The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, June 15.

Their Lordships met at Five o'clock.
The Earl of HARROWBY presented numerous pe-
titions praying for an alteration in the law regulating
the sale of beer.
TRANSPORTATION FOR TREASON BILL.

Lord CAMPBELL moved that this Bill be read a
second time.—Agreed to.
The standing orders were then suspended, and the
Bill was passed through Committee, reported, read a
third time, and passed.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
Manchester Law Association, expressing a hope that the
Bankruptcy Law Consolidation Bill might pass into a
law this session; also a petition from South Shields in
favour of a measure for the better ventilation of col-
lieries; and a petition from a shareholder in the Dub-
lin and Dundrum Railway, complaining of the conduct
of the directors.

CANADA.
The NOBLE AND LEARNED LORD then laid upon the
table the resolutions which he proposed to move on
Tuesday in relation to the affairs of Canada.
SALE OF BEER BILL.
The Earl of HARROWBY then rose to bring for-
ward the motion of which he had given notice for the
appointment of a Select Committee to consider the
operation of the laws regulating the sale of beer. He
could not venture to propose the sweeping alterations
which he thought necessary without a previous inquiry,
and therefore he should now content himself with moving
for a Committee of Inquiry. The petitions which had been
presented from all classes of the community, more par-
ticularly from magistrates, proved the enormity of the
evil of which be complained. It was perfectly anoma-
lous that one set of traders engaged in the trade of beer
shouldabe subjected to the surveillance and control of the
magistrates of the district, another set of traders, dealing
in a similar article, should be emancipated from such
surveillance and control. He trusted that he should not
be met by the old objection of damage to the revenue.
He trusted that we were no longer open to the sarcasm
of the poet—
" Ye all can drink, your country asks no more."
This was a question affecting the public peace, and he
trusted that the inquiry he sought for would be granted.
Lord MONTEAGLE thought the question required
the most careful consideration in all its bearing before
any new mearure of legislation could be introduced. If his
Noble Friend merely wished to introduce a measure of
police fot the better regulation of beer-houses, he should
not object to it. But if it was proposed to revert to the
old system of magisterial licensing the public-houses, he
should oppose it. It was proved to demonstration
when this law was enacted under the administration
of the Noble Duke, that the public would
never receive the benefit of that enormous reduction
which took place in the duty on beer unless the whole
system were thrown open. The licensed victuallers
were a powerful body, and had great influence with ma-
gistrates and Members of Parliament, and for years
they had endeavoured to crush their rivals in trade; and
in Committee be should be prepared to show
the enormous amount of capital invested in beer-
shops, and to show the, interest of the public in their
continuance, and be should object to commencing an
inquiry in the month of June, and reporting the ex parte
evidence taken without the beer-shop keepers having had
an opportunity of being heard in their defence.
The Earl of HARROWBY was totally unconnected
with the licensed victuallers.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE did not object to in-
quiry, although he was not disposed to consent to any
alteration in the law as it at present stood.
The motion was then agreed to.
THE FRENCH EXPEDITION TO ROME.
The Earl of ABERDEEN asked when the commu-
nication from the French Government relative to the
invasion of Roma would be laid before the House ?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that he should
shortly lay on the table of the House the
documents called for ; at the same time he thought
proper to say, that one of those documents
would not be presented verbatim, because he
thought it improper that the document should
be published in extenso without previous communication
with the French Government. At the same time he
stated that the object of the expedition was reported to
be to secure the equilibrium of power in the Italian
States, and the safety and independence of
the Roman people. These papers would ex-
plain the objects of the expedition more particularly
with regard to the restoration of the Sovereign Pontiff.
Those documents would not put their Lordships in pos-
session of all the negotiations which had taken place, but
they would show the opinion of her Majesty's Govern-
ment on the steps which had been taken for the restora-
tion of order in Rome.
The Earl of ABERDEEN wished for no papers the
production of which would be improper, but what he
desired to know, what the House had a right to know
was, why so large a French force was at present in the
Roman territories. He! must suppose, that before her
Majesty's Government assented to such expedition they
must have known its object.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was at a loss to
knew why the Noble Earl made use of the word assent.
If the word assent were used as implying approba-
tion, then he begged to say no such assent had been
given to that expedition by her Majesty's Government.
The Earl of ABERDEEN said that he alluded to
the words of the Noble Marquis in which he said
that Government had not disapproved of it. If
it was a mattter of indifference that was one
thing, but if the Government did not disap-
prove of it he concluded that they approved of
it. He rejoiced at the good understanding subsisting
with the French Government, and he hoped they would
give that Government a piece of advice—that when the
object of an undertaking was such that they were afraid
or ashamed to avow it, it would be well to let it alone.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that the Noble
_

Earl had misrepresented him when he said that he (the
Marquis of Lansdowne) had said they did not express
disapprobation. What he had said was, that the Go-
vernment did not think proper to raise any ob-
stacle. He thought it would be extremely wrong to
raise any question at the present moment which would
embarrass the French Government, but at the proper
moment they should be prepared to demand explana-
tions from the French Government, the Austrian
Government, and the Neapolitan Governmeht, which
had not as yet keen demanded.
Lori BROUGHAM said that when Government saw
a French force of 25,000 landed at Civita Vecchia, they
must have guessed that the object of that expedition
was not confined to the mere occupation of a seaport
town. Anything more unlike a Government than that
of Mazzni's could not easily be imagined, and he
thought the object of the French expedition was to over-
throw that.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said be regretted
that this discussion had been raised under the present
circumstances of the French Government. He had ab-
stained from referring to the affairs of France through •
out this session, because they knew that on the conduct
of these two countries depended the peace of Europe.
He thought that the discussion was premature, and
would have been glad if it had not taken place.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, since the dis-
cussion had commenced he had received the papers re-
lating to this subject, and was enabled, by command of
her Majesty, to lay them on the table.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said it was known
that, in the first instance, the French sent an expedition
to Civita Vecchia of 6,000 men. It could not be be-
lieved that with that number of troops they could have
contemplated taking the city of Rome by force. The
papers now presented referred to that transaction.
The circumstances were now very different, and he
wished to know whether the Government had had any
communication with that of France since these papers
were received ?

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said he could not
undertake to discuss the mode in which an expedition
had been conducted with which this Government had
nothing to do. He had no other papers on the sub-
ject besides those which he had laid on their Lord-
ships' tablP.