The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-20 00:00:00

required for the collection of the rate; and had nothing
whatever to do with the franchise.

Mr. COMPTON supported the Bill.
Mr. P. SCROPI. suggested that this and other Bills
should be suspended for further consideration. He
hoped a local measure of this kind would to post-
poned until the House came to a decision on the general
principle. There were hundreds of thousands of poor
people in this country excused from paying rates in
consequence of their poverty, under the 59th Geo. 111.
Mr. HUME agreed with what had fallen from his
Honourable Friend (Mr. P. Scropv). There was
no doubt that the poor-rates fell heavy upon
small proprietors ; but ought the House not, by every
means in its power, to induce the poorer classes to pay
the rates if they could, and ought the House not to
hold out the right of voting, both municipally and for
Members of Parliament, to induce them to use every
effort in their power to pay the rate? This was not
a time to limit the franchise.—(Cries of " Hear,
hear.") When the House interfered with the
franchise, it ought to be with the view rather to ex-
tend than to limit it. The principal point was this, not
to take away from the poor man the inducement to pay
his rates which he has in being a voter both at munici-
pal elections and for Members of Parliament.
Mr. GODSON thought the argument used by the
Hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. P. Scrope) ought to have
prevailed in 1841, when it was used as it now is; and
certainly the Government did not seem any more dis-
posed now to bring in a general measure than they were
at that time. The Hon. Member gave some particulars
of the beneficial way in which a kindred measure worked
which was now in operation in the borough which he
represented (Kidderminster).
Mr. HENLEY thought this was one of a series of steps,
by which the Legislature sought to deprive the poor
man of that main provision which our law has made for
him, that if he is a poor man he shall be excused from
paying poor-rates. That was the existing state of the
law. At present the law of England was that the
rate was collected from the occupier. This was
an attempt to shift it on the proprietor, which was a
total and entire change of the law, and against the con-
sent of the people in the town for which it is proposed.
How it would work with reference to the franchise he
did not know, nor did be care; but the objection he had
always taken to similar Bills was they deprived the poor
man of the advantage which the law gave him.
For these resons, if the second reading of the Bill
was pressed he should vote against it, believing it was
detrimental to the poor man.
Mr. R. SPOONER supported the second reading of
the Bill, as other Bills in other localities had worked well.
Mr. MUNTZ thought that the principal objection to
the Bill was the extent to which it was carried, and the
great disfranchisement it would create.

Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the
House divided, when there appeared—
For the motion 64
Against it ... .. 106
Majority against the second reading —42
BISHOPSWEARMOUTH RECTORY.

Mr. HORSMAN gave notice that on Wednesday he
should bring forward the petition he had presented rela-
tive to this rectory under the consideration of the House.

DIPLOMATIC PENSIONERS.

Mr. M. MILNES gave notice of his intention to ask
leave to introduce a Bill to enable persons in the receipt
of diplomatic pensions to hold seats in the House.

JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
Mr. M. MILNES also gave notice that to-morrow he
should ask some member of the Government what mea-
sures had been taken since last session for the preserva-
tion of public records. Also whether it was the inten-
tion of Government to propose any measure with re-
spect to the treatment of juvenile offenders.
COLLIERY EXPLOSIONS.
Mr. lIUME gave notice that on an early day he
should move a resolution to the effect that the excessive
loss of life through the frequent colliery explosions from
fire-damp rendered it the imperative duty of the Legis-
lature immediately to adopt means, now that they had
them at their command, to prevent a recurrence of such
calamities.

STATE OF IRELAND.
Mr. J. O'CONNELL gave notice that on the ques-
tion for going into Committee of Supply for the
purpose of voting the Navy Estimates, he should
move a Committee of the whole House to consider
the present alarming state of Ireland, with the
view of adopting measures for appropriating the
church property to the support of the poor, and in order
fo render these resources immediately applicable to that
purpose, to empower the Poor-law Commissioners to
borrow money upon the security of such property for es-
tablishing an absentee-tax on the property of all persons
above the value of 1501., who did not reside in Ireland,
and for legalising an efficient system of tenant-right.
_ _

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.
Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice that, on the ques-
tion that the Bill for preventing bribery and corruption
at elections, introduced by the Hon. Member for Droit-
witch, should be read a second time, he should move
that it be read a second time that day six months.
REGIUM DONUM.

Mr. LUSHINGTON gave notice that in the event of
the Miscellaneous Estimates containing a grant for the
Regium Domini, he should move that such grant be dis-
continued.

RETURNS.
On the motion of the O'GORAIAN MAHON, copies
of any reports made to the Commissioners of the Board
of Works in Ireland, on the practicability of rendering
the town of Ennis, in the county of Clare, a sea-port,
together with au estimate of the cost of works for such
purpose, and the probable amount of time requisite for
their completion, were ordered to be laid before the
House.

On the motion of Mr. J. O'CONNELL, a return of
all notices served upon relieving officers of poor-law dis-
tricts in Ireland, by landlords and others under the Act
of last session, 11 and 12 Vic. c. 47, intituled, an Act
for the Protection and Relief of the Destitute Poor
Evicted from their Dwellings, were ordered.
On the motion of Mr. REYNOLDS, returns were
ordered from the Courts of Queen's Bench, Common
Pleas, and Exchequer, in Ireland, of the number of
ejectments brought in those courts respectively, for the
last three years, beginning with Hilary Term, 1846, and
ending with Hilary Term, 1849, both included; specifying
the number in each term and year, and the counties iu
which they have been brought, and the number of persons
served in each ejectment, according to the affidavits of ser-
vice, distinguishing the number brought for non-payment
of rent, and the number brought for overholding. And,
from the Assistant Barrister's Court of each ccunty in
Ireland, of the number of civil bill ejectments entered in
each of such courts for a similar period, together with
the number of the defendants in each civil bill ejectment,
and distinguishing the number sued fur non-payment of
rent, and the number for overholding, and the number
for desertion.

On the motion of Sir JOHN YOUNG, copies were
ordered of letter from the vice-guardians of the Cavan
Union to the Poor-law Commissioners, relative to their
travelling expenses in February and May, 1848, and
answers; of sealed orders from the Poor-law Commis-
sioners, dated the Bth day of June, 1848, authorising
them to charge 2/. 10s. weekly for travelling expenses to
each of the unions of Cavan and Cootehill; of memo-
rial of the ratepayers of the Kilnaleck electoral division,
addressed to the Poor-law Commissioners in August, 1848;
of Captain Hotham's Report to the Poor-law Commis-
sioners of an investigation held by him on the 2d day of
October, 1848, and following days; of Letter from the
Poor-law Commissioners to William Smith, Druinkeel,
dated the sth day of Dec., 1848; of Mr. Charles Shar-
man Crawford's Report to the Poor-law Commissioners of
an inquiry held by him at the Cavan workhouse, on the
15th and 16th day of December, 1848, and letter to Mr.
Smith thereon ; of letter from Poor-law Commissioners
to Lord Farnham, dated the 20th day of January, 1849;
and weekly return of the number of paupers in the
Cavan workhouse, and on the lists of out-door relief in
the Cavan Union, from the Ist day of December, 1847,
till the Ist day of December, 1848.
BARBADOES.

Viscount DRUMLANRIG moved for returns of the
strength, in rank and file, of the service companies of
the 66th Regiment when they arrived at Barbadoes; of
the names of all officers who accompanied the service
companies to Barbadoes, their period of service in the
army, at this date; and of the number of rank and file,
together with number of officers attacked by illness since
their arrival, and number of deaths and recoveries;
specifying the name of the officers, up to this date.—
Agreed to.