The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-21 00:00:00

LAW OF SETTLEMENT.

Colonel WOOD presented a petition from Brecknock
against the present law of settlement, and praying that
the poor might be taken under the care of the State ;
also a petition from the same place, praying that the
Irish poor-law might be made more effectual.

MALT AND HOPS—LICENSED vre,TuALCLO.
On the motion of Alderman HUMPHERY, the fol-
lowing returns were ordered :—An account of the total
numbers of quarters of malt made between the 10th day
of October, 1845, and the 10th day of October, 1846,
distinguishing the quantity made in each country, and
the quantity used by brewers, and victuallers, and retail
brewers. An account of the total number of acres
of land in Great Britain under the cultivation of hops
in the year 1846, distinguishing the number of
acres in each parish. An account of the duty
of hops of the growth of the year 1846, dis-
tinguishing the districts, and the old from the new
duty. An account of the quantity of hops exported from
Great Britain to foreign countries from the sth day of
January, 1846, to the sth day of January, 1847, distin-
guishing the countries to which the same have been ex-
ported, and also the quantities to each country ; also
British from foreign growths, and the dates of the years
in which the British hops were grown. An account of
foreign hops imported into the United Kingdom from the
sth day of January, 1846, to the sth day of January,
1847, distinguishing the ports where imported, and the
countries from whence exported. An account of the
total number of pounds weight of hops charged with
duty in each of the several collections of the United
kingdom in the year 1846. An account of the number
of persons in each of the several collections in the United
Kingdom licensed as brewers, victuallers, to sell beer
to be drunk on the premises, and to sell beer not to be
drunk on the premises, stating the number of each class
who brew their own beer, and the quantity of malt con-
sumed by them, particularising each class in each collec-
tion, from the 10th day of Oct., 1845, to the 10th day of
Oct., 1846.

The Hon. C. VILLIERS presented a petition, signed by
all the leading merchants, brewers, and distillers in the
city of London, calling the attention of the House to the
great dearth of food in Great Britain and Ireland, and
in other parts of Europe, and praying the House to
rescind the penalties imposed on brewers using sugar
and molasses.
PRESENTMENTS OF SESSIONS (IRELAND).
Mr. F. FRENCH gave notice of his intention to move
for a return of the extraordinary presentments made by
the sessions in each county in Ireland under the provi-
sions of the 9th and 10th Victoria, toAether with the
expenses thus incurred, and the number of officers em-
ployed in the works.

ISLE OF MAN
Dr. BO WRING deferred until Thursday, the 28th
inst., his motion with respect to the House of Keys.
KEIGIILEY UNION.

Mr. FERRAND gave notice that he should move to-
morrow for a return of all the orders made by the
Poor-law Commissioners with respect to this union,
with their dates, since the 9th of June, 1842 ;
together with the number of inmates, the instructions
and communications issued by the Commissioners to
the guardians and to the relieving officer, and whether
that officer had acted upon those orders, or whether he
had relieved the poor upon his own responsibility.
TREAT NIENT OF CONVICTS.
Mr. DUNCOMBE gave notice that he should move,
on the 28th instant, for the appointment of a Select
Committee to inquire into the treatment of convicts on
board the hulks at Woolwich.

MILITARY PUNISHMENT.
Dr. BOWRING gave notice that to-morrow he should
move for a return of the number of corporeal punish-
ments in the army since the last Parliamentary returns,
made up to the latest period at which they could be
furnished.

THE NAVY.
Sir C. NAPIER gave notice that to-morrow he should
move for a return of the number of line-of-battle ships
which had been cut down to frigates and steam contract
ships. He should also move, at the same time, for a return
of the number of seamen which the Channel fleet was
short of in their complement at the present time.
NEW ZEALAND.
Mr. B. HAVES brought up the return of the Com-
mittee of the affairs of New Zealand.
SESSIONAL ORDERS.

Mr. JOHN PARKER moved the usual sessional
orders, and a resolution for the arrangement of public
business in respect of orders and notices, and a resolu-
tion for the morning sittings on. Wednesday.—Agreed to.
Mr. EWART moved, amongst the sessional orders,
that Committees on Private Bills, as well as on Rail-
way Bills, consist of five Members, neither personally
nor indirectly interested in the question submitted to
their consideration. This system had been tried during
the last session, and it was found to work so efficiently
that it was at present proposed to extend it to all pri
vata Bills, It was proposed that the Committee should
consist of five independent, unbiassed, and unpreju-
diced Members, in no one way interested in the
Bills to be submitted to their consid, ration.
Honourable Gentlemen certainly might object that it
would be better for those who had local knowledge and
local interests to sit on Committees, where the subjects
affecting local matters were tried ; but he certainly was
of opinion that they would be more likely to be of ser-
vice to their constituents as witnesses than as judges.
Mr. THORNELY concurred fully in the observations
of the Hon. Gentleman, and would second the motion.
Mr. BROTHERTON thought that it would irjudi-
cious to adopt changes in this matter. At the time
when the Speaker and other gentlemen recommended
changes there was quite a different mode adopted to that
now in use. No local Members were permitted to sit
on Committees unless they were present on the first day
thatrnrb
eeiattswt eoeetnehs
n%evyorina3
railways,
aem)y,b
andls ehdt.,
manifestThredmistiignhcttioben
u where vah'heiherearrvtl:oe sc :asp' Bills.laemsr perfectly
yt
fected, but there were many reasons why, in other
Bills, constituents should not be deprived of
the attendance of their local representatives.
The present system worked well, and he saw no ne-
cessity for disturbing it. He should, therefore, object
to the motion of the Hon. Member for Dumfries.
Mr. HUNIE was surprised to hear toe Hon. Member
for Salford speak in the way lie had done of the present
constitution of the Committees. It would be much bet
ter for the feelings of Hon. Members themselves who
were local members, if they were not appointed to these
Committees ; there were always two parties concerned,
and even if an Hon. Member were inclined to " trim,"
he was often puzzled to know how to act.—(Laughter.)
He should, therefore, support the motion of his Hon.
Friend.
Mr. REDHEAD YORKE would give his cordial
support to the measure, as he considered it a reform in
the right direction, and calculated to leave unstained
the honour and the integrity of the Members of that
House.
Colonel SIBTHORP thought that every Member of
that House should be brought up to the table, and
made to swear that they had no interest, directly or in-
directly, in any railway, for until that were done, ho
thought that the honour of the }louse could not
be preserved, and the same system with reference
to railways, of gross gambling, fraud, and specula-
tion, would continue to disgrace that House.
He wished to have a pure House of Commons and a
pure Ministry, and he had waited long for such and
had found none. He wished to have in the House inde-
pendent Members, who would work for the good of
the country, and not to forward their private
ends. Until they had such a House of Com-
mons no good could be done. He had lost
all confidence in the late Ministry, and he had great
suspicion of the gentlemen who constituted the present
one. He would support the Hon. Gentleman opposite
(Mr. Ewart), in order, if possible, to purify the present
system.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN believed that the present system had
given greater satisfastion than the old one, and ought
to have a further trial. It had been said that the public
out of doors wished to place all Committees on private
Bills on the same footing as Committees on railway
Bills. He differed from that opinion, as he felt satisfied
the present system was in much more favour than the
one which it had succeeded. He would therefore vote
against the motion.

Mr. WILLIAMS supported the motion. The prin-
ciple had been already introduced into a great portion
of the business of the House, which involved a larffe
amount of property. He agreed with the lion. Member
for Montrose that it was impossible for any Member
who had any interest in a private Bill to act upon the
Committee appointed to consider its merits with any-
thing like impartiality or independence.
Mr. NEWDEGATE opposed the motion.
Mr. BERNAL supported the motion, and deprecated
•he practice of hearing counsel with long briefs before
private Committees. Some time since they were led to
believe that all the preliminary steps in private Bills
were to be undertaken by the Public Departments, but,
with tl.e exception of the Woods and Forests, he be-
lieved aO other board had taken any step of this kind.
Sir G. GREY admitted that the principle of the
motion was good, but he should certainly recommend
the House to exercise great caution in attempting to
carry it out. The new machinery used in dealing with
railway Bills, had been found to work exceedingly well,
and he thought it ought not to be abruptly
interferred with. It was adopted after a long and
d
patient inquiry had been introduced into thed
in the
j
and instead of adding to the expenses in
progress of railway Bills, it had tei.ded to reduce them.—
(Hear, hear.) He was not, therefore,
prepared at pre.
sent to make any alteration in a system which had been
found to work so admirably.
Dr. BOWRING suggested that, after what had fallen
from Members on both si?,es of the House, and seeing
that the principle of the motio!lwarsadti(No, no.)tted, the debate
on the subject had better be adjourned.—(No,
Mr. ES ART (who arose "Divide")amidwloituhddrcarwieshsmotion,
said he would be quite willing to
but he would give notice of a Select Committee upon the
subject for to-morrow.—(Criest of "Divide, divide.")
that, Sir G. GREY said
, in his
as it would be open to
his opinion, a division
would only be a waste of time,
Mr. Ewart, even should his motion be negatived, to
move for the Select Committee upon the next night.—
(Cries of Divide.")
The House then divided, when there appeared,
For the motion 36
Against it
Majority —67