The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-10 00:00:00

trbirb 13tittion.

CHESTER RACES.

(THIS DAY.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPI3.)
CHESTER CUP.

EPAMINONDAS
INDIAN WARRIOR
ACROBAT
Twenty-four ran.
LATEST BETTING.
CHESTER CUP.
10 to 1 agst Baalbec.
12 to 1 agst Acrobat.
14 to 1 agst Aldford.
15 to 1 agst Dr. O'Toole.
16 to 1 agst Indian Warrior.
16 to 1 agst Peggy.
16 to 1 agst Jack Frost.
20 to 1 agst Cobnut.
20 to 1 agst Tom.
25 to 1 agst Eva.
30 to 1 agst Catspaw.
33 to 1 agst Annie Sutherland.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS DAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were considered and agreed to, and
ordered to be read a third time :—Bradford Waterworks ;
Burnley Improvement ; Birmingham Improvement ;
Kingston-upon-Hull Improvement ; West Bromwich
Improvement, &c. ; and the Edinburgh Police and
Improvement.

PETITIONS.

Petitions were presented by Mr. Dunlop, from places F.
in Scotland, against the Education Bill ; Sir Edward
Filmer, from Sittingbnurne and other places in Kent,
against the opening of public houses on Sunday '• by I,
Mr. Brotherton, from Salford and other places ; Mr.
L. Heyworth, from Derby ; Mr. Milligan, from the
Burnley districts ; Mr. T. Duncombe, from Spitalfields
and other places in the metropolis ; Mr. Wickham, from
Bradford ; Mr. Brown (37) from places in Lancashire
acid Cheshire ; Lord Dudley Stuart, from a Marylebone
burial society; Mr. Fagan, from Dublin and other places
in Ireland; Mr. Heywood, from places in Lancashire; Mr. l
Hadfield, from societies in Sheffield ; Mr. Hindley (40)
from places in the manufacturing districts, signed by
30,000 persons ; Sir George Grey, fr. m Morpeth ;
Alderman Kershaw, from Stockport and other places ;
Mr. W. J. Fox, from the Oldham district ; Mr. Cob-
bett, from the same locality and Manchester ; Mr. Cub-
den, from places in the West Riding ; Mr. Adderley,
(40), from the neighbourhood of Manchester • Mr.
Hume, from places in Scotland ; Mr. Bright and Mr.
M. Gibson, from Manchester ; all against the Friendly
Societies Bill, but especially the third and fourth clauses. 8,
By Mr. Sullivan, from Ballyouskel, co. Kilkenny,
against the Nunneries and Mr. Whiteside's bill. By ;
Mr. F. W. Wickham, from the members of the various ,
lodges in the Horton district, and other parties inte-
it
rested in benefit societies ; from the lodges in the Wit-
ney district ; from the lodges in the Bradford district ;
from the Bradford district of United Free Gardeners ;
against the Friendly Societies Bill.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL.
On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE suggested the propriety of re-
ferring the whole of this subject to a committee up
stairs, where it could be fully investigated, and evidence
taken upon it.
Mr. BRIGHT seconded this suggestion, and took
the opportunity of bearing his testimony to the conci-
liatory manner in which the hon. member (Mr. Sotheron),
who had charge of the bill, had dealt with this subject ;
but at the same time he was bound to.tell him that, if
the bill passed in its present shape, it would create a
revolt amongst the working classes in 'the manufactur-
ing districts. He therefore moved that the bill should
be referred to a select committee.
Mr. HUME approved of the proposal for referring
the whole subject to a select committee, and hoped the
Government would accede to it.
Mr. EGERTON supported the amendment, though
he believed the bill had been prepared in ithe best
spirit.
Mr. BROTHERTON never recollected so much ex-
citement prevailing amongst the working classes as
prevailed now with reference to this bill, and he hoped
it would be referred to a select committee.
Sir G. GREY had no objection to refer the bill to a
select committee, but he decidedly objected to referring
the whole subject of Friendly Societies to such a tri-
bunal. He suggested that the bill should be committed
pro forma, in order that they might see what amend-
ments the promote! s might introduce into it.
Mr. W. PATTEN (lid not think there was any neces-
sity to refer the whole bill to a select committee ; it
would be enough to refer the third and fourth clauses to
a select committee.
Mr. ROEBUCK- remarked that the bill was now in
the hands of the Home-office, and it ought to be re-
ferred to a select committee in its entirety.
Mr. FITZROY, on behalf of the Home-office,
thought it would be desirable to refer the whole subject
to a select committee, as it was indispensably necessary
to obtain further evidence upon it before they could re-
sort to legislation.
Capt. SCOBELL took a similar view of the question,
believing that the working classes, who were members
of these societies, should be heard before a bill of this
nature was passed.
Mr. CHEETTIANI, Mr. LIDDELL, and Mr. LABOUCTIEBE
supported the amendment.
Sir J. WALM.SLEY observed that the second clause,
which limited the maximum allowance of a burial society
at a death to 201., was just as objectionable as the third
and fourth clause.
Mr. ATHERTON, as a lawyer, gave it as his opinion
that the law on this subject was as great a disgrace to
the Legislature as it was unjust to the members of these
societies. Its tendency was to throw friendly society
disputes into chancery, which, he need not observe, was
little less than a delusion and a mockery ; and he en-
treated the house to refer the whole subject to a select
committee, who should be charged with the duty of sim-
plifying or consolidating the law.
Mr. HENLEY insisted that the duty of consolidat
ing the law could only be undertaken by the Govern-
ment, but that question was surrounded with so much
difficulty, that he would prefer keeping the inquiry
solely to this bill. The whole subject of friendly societies
bad already been fully investigated by a select com-
mittee, and he could not see what necessity there was
for going over that ground again.
[LEFT SITTING.]