The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(THIS DAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The report upon Victoria (London) Docks Bill was

considered and agreed to.

PETITIONS.
Mr. BLACKETT presented a petition from the com-
mercial association of Gateshead, in favour of improving
the administration of India.
BOROUGH OF TYNENIOUTH.
Sir B. HALL gave notice of his intention to move
that the writ for Tynemouth be postponed until June

next ; also to move for the appointment of a committee
to inquire into the corrupt practices at elections for that
borough.
PROBATES OF WILLS AND GRANTS OF
ADMINISTRATION BILL.
Mr. HADFIELD moved the second reading of this
bill, intimating that if the house agreed to the motion,
he would postpone going into committee until after the
holidays, in order to afford an opportunity to the Soli-
citor-General to bring in the larger measure of reform
which he had promised on this subject.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said, in consequence
of the reception which the announcement of his intention
to bring in a bill met with in the house, he had been
encouraged to proceed with its preparation, and it was
now reay to be introduced. The question of testa-
mentary jurisdiction was, however, under the considera-
tion of the law commissioners, and it had been thought de-
sirable to postpone his bill until it could be submitted to

;he house with the sanction of those commissioners

What he proposed, therefore, was, that the present bill
should be read a second time on the understanding that
unless the larger measure was brought in, it
should receive the best attention of the Government
in order to render it at all events an instalment of a much-
needed reform,

Mr. PHILLIMORE protested against the bill, which
he said was full of serious errors, and would consider-
ably aggravate and not diminish the evils which it was
proposed to rectify.
The LORD ADVOCATE intimated that the hon. mem-
ber had agreed, in the event of the bill going into com-
mittee, to introduce a clause to meet certain cases in
Scotland, to which it did not now apply.
Mr. B. DENISON thought it was trifling with the
dignity of the house to press the second reading, after
the Solicitor-General had given a pledge to propose a.
more comprehensive measure. If the hon. member did
not withdraw his motion, he would move that the bill
be read a second time that day six months.
Mr. FITZGERALD objected to the bill being read
a second time except pro forma, because he believed
that in attempting to remove a small evil it created a
greater one.
Mr. HENLEY also opposed the second reading.
Lord J. RUSSELL could not see any sufficient
reason for rejecting the bill at its present stage, for he
thought it was advisable that every information and sug-
gestion should be brought before the house previous to
its coming to an ultimate decision upon the important
subject of testamentary jurisdiction. He should, how-
ever, object to going seriously into committee upon the
bill, as it only dealt with a part of that subject.
Mr. COLLIER perfectly agreed with what had fallen
from the noble lord. He did not mean to say that the
measure was perfect, but it was good as far as it went,
and should not be stopped in its progress. If the ques-
tion of testamentary jurisdiction was not dealt with
during the preSent session, he believed that great dis-
satisfaction would be caused throughout the country.
The. bill was.then read a second time pro forma, and
ordered to be committed on Wednesday next.
PAYMENT OF WAGES BILL.
Petitions against, this bill were presented by Mr.
Bass, Mr. Hadfield, Mr. Brocklehurst ; and in favour

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of it by Sir J. Walmsley, from Leicester.
Sir H. HALFORD, in moving the second reading
of the bill, said the house was aware that for a long
series of years the payment of wages otherwise than in the
coin of the realm was prohibited by law. The ancient
statutes on the subject were consolidated and confirmed
in the reign of Will. IV. The policy of that act was
little questioned, but it was found to be imperfect and
to leave room for the evasion of its provisions. One of
the grievances which it failed to touch, and for the
remedy of which this bill was introduced, was the sys-
tem existing among employers in the Midland Counties,
of lending weaving machines to frame-work knitters,
and charging for them exorbitant sums of money, which
were regularly deducted from the wages they received.
It was a curious circumstance in , connection with
that system, that the part of the frames so lent had
increased in proportion .as their value had diminished.
It was, in fact, a contrivance by which the master pro-
cured from his workman that interest and profit on his
capital which ought to enter into the cost of production.
In order to remedy the evil he asked for no new law or
new principle of legislation. The bill was merely a de-
claratory one for, the purpose of carrying out the exist-
ing law to its legitimate extent. Its object was to sub-
ject the hiring of fraMes to free competition in an open
market. At present the rent paid. for them had no limit
except the conscience of the master, and the consequence
was that great distress prevailed among the framework-
knitters. What he called upon Parliament to do, was
to allow workmen to get them at the best price
they could, instead of having to submit to tyranni-
cal impositions, in the shape of deductions from their
wages. The bill was universally desired by the inhabi-
tants of the districts which it mainly affected. The
number of petitions in favour of it from the Midland
counties amounted to many thousands. He asked the
house to read the bill a second time, as being necessary
to that fair play which the existing competition in the
country required.
CANTERBURY AND HULL ELECTIONS.

Lord DRUMLANRIG, who was attired in the uni-
form of Comptroller 'of the Household, brought up the
reply of her Majesty to the addresses of both Houses of
Parliament in reference to these boroughs, stating that
she had given directions for the appointment of commis-
sions for making the inquiries prayed for in those
addresses.