The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-11 00:00:00

CORN-LAWS.

Lord CLARE presented a petition from the Sheriff,
Magistrates, Gentry, and Freeholders of the county of
Limerick, against the importation of foreign flour.
Lord CLARENDON presented a petition from Brook-
side against the Corn-laws.
IRISH CORPORATIONS REFORM BILL.

Lord MORPETII, the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, and others
from the House of Commons, brought up the Irish Cor-
porations Reform Bill, which, on the motion] of Lord
MELBOURNE, was read a first time.
Lord MELBOURNE then said, that in order that the
Noble Lords who were connected with Ireland, or who
otherwise felt interested in the measure, should have suffi-
cient notice of the second reading of the Bill, he would
now give notice that he would move the second reading on
Monday, the 30th instant.
CASE OF FROST AND OTHERS.
Lord TEYN 11 A M said he wished to make a few obser-
vations with respect to what had fallen from the Noble
Marquis the Home Secretary last evening, respecting the
petition he had presented from the town of Newport.
With regard to the population of that place, it was not as
the Noble Marquis had stated, 12,000, but 7,062.
With regard to the petition, it contained the names
of five of the present Town Councillors of Newport,
and of six who had served that office and had
gone out in rotation. Edward Frost, the uncle of John
Frost, was a Town Councillor, and had resided his whole
life at Newport, and had retired from business with an un-
impeachable character, and though it was true he was ap-
prehended on suspicion of being concerned in the riots, all
that was proved against him was that he had looked out of a
window, and the advisers of the Crown had not thought
proper to prefer an indictment against him. He (Lord T.)
understood it was intended to call a public meeting of the
inhabitants during the Easter Week in order to give every
person an opportunity of expressing his opinion on the
aiubject. He was sure that if there were the least chance
of ;mercy being extended to these unhappy individuals,
their Lordships would be the last persons to make any
opposition to it.
The Marquis of NORMA NBY said be was sure their
Lordships would think it quite unnecessary for hint to add
anything to what he said last night. The Noble
Lord must, he thought, be aware the petition did
not in any respect merit the character be had
given of it. It never could be considered as re-
presenting the opinions of the respectable inhabitants
of Newport. The Noble Marquis then laid upon the table
a return of all Peerages of Ireland, created since the
Union, stating their various distinctions, and of all other
Peerages supposed to have become extinct during the same

• period.
The NOBLE MARQUIS also presented a petition from
Poor-lair Guardians in Yorkshire against the bastardy
clauses of the New Poor-law Act.

The Earl of ABERDEEN presented several petitions
from Scotland against the intrusioa of ministers.
MEDICAL REFORM.

The Marquis of LAN SDOWNE said he rose to call
the attention of their Lordships to a petition of an unusual
nature from a body of persons who did not frequently
appear as petitioners: the petitioners were a very large
number of the medical profession who were desirous of
calling their Lordships' attention to a subject
not only interesting in every view of public utility and ex-
pediency, but also interesting to many of their Lordships in
their private capacity, and as it affected their domestic feel-
ings. It related to the present state of medical science in
England—though signed by only a few persons bearing
office in the Medical Association, it expressed the opinion of
no less than 1,200 practitioners,who were desirous of calling
attention to the fact, that the small-pox, so far from having
diminished of late years, had been on the increase, and de-
sirous of stating to their Lordships the opinion which, after
much deliberation, they had formed, that the increase was
owing, on the one hand, to the imperfect state of vaccination
in many parts of the country, through the perseverance of
persons not connected with the medical profession, and not
entitled to act in a medical capacity, in the practice of
inoculation; and it was undoubtedly an important fact
connected with the subject, that the identity of
vaccination with the small-pox was completely established.
The petitioners, however, submit that no conclusion be
drawn against the theory of vaccination, but they state
that the imperfect means of vaccinating adopted in this
country, through the license given to persons who
are not capable of forming an opinion on the
subject, has been attended with increasing evils ;
and in those particular places in which no vacciaa.
tion had been adopted, there had been thousands
of deaths in the course of a few months, and there was one
city in the South of England, where no less than 500 per-
sons had died of the small-pox in one year. The petitioners
did not wish that this evil should be remedied by having
recourse to those rigorous measures which had been adopted
in other parts of Europe, where penalties were imposed on
those who did not take care that their children should be
regularly vaccinated.—( Hear.) They recommended,
however, that a great number of persons should be
employed in vaccinating the poor of the country.
He need not tell their Lordships that it was the duty of
the higher classes of society to discountenance any prac-
tice which might be found to be annually productive of a
great amount of misery and disease.—(Hear, 'near.) The
Noble Lord concluded by moving that the petition should
be read from the table of the House.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH agreed with the Noble
Marquis, but suggested that a short Bill should be
speedily brought in, to enable Poor-law Guardians to
make contracts for vaccination.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—WouId that obviate
the evil?
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said it was entirely a
question of expense to the poor. Some medical gentle-
men vaccinated gratis for the poor; others, however, did
not, and their charges were higher than those of the
quacks.
Lord COLCHESTER said he could testify that the

poor were not averse to vaccination.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said he considered the
subject so important that he should cause every inquiry to
be made, whether the evil could not be remedied by the
measure suggested 1• the Noble Baron opposite, and thus
the good practice encouraged and the bad discouraged.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH—You may do it by a
short Bill, which you can have passed in a few days. Do
but say the word.
The Earl of HADDINGTON suggested there were
districts in which there were not Poor-law Guardians.
Their Lordships adjourned at a Quarter to Six.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH 10.
The SPEAKER took the Chair to-day sho:Vy before Four
&Clock.

In consequerce of this being the last (day for reading
Private Bills a first time, there was an un usually full atten-
dance of Members before four o'clock.

On the motion of Mr. BRODIE the I )Ir.r,field Inclosure
Bill was read a second time, and ordered tc be committed.
Mr. HUTT brought in the Kingston_ epon_Hull Im-
provement Bill, which was read a first tirn, e and oniered to
be read a secon time.

Mr. MACK EN ZI E brought in the Ayrshire Road Bill,
which was read a first time.

On the motion of Mr. DIVETT th e Exeter Water
Works Bill was read a second time, and, ordered to be com-
mitted. The Hon. Member also brovgiut in the Exeter
Market Eill, which was read a first time.
On the motion of Sir M. WOOD the General Steam
Navigation Company Bill was read a second time, and
ordered to he committed.

Mr. CAMPBELL brought in the .Stirlingshire Road
Bill, which was reAd a first time.
On the motion of Mr. HA YTER the• Tweeddale Patent
Drain, Tile, and Brick Company's Bill. was read a third
time and passed.
Mr. BROTHERTON brought in the Birmingham,
Bristol, and Thames Junction Railway Bill, which was
read a first time.

Captain A L SAGER brought in the Lt .ndon atad Green-
wich Railway Extension Bill, which was read a first time.
Sir T. TRO WBRIDGE brought in the Royal Naval
School Bill, which was read a first, and ordered to be
read a second time.

On the motion of Sir G. SINCLAIR, the. Gardboldis-
htm Inclosure Bill was read a third time al-I,i passed.
TAFF VALE RAILWAY.

Sir B. HALL presented a petition !from a place in
Wales against the Taff Vale Railway.
Dr. NICHOLL presented a petition bo the same effect
from Cardiff.

Mr. BLAKEMORE presented similar petitions from
the owners of Mines in Wales.

Mr. CLIVE then moved the second res .ding of the Bill.
Dr. NICHOLL opposed the further progress of the
Bill. He objected to the principle of it altogether, and
would move that it be read a second time that day six
months; for, if allowed to pass the House, it would work
a great injustice to the original shareholders.
Mr. DIVETT had not heard of any one shareholder
who had objected to the Bill, and he assured the House
that if it did not sanction it, the work could never be
finished. The real object of the oppositioe to the Bill
was to farour the new port of Cardiff, hut surely they
would not deprive a large district of country o f the benefit
of a ready means of communication by means of a
a railroad, upon such grounds. He was quite per-
suaded the House would not entertain the pi soposition of
the Hon. Member, and he was further perm laded that by
passing the present Bill they would be confect ing very im-
portant benefits upon an extensive snining district. If the
Bill was rejected, it would subject the entire trade of that
valley to a very high rate of toll, and retard very much its
prosperity.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said, as some of
his constituents were interested in the matter, he was anxious
to state to the House the grounds upon which he intended
to give his vote against the Bill. It appeared to him
most preposterous for the House of Commons to entertain
the proposition now made to permit the promtst.ers of the
Bill to increase their estimate 60 or 70 per cent, and to in-
creaso the rate of tonnage. He thought ti se manner in
which is was attempted to raise the money teas also most
improper and injudicious, and he hoped the r aeasure would
not receive the sanction of the House. He objected to
the clauses by which it was attempted to giv e the Company
the power of extending their railroad in every direction here-
isfter, as it was a power which no similar undertaking had
ever asked or received from the H ease. On these
grounds he should give his vote against a second reading.
Mr. DIVETT explained.
Sir BENJAMIN HALL, as one of the Committee,
wished to say a few words on the subject. The ground on
which he opposed the Bill was that the proprietors had been
very extravagant with their money, and were now calling
upon Parliament to supply the deficiency occasioned by
it. In order to show he did not oppose it on any other
ground, if the Hon. Member would withdraw the exacting
clauses, he would promise to give it his support.
Colonel WOOD said the original Bill was passed on
the ground that the tolls should not exceed the specific
sum named in the Act, and he decidedly objected to
those clauses which had the object of increasing them.
He should not oppose the Bill nose, but he hoped
those clauses would be struck out in Committee.
Lord JAMES STUART said he 'gas sure his Noble
Friend, who had opened the Docks at. Cardiff, had been
actuated by no selfish views.
Sir J. GUEST objected to some clauses in the Bill.
Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE wislied to make one
observation to the House with reference to the precedent
they would establish if they consented to the passing of the
Bill. If they allowed persons to come to Parliament
and obtain an increase of tolls in the present instance, they
would be equally bound to do so in every other case which
might come before the House in future.
:Mr. H. BERKELEY wished to say a few words in
support of the Bill. Thousands of pounds had been vested
in the undertaking in question, which would be almost
completely lost if the House refused to pass the Bill.
Mr. M. PHILLIPS thought there were so many pecu-
liar circumstances connected with this Bill, that he was
anxious that the various interests affected by it should un-
dergo the investigation of a Committee.
Mr. WILLIAMS thought the Bill ought to be allowed
to go before a Committee. He should therefore vote for
the second reading.
Mr. CLIVE replied—lt would be impossible to com-
plete the works unless the sum of money required was
raised by the Bill. The 300,0001. which had been ex-
pended would then have been completely thrown away.
In almost all cases of great undertakings the actual expense
I greatly exceeded the estimates made originally, as was
witnessed in the instances of the North Midland and the
London and Birmingham. Besides there was a sum of
90,0001. now included, for locomotive engines, which
was not contained in the original estimates. He did
not know any one railway, or other public way, on
which the tolls were so low as on the one in qutstion.
The Railway would afford the greatest facilities
for the transmission of coals, in respect to which
this county was a most important mineral district,
it a convenient outlet could but be obtained.—(Hear,
hear.) It was said that the iron traders complained, but
they had no reason to do so, for they already possessed
the cheapest mode of conveyance by canal. The coal
proprietors heartily desired this railway ; and he trusted
that the House would at 'east, let the Bill go into the
Committee. —( Cries of " Divide.")
The House then divided, when there appeared--
Fer the second reading

Against it 126
Majority for the second reading ...-3
On the motion of Lord SANDON, Promoli's Nato.
ralization Bill, and llausberg's Naturalization Bill were
read a second time.