The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT-.
HOUSE OF COMMONS. July 7.
,The &SLYER took the chair shortly after Twelve
clock

The Jesus Hospital (Newcastle) Estate Ili I sk as read
trot, and ordered to be real 9 second tim to-morrow.
SECOND READINGS.
The following Bills were read a second time, F.r.d
cr-
• to be committed T.—Duke of Richmoad's Estate
moon's (or Lyon's) Estate.
REPORTS.

t,

The following reports were brought up an I agreed
So Somerset, and Weymouth Railway (No.
1). ; Yeovil, Bridport, and Exeter Railway, with
Branches.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORT.
The report on the Sutton Harbour Improvement
Bill was further considered and agreed to.
LORDS' AMENDMENTS.
The Lords' amendments to the following Bills wet e
SOnsidered and agreed to:—
Aberdeen and Great North of Sc otland R (Amal-
gamation or Leasing).
Blackburn, Darwen, and Bolton Railway Acts Amend-
ment (Diversions of Line in the parishes of Blackburn
and Bolton in the Moors).
Boston, Stamford, and Birmingham Railway (Branch to
Wisbech Harbour and Wisbech Harbour Improve-
ment).
Caledonian and Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Rail-
ways Amalgamation.
Cheltenham and Oxford Railway.
Direct London and Portsmouth Railway.
Dundrum, and Rathfaraham Railway (Exten-
sion to Stephen's Green.
Eastern Counties Railway Extension (Cambridge to
Bedford, &c.)
Eastern Counties Railway (Enlargement of London and
Stratford Stations and Amendments of Acts).
Callagow, Paisley, and Greenock Railway (Branch to the
Caledonian Railway and Diversion of Canal).
Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales Drainage and
Inclosure Company's Incorporation.
Limerick Docks and Harbour.
Lynn and Ely Railway (Deviation and Lynn Docks).
Lynn and Ely Railway (Lynn and Wormegay Navi-
gation).
Manchester and Leeds Railway (Alteration of Levels of
Brighouse Branch of the West Riding Union Rail-
l'arYs, and new line into Leeds).
Manchester and Leeds Railway (Branches, Extensions,
Deviations, and Alterations of Levels, and other
Works.)
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway
(Branch to Chapeltown and Thurgoland Coal Branch).
Mold Railway.
Portadown and Dungannon Railway.
ARGYLE CANAL BILL.
Mr. PARKER moved, pursuant to notice, that the
Committee on the Arglye Canal Bill have leave to sit
and report on Thursday.
Mr. HUmE was desirous of having the minutes of the
Treasury in reference to the Bill laid on the table of the
House.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER opposed the further progress
of the Bill, because he deprecated proceeding with a
measure as a private Bill, which was to cause the public
an expenditure of upwards of 150,000 f. If this measure
was allowed to proceed it would sanction the Govern-
ment, under the guise of a private Bill, to saddle
the public with endless expense. He did not know
whether it would be consistent with the forms of the
House, but if it was, he would move as an amendment
to the motion of the Hon. Member for Sheffield, " that
it be an instruction to the Committee on the Argyle
Canal Bill to proceed no further with the Bill during the
present session."
After some discussion,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the Government had dealt with the Bill as an unopposed
Bill; as, however, it was opposed, he would move to
discharge the order for the committal of the Bill, and
move to morrow that the Bill be referred to a Select
Committee as an opposed Bill.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE thought the Bill of such a na-
ture that it ought not to be referred to any Committee at
They had had a Thames job, and now they had
% regular Scotch job. He thought the best course
Would be to withdraw the present measure altogether.
Sir J. GRAHAM thought it would be absurd to pro-
ceed with the measure until it was known whether a
Committee of Supply would allow the expenditure of so
large
a sum of money to carry it out.
J. S. WORTLEY denied that the measure was
a job.

Lord G. BENTINCK thought the measure inexpe-
Ilient, and he would, therefore, support any motion that
bad for its object the prevention ot its proceeding further.
It seemed that the Government were desirous to pass
this Bill secretly through the House, at that late period
of the session as a private Bill.
Mr. BAINE also opposed the Bill. He said it was only
introduced into the House a week ago, and he defied
those who supported it to show that any petition had
been.„, presented from the locality in favour of it.—(Rear.)
'LIoY, more, he believed that if the inhabitants on its
route were consulted, that they would be found to op-
Pose it.

Mi.HurmE stigmatised the Bill as a job, and as likely
to beg second Caledonian Canal, which they all knew had
proved ruinous; and the House ought, therefore, at
once to mark. it sense of the conduct of tho Govt-rnment
In bringing inns a private Bill a Bill which proposed to
'lPend a large sum of the public money. Such a pro-
tosition ought to be made in a Committee of Supply.
tie considered that the Government had hen imposed
upon, as it was unlikely that Scotch laird, would give
up anything that was likely to prove a s urce of profit.
--(Laughter.) If, however, the canal should turn out
to be one of a public nature, and one which the locality
earnestly sought, he might possibly support it in
another
session; but as the Bill had been brought in as
had been, and considering the late period of the ses-
sion, he felt it his duty to move that the debate be ad-
journed until that day three months.
Mr. WILLIAMS seconded the motion. He said the
Government had promoted the Crinan and Caledonian
Canals, but they were nothing tut 10'054 jOb-, as they
fad been barely able to pay their incidental expenses;
and as this Bill proposed the perpetration of another of
I similar kind, he should strongly support those who
apposed it.—(Hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
the Bill was undertaken by the Government owing to
petitions which they had received from various
parts of the Highlands earnestly calling upon
them to provide employment for the indus-
trious poor by means of public works, and Sir
Edward Belcher was sent down, to make a stir-
Vey and to furnish a report, and he repeated that the ex-
isting canal could not be made available for the naviga
tion of ships, and that another canal must be made to
afford the accommodation the public required. Another
Officer who had been employed in Ireland, Mr. Hamil-
ton, was ' also sent down and he reported that the
canal could be constructed at no very enormous outlay.
The Government undertook the work for the purpose of
the a national undertaking, and as one which, at
.ee same time, would afford employment to the indus-
trious poor. He denied that the undertaking could be
looked upon as a job_ ,- and it would be well if Hon.
limbers, before they rose to oppose the Bill,
Would read through the evidence in favour of the
-work which had been supplied by so competent an
authority as Sir Edward Belcher. He would withdraw
• The motion, and defer any further proceedings in the
r.,tatter until in Committee of Supply they submitted
the proposition to the House. He hoped no further
Mme would be lost in discussing the propriety of ad-
Journing the debate.
Sir J. GRAHAM urged the Hon. Gentleman the
atenaber for Montrose to withdraw his motion. As at
present advised, he was not prepared to vote against the
grant of 150,0001. for the constructionof anothercanal in
Argyllshire, notwithstanding he had voted for the grant
to the Caledonian Canal.
Mr. HUME withdrew his motion, and trusted that
442 would hear no more of the Bill.—(Laughter.)
The original motion and the amendment were then
Withdrawn.
.CALEDONIAN AND GLASGOW, PAISLEY AND
GREENOCK RAILWAYS AMALGAMATION—
. VASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREENOCK RAIL-
BRANCH TO THE CALEDONIAN RAIL-
WAY, AND DIVERSION OF THE CANAL).
On the order of the day being read for considering
tht' Lords' amendments to these Bills,
Air. HUME moved that the order be postponed until
'Monday. He said the Greenock Company were about
30 perpetrate a gross fraud upon the public by this Bill
-of theirs.
Mr. BAINE explained that the opinion of the House
had led the companies to cancel the agreement with the
.veanal company.
After some discussion, the Hon. Member withdrew
~,his motion, and the amendments were agreed to.
‘!- GAELIC PROFESSOR OF ABERDEEN COLLEGE.
Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition in favour of
--the appointment of a Professor of Gaelic in this uni-
t- Tensity.
REPRESENTATION OF GREENOCK.
BANKES wished to ask some questions of the
rfonourable Gentleman the Secretary of the Treasury
{Mr: Tufnell), respecting a letter, headed " Treasury,:
tate& the 27th. of June, commencing " My dear Mel
gaud" (Lord Melgund), and dissuading that Noble Lord
'nom standing for the borough, and signed " Henry
Ttinell."—(Laughter.) The letter was to this effect—
Treasury, Whitehall, June 27, 1847.
.1` My dear Melgund,—Understanding that it has been
denied that any Government influence was exercised to
lirevent you originally from standing for Greenock, I
think it right that your opponents should know, that in
'consequence of representations that were made to myself
ILnd others respecting the state of parties in the borough,
tad the feelings that were entertained on this subject in
other quarters, I certainly authorised a strong remon-
eteance being made to you, and endeavoured by every
means in my power to dissuade you from coming for-
, ward ass candidate.—l am, yours truly,
" H. TUFNELL."
lle wished—t-o
know if the letter was written in his
• official capacity—also the grounds on which he wrote it
--(Cries of " Oh! oh!")—and whether it was written
with the cognizance of the Noble Lord at the head of
the Government, the author of the Reform Bill?
(" Oh! oh!" and laughter.)
Mr. TUFNELL said, in reply to the question of
the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Dorsetshire, he
had
to state that the letter was a correct copy of
a private communication which he had addressed
Lord Melgund.—(Loud cheers.) As soon as he
telind it had been published in a local newspaper,
.e
wrote to Lord Melgund, expressing his surprise that
11Private communication should have found its way into
the columns of a newspaper—(Hear, hear)—for the ar• n
ments used in it were only those which one friend
would not hesitate to address to another.—(Hear, hear.)
_ Lord G. BENTINCK inquired what the term Go-
vernment influence" in the letter meant, and also the
dement
_that his opponents should know the reasons