The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-29 00:00:00

PAL ACE COURT ( WES TMINSTER) BILL.
Lerd I).STUAR r reeved the committal of the Palace
Curt (Weetminster) Bill.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he bad told his
Noble Friend, over and ester egain, that the Bill which
he had brought in on this subject, and which see d for a
second reeeine, te-merrow, would abolish altogether the
court from which his Noble Fri'esid propose% by the
present Bill to remove causes. Under ths se circum-
stances, if his Noble Friend persevered, he should move
thet the Bill he committed that day six mcnths.
Lord DUDLEY STUART observed that the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman seemed to think that when he
opened his mouth no dog might bark.—(Laughter.) His
Hon. end Learned Friend boasted of having brought in
his Bill, but he did not at ail events do so till ho (Lord
Dudley Stuart) broueht in his own. The object of the
Bill was to get rid of an intolerable nuisance—to remove
cases from a close court to an open one. He accused his
Hon. and Learned Friend and the Government of dilato-
riness, and he thought it reflected no credit upon them
that they should have allowed ',such a piece as the Pelace
Court to remain so long—(" Hear, hear," "Divide," and
various noises indicative if great impatience.) I-lon.
Gentlemen might be impatient, but the country was
more impatient to get rid of this nuisance. It he car-
ried on his Bill would it prevent the Attorney-General
from carrying on his Bit also? Not at all. But
if anything should hinder the Attorney-General
from carrying his—should he change his mind
from any cause, his (Lord Dudley Stuart's)
Bill would go a great way, if not the entire way,
to remedy the grievance cf the Palace Court. He did
not mean any disrespect to his Hon. and Learned Friend
or the Government, but he put very little faith in the
assurances of Government.—(Great laughter and
cheers,) He did not think that they ever gave an assu-
rance that they did not mean to fulfil, but he had had
such experience of their infirmity of purpose—(Re-
newed laughter and cheers)—that he did not put implicit
confidence in their assurances. The burnt child feared
the fire. He was sure there were no more honourable
gentlemen in private life in any country than the mem-
bers of the present Government. But as a Government,
in their collective capacity, it was quite a different thing.
—(Roars of laughter, and cheers
,from the Opposition
benches.) He had known Government give assurances
and not fulfil them. He had known them give assurances
of their intention to bring in a Bill—bring it in, read it
a first and second time, and then at a late hour of the
night, abandon it.—(" Name, name.") He would give
chapter and verse.—("No," "Name," and ";Divide.") The
present G-overnment did it only last year—in the year
1848, They undertook to bring in a Bill to relieve
the metropolis from a great burden of police
rate. Official letters were written to every
parish in the county of Middlesex. The Bill was
brought in, it received a first and second reading,
and was then abandoned. And how did he know that
something of the kind might not happen to this Palace
Court Bill? Until he heard some better reason than had
yet been offered, he should persevere with his own Bill;
and he thought it would not do his Hon. and Learned
Friend much credit if he were to put a spoke in the
wheel of it.
Captain PECIIELL said that his Noble Friend had
given the House a proof that the Attorney-General, if '
he attempted to gag, had certainly not muzzled him.—
(Laughter and cheers.) The Noble Lord's Bill was
before the l louse. The Attorne y- General's was not. They
could judge of the one; they knew nothine- of the other;
and under such circumstances he thought his Noble
Friend was justified in persevering.
Mr. BROTHER TON moved the adj surnment of the
debate.
Mr. J. A. sri-ra was sincerely anxious to promote
the Noble Lord's Bill, but he was still mere anxious to
promote the Bill which the Attorney-General i:ad pro-
mised. He the rof re truets d that the Noble Lard would
consent to put elf his felt a few days.
Lord D. C. STUAR r finally consented, and the de-
bate-was adjourned to Monday next, Mr. Brotherton
having withdrawn his minion.
PROTECTION OF WOMEN BILL.

Mr. SPOONER moved the second reading of this Bill.
Colonel SAL WEY moved the a•►journment of the de-
bate; and sail that when the Hon. Gentleman who had
charge of the Bill recollected that when it was intro-
duced it was sa badly drain that almost any school.
could frame a better one—when he remembered that the
Right Lion. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home
Department said that it was one that if passed in its
then condition would bring disgrace upo❑ the legislation
of the c mntry—and when he recollected that he had
himself- admitted its want of extensive am .ndment—he
coul.d not be surprised that, much as he (Colonel Salwey)
wished to see the object and intentions of the promoters
of the measure carried into execution, he was justified i❑
opposing one so ill framed. What he wanted to seo was
a perfect Bill, and he should, therefore, mo►e the ad-
journment of the debate.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the adjournment ... ..• ••• 29
Against it

.••
Majority ..•

-23

Mr. MILNER GIiiSO.N. said, it was most unreason
able, after what had taken place, that the Hoe. Member
(Mr. Spooner) should persist in going on with the Bill
'JChe Attorney-General had described to them what the
imperfections of the Bill were, and until the House was
aware of the amendments to be proposed to rectity those
imperfections, he thought the Bill should not be pro-
ceeded with. He hoped, therefore, the Hon Member
would give time to consider the amendments which he
intended to propose; and unless he did so he (Mr. M.
Gibson), although he did not wish to give any factious
opposition to the Bill, would move the adjournment of
the debate.
Mr. HENRY BERKELEY had voted last night with
the Hon. Member for Warwickshire, but he must say
that it behoved that Hon. Member to keep the promise
which ho had made to the Attorney-General, ,thet he
would introduce such alterations into the measure as
would make it a practicable one.—(Hear.) The Bill had
been described as a mere farce of legislation, and he did
trust that until it was made more perfect it would not be
proceeded with.
Sir GEORGE GREY said it was not usual to pro-
pose amendments to a Bill until after the second read-
ing, and when the Bill went into Committee, when alone
the opportunity would be afforded to the Hon. Member
for Warwickshire to propose his amendments.
Mr. TUORNELY thought the Bill was so inefficient
in its present state that the House could not well proceed
with it.
Mr. SPOONER, really hoped, after what bad fallen
from the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for
the Home Department, the House would consent to the
second reading of the Bill, as the amendments which he
proposed to introduce could only be made in Committee;
arid considering the period of the session, and the little
chance there was of the measure being carried it' it was
delayed, he trusted Hen. Members would at once con-
sent to the second reading.
Colonel RAW DON was of opinion that time should
be given to consider the amendments which were to be
proposed, the more especially as the Attorney-Gene-
ral's words, describing the detects of the Bill, were very
strong.
Mr. M. GIBSON said, as the Hon. Member for War-
wickshire persevered, Le would move the adjournment
of the ll' use.
The SPEAKER said, the Right Hon. Gentleman
could not do so, ai he had already spoken.
Mr. A. HASTIE would, therefore, move the adjourn-
ment.
Mr. W. PATTEN hoped they would not adjourn the
House.
The House divided, when there appeared:—
Ayes ••• •.. ... 22
Nees ••• 5331
Majority . . —3l
On our return to the gallery,
Lord DUNCAN WM3 addressing the House, and ob-
eerving that no ono appeared to be opposed to the prin-
ciple of the Bill, but many Hon. Members were desirous
of being made acquainted with the nature of the amend-
ments before they allowed it to be read a second time.
Mr. SPOONER, alter making a few observations,
consented to adjourn the debate to Wednesday next.
The debate was adjourned accordingly.
Lord ASHLEY obtained leave to bring in a Bill for
giving eff,ct to certain provisional orders to the General
Board of Health; and also a Bill to effect certain amend-
nionts in the Nuisances Removal and Diseases Preven-
tion Act.
An HoN. MEMBER here called the attention of the
Speaker to the fact that there were not forty Members
present.
The House was counted, and, there being only thirty-
eight Members in their places, the House adjourned at
Quarter to Two o'cicc!r.