by a substantive motion on Tuesday week.
Mr. R. PALMER presented a petition from some
place in Berkshire, against the National Education
system proposed by the Government.