The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-24 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, AUGUST 23.

The House met to-day at Four o'clock, when the
House of Commons was summoned to lo ar the Royal as-
sent given to the several Bills which have been passed
since the King was At the House. _ .

The assent was given by commission, the Commissioners
were the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
and the Marquis of Lansdowne. The Lord Lieutenants'
(Leland) Bill, the Exchequer Bills Bill, and thirty-seven
other Bills then received the Royal assent, and the House
adjourned during pleasure.
At Five o'clock the House resumed, when the Arbi-
tration and Interpleader Bills were read a third time, and
the other Bills on the table were forwarded a stage.
The Earl of ESSEX presented a petition from F4l
mouth, praying for a revision of the Criminal Code.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH postponed the second
reading of the Bill for the prevention of fires of land in
Ireland till Thu,silay.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE presented a petition from Ha-
lifax, praying for a legislative enactment to regulate the
hours that children should work in manufacturies.
The Sub-letting Acts Amendment Bill was read a se-
cond time, and ordered to be committed on Thursday.
Lord KENYON moved that the House resolve itself
into a Committee on the Lunatics' Bill. This Bill bad
been under the consideration of a Committee up stairs,
where several amendments upon the old Act had been
suggested. As the gentlemen composing the late commis-
sion, to which the management of the lunatics hail been
confided, and which had performed its duties in a most ef-
ficient mariner, could not longer continue in that commis-
sion, and at the same time properly discharge the other
duties of their situation, both of a public and private
nature, the Committee proposed to introduce into the
commission certain individuals, whose avocations would
not call them from the discharge of the duties of that office.
The Committee also proposed that the appointment of the
commission, instead of being placed in the hands of the
Home Secretary, should be transferred to the Lord Chan-
cellor ; and suggested the propriety of appointing medical
gentlemen members of the commission.
The House then resolved itself into a Committee on the
Bill.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said a few words,
which were imperfectly heard. We understood him to
suggest the propriety of excluding surgeons from the corn.

The Duke of CUMBERLAND said, that if any provi-
sion of the nature proposed by the Noble Marquis was
made, it would exclude surgeons of the army, who had ex-
perience in all sorts of disorders, and who were well ac-
quainted with the proper treatment of mental maladies.
The LORD CI•IANCELLOR concurred in opinion with
the illustrious Duke, that there was hardly any class of prac-
titioners better acquainted with the nature of the diseases
of the mind than surgeons in the army; and he thought
that it would be exceedingly unwise to preclude that branch
of the profession from becoming members of the commis-
sion. He thought that one of the great improvements in
the Bill was the making more intimate the connexion be-
tween the Great Seal and the commission. He certainly
was of opinion, on general principles, that it was better to
leave lunatics, as well as minors, to the care of their own
relations ; but as great objections existed to the manner in
which private mad-houses had been hitherto managed, and
as some controul over them was considered necessary, l.e
should not oppose the Bill, because he thought it would
effect its object in a very unobjectionable manner. One great
advantage of the commission being composed of professional
gentlemen was, that they were the least likely of all persons
to divulge the names of any parties which should unfortu•
;lately become the objects of their care.
After a few words from the Earl of ELDON, which were
not hetrd, the Bill went through the Committee, and was
ordered to be reported to-morrow.
Lord KENYON moved that the Agricultural Labourers'
Employment Bill should be read a second time, with the
understanding that it should be discussed on the motion
that it be committed.

The Duke of RICHMOND assented to this arrange-
ment. He gave notice that he should object to that part of
the Bill which proposed to form new parishes.
Lord ORFORD also objected to that clause of the Bill
which went to make new parishes. He also noticed an-
other part of the Bill, establishing a principle which the
House had decided against in the course of the present
Session,—namely, the fixing of a money rate of tithes.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be
considered by a G,mmittee up stairs on Friday next.
Lord TEYNHAM moved the second reading of the
Overseers of the Poor Bill. Ile aud that a change in the
system of the poor laws was absolutely necessary ; and he
thought that the present Bill, by amending the mode of
nominating the overseers of the poor, would be the means
of producing much benefit.

The Duke of RICHMOND had eo mary objections to
this Bill that he hoped the Noble Lord wou!d be induced
to withdraw it. He could not assent to the Noble Lord's
proposed mode of electing overseers by lot. The Bill pro-
posed that in case of dispute between two parishes, at hi-
tration might be resorted to, and it excluded from being
arbitrators all solicitors and attorneys, the persons who were
hest qualified to decide on the intricate laws relating to
sett!oment. The Noble Duke pointed out several other
obketionable enactments, and stated hie opinion that the
Bil had been too hastily got tip.
Lord TEYNHAM, in consequence of the observations
of the Noble Duke, begged leave to withdraw the Bill.
Lord BELHAVEN presented a petition from the Earl
of Mar, relating to the election of Scotch representative
Peers. The Noble Lord gave notice of his intention to
bring this subject under the notice of the House on Toes-
d iy next.
FRAUDS ON CREDITORS BILL.

Lord WYNFORD moved the third reading of this Bill.
Lord PLUNKETT moved as an amendment that the
Bill be read a third time that day six months.
Lord WYNFORD thought that the Noble Lord was
too late with his amendment. He reminded the Noble
Lord that this was an adjourned debate, and he conceived
that the Noble Lord ought to have proposed his amend-
ment before.

Earl GREY said that an amendment could be proposed
at any period of the debate.

Lord WYNFORD had delayed the Bill till this time to
give Noble Lords an opportunity of stating their objec-
tions to it; but he now found no grounds were stated to
the House why it should be rejected. It was said that
this was an extension of the bankrupt law. So it was M
some degree, but not beyond what, in his opinion, was
necessary. The question was, whether they could carry
judgments obtained in courts of law into effect without
such a law. They could in no other way prevent the
profligate and the fraudulent debtor from evading the pay-
ment of his debts. If It were to have the effect of add-
ing to imprisonment, he would never have brought it
forward ; but the fact was, it would diminish imprison-
ment, and the only parties who would be affected by it
were those who had the means of paying, but who refused
to pay their debts.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, but we un-
derstand that the Bill was negatived without a division,
The Marquis of WESTMEATH wished to correct a
misunderstanding of what fell from him yesterday, on
the subject of the names real by a Noble Marquis (Lon-
donderry) whom he did not now see in his place. Re had
understood the Noble Marquis to give the names of the
Irish Members who had waited on Earl Grey respecting
the Irish yeomanry, as those of Catholic Members, and
he (the Marquis of Westmeath) had stated that two of
them, Sir J. Doyle and Mr. Dawson (of Louth) were
not Catholics; but he had been represented, in a Morn..
ing Paper, as having said that these Members were not
connected with the Catholic interest in Ireland. He had
made no such observation. If be had made any oh: erva-
tion at all on the subject, it wou:d have been the very re-
verse.

The Earl of ELDON said, if the Noble Marquis took
notice in that House of all that appeared in newspzpers,
lie would have nothing else to do.
THE BUSINESS OF THE HOUR&

The LORD CHANCELLOR, adverting to the Order
of the Day for further consideration of the report of the;
Bankruptcy Court Bill, which stood for Friday next, ob-
served that when he had fired it for that day, he had cal-
culated that by the evening sittings he should have been
able to have got through the business of his Court by that
day, but he found that he had miscalea,Ated as to its
a mount. He would now, tiserefitre, postpone it till Friday
week. He had now to apologize to their Lordships for his
ab,ence front their sittings, in consequence of, theusvening
sittings in his Court, but those wings, lee Iff/ped their
Lordships would adroit, were fora purpose of great public
convenience. He had now a confident hope that in another
week lie should have got through the whole of the business
in his Court. It might be convenient to their Lordships l
and to the public to know, that after that he would then
Attend in the House from day to day until he had disposed
.'
of the arrears of the appeals, and he hoped that in a fort
night he should be able to get through them all. Their
Lordships then would have no appeals before them, except
such as bad been entered within the last three months ;
but if any of these should be ripe for decision whenhelntsd
disposed of the others, he would be happy to give his a '-
toistance 144- flispOiing of those also, so that by the rod of
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