The Sun.
London, England, 1838-03-20 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS Mince 19.

--
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
five o'clock.
Mr. Parker, from the Poor Law Commissioners, presented
papers.
The Duke of CLEVELAND presented two petitions from
religious congregations assembled in Barnard Castle, praying
for the immediate and complete emancipation of Negro
Slavery.
Lord BE XL E Y presented a petition from a parish in
Carnarvonshire to the same effect.
Lord RADNOR presented a petition from the legally
authorized medical practitioners in Leeds, praying that some
measure might be passed to prevent uneducated persons from
practising the profession.
Lord STRADBROKE presented a petition from a place
in Derbyshire, praying for a reduced rate of postage.
The Earl of BURLINGTON presented a petition, pray-
ing for the abolition of negro slavery.
POOR-LAW ACT.
Earl STANHOPE presented a petition from Broomside,
near Durham, praying for the total repeal of the new Poor-law
Act Amendment Bill. Also a petition from the Dissenters of
Upper Derby, in Glamorganshire, stating that the petitioners
had witnessed the operations of this accursed Act, and praying
for its total repeal ; likewise a petition from the village of
Hazelgrove, in the county of Chester, stating that
the operations of the Act were injurious to the
poor, dangerous to the public peace, and praying
for its total repeal. The Noble Lord stated that it
would be recollected that some days ago when a discussion
arose upon a petition upon this subject, presented by the
Right Rev. Prelate, who was not now in his place, he made
a statement of grievances inflicted by the Union of Sevenoaks.
Since that time he had received a letter from the Clerk of the
Board of Guardians, which he felt it his duty to read to the
House. The letter complained that the statements made by
the Noble Lord were unfounded, and that the cases of
hardship which he had narrated had not existed in fact.
The Noble Lord then said that this letter was nothing
more than a most lame, impotent, and futile attempt at mis-
statement. He re-asserted every word that he had said before.
It was easy for the Guardians to say they could find no record
of the cases he had mentioned ; but where were they to find
a record of them, or where would their Lordships suppose
they would go in search of them? He had made his state-
ment upon the evidence of a person who had been ono of the
Guardians, and who had stated that he could no longer act
with persons by whom such cruelties were practised—(a cry of
" name, name.") Ho was desired to name that guardian,
but he should certainly not name him without first having ob-
tained his consent. He would repeat what he had said
upon his own authority, and pledged himself to the truth of
what he alleged.—( Hear, hear.) Having resided in that
neighbourhood ever since ,that Union had been formed, he
could not be ignorant of what had taken place. He had
learned much, and had been informed by one of the Guardians
himself, that though he did not choose to disclose all the
secrets of the prison house, yet the agony of grief he had felt
from the distress and cruelty he had on one occasion
observed caused him to express a wish that he himself might
be removed from the world, and indeed almost caused him to
express a determination to commit suicide.—( Hear, hear.)
The letter stated the only two cases which he had
alluded to had been fully inquired into by the medical officers
of the institution. Now he (the Noble Lord) again re-as-
serted that he had received the communication which he had
given to the House from a physician who had retired from the
practice of the profession, and who had an estate in Ireland,
and who had told him that he had never witnessed so much
misery in that distressed country as he had observed among the
cottagers of this country. He should be very happy to hear
any observations which the Noble Lord connected with that
Union might have to make.
The Earl of BRECKNOCK defended the Board of Guar-
dians ; but from the low tone of voice in which the Noble
Lord spoke we could scarcely hear a sentence. We under-
stood his Lordship to say that the two individuals, upon whose
case the Noble Lord laid particular stress, were two sawyers,
and that he had documents in his possession to show that
those two men earned between 81. and 91. in one month.-
-( Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") He therefore apprehended
that the Board of Guardians were perfectly justified in re-
fusing such individuals relief.
Earl STANHOPE then presented a petition from the
Rev. Thomas Curtis, rector and vicar of Sevenoaks, who
stated that the defects which existed under the former law
mainly arose from the maladministration of it, and therefore
prayed that the present Poor-law might be repealed.
COLONEL SHAW KENNEDY.

The Earl of WICKLOW wished to ask the Noble Viscount
opposite a question upon a subject that had created great sur-
prise in this country and alarm in Ireland. He did not wish
to raise any debate, but simply to ask the Noble Viscount if it
were true that Colonel Shaw Kennedy, lately at the head
of the police in Ireland, had resigned ?
Viscount ME LBO URNE—It is true he has resigned.
The Earl of WICKLOW—As it is desirable that the public
mind should be tranquillised in Ireland on this matter, I wish
to ask the Noble Viscount whether he has any objection to
lay on the table of the House any correspondence that may
have taken place on the subject ?
Viscount MELBOURNE--Certainly, Ido object. It
would be very inconvenient, I apprehend, to lay on the table
of the House the reasons for which resignations take place.
NEGRO SLAVERY.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented several petitions in
favour of the abolition of negro apprenticeship ; and his Lord-
ship expressed himself in concurrence with the prayer of the
petitions.
The Marquis of SLIGO said recent circumstances that had
come to his knowledge had changed his opinions on this
subject, and he wanted very little to make him an abo-
litionist.—( Hear, hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM.—My Lords, never, since I had the
honour of a seat in your Lordship's House, have I heard two
declarations which gave me greater pleasure, and which will
confer more honour upon them who made them than the de-
clarations which had just been made by the Noble Lords
Wharncliffe and Sligo.—( Hear, hear.)
The Earl of RIPON presented a petition from the Bishop
and Clergy of the Diocese of Down, complaining of
a great want of Church accommodation in that Diocese. Their
Lordships were aware that, in that Diocese, there were
a great many Protestants. They had offered to advance
a considerable sum of money for the purpose of obviating
the complaint, and had made application to the Commis-
sioners in Ireland for assistance to complete the object. The
Commissioners answered that they were sorry that they could
afford no relief, but they had actually no funds from which
they could advance any money.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.")
He (the Earl of Ripon) was not at all surprised at that
answer, because the expenditure of that Commission, the
necessary and inevitable expenditure, had exceeded their
income in four years by the sum of 229,0001. ; and they
had been compelled to borrow 100,0001. under the Act from
the Government, and apply the money which they obtained
by the sale of perpetuities and Bishop's leases, which money
ought to have been laid aside to form a fund.
The Bishop of DERRY would take that opportunity
of stating to their Lordships, that many of the Clauses
in the Church Temporalities Act were of a very inju-
rious nature. In Ireland, as he supposed there were
in this country, many a large Parish the Church of
which was situated at the extremity, and he hoped that
the Commissioners would as soon as possible turn their
attention to that subject, as it was impossible for many of
the parishioners to attend the performance of public worship.
There were one class in Ireland who seemed to be altogether
forgotten—he meant the Curates who were often turned out
of their Cures upon the coming in of a new incumbent, and
were turned out to poverty in the evening of their life._
( Hear, hear, hear.) He sincerely%trusted that whenever the
funds of the Commissioners were in a more flourishing
condition, that something would be done for that suffering
class. Might he ask the Noble Viscount if that Bill—the
Church Temporalities Bill—was likely to,be altered during the
session ?

Lord ME LB OUR NE was not aware that there existed any
intention of altering the Bill.
The Earl of DE VON presented a petition from the Guar-
dians of the Union of Oakhampton, in the County of Devon,
signed by a great number of persons, against any alteration
in the Poor Laws. The petitioners stated that the effect
of the New Poor Laws had been a considerable
reduction in the poor rate, which had been effected not by
taking away any of the comforts of the poor, but by a better
working of the system. One of the beneficial effects had
been, instead of disuniting the different classes, as had been
stated, it had considerably united them, the result of which
was that the condition of the agricultural labourer had been
improved.
Viscount MELBOURNE presented similar petitions from
the Guardians of Camberwell and Peckham.
NEGRO APPRENTICESHIP.
Lord BROUGHAM presented petitions for the abolition
of negro apprenticeship from the Protestant Dis-
senters; at Goraersall, and other places in York ; from a
place in Aberystwith ; from Wolverhampton ; from many
[thousands of the inhabitants of Sheffield; from the Baptist
ieongregation of Sackville-street, Dublin ; from the con..
from
of Abingdon-street Chapel, Ashton-under-Lyne ;
from the Baptists of Tewkesbury ; the Wesleyan Metho-
dists of Temple Chapel, Taunton, the town and neighbour.
hood of Ludlow; the Baptist Congregation of Hinckley;
the Totness District of the South Devon Congregational
Union ; the students of Theological Hall, Edinburgh ; Hope
Chapel, Wigan ; from Cambridge and its neighbourhood,
agreed to at a public meeting, signed by the Mayor, who
was in the chair; from the inhabitants of the City of
Chester, signed by the Mayor and several Clergy, &c.
of the Established Church ; from the Corporation of
the borough of Boston, in Linconshire ; from the inhabi-
tants of Burleigh, Southpool, and other places in Devon ;
from Plunket-street, Dublin; from Berwick-upon-Tweed;
from Gillingham, Dorset; Shaftesbury, Whitby, Halifax, and
several places in Lincolnshire and Devonshire. His Lordship re-
marked that the interest upon this subject was by no means
confined to Dissenters, but extended equally to other classes.
The Noble and Learned Lord then presented petitions against
any further grants to the Church of Scotland from the United
Secession Church, Gordon-street, Glasgow; from a Bap-
tist Church, Irvine, Ayrshire; from GreatYarmoutle Norfolk;
from North Berwick and Paisley. The Noble and Learned
Lord also presented further petitions against negro appren-
ticeship from Dundee, Penzance, Bradford Bodmin,
Newcastle on Tyne, Redruth, Sheffield, Sidm' outh and
some other places in Lincolnshire and Cheshire. The
Noble Lord also presented petitions from Norwich and
other places for the Vote by Ballot. The Noble Lord
also presented petitions from different parishes in Lan-
cashire against the Factory System, and from parts of
Scotland against any additional endowment to the Scotch