The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-16 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

The Earl of STR A DBROKE presented several peti-
tions complaining of agricultural distress.
The Bishop of CASSEL presented several petitions
against the Rate in Aid Bill.
Lord STANLEY p.esented several petitions com-
plaining of agricultural tiistress.
CA NADA. _

The NOBLE LORD aslce, i if the Government had re-
ceived any further informat ion with regard to events in
Canada than had been received by the usual sources of
public information, and whet*.her the Government had
received any information as to tile outbreak in that colony.
He also wished to ask whether they had given any in-
structions to the Governor as tz. the conduct he was to
pursue with regard to the Indemnity Bill, or whether he
had been left to act without instt uctions from the Colo-
nial Secretary? He would also remind the Noble Earl
that whether the Governor had acted with instructions
or without instructions, the Government was responsible
for what had occurred.
Earl GREY had received a dispatch from Lord Elgin,
which, whea the House next met, he would lay on the
table of the House. It showed that Lord Elgin had
acted throughout with his accustomed judgment,
prudence, and good sense. That dispatch was
written on the 30th of April. It appeared that a
serious riot had taken place in Montreal, and the
Parliament-house had been burnt. He had no
reason to apprehend that there was any war of races,
on the contrary, he believed tranquillity had been re-
stored. He was prepared to take all the responsibility
that belonged to his office, hut he believed that the re-
sponsibility rested as much with the Noble Lord as
with any other person, for the proceeding's in the House
had contributed in no alight degree to exacerbate
the ill-feelings in that colony, and he trusted the Noble
Lord would remember that there was a responsibility
attaching to the opposition.
Lord STANLEY said that no Government had evet
profited more by the responsibility resting on an oppo-
sition than the Government opposite; but no taunts or in-
vectives would induce him to cease to exercise that
liberty of speech which was the privilege of every
member of their Lordships' House; and he would repeat,
was Lord Elgin left to act on his own judgment, or had
he instructions from the Government?
Earl GREY thought it would be inexpedient to enter
into explanations until the dispatch was laid on the
table. With respect to the Indemnity Bill, he had ad-
visedly left Lord Elgin to the exercise of his own judg-
ment. His rule was in such cases always to leave the
Governors of colonies to act in this manner, and to
transmit the Bids to the Government, with any reports
they may think proper thereon, for the consideration of
the Government.
Lord RED ESDALE said it should be recollected this
Bill was a Government Bill, renewed by a Legislative
Council, to which a number of persons had been ap-
pointed who had before been in favour of such a
measure.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE rose to order. He
considered that the discussion should be postponed until
the dispatch was laid on the table.
Earl GREY said that the alteration in the Legislative
Council had taken place in September last, and entirely
irrespective of this measure.
Lord BROUGHAM asked the Noble Earl if the rule
was the same in Canada as in this country, that no
money Bill could be introduced without the assent of the
Crown.
Earl GREY said the consent of the Crown was neces-
sary before the Bill could become law.
PETITIONS.

Lord REDESDALE presented a petition complain-
ing of agricultural distress.
Several NoAe Lords also presented petitions to the
same effect.

NAVIGATION-LAWS AND AGRICULTURAL

DISTRESS.

The Duke of RICHMOND presented several petitions
against the repeal of the navigation-laws, and complain-
ing of agricultural distress. He considered that the
farmers of Sussex had a right to petition against the re
peal of the navigation-laws, because they were interested
in the defence of our coasts, and because their children
were serving in the commercial marine. If they peti-
tioned for protection for themselves they were told they
were selfish, and if they petitioned for protection to
others they were told that they had nothing to do with
the matter. The farmers would not stand it much
longer, and the Noble Earl the other evening had only
had recourse to that argument to get up a cheer.

Earl GREY explained.
RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA.

Lord BROUGHAM wished to draw attention to the
extraordinary step taken by Russia of marching a
large force into Hungary. Russia had no interest
whatever in Hungary, yet there was no doubt that
a Russian army had marched in Hungary and Gallicia.
He asked if any communication had been made to this
Government as to the intentions of Russia in thus inter-
fering in the affairs of Austria? He had no doubt
that 'Austria had consented, but we had a right
to complain, and to protest against it. At
the same time no one entertained a stronger
desire than he did to see our faithful ally Austria in
full enjoyment of all her rights, and he thought no Go-
vernment acted wrongly wnieh sought to maintain the ex-
isting distribution of power in Europe, and of putting
down those reckless agitators, with their fully and their
crimes.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, who was very in-
audible, was understood to say that there had been con-
siderable movements of Russian troops towards the
Austrian frontier, but he did not think that the fact of
the interference of foreign troops in another country,
with the consent of the Government of that country,
formed a case for interference.
Lord BROUGHANI did not object to Russian inter-
ference to pres •rve to Austria her dominions.
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

The
is-htsseDhheoirnuuntolonistwtihetbhonrri RICHMOND then rose, for the purpose
oindab.efnieolsidtcltnoarw:welling the attention of the House to the existence of
be an
uoemtasurhnaaetengnnodarupfi
smeaoaeourrobr
employment
glssrasotrawuo,
ciff
bmdAueui
eirasmttintugnwrterrgi
ntiichhscdt
etufsamsnr.
agricultural
aelumarnarfetrtal
gsalelAeeon,
voylebeakt
ob:piforedonwe labourers
gpehiorrint
edonroes
ss,sf uondarucri
edeer,
hun-
dredsthe passing
and
Par-
liament for relief under their heavy pressure, which if
not given they will be compelled to discharge many of
their labourers, because, from low prices, their produce
does not pay their expenses; at such a time their case
required imperative consideration.—(Hear.) Those
farmers had not been in the habit of combining, they
were loyal to their Sovereign, and had done their utmost
to carry out the law at all times, and they now say, and
he said it in that House, that they ought not to suffer
because a knot of free-trade Manchester cotton-spinners
chose to excite and agitate and raise large sums of
money. He was not sure whether they got large sums
from many Members of that House, though, if he re-
membered well, they did from some, and he believed a
Noble Friend opposite, now one of the Ministers of the
Crown, did send the munificent donation of 5,0001.
(Hear, and laughter.) He even recollected that a Noble
Lord shad given a munificent donation to those free-
traders at Manchester, at the time they were agitating
every town in this country for that purpose, while on the
other hand the agricultural interest of the British empire
was allowed to droop and sink beneath the influence of
those Manchester alarmists.—(Hear, hear.) And he also
recollected that they admitted no persons to their meet-
ings who did not exhibit his ticket of admission. They
deluded the people of the country by promising that the
result of their free trade mission would be an abundance
of bread and clothes, that their wages would not bo re-
duced, and that it would not be compulsory for them
to work more than ten hours each day; but when the
corn-laws ,were repealed by the desertion of some
and the treachery of others, they turned about on those
people whom they had beguiled, and opposed the Ten
Hours' Bill—(Hear, hear)—but he (the Duke of Rich-
mond) felt glad that it was passed, despite the opposi-
tion of those men. In that Bill there are said to be
some clauses of a doubtful character, through which, as
a pretext, those men wish to get rid of the Bill ; but he
hoped that Parliament would resolutely and vigorously
oppose them, by standing up for the rights of the people.
He asked was there such a loss of all truth at Downing-
street, that a Member of her Majesty's Government
could say that he did not think that agricultural dis•
tress was not more prevalent now than at the time of the
passing of the corn laws. He would only call their
Lordships' attention to the state of Manchester, and the
House would be able to see the condition of the agricul-
tural districts. One of the firms of that town specify
in a circular that there has been a considerable draw-
back in their establishment arising from a want
of trade with the rural districts, which trade before
the passing of the corn-laws formed a very
important items in their business. This went to show
that this decline in the country trade ari-es from the
low price of agricultural produce and bad harvests ; but
he evidently knew that it was owing to the repeal of the
corn laws. He firmly believed that the present agricul-
tural distress being so great, served as a cause that there
were many of the landlords in this country who had
their farms on their own bands, as the farmers dreaded
to risk the responsibility of taking them, through the low
price given fur their produce. And he asked was it wise,
just, or expedient for their Lordships to turn a deaf ear
to the requests of those loyal people—the farmers of
England? He had been authentically informed that the
general opinion of the farmers was, that if Parliament
would not relieve them by some measure of protection,
that they would be before a few years totally swept
away from their holdings ; and he, in common with
many of their Lordships, would have to regret, arid
regret deeply, too, that this moral, loyal, and
praiseworthy class itiQU ICI be forced to em grate
to a foreign land ; but, taista ! many have em
idasly
done so, and such should serve as st lesson to the Go-
vernment, as they at-e men that this cousstry could not
spare. He had heard it said that manufacturers, would
occupy their places as farmers, but ishy, he would ask,
should we drive those men who have conferred so ;nisch
benefit on the cuuntey from it to give their places to
men who are not well known to beequally good orintelli-
gent as agriculturists?—(Hear.) Ile should next in-
form their Lordships that,many of tho;sepe4tions were for
a repeai of the malt tax, which he considered to fee ,;p-
-just and unfair, particularly as free trade is enjoyed by
one portion of the eomeaunity. He hoped that the malt
tax would be swept away .i.i.toEether, as nothing was
more just than that the labourer shodid ;;aza his own
home-brewed 4e, and the farmer a fair portion
produce of his taro:, or that be should be obliged,
through the machinery of had laws, to go to a foreign
country for the food necessary to fetieia his cattle.
When it would be considered by their fsords4ips
that the farmer was heavily oppressed by UV

operation of the corn-laws, which were passed subse- Ito surrender his farm because he believed that
quently to his taking his farm, and that he would not the time was not distant when there would he a re-
after the passing of those laws, be allowed to give up his action, and when agricultural produce would have its
lease,_ he strongly hoped for the sake of justice and duty, just protection. He believed a reaction was going on,
that Parliament would adopt some means to ameliorate although the Houses of Lords and Commons were, per-
their wretched condition, for if something was not done haps, the last places where reaction would he likely to
they would resist tithes and every other taxation, and manifest itself. He did not say thee. the Legislature
in this opposition to tithes they would have with them ought again to return to a sliding scale, but he would say
Mr. Bright and such men as hate the Established that the time was fast approaching when a protective
Church, and then was the danger of the Church to be duty should be levied for the purposes of revenue, and
apprehended by the union of those different parties. on this point he rejoiced to tell their Lordship that the
When he saw that the mill-contractors and the maltsters Protectionists had now in their favour a large body of
of this country were going to foreign markets, and leav- the mercantile and shipping interests, and they had, in
jug their own farmers neglected at home, he did not think addition, in the manufacturing districts, large masses of
that much good could be foreboded for the agricultural the operatives in favour of a return to a protective duty—
interest. When he knew what influence had been ex- men who had experienced the sad effects of free trade,
ercised about London to induce persons not to vote against and some of whom declared that under the operation of
the Government lestthey should be thrown out, he should that measure they often got but half a day's work, and
say that measures were not generally by detail, but that for that but a quarter of a day's pay.—(Laughter.) The
many went to vote irrespective of the measures to be Noble Lord concluded by presenting a number of pea-
and that thus the farmers of England were in tions from places in the counties of Kent, Sussex, Suf-
i dcu
thisepslisgehd,
plight that they now were, and for that reason he folk, Stafford, Wilts, Rutland, Devon, Leicester, Glou-
, wished that the present Government were out of office— rester, &c ,in favour of a return to a protective duty.
(Hear, hear)—as he was assured that there would he The House, on the motion of the Marquis of LANS-
easily found 16 or 18 persons who would direct the helm DOWNE, adjourned to Friday.
of the State better than the present Ministry. Yet he
should say that, for his own part, he would take no psrt
in any Administration whatever, and it was because of
that resolve that he freely and frankly expressed his
wish. With regard to Ireland, he should say that free
trade had taken away her produce without making her
any return, and that it is under the name of that mea-
sure that she is prevented from growing tobacco. He
strongly recommended the Government not to persecute
the farmer class too far, for nature and necessity would
force him, when he saw nothing for himself; his wife,
and children, but the workhouse, to have recourse to
means which their Lordships would deplore. He there-
fore implored them not to make such a rash experiment
for tenants and labourers are already suffering too much
idling about their respective villages, and herding in
twenties and thirties at an age when vice anal danger are
to be apprehended. He insisted that no English agri-
cultural labourer should be without employment and a
livelihood, while foreigners were drawing it from the
vitals of this country.--(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of WINCHILSEA said that he deeply de-
plored the condition of the tenant farmers and yeomanry
in the county in which he was born and had spent his
life, for if misery and destitution were to be sought after
in comparison to their former independence and happi-
ness, it was there to be found in consequence of the corn
laws and other equally oppressive laws on the farmers
and labourers of England. He was astonished that the
Government did not arouse from their apathy and look
around, and examine into the condition of those people
remarkable for theirmorality and their loyalty—men who
were ever found to be the staff and stay of this empire in
the time of danger.—(Hear.) When he knew the im-
mense quantity of corn that was being imported into
this country, and other parts of Europe, from America,
he had no hope for the British farmer but in some pro-
tective duties, and therefore he hoped that their Lord-
ships would duly consider fur the farmers' future fortune.
He would implore their Lordships, if they had done
wrong, either advisedly or by mistake—if the step they
had taken, by the destruction of all protection, to retrace
their steps immediately, and to give to the agricultural
population of the country, now fast increasing, the fair
treatment which they deserved in common with other
classes of the community.
The Duke of RICHMOND said he would now put
the question he intended to ask the Government, viz.,
whether they had recently considered the subject of agri-
cultural distress, and intended to introduce a measure to
relieve it?
Earl GREY said he certainly thought that this was
not a time at which they could conveniently discuss so
large a question as that of free trade, more especially as
there was no motion before the House upon which it
might arise. But he could rot allow the speech of the
Noble Duke opposite, and that of the Noble Earl who
year,
earl
the
yeare
followed him, to pass by without assuring them that her
Majesty's Government were very sensible of the distress
now prevailing in agricultural districts, especially in the
south of England, and that they deeply deplored it, but
at the same time they had to add that they were riot pre.
pared with any measure of relief. This was not the first
time they had had complaints on this subject; and if his
Noble Friend opposite contended that the mere fact of
agricultural distress was to be taken as conclusive evi-
dence of the failure of the free-trade system, he must re-
mind them that the very same complaints were made
when the system of protective duties prevailed.—(Hear,
hear.) He had had the curiosity to ascertain from the
journals of both Houses of Parliament the number of
made, and
edu thet. sub-
Thoiye•ecatrsfeilnl whichunder
considerationcomplaintstoheese
1- and in the next year
corn-laws passed in the year 18 h
nt o t e had
valence were various complaints to I ar a
but Those
few'
tpe amtsp t
nh
nasd,
1817, 1819,
vbeselenncreepoefataegdriceavletruyrayledai
down to the present time, vae
o weref
1830, 1831, 1833,
1820, 1821, 1822, 1823, 1824,
1834, 1835, down to 1846, so that o
during which protection prevailed as t_
elm
He found,
complaints were made in fourteen of h
also, that the subject was mentioned on three occasions in
King's speeches, and that in six different years Com-
mittees of one or other House sat upon the question.
\ air
ohneenf
rt
ohmey
thw,,e roept„orladt.i
othn eor
fe fof
rreee,
-tthraatd
et h
principles,
rn cidistresspks, a
that
ho sa et
was the answer he had to give to the assertion.—(Hear,
hear.) There was nothing 'at present that could at all
encourage his Noble Friend opposite to look to a return
to she system of protective duties. The cause of distress
seemed to him rather to arise out of the bad harvests
which bad of late years occurred, and when the Noble
Duke said that maltsters would not buy English
barley in preference to foreign, he thought it was
directly contrary to the fact. On the other hand, he
thought they were much indebted to the operation of
the Act of 1846 for obtaining a large supply of food, by
the help of which they were able to avert a calamity,
the consequences of which must have been serious.—
(Hear' hear.) It was now, he thought, far too late to
repeal that measure, when it had occasioned such ex-
tensive preparations on the continent for the production
of food. Tho Noble Duke had adverted also to the
rent charge as a burden on farms. Upon that point,
he could say he believed that most proprietors let their
farms tithe free. He for one did so, and it was ob-
viously the most expedient plan to adopt, because if a
tenant left his rent charge in arrear, and became insol-
vent,
the landlord was immediately liable to make it
good. With regard to the repeal of the malt tax, he
thought that farmers, of all classes of the community,
had the least interest in it; for it had been
ascertained by experiments upon it, which well
ertablished the inference, that it was not a species
of food which, wore the duty taken off tomorrow,
any one would buy. A tax in itself was certainly not a
desirable thing, but he believed that in the whole circle
of their taxation, there was none which was attended
with so small an amount of inconvenience as the malt-
tax. So with respect to tobacco. Tobacco was a plant
of a very exhausting nature, by no means likely to be
Jeat? chancetni
00 of
,gisf
ruteogonwatarie
adopt,
ogionpt t
allowinginto
itnh
reme
sgntoaeh iudtinchnsowest
cultivated profitably in England ; but if there was any
selling
nt
respect
grow
oysol
erprds,
oae
wnlcstwehnt.
that
ethtt
it with
naohnrteget foreigntcominghl
hathe_tehixs eai tredifficultyoo fnucafonrr
auato slightestrupmsy--:
otp coun-
tries
experiencedsubjecta broad t o
Tthh
by
yfs
camtr
farmers
amount
was, he believed, utterly without foundation. Of this
he had had several instances within his own experience.
In one of these, a farmer went to a Noble Friend
of his, holding large estates in Bedfordshire, and
him an opportunity of returning the farm, but
ex-
pressed his wish to give up the farm he held of
him. His Noble Friend, surprised the gentleman by
thegivi latter te r asked time to consider, and ultimately declined
newspapers contained a great number of in-
stancesto press his application.—(Hear and laughter.) Tho
which leases of farms had been renewed at
equal and higher rents.—(Several Noble Lords on the
opposition side of' the House here took occasion to in-
formhe Noble Earl that that was not the case on their
t
produced much laughter.) The panic,
Scotch
in
estates—Which
however, did not prevail in many parts of the country;
and in general he thought that the progress of agricul-
miieeionteltpfihsietwtdnoat
tural improvement was highly satisfactory. In travel-
ling by railway recently, from Northumberland to Lon-
don, he had been much pleased to find a great number
of draining-tiles placed along both sides of the line, in
greater numbers than had been remarked before, which
he considered an evident sign of improvement, and of
enterprising activity. He had only now to repeat, that
together with his colleagues, he was aware of the dis-
tress now prevailing in agricultural counties; that he
deeply deplored it, but that at the same time, looking at
the result of the proceedings in Parliament in former
years, his firm conviction was that any one of those
measures which might be attempted, in the vain hope of
relieving this distress, since it arose from causes placed
beyond the reach of the Legislature, would certainly
fail.—(Hear.)
The Earl of AIALMESBURY said it gave him plea-
sure to hear the Noble Earl admit the distress of the
agricultural community, but he owned it was only a poor
one, when he afterwards confessed that the Government
did not intend to remedy it. The Government had the
power to remedy it materially, and he and many others
could not but regret their disinclination to exercise it.
Notwithstanding all that the Noble Earl had said, he still
would lay at the door of free-trade-policy the origin of all
those evils to which his Noble Friend near him had ad-
verted, and he was convinced that they could only look
forward to a continuance of free trade principles for a
continuance of poverty and distress in the agricultural
population, and of stagnation in agricultural operations.
But he did not attribute all this mischief to free trade
alone, nor to free trade and bad harvests acting together.
He was persuaded, that the gradual increase of local
taxation had rested with its whole weight on those por-
tions of the population in rural districts, who were ex-
pected by free-traders to rise superior to the difficulties
which surrounded them. The Government might have
removed some of those local burdens, and, by so doing, have
alleviated, at least, the hardships of the free-trade
system. From a calculation which he had made, En-
giiels farmers paid at least fifty per cent. more money
into the ketches-jeer than the American grower, upon the
sale of the same quantity nt wheat realising the same
price. It was, in fact, a differential duty in favour of the
4.llleriPag as against the English producer. But the
greatest sufferera from free trade were the clergy, whom
nothing less than twenty per cent. of
Plain average
protection would compensate. The question was one in
which he felt deeply interested, and one which every
year, nay, every month, strengthened his convictions
that there pis danger to this country.
The Duke cf.li.fOlimplip reqvie4eci thcir Lordshipe
attention while he presented several petitions on this
respect to surrehlier
subject, from various counties and places in England.
He could cite several instances
rtoo,tahreiisriuLgofrrdosnahitphsaot fmtehae
Pieseutifc'sal operation of the measure of free-trade. With
sure, he might mention one instance of an indepen-
dent and unquestionably honest farmer—a gentle.
Wag 91 his ancluaintuune—who refused? however,

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 15.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
TYNE RIVER CONSERVANCY BILL.

Mr. HUTT moved, that in consequence of a petition
of the mayor and corporation of Gateshead, against
clauses in the Tyne River Conservancy Bill, not having
been deposited in the Private Bill Office within sevt n
clear days after the second reading of the said Bill (by
reason of the illness of the Member for Gateshead), it
be an instruction to the Committee on the Bill to enter-
tain the said petition notwithstanding.
After a tew words from Mr. WILSON PATTEN, the
motion was agreed to.
LORDS' AMENDMENTS.

The Lords' amendments to the following Bills were
considered and agreed to
_

Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Additional Capital
and Amendment of Act,).
North Western Railway (Extension of Lancaster
Branch, Abandonment of William Lands Bran,h, New
Road to Settle Station, Extension of Time for Purchase
of Lands and Construction of Works).

THIRD READINGS.
The following Bills were read a third time and
passed:—
Shrewibury and Chester Railway (for Branches to the
River Dee; Agreement for Joiut Station at Shrewsbury;
Power to Subscribe towards the Shrewsbury and Here-
ford Railway).

York and North Midland Railway (Deviation and
Abandonment of part of the authorised lines of railway
between Market Weighton and Beverley and Copman-
thorpe and Tadcaster).
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS.

The reports upon the following Bills were considered
and agreed to:—

Black Sluice Drainage Acts Amendment (Amendment
of Acts, Extension of Time for Completion of Works,
Powers to levy and raise further Rates and Monies, to
alter existing Rates and Tolls, and for other Purposes).
Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, and Wilsontown,
Morningsidp, and Cultness Railway Amalgamation.
York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway (Barnmoorand
Alnmouth New Branches, &c.).
PETITIONS.
_

Mr. C. BRUCE presented two petitions from Elgin,
one against the Scotch Marriage Bill, and the other
against the Scotch Registration Bill.
Sir THOMAS BIRCH presented a petition in favour
of international arbitration.

Mr. FREWEN presented a petition from Sussex,
complaining of the agricultural distress which had been
occasioned by free-trade measures, and praying for a
repeal of the duty upon malt and hops.
Mr. HEAI)LAM presented a potion from Newcastle
in favour of international arbitration.

Mr. S. CI AWFORD presented a petition from Roch-
dale praying for an extension of the suffrage to all male
adults; also 29 petitions to the same effect from different
parts of the kingdom.

Mr. A. HAS-fIE presented a petition from Glasgow,
praying that public libraries might be established in
every town in the kingdom.

Mir. GLADSTONE presented a petition against the
Scotch Marriage Bill.

Mr. G. TII6IIPSON presented a petition from Shef-
field against the extension of beer-shops; a petition from
Reading, praying that in certain cases an affirmation
might be substituted for an oath; and several petitions
in favour of universal suffrage, and for the liberation of
Mr. Shore.

Sir J. DUCKWORTH presented a petition from the
Doan and Chapter of Exeter praying that no reduction
might be made in the salaries of deans upon old foun-
dations.

Sir HENRY HALFORD presented 47 petitions from,
the county of Leicester, complaining of agricultural dis-
tress, and praying for the re-impositio❑ of protective
duties.

Mr. KERSHAW presented a petition from Stockport,
signed by 1,800 persons, in favour of general reform.
NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY asked Mr. Greene what was
the gross amount of the estimates sent in by Mr. Barry,
the architect, for the completion of the Houses of Par-
liament and all works relating thereto ; and whether
the Commission (of which Mr. Greene was a member) had
any legal authority to sanction or to alter the amount of
such estimates? The Hon. Member said it appeared
from the papers which had been last laid on the table of
the House that the sum already expended amounted to
something over a million.

Mr. GREENS said he hoped it would not be
considered any want of courtesy, or any desire
to withhold information from the House, if
he declined to answer the question in the
form in which it had been put to him. In a
very few days, however, there would be laid on the
table of the House a detailed statement not only of all
the expenses incurred, but of all the expenses which
must be incurred in order to complete the New Houses
of Parliament for the general transaction of business.
After stating the nature and form of the return which
would be made, the lion. Gentleman referred to an ex-
tract from the appointment of the Commission to show
that the Commissioners had power in certain cases to
alter the amount of the estimates.

Mr. MO WATT wished to know whether any satisfactory
arrangement had been come to w;th respect to the ventila-
tion of the New Houses of Parliament. Every Member was
aware of the disagreeable state of the atmosphere which
they were obliged to submit to in the House.
Mr. GREENE said the Commissioners were not at
liberty to interfere with any matter which had been
settled prior to their appointment. An arrangement
was made previous to their appointment that Dr. Reid
should have the ventilation of the House and its adjoin-
ing lobbies placed under his care.
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

SirJOS RUA WALMSLEY said that, in consequence
of the indisposition of the Hon. Member for Moutrose,
he begged, on the part of that Hon. Member, to post-
pone his motion, which stood ou the paper for to-night,
until the sth of June.