The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENI

HOUSE OF COMMONS, JuxE 6.

- -- -
In consequence of the Ballot for Nlembors to servo on the
Committee for trying the merits of the petition aF„a;rst the
return for the borough of Woodstock, the gallery was not
opened till a Quarter past Four.
On the motion of Capt. DUND AS the St. Luko's Hos-
pital Bill was read a third time and passed.
WESTMEATH ELECTION.

iIOBBRT PALMER, Chairman of the Committee
appointed to try tilt; tatfrits of the petition against the return
for the borough of Wesimealh, appeared at the Bar-, and re-
ported that one of the parties having vpplied kir a Commis-
sion, pursuant to the provisions of the Statite
in
the re-
gulation and trial of controverted elections n Ireland,
and it app.-aring to the Committee, from the circum-
stances of the case, the nurnter of witnesses to be exa-
mined, and the vast expense of bringing these witnesses to
London, that the present was a proper case for such aproceed-
ing, they had decided upon granting the Commission, which
was to be opened at Westmeath on 'We:lnesday the 27th June.
On the motion of Lord F. E G ERTON the Report of the
Committee on the Grand Junction RaiLvay Extension Bill
was further considered.
Mr. B. CLIVE presented a petition in favour of the Here-
ford Improvement Bill.
The Hereford Lnprovement Bill was read a third time and
passed.

GLASGOW WATER-WORKS.
Mr. lIINDLEY mOVed the further consideration of the
Report on the Glasgow Water' Works Bill.
Mr. DENNISTOUN was sorry to be obliged to oppose
the measure once more, but he felt it his duty to movtt that
the Report be further considered that day six months.
No one seconding the motion it fell to the ground, alti the
Bill was ordered to be engrossed.
WOODSTOCK ELECTION COMMITTEE.
The Clerk of Co:ntnittees appeared at the liar, with the
following reduced list of Members to serve in the Woodstock
Election Committee:—
Granville Harcourt Vernon, Robert Otsvay Cave, Richard
Godson, Ambrose Goddard, Horace Saint Paul, Lord James
Steuart, Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt, Sir William
John Brainzon, Sir John Buller Yarde Buller, Thomas Duf-
field, and the Earl of Lincoln,
Mr. BAINES presented a petition from 4.1 clergymen of
Birmingham and its neighbourhood, praying the House to
adopt measures to put a stop to idol worship in India, which
had been hitherto sanctioned by the East India Company.'j
Sir ROBERT INGLIS presented a petition from the
Chancellor, Mastery, and SAiolars of the University of Ox-
ford, callinr, the attention of the House to the declining state
of the Church in the provinces of Upper and Loner
Canada, and praying the House to take the subject
into its consideration. Also a petition from the Royal
College of Surgeons in London, against some parts of the
Bill for regulating Medical Charities in Ireland ; also a
petition from the Rector and Churchwardens of St. Giles, •
praying the House to adopt some plan for better communi-
cation between the northern and southern parts of
the metropolis ; also a petition from two gentlemen of
the name of Humphries, the patentees of an office
in Chancery, praying for the introduction of a clause in
the Benefices Pluralities Bill for the loss of their offices. The
Hon. Baronet gave notice, that on the third reading of the
Bill he should move the insertion of such a clause.

Mr. HOWARD presented a petition from Carlisle, pray-
ing for a reduction of postage and for a uniform rate.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from an individual, com-
plaining of the conduct of certain Magistrates of Surrey, and
praying for a Committee of Inquiry.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL presented a petition from
the University of Edinburgh against certain clauses of the
Irish Medical Charities Bill.
Sir S. CANNING postponed his motion relative to the
capture of the Vixen till the 21st inst.
Captain MATTHEWS postponed his motion relative to
the Spanish Legion till the 12th inst.
Mr. HLT ME gave notice that on this day fortnight, he would
call the attention of the House to the Resolutions which were
in Members' hands rfspecting Savings Banks.
Sir JAMES DUKE gave notice he would move on this
clay fortnight for returns of all ships hired during the last year
for the conveyance of convicts to New South Wales.
Mr. BA INE S gave notice that, on the 22d instant, he
would move for the immediate abolition of idol worship in
India, and the cessation of all profit arising from it.
OXFORD AND GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.
On the motion of Mr. HARCOURT, that the Report of
the Committee on the Oxford and Great Western Railway
be further considered,
Sir R. INGLIS said the University of Oxford and the
city of Oxford had both petitioned against this Bill. The Bill
was a Bill brought forward by gentlemen who had no local
interest whatever in the railroad itself. He held in his hand
a list of the shareholders, and not one of them was connected
with Oxford itself. It was a speculation got up either
among certain inhabitants of Bristol, or parties in London,
to convey passengers by the railroad, whether they desired
it or not. The proprietors of the Great Western
Reii-
way had violated the contract they entered into with the
Ilouse, by setting down passengers at a place near Eton.
After the distinct contract that had been made by the.
Company with the Provost and Fellows of Eton Col-
lege, they were now in direct violation of it, taking
up and setting down passengers at that station. —( Hear.)
These considerations justified bins in calling the attention
of the House to the present Bill. It was originally intended
to have a branch to Abingdon and Oxford, but in conse-
quence of the hostility of the inhabitants of Abingdon,
that branch was abandoned, and he trusted tl:e branch
to Oxford would also be given up. There was no Direc-
tor of the Company connected with Oxford, and the
feeling of that town was decidedly opposed to the ex-
tension of the railroad. The heads of the University
of Oxford were of opinion that additional facilities of
communication would be injurious to the discipline
of the University—that the tolls on the canals and bridges in
the neighbourhood of the town would be thereby much reduced'
in amount—and, taking all the circumstances into consideration,
he felt it his duty to resist the progress of the Bill, and to move
that it be taken into further consideration that day three months.
Mr. G. G. V. HARCOURT was surprised at the opposi-
tion offered by the Right Honourable Gentleman to this Bill,
because it was precisely similar to the one introduced last Ses-
sion, and no opposition had been made to it by the Uni-
versity of Oxford. He was quite at a loss to understand
what could have induced that body now to oppose it.
—(Hear, hear.) As to the Under-Graduates of that Univer-
sity finding facilities for going to Epsom, why they could go,
and did go without the railway—(Hear, and laughter)—and
by this Bill power would be given to the heads of houses
to inspect and control the railway. Now, was not that
better than that these gentlemen should be at liberty to
go and join the railway at whatever point they pleased,
under no check or restraint whatever?—( Hear, hear, hear. )
If it should he necessary, he would give any explanation which
might be required with regard to the merits of the Bill, and
he would now leave it with perfect confidence in the hands of
the [louse.
Mr. ESTCOURT said the Hon. Memter opposite consi-
dered that the heads of houses would be much safer under this Bill
than without it. 'That was not their opinion, and although the
Hon. Member said the heads of houses were were not unani-
mous in opposing the Bill, be ( Mr. Estcourt) had no hesita-
tion in saying that a very large proportion of them were against
it, and considered it as essentially injurious to the discipline
of the University. But, after all, what was this railway for?
Was there any very great trade carried on ? ile denied it
most positively ; and when the Bill was in Committee
the witnesses did ❑ot say there was any probability of a great
trade. Every Goitlernan who knew Oxford was aware that
the trade,. independent of the University, was very small, and
such as coulTl not possibly repay the projectors of this work.—
( Cries of " Question.")
Mr. PRYME thought the objections of the Hon. Member
opposite were chimerical.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw and the ILuse.
divided :

When there appeared,
For the Motion
For the Amendment
Majority -- 100
The Bill was then orderd to be engrossed.
SPANISH APFAIRS, • -
Lord MA HON seeing the Noble Secretary for Foreign
Affairs in his place was desirous of putting a question
to him. It would be in the recollection of the House,
that in the discussions on the affairs of Spain the :Noble Lord
contended that the privileges Of the Basque Provinces had no
substantial existence, but were only to be found in waste, value-
less, and musty documents. He (Lord M.)had been infOritsci
that the Government in Madrid did not adopt the opinions of the
Noble Lord—that they WC-I'c against the system of tyranny
that had prevailed—and that they were going to retrace their
steps, by annulling• that law be, which these privileges were
formerly abrogated. He wished to asic if these accounts troni
Madrid had reached the Noble Lord in any authentic shape.
Lord PA LMERSTON would not answer the speech of
the Noble Lord, although he had no objection to answer his
questions. But in the first place, he must state that he
did not remember ever having treated the Basque privileges
in the manner stated by the Noble Lord—on the contrary, he
did recollect having endeavoured to threw ridicule on the
Noble Lord and his associates, for the great anxiety • they
showed for maintaining the Municipal privileges of a
distant country, while, at the same time, they refused
to concede them to Ireland.—(hear, hear, and cheers.)
And, therefore, so far from denying the existence of those
municipal institutions, he had made the very existence
of them the foundation of a just reproach against the
Noble Lord. He could not presume to say what the in-
tentions of the Spanish Government might be with respect to
the Basques, but he had always understood that at all
times they were prepared to continue to the Basques that part
of their local institutions which were compatible with the
new institutions adopted in Spain. He had no reason
to think the Spanish Government had at all altered
their disposition on that point. He had heard there was a
growing feeling of discontent among the Basques at the
tyranny and oppression of Don Carlos—(hear, hear)—
that that discontent had exhibited itself to such a d. gree,
that many of Don Carlos's Leaders and Generals had been
arrested and thrown into prison_that the greatest disunion
prevailed among the troops of Dun Carlos, and that a state of
insurrection existed in some part of the province. Therefore,
so far as the discontent of the Carlists on the one hand, and
the conciliatory disposition of the Queen's Government on the
other, could afford a prospect of better times, he congratulated
the Noble Lord on the present state of affairs there.
Lord MA I-I ON said his question was whether any act was in
contemplation for the purpose of carrying those institutions
into effect ?