The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF LORDS, JUNE 28.
The House met at Half-past Three o'clock, when players
were read by the Bishop of EXETEit ; the House then ad-
journed till Five o'clock, when the Loon CHANCELLOR
took his seat on the Woolsack.
The Marquis of SALISBURY deferred his motion on
the Poor Laws till Thursday.

The Marquis of DOWNSHIRE presented a petition
from the town of Newry in Ireland, praying for the intro-
duction of Poor Laws into that country. The Noble Lord
would favour such introduction if he was of opinion that
they would improve the condition of the poor, but he
thought that finding them employment would be a better
way of giving relief.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY gave notice that on
Thursday next he would present several petitions against
Parliamentary Reform.
Lord SKELMERSDALE presented several petitions
from the North against the truck system.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE'. moved the first read-
ing of a Bill to regulate the appointment of Custos Rota-
loru min Ireland. _ _

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY enquired whether
the Bill would interfere With the office of Lord-Lieutenant
of Ireland ? _

Lord MELBOURNE replied it would not, the office of
Custos Rotulorum was an office entirely civil, and would
not at all interfere with the office of Lord-Lieutenant,
which was a military one.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE laid on their Lordships' tablas
two Bills to abolish the system of paying workmen's
wages, commonly called the truck system. The Noble
Lord said, that his Bills were exactly the same
as a Bill which was introduced in the other
House of Parliament in the late Session. He
would defer what he hail to say till the second reading, as
he believed their Lordships were well acquainted with the
provisions of the Bills.
On the motion of Lord MEr.nquieNs: the Bills are to be
read a second time on Monday next.
The Duke of BUCCLEUGH presented a petition from
the Freeholders, Commissioners of Supply, and Justices
of the Peace of the county of Forfar, against Reform ;
and praying, that if a future Bill was introduced the
number of counties in Scotland might not be reduced.
Lord DUNCAN denied that this was the petition of
the county of Forfar. It had been got up in the most
curious manner. Not more than eighty-four persons being
present, and with such an assemblage, the resolu-
tions embodied in the petition were come to. To
those resolutions he (Lord Duncan) moved as an amend-
ment the approval of the whole Bill, and thanks
to Ministers for what they had done, and that amendment
was carried by a majority of sixty to twenty-four. Under
such circumstances he could not submit to this
petition being called the petition of Forfar. He believed
it to be the petition of very respectable individuals
but got up under most peculiar circumstances. First, they
had attempted to get the sanction of the county, and then
they came forward with the present petition. He
(Lord Duncan) believed that the county of Forfar
stood single in Scotland in having passed a vote
in favour of Ministers and the Reform Bill. With re-
spect to the acts of violence at the election, no one could
lament them more than lie did ; and he considered the
sooner the perpetrators were brought to justice the better.
But he could not help thinking that the accounts received
of the violence committed were much exaggerated. It had
been said that expressions had been used at that election
which could only be equalled by the blood-thirsty expres-
sions at the French revolution. He trusted that the people
of Scotland would me every constitutional means of car-
rying this great Bill through Parliament_-(Hear)—by
which they would obtain for themselves great advantage
and immortal honour.

The Duke of BUCCLEUGH said it was not pretended
that the petition was the petition of the county of Forfar.
It was the petition of some forty or fifty proprietors
deeply connected with that county. He should not enter
into the discussion of the committal of violences alluded
to by the Noble Lord, as he considered that a fitter subject
kr the Secretary of State than himself.
The Earl of HADDINGTON felt hound to say, that
the violence committed at the election for Forfar had not
been exaggerated. Improper means had been resorted to
for the purpose of preventing the persons assemblod from
electing representatives fairly, and those means had only
been defeated by the courage and firmness of the
freeholders. He was not one of those who would object
to any lawful means being used to carry a point either far
or against Reform, but he felt extreme regret at the
courKe adopted on this occasion.
Lord DUNCAN deprecated as much as any man ins-
those proceedings Ind been greatly exaggerated.
Lord BELHAVEN also bore testimony to the exag-
gerated accounts given of this election.
The petition was the❑ read, and the House adjourned.