The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-15 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF PUBLIC BUSINESS.

Mr. DISRAELI took that opportunity, as he had
stated to the Noble Lord (Lord John Russell) the other
night, of making some inquiry respecting the probable
progress of a number of measures during the remainder
of the session; and perhaps the House would permit him
to refer to a document which had been put before Par-
liament as one of the principal reasons which had
induced him to make those inquiries. It appeared by a
Parliamentary return of the business of last session,
that in the month of June there were 19 Government
Bills introduced, of which 13 passed; that in the month
of July there were 33 public Bills introduced, of
which 26 passed; and that so late as in the
month of August 42 public measures were in-
introduced, of which 35 !sassed—(Heer, hear)—so that
in the months of Juue, July, and August, 94 public Bills
were introduced, and 74 were passed, the greater
proportion of which passed in the month of August.
He believed it vs as the feeling of the House,
and he was sure it was the feeling of the
Government, that it was by no means desirable
that the general conduct of business in that House should
afford a premium to precipitate legislation. At that
moment, he observed thrit the Government had intro-
duced during this session 64 Bills, 32 of which had
passed, two of which had been withdrawn, and 30 still
remained on the table of the House. As that was nearly
the middle of the month of June, and as
they could ferns some conception now of what probab'y
may be passed during the remainder of the session, he
thought it was most important to inquire of the Govern-
ment what were their intentions with respect to
the 30 Bills now on the table of the House.
—(Hear, hear.) There were eleven on the table with
respect to Ireland, of which six only had been read a
second time. There was the Poor Relief Bill, the Qua-
lification of Voters Bill, the Election and Polling Places
Bill, the Estates Leasing Bill, the Dublin Rates Collec-
tion Bill, the Dublin Improvement Bill, the Irish County
Cess Bill, the Municipal Corporations Bill, the Turnpike
Roads (Ireland) Bill, and the Punishment for Assault
Bill. Six of these had passed a second reading. He
would remind the House that 16 Government measures
respecting Ireland had teen passtd during the session,
and after that he thought he might legitimately
inquire whether it was the serious intention of the
Noble Lord to proceed, for example, with the Qualifica-
tion of Voters Bill and the Election and Polling Places
(Ireland) Bill, which was connected with the preceding
one. The Noble Lord, he was sure, would
agree with him that this inquiry was upon
a subject of the highest interest and impor-
tance.—(Hear hear.) The House would agree with
him, that it was of the utmost importance that those
Bills should not be proceeded with at the fag end of the
session; and he hoped the Noble Lord would consider it
consistent with his duty to tell the House explicitly
whether he intended to proceed this session
with those two important measures with regard
to Ireland to which he had adverted. There
was another class of measures connected with
Scotland. He was not very familiar with the details of
those measures, but they appeared on the face of them
and from tneir titles to be measures of very great in-
terest.—(Hear, hear.) There were at that moment six
mess :res in almost the first stage with respect to
Scotland. He thought it was nut unreasonable to
inquire of the Government—and he thought Scotch
Members must take an in erect in the inquiry—(Hear,
hear)—which of those Bills it was intended to proceed
with, and when they would probably proceed with them?
But besides those two important classes of Irish and
Scotch Bills, there was a third more numerous awl still
more important class of Bills remaining on the table,
which ho might call miscellaneous Bills. He found
in that the Clergy Relief Bill, the Charitable Trusts
Bill, the Administration of Justice in Metropolitan Dis-
tricts Bill, the Ecclesiastical Commissions Bill, the
Joint-Stock Companies Amendment Act for 1848, the
General Quarter Sessions Procedure Bill, the Stock-in-
Trade Exemption Bill, the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
sill, the Loan Societies Bill, the Marriages Abroad
Bill, Railways Amendment Act, the India Desertion
Bill, and last, but not least in importance,
making 11 Bills, the Australian Colonies Bill. Now,
he might very fairly inquire of the Noble Lord which of
those 30 measures he intended to proceed with ? It
was certainly of great importance that the House should
understand whether or not, for instance, the Australian
Colonies Bill would be proceeded with, and when. He
should have great objection to a measure of that
importance being introduced at the end of August or
even late in July.—(Hear, hear.) He should be sorry
to see an important Bill sent up to the other House of
Parliament on the Ist of September, which happened
last year. There was another question to which he wished
to invite the attention of the Noble Lord—namely, whe-
ther the Noble Lord had taken into consideration any
method by which that spirit of precipitate legislation,
to which he (Mr. Disraeli) had referred, might be re-
tarded in that House. and prevented for the future. He
wished to know whether he had any objection to support a
regulation which should define the term for the introduc-
tion of public Bills, similar to that established with refer-
ence to the introduction of private Bills. It would be ad-
visable to know at the commencement of each session
the number of Bills on all subjects which, on a fair
prescience of public affairs, Government, before Parlia-
ment mot, or in an early period of the session, should
feel that they might be called on to legislate.—(Hear.)
Mr. E. B. ROCHE said the Irish Members had been
promised at the early part of the session a Bill by the
Government for the amendment of the grand jury
r nott he. HHoeutsreusted
that system in Ireland. Ile wished to know whether
it
l°
at
tak-
ing steps, should it be found necessary, to pass measures
to alleviate the apprehended sufferings of the people of
nothingto be brought
might
interferein t his session
to o
prevent
Ireland.

Lord J. RUSSELL was obliged to the Hon. Gentle-
man for putting the questions be had. He quite agreed
with him that they should not take important measures
at a late period of the session; but he did not think the
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Roche) need be under any appre-
hension that the session would be unduly diminished in
its length.—(Laughter.) Only last week 480 Members
voted in. one division, and it was but reasonable
to suppose, judging from this, that at least 500 Members
were in town. Therefore it could not at present be said
that there was such a paucity of attendance on the part
of lion. Members as to lead to the conclusion that the
House could not properly proceed with the business
before it. For this reason, and for others, he
should postpone any reply with regard to some
of the measures about which the Honourable Gentle-
man had inquired; but before the Ist of July he should
be prepared to state what course the Government in-
tended to pursue. He should first enumerate the im-
portant measures which the Government felt it their
duty to proceed with. It would be naturally expected
that the Irish Poor-law should he the first. They
had gone into Committee upon it: it stood for
discussion to-night, but should not much progress he
made with it this evening he purposed taking it the first
thing on Monday next, and to then proceed as rapidly
with it as its importance would allow. With respect to
the observations of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Ruche)
regarding au apprehended famine, he had to state
that though there was doubtless a partial failure or the
potato crop, they did not justify very serious apprehen-
sions with respect to it.—(Bear.) The Government felt
it necessary to proceed with the Municipal Bill for the
relaxation of rates. In regard to the Scotch measures,
he had to observe, that the Marriage and Registration
Bills had already passed through the other House, and
were ready fnr consideration in that House, and he
trusted these Bills would be proceeded with this session;
as he did not think they could accuse Scotland of occu-
pying any great portion of their legislation.—(Hear.)

The same remark would apply to the Bankruptcy Bill,
which though not a Government measure was neverthe-
less of an important character.—(Hear, hear.) As it
would consolidate many existing laws he was sanguine
enough to hope that it would not occupy so much time
as the House might conceive. Ho proposed to read the
Bill a second time on Monday, and that it should
then be entrusted to a Committee of Gentlemen
acquainted with commerce, and the working of the
bankruptcy laws, who he trusted would come to a satis-
factory result with respect to it. It would be necessary
in Supply to ask for the whole of the grant to
the Irish Colleges. He proposed to do so when
the estimates came on. The Ordnance Estimates,
the Honourable Gentleman was aware, were not 3et
taken; they would occupy some time. With respect to
the Bills which he did not intend to proceed with, he
might say that they did not intend to proceed with the
Irish Franchise Qualification Bill and Polling Places Bill.
With regard to the other Bills to v, hich the Hon. Gen-
tleman had alludes, although they were numerous, many
of them were Bills relating to former Acts already passed,
and with respect to which no doubt there would be very
little discussion. The great importance of some of the
other measures by no means formed a good reason for
postponing them, in the event of their going beyond the
month of July. If it were the opinion of the House
that these Bills were sound in principle, and required
but trifling alteration, it would of course be for the
public benefit that they should not be de-
layed in subsequent stages by the absence of
Honourable Members. With regard to the suggestion
which the Honourable Gentleman had made, that
public measures should not be introduced after a certain
day, in the same manner as private Bills, he cer-
tainly could not assent to that proposal. He felt
as strongly as any one that the public business suffered
by the dispatch ot measures in August, when there was
but a small attendance in both Houses of Parliament,
while he admi ted that no less inconvenience would
arise from Members being kept away from their
different local duties, but if they were to adopt
such a rule its inconvenience would be very soon felt.
There were instances where Bills had been brought in on
an emergency such as those which related to the peace
of the nation. For instance, with regard to the peace
of Ireland, he trusted it would not be necessary iu the
course ot the present session to ir.troduce a measure
of a restrictive nature, but should occasion arise for the
introduction of such a measure, it would be quite im-
possible to adhere to such a rule. He had further to
observe that there was one measure of some importance,
which it was proposed to delay till next session; he
alluded to the Bill for the regulation of the mercantile
marine, which it was desirable should be considered by
the parties whom it effected before it passed.—(Hear.)

Mr. M. O'CONNELL understood the Noble Lord
to say, with regard to the measure for the im-
provement of the franchise of the people of
Ireland, that it was not his intention to pro-
ceed with it this session; but the Noble Lord made
a reservation as to measures of a coercive nature.—
(Oh, oh I) Would the Noble Lord be good enough to
state what he intended to do in reference to the im-
portant question of the relation between landlord and
tenant in Ireland?—(Hear, tnd ?:-(llear, hear.)

Lord J. .RUSSELL was afraid there would not be
time to consider that question this session.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

Mr. HUME, in reference to the former subject,
observed that the Honourable Member for Buckingham •
had given notice of a motion relative to the state of the
nation. He hoped the Hun. Gentleman would lose no
time in laying his resolution on the table of the House,
and that it would embrace the financial position of
the country.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) He begged to
repeat his question to the Noble Lord the Secre-
tary for Foreign Affairs with reference to the
French expedition to Rome. Was the Noble Lord
prepared now to produce all the communications which
had passed between Engla❑d and France on the subject?
Lord I'ALMERSTON would lay on the table to-
morrow the communications which had passed between
the Pope's representative at Paris and her Majesty's
Government and the reply of Government; but with
regard to the communications which bad passed be•
tween her Majesty's Government ar:d the Govern-
ment of France, he thought the House and the
Hon. Gentleman would agree with him, that in the
present state of things in France, it would be more pro-
per that he should abstain from laying before the House
matters which professed to contain the views of the
French Government on the subject to which the
Honourable Gentleman referred, and leave it for the
French Government to state their own case.—(Cheers.)