The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-19 00:00:00

Man*" :.71/4Atit

LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1847.

The House of Lords met at Five o'clock.
On the motion for bringing up the report on the
Destitute Persons (Ireland) Bill,

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGII said he viewed the mea-
sure with great distrust. He almost despaired as to the
future state of Ireland. lie doubted whether the land-
lords of Ireland would avail themselves of the Govern-
ment offer.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had no doubt but that
they would do so, and that the system of working would
be made" water tight." He proposed to take the third
reading on Monday.
The report was then received.
Lord BEAUMONT asked whether any co: reap ondence
bad taken place with the Portuguese Government re-
specting the persecution, to which Count BOMFIM and
his companions had been subjected.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that representations
had been made to the Portuguese Government on the
suhject by the Ambassadors of England, France, and
Belgium, and that he entertained a confident hope that
the prisoners would be sent to a less unhealthy climate
than Angola. Our object in sending a force to Portugal
had been, not to interfere in the contest, but to
protect British interests ; but it would be there
to give protection to the QUEEN if she required it. It was
not their intention at present to interfere, but if Doss
MIGUEL, or a party acting for him, were to interfere, a
new state of things would arise which would revive for-
mer tteaties.

The Earl of ABERDERN . objected to the presence of
such a large force in the Tagus, as appearing to counte-
nance the insurrection.

'rho Irlarqui3 of I.A.rzolz•owt.... drflvd. uue 6,0 point
out a single instance in which they had countenanced
the insurrection. False rumours prevailed on both
sides. He would not pronounce any opinion on the dis-
sensions at present existing in Portugal, but no instruc-
tions had been sent out either to the Admiral or the
Envoy which had not for their object the preservation of
a perfect impartiality between the contending parties.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH considered that the pre..
sent Goverment in Portugal had violated every princi-
ple of constitutional liberty. The representations made
to them were a mere farce, and that, if it had been un-
derstood that, in the event of Admiral PARKER'S repre-
sentations being disregarded, the British fleet would
leave the Tagus, either these representations would have
been attended to, or the QUEEN would at
this moment have met Dom MIGUEL in London, while
the victorious troops of the Junta would have marched
as they had done before from Oporto to Lisbon.
Lord BROUGHAM then presented a petition from
Liverpool, praying for the amendment of the cri-
minal law as regarded juvenile offenders, and con-
cludel an eloquent speech, replete with statistics on
the subject of juvenile criminality, by giving notice that
he should, on a early day, move for a Select Committee
of Inquiry on the subject.
The Duke of RICUMOND would support a motion for
a Committee of Inquiry.
Earl GREY laid that 11. e Government intended shortly
to bring forward a measure bearing especially upon ju-
venile offenders. Among other measures they proposed
to establish a penal school for offenders, and to which
vagrants might:also be sent. The subject of transportatiQ
was under the consideration of the Government ; and
the measure to be proposed went As
,far tdrnest. as the
abolition of that punishment.
After a few words from Lord Bnouczam,,the subject
dropped.
Certain papers were then laid on the table, and their
Lordships adjourned.
The Commons met at Four o'clock, but there not
being forty Members present, the House adjourned until
t -morrow (this day).

411011001-Irus to the generosity and humanity
of Parliament in sanctioning the second reading of
the Ten Hours' Factory Bill have been virtually
realised. The consequence of that emphatic decision,
especially considering the magnitude of the majority,
108, must inevitably be the final acceptation of the
measure. Like the Honourable CH4RLES VILLIERS,
in regard to the abrogation of the corn-laws, Mr.
FIELDEN is at length witnessing the triumph of the
cause which he has so consistently, so continually,
and so energetically advocated, and he is witnessing
its triumph in the scene of such boisterous and re-
peated discomfitures, namely, the Legislative Cham-
ber at Westminster. Somewhere about this time
twelve months ago it was our pleasant duty to offer
our congratulations to the Honourable Gentleman
the Member for Wolverhampton on the success
of the principles which his eloquence and ardour had
at one time almost singly sustained against a for-
midable and apparently unconquerable opposition. It
is now our agreeable duty to tender equally cordial
gratulations to the Honourable Gentleman the repre-
sentative of oMhain. Throughout an opposition,
than which 'here has never been a stormier, Mr.
FIELDEN has rnaintailled his position unflinchingly,
unscared by.'contiarelies, undaunted by numbers, un-
appalled by the:Most inimical divisions. He has
laboured not at the behest of any potent or influen-
tial party, not for the furtherance of his own pecu-
niary interest, not for the acquisition of any mere-
tricious popularity—but for the poor, for the helpless,
for the destitute women and children of Great Britain.
Aided by the philanthropy of Lord ASHLEY, and a
worthy corps of fellow-labourers in those fields of
suffering and abandoned humanity, Mr. FIELDEN
has striven against ridicule, against argu-
ments, and against the combined influence of a
powerful, because opulent, body of opponents.
Happily, however, his exertions are approaching their
termination ; the boon for which the voices of so many
thousands have appealed in vain, is in a fair way of
restriction
being granted by the,. Legislature. Having declared
themselves so decidedly in favour of the compulsory
labour
an
urhours the representatives of the
people
cannot
of
tnsevooflethnyee,i
Inv e
m o
heen t onfn ' decency retrograde in their
t
Ten Hours' Bill our gratifi-
cation is altogether unalloyed. By its approval no
individual interest is sacrificed for the advantage of
the minority, no political engagements are broken, no

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