The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-19 00:00:00

FLOUR.

Mr. FERRAND desired to ask the First Lord of the Trea-
sury, as it was calculated that 13'3,120,000 lbs. weight of the
best flour was annually used merely for the purpose of dres-
sing the warps for weaving, besides an immense quantity for
the purpose of daubing cottons with flour paste, to defraud the
public, whether it was his intention to bring in a Bill to pro-
hibit
the use of flour for such purposes ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said that he begged to assure the lion.
Gentleman that he had no such intention.
EDUCATION.
Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE moved that an humble
address be presented to her Majesty, that she will be graci-
ously pleased to give directions, that there be laid before this
House, by the Committee of Council on Education, within
twenty-one days next after the commencement of every Ses-
sion of Parliament, the following returns, made up to the Ist
day of the month in which such returns are so presented :
Of every school, alphabetically arranged, to which Govern-
ment aid has been voted in the preceding financial year, dis-
tinguishing Church of England from British and Dissenting
Schools, showing the amount advanced in each case, and
specifying whether given for building, repairs, furniture, books,
field gardens, or workshops, or for salaries or pensions of
schoolmasters, schoolmistresses, pupil teachers, or stipendiary
monitors; of the name, profession, date of appointment, amount
of salary, allowance, and travelling expenses of each inspector;
of every school making application for aid, distinguishing the
applications granted from the applications refused, and the
grounds of such refusal ; and, in all school-building eases in
which the application has been successful, showing the sum
which, according to a certified estimate or other reasonable
calculation, would have to be provided by voluntary subscription.
He considered that the Government measure conferred a vast
amount of too much patronage upon the executive. Ile also
was of opinion that the salaries of these inspectors was exceed-
ingly high.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said he should not have any ob-
jection to the return, but the Hon. Gentleman was quite mis-
taken if they were to have seventy inspectors in that House.
Mr. T. DUNCOM BE would call the attention of the House
to the petition of the inhabitants of the borough of Sheffield
(presented May 13), complaining of the Magisterial conduct
of Wilson Overend, Esq. lie moved for a copy of the con-
victions which hail taken place before him, and a re-
turn also of those which had afterwards been quashe I.
It appeared that Mr. Overend was a gentleman in very exten-
sive medical practice, but he hoped that his physic was better
than his law. He was generally called in where there was any
disagreement between the employers and the employed, but it
was very singular that he never sided with the cmplcyed. The
trades in the town of Sheffield were attached to trades unions,
but the magistrates not taking the same view of the benefits of
such a system as the tradesmen themselves, they accordingly
set their faces against them. However, most of his convictions
were quashed. The first feelings of the inhabitants was to have
Mr. Overend dismissed, but they afterwards considered that the
course which they ought to adopt was the one which he now
was pursuing; and by these returns they would see
how much justice was done to the character of Mr. Ove-
rend. He believed that the administration of justice
on the part of this gentleman was very much open to challenge.
The Government ought to appoint in these districts stipendiary
magistrates, who would be tar removed from local and trade
prejudices. There was Ws objection matte to the oth,r magis-
trates, and certain y it was very singular that such a number of
convictions obtained before Mr. Overend should subsequently be
quashed. It was prilno
.fticia. evidence that there was some-
thing wrong in the matter. it was quite proper for trades-
men to combine if their masters combined ; but he considered
that when a combination existed for the purpsscs of intimida-
tion, the guilty party ought to be punished.
Sir GEORGE GREY said he had no objection to the re-
turn, but he was hound to say that no communication, save in
Gentleman respecting in-
in timHi'elawtitoiunldabned gladpraise of Mr. Overend, had reached the Croo n. He under-
stood, however, that a fearful state of
Sheffield. if
.bythe parties whom he tltiihimne
ttiopinionsiaot n?o were
eteerxdep
rgi neesnst
ehe
drea
by
ywi
adopted
o fH
(n
re-
presentedn
upon the present occasisn.
Mr. B. DENISON said that he knew Mr. Overend, and
could bear ample testimony to his character as a most upright
and humane gentleman. He should inform the House that Mr.
Overend was the only active magistrate in the town. Others
came in from a distance, and certainly gave valuable assistance.
He would beg leave to move, in addition, for copies of the me-
morial sent to the Crown from the Town of Sheffield upon this
subject.
EXCHEQUER said that he
character of Mr. Overend,
unexceptionable.
was"j‘ li
;hrhbe.ohSuCenTi'alitil to
oAaNblytCes STUART CHANCELLOR
-t‘delLesOtrOi ittßoToon[ stoiyfEa tstY(h) et
mostshaei d that he knew Mr. Over-
end, and there was not a more upright or more conscientious
gentleman in the kingdom. All the convictions which had
been quashed were so by reason of some informality, as parties
were not permitted to interfere that were interested, ant it
was the association with other magistrates which rendered the
proceeding informal. Since this late attack upon his public
character, Mr. Overend had received numerous letters from
various public bodies, bearing witness to the propriety of his
conduct. The state of the town of Sheffield was well known
to be in a most fearful state, and required the exercise
of the utmost fortitude on the psrt of those
who administered the law. A law ha I been passed
upon the subject a short time since, and the consequence of the
state of things existing in Sheffield was most deplorable. He
would, therefore, entreat the Hon. Member to use his influence
with the persons belonging to the different trades unions in that
town, to alter their course of conduct, which would if perse-
vered in lead to the utter destruction of the trade in that town.
Mr. HENLEY thought that if the magistrates had acted
wrongly, the Court of Law was the proper place to set such
conduct right, arid if the interference of a Court of Law was
not advisable, then he thought that the Crown was to be
called upon to exercise its high functior.s. lie thought that if
the proposed motion were to be agreed to, it would be setting a
premium for persons asking this House to decide as judge
and jary in all matters that might be brought before it.
Mr. WARD entirely concurred in many of the observations
which had fallen from the Hon. Member opposite. He se-
r lieved that these unions were the most difficult thing which a
I magistrate had to deal with ; and if ever there v.as a case in
which it was necessary to show exemplary patience and free-
dom from prepossession in opinion, it was the question of the
trades' unions as at present existing in Sheffield. There was
no doubt that some of those unions were beneficial to the par-
ties, and were deserving of support ; but when they came to
carry resolutions among themselves to obtain their ends, not
by moral force or by moral influence, but by some-
thing bordering upon threats, and always followed by
acts of violence, he thought that such conduct inflicted
an injury upon the working classes such as was almost impos-
sible to estimate, and these effects were felt most of all in
periods of depression. He had known several persons who
were prepared to invest their capital in the establishment of
manufactories in that town, but who had, in consequence of
the state of the town, felt it their duty to give up the inten-
tion of doing so. He was sure that there might be faults upon
both sides, but he sincerely hoped that a little time would
bring both parties into some amicable arrangements; but he
felt assured that no party had a right to interfere by the
influence of threats and violence, which were sure to be visited
at last by the strong arm of the law.
Mr. PARKER concurred in the opinion expressed by the
Hon. Member for the West Riding (Mr. S. Wortley) and the
Hon. Member for Sheffield (Mr. Ward) as to the injurious
effects upon the trade of the town of Sheffield by the improper
conduct of some of these unions.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that it was for the purpose of
promoting a good understanding between the masters and men
that he was induced to connect himself with the cause of the
workmen to the extent which he had done. He had no oppo-
sition to offer to the motion of the Hon. Member.
The motion was then agreed to.
DUTIES ON COPPER ORE.
Mr. MUNTZ postponed his motion fora Select Committee
to inquire into the operations of the law regulating the existing
duties on copper ore until Ist of June next.
FEES IN COURTS OF LAW AND EQUITY.
Mr. B. ESCOTT moved that the following Members be ap-
pointed a Select Committee to inquire into the fees of the
Courts of Law and Equity-51r. Watson, Sir J. Graham, The
Attorney General, The Solicitor General, Sir F. Thesigor,
Stuart Wortley, Mr. Romilly, Mr. Walpole, Mr. B. Escott,
Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Parker, Mr. Hume, Sir
J. Hammer, and Mr. Ewart.
Motion agreed to.
COMMITTEE ON RAILWAY BILI.R.
The CHANCELLOR of the E _
Select Committee to consider whethef it Is taf,!dient any
measures should be adopted for susending further prooectllngs
in all or any of the Railroad Bills in the present session, and
for enabiiig the parties, under certain conditions, to proceedet
with the same in a future session of Parliament ; also, wh her
it is advisable that any future provision should be made in the
h-'SCIIEQUER moved for a
u
standing orders of this House relative to Bills for the construe thereupon to the
Lion of Railroads, and to report their opinion
House from time to
time, He would also
The mittee consist of the following Hon. Members : Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, Sir J. Grahanl, Hume, •
• Mr.
Hud-
son, Sir G. Clerk, Alr. Charles Russell, •Mr. Baring,-
Strutt, Mr. Chaplin, Mr. Ellice, and Mr. John Abel Smith.
The motion had been worded in a very general manner, so as to
move that_ the Com-
remove as much as possible any opposition to the measure.
There were several important points, to be referred to the
Committee, one of them was the important question with
respect to the payment of the deposits by existing companies
out of the funds of the comoanY, which was clearly an evasion
of the standing orders. Another important point was that of
permitting the sale of one company to another, immediately
upon having obtained. their Act, tuttl before haviug co 11t