The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-24 00:00:00

SELECT COMMITTEES.

Mr. EWART rose to move for a select committee to
consider whether the constitution of select committees
might not be improved. 1, By choosing the members
through a committee of selection. 2, By ascertaining
previously that they would be able regularly to attend
the meetings of the committee to which they might be
appointed. 3, By limiting the number of members com-
posing such committees, with a view to increase their
responsibility.
Sir J. PAKINGTON hoped this motion would not
be persevered in, as the committee on public business
was about to report on the subject.
The motion was therefore withdrawn.
GAMING HOUSES.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved for leave to
introduce a bill for the suppression of gaming houses.
(Hear, hear.) The bill in question had for its object
the existing condition of the law relating to such esta-
blishments, and to supply its deficiencies ; and he
thought hon. members who had read the police reports
of late must have seen so many cases of the law being
set at defiance and triumphed over by the keepers of
these places as to call for a measure of the kind. Many
wise and useful provisions against gaming were already
in operation, and they had succeeded in putting the
practice of public gaming down ; so far the metropolis
presented a very favourable contrast to many conti-
nental towns, where, for unworthy motives, this prac-
tice was permitted. But, though public gaming was
suppressed, all our legislation had, unfortunately, been
without success for the preveetion of private gaming.
Every day brought to light some fresh instances of young
men of hope and promise being led into these esta-
blishments, to the ruin of their fortunes and the de-
struction of their prospects in life ; and this, though
there were penalties imposed by many statutes against
those who kept such houses and those who frequented
them. The law permitted its officers to enter these
houses by force, to seize all the persons found in them,
and to take the gaming instruments they discovered ;
and one would have supposed that such means, unspar-
ingly used, would have had the desired effect. Cer-
tainly no blame attached either to the magistrates or to
the police, who were both active and zealous in the per-
formance of their respective duties. The reason why
the present legal remedy was ineffectual was that these
gaming establishments were conducted in private houses,
from which the keepers excluded all persons likely to
betray them, and to which access was only to be attained
by introduction. This system enabled them always to
keep out the police till they were enabled to get rid of
all the proofs of gaming which were required for their
conviction. He had been in communication with an
officer, who had explained to him the mode in which they
secured themselves from discovery. It seemed that they
regularly fortified their establishments ; that either
an outer or an inner door was fortified in a manner from
which even the Board of Ordnance might take a lesson;
and that this caused a delay of at least half an hour to
the police who were endeavouring to effect an entrance,
and thus afforded time to make away with the implements
of gaining. As he had said, they took very good care
not to admit any one in whom they had not the most
thorough confidence. They admitted old hands, because
they were known to them ; they admitted young hands
when they came introduced by old ones ; but the police,
of course, they did not admit ; they were too well known
to the wary guardians stationed inside and out to have
any chance of that. The moment any suspicious-look-
ing person appeared, these men, either by ringing a bell
or otherwise, give warning ; bolts, bars, and chains
were all immediately applied ; and long before the
police, if it was the police, could effect an entrance,
*very article used for the purposes of gaming was removed
—entirely removed—for they had a convenience corn-
NEW WRIT. municating with the common sewer. As soon as this
On the motion of Mr. HAYTER a new writ was or- was done, the obstacles to the entrance were dispensed
dared for Liscard, in the room of Mr. Crowder, Q.C., with, the police were received with great politeness,
elevated to the Bench. and a party of gentlemen were found upstairs, either
PETITIONS. over the supper table or engaged in a harmless game of
Sir J. DUKE presented three petitions from the billiards. They were all taken before the magistrates,
parishes of St. Michael's, St. Dunstan's, and St. Bride's, and the case was heard. At a particular point it broke
against the Poor Removal 8.11. down for want of evidence, and everybody laughed, ex-
Mr. G. BUTT presented a petition from, Weymouth ce c time dis,oodited pl olice. The prisoners were Clio,
against the endowment of Roman Catholic Priests for (.IsPcharedrobably -on to resume their abominable
prisons. g ,p. y
Mr. COWPER presented a petition from the parish --practices the same night. (Hear, hear.) This state of
tignge was very objectionable, and had been commented

The clause was then agreed to.
On the next clause being read,
The Earl of CLANCARTY observed that of late years
a number of monasteries and convents, and religious
houses, had sprung up in Ireland, and had been endowed,
and he feared the exemptions contained in this clause,
by which all paces used for charitable purposes, or for
the fine arts, were exempted, would extend to tnem.
Now, whether these institutions should be endowed at
all was anothar question, but they were at all events
Illegal and not recognised by the law, and he hoped if
there was any intention to exempt them, that at least
they should do it openly and in the face of day. He
thought the case might be met by a proviso being added
to the clause, to the effect that nothing contained in the
clause should be held to exempt, any building used for
the purpose of residence of persons bound by monastic
or religious vows, or any land attached to such build-
ings, from payment of the poor or county rates.
Lord MONTEAG LE suggested that if the exemption
of these institutions was recognised by law at present it
would be illegal to introduce the proviso. He thought
it better to leave the question to the decision of the
parties by whom the assessments were usually made.
Lord CAMPBELL thought the proviso wholly unne-
cessary.
The Earl of CLANCARTY contended that the law
at present was not clearly defined with regard to these
exemptions, but as he did not receive the amount of
support he anticipated he should not press his amend-
ment. _

The proviso was then withdrawn and the clause
agreed to.
The other clauses were then agreed to, with some ver-
bal amendments, and the bill went through a committee.
On the motion of the Earl of HA.RROWBY the
Church Building Act Continuance Bill was read a first
time.

Earl PO WIS complained that the Parliamentary
papers were not delivered to both houses simultaneously,
particularly the papers referring to the Russian secret
correspondence and the University of Cambridge.

The Earl of ABERDEEN was not awaro of the cause
of the difference as to the delivery, but would make in-
quiry on the subject.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BILLS.

The following private bills were read a third time, and
passed :—Ashton-under-Linc., and Dukinfield Bridge,
Nurwiclt Equitable Fire Assurance Company, Rossen-
dale Union Gas, Royal Exchange Assurance Consolida-
tion Bdis.