The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-15 00:00:00

Viitrit --4:-.,llition

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(THIS EVENING.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
.The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from
a place in Aberdeenshire, praying for more stringent
provisions in the Ecclesiastical Titles Act ; also a
petition from a place in Sussex, and other parts of
England and Scotland, against the admission of Jews
into Parliament.

The Bishop of ROCHESTER presented sevtral pet
tions to the same effect.

The Earl of EGLINTON gave notice that, on Tues-
day next, he should move for copies of all the papers
relative to the reinstatement of Mr. Kirwan in the Irish
magistracy.

The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a number
of petitions against the admission of Jews into Parlia-
ment.

The Earl of HARROWBY presented a petition from
Liverpool, against the Registration of Assurances Bill ;
also petitions against the Maynooth grant, and the ad-
mission of Jews into Parliament.
POOR REMOVAL AND LOCAL ASSESSMENT

BILL.
Lord BERNERS moved the second reading of this
bill, the object of which he explained to be to prevent
the removal of the poor as allowed by the present law.
The effect of the bill would be to prevent great oppres-
sion to, and immorality among, the poor themselves, and
also to put a stop to much litigation, by which great
expense was at present caused to the country.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS EVENING.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
Improvements The followinrogbmillesnth (Dwellingswererea
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ay
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cham Railway (Warrington, &c.) Bill.
RAILWAY LEGISLATION.
Mr. CARDWELL rose for the purpose of proposing
the following resolutions :
" That no railway or canal bill containing any powers of
amalgamation, purchase, lease, working arrangement,
or other combination of interest between different
railway or canal companies, heretofore incorporated,
be further proceeded with, unless the parties interested in
promoting such bill shall elect to proceed with the same on
the terms of striking out in committee all such powers
aforesaid, except when the combination of interest is
limited exclusively to an interest in new works to be exe-
cuted, or for the execution of which time is to be given,
under powers to be conferred in the present session.
" That it be an instruction to the committee on every
railway and Canal bill, in case any petition duly deposited
by the promoters of the bill or bills, which, in consequence
of the foregoing resolution, shall not have read a second
time, shall allege that such bill or bills involve a scheme
competing with a scheme referred to such committee, it
shall be competent to the committee to admit the peti-
tioners presenting such petition to a locus standi to oppose
the bill so referred to them as aforesaid.
" That in the present session it be an instruction to the com-
mittee on every railway bill providing for the construe-
of any new railway, or for the extension of time for the
completion of any railway in Great Britain in case they
shall find the preamble thereof to be proved, to insert in
the bill one or another of the provisions following, that is
to say :
" In every railway bill promoted by an existing railway
company, being possessed of a railway already opened for
public traffic, whereby the construction of any new line of
railway is authorised, or the time for completing any line
already authorised is extended, a clause providing that
after the expiration of a period to be limited by such
bill, not exceeding five years from the passing of the
act, in the case of a new line, and three years in case of
the extension of time for completing any line, the
payment of any dividend on the ordinary and ungua-
ranteed capital of such company shall be suspended until
such line shall have been completed and opened for public
traffic,
" In every railway bill promoted by an existing railway
company not being possessed of a railway already opened
for public traffic, or by persons not already incorporated,
whereby the construction of any new line of railway is au-
thorised, a clause to the following effect, viz. :—And
whereas, pursuant to the standing orders of both houses of
Parliament, and to an act of the ninth year of her present
Majesty, c. 20, a sum of 1., being one-tenth part of
three-fourths of the amount of the estimate of the railway
authorised by this act, has been deposited with the Court
of Chancery in England (or Ireland, or with the Court of
Exchequer in Scotland, as the case may be), [or Exchequer
bills, stocks, or funds to the amount of 1., have been
deposited or transferred pursuant to the said act, as the
case may be], in respect of the application to Parliament
for this act; be it enacted, that notwithstanding contained
in the said recited act the said sum of 1. [or the said.
Exchequer-bills or other funds, as the case may be] so de-
posited or transferred as aforesaid, in respect of the appli-
cation for this act, or the interest or dividends of such sum
of money [Exchequer-bills, stocks, or funds], shall not, ex-
cept upon the execution and deposit of such bond as here-
inafter mentioned, be paid or transferred to or on the
application of the person or persons, or the majority of the
persons," named in such warrant or order, or the survivors
or survivor of them, unless the said company shall, previ-
ously to the expiration of the period limited by this act for
completion of the railwayherebyauthorised to be m ade, either
open the said railway for the public conveyance of passengers,
or prove to the satisfaction of the lords of the committee
of her Majesty's Privy Council for Trade and Foreign Plan-
tations that the said company have paid up one-half of the
amount of the capital by this act authorised to be raised by
means of shares, and have expended for the purposes of
this act a sum equal in amount to such one-half of
the said capital ; and if the said period shall expire
before the said company shall either have opened the
said railway for the public conveyance of passengers,
or have given such proof as aforesaid to the satisfaction
of the lords of the said committee, the said sum of
money (Exchequer Bills, Stocks, or Funds) deposited or
transferred as aforesaid, and the interest and dividends
thereof, shall immediately, from and after the expiration
of the said period, be forfeited to heralajesty, and be paid
and transferred by the officer or person in whose name
they shall then be deposited or invested to the account of
her Majesty's Exchequer, and when so paid and trans-
ferred, shall be carried to and form part of the Consolidated
Fund of the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;
Provided that any time after the passing of this act, if a
bond in twice the amount of the said sum of £
shall have been execute by the company, with one or more
sureties (such bond to be prepared to the satisfaction of,
and such surety or sureties to be approved by, the Solici-
tor to the Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury),
conditioned for payment to her Majesty, her heirs or
successors, of the said sum of £ if the said com-
pany shall not, within the time limited for the completion
of the said railway, either open the said railway for the
public conveyance of passengers, or prove to the satisfac-
tion of the lords cf the said committee that the said com-
pany have paid up one half of the amount of the said
capital by this Act authorised to be raised by means of
shares, and have expended for the purposes of this Act a sum
equal in amount to such one-half of the said capital ; and
if such bond shall have been deposited with the said solicitor
to the said Lords Commissioners, then such 'sum of money
(Exchequer Bills, Stocks, or Funds) and the interest or di-
vidends thereof, shall be paid or transferred to, or on the
application of the person or persons, or the majority of the
persons, named in such warrant or order as aforesaid, or
the survivors or survivor of them; and the moneys to be re-
covered upon such bond shall be dealt with in like manner as
the said sum of money (Exchequer Bills, Stocks, or
Funds), and the interest or dividends thereof, would have
been dealt with under this act if such bond had not been
executed and deposited as aforesaid.
" In case of any railway bill to which neither of the
foregoing provisions may be found to apply, a special pro-
vision for effectually securing, as nearly as may be, in
accordance with the same, the completion and opening of
the railway to which the bill relates."
The hon. member said these resolutions were the result
of the unanimous opinion of a committee, appointed at
the beginning of the session to consider not only not
the least important question, but one of the most difficult
questions which had ever been submitted to the house.
At the beginning of the session the house found that
it had to deal with 167 railway bills, 82 of which in-
volved combinations of interests between different com-
panies. In order to understand the magnitude of the
interests at stake, he instanced the case of the London and
Nor th-Western Company, which contemplated an arrange-
ment that involved a raised capital of about 60,000,0001.
annual revenue of about 4,000,0001., and the possession
of 1,200 miles of railway which embraced the whole of
the leading lines of communication north of the Thames.
The hon. member also alluded to an arrangement pro-
posed by the Great Western Company to the adoption
of an uniform guage, and to other arrangements with re-
gard to railways in Scotland and Ireland. Altogether the
house had to dealwith 2,200,000/. of capital already raised,
as well as considerable sums yet to be raised under acts
of Parliament, with 15,000,0001. of annual revenue,
which was annually increasing, and with the freedom,
economy, safety, and convenience of passengers in this
kingdom, of whom 85,000,000, by the last return, moved
from one place to another in the year. They had likewise
to deal with, the whole transit of goods in the country,
and also with the complaints of the holders of property,
which raised very difficult and complicated questions.
Above all, they had to deal with the great question of
the public safety, and to ascertain how lamentable acci-
dents on railways could be averted for the future. The
committee had had arguments:addressed to them on both
sides by able and competent men—by those who were in
favour of a greater amalgamation of interest, and
by others who entertained strong apprehensions of
the great danger which would result to the community.
if Parliameut parted with any of its powers. The com-
mittee had carefully considered the whole subject, and
they were unanimously of opinion that they could,not
advise the House to part with any of its powers with
respect to the amalgamation of railway companies.
There was, however, another question which they had
to consider. Many new works were going forward
which were promoted by persons interested in the
neighbourhoods which they affected, and who earnestly
tidesired that increased railway communication which
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