The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-20 00:00:00

THE BtIN

solicitors, the medical men, and general inhabitants of
the place against the law forbidding marriage with a
deceased wife's sister.
Dr. BOWRENG presented a petition from Bolton
against the Bolton Improvement
RUM DUTIES.

Mr. DENNISTOUN rresented a petition from the
di.stillers of Glasgow, praying that no alteration might
take place in the rum duties.
RATING OF TENEMENTS BILL.

Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from
Drogheda, complaining of the injustice of allowing
several rate-paying clauses to remain on the statute-
book, restricting the Parliamentary franchise of voters
in Ireland.

tiONY'DON,

ponies had he the slightest interest, the remarks of the
IronOtiiiiire-Araiber, it would be seen, were ground-
less and false. The House, he thought, 'should pro-
tect Honourable Members from such imputations
being cast upon them, as it was necessary for its cha-
racter that it, proceedingti should not be called in ques-
tion, unless on sufficient grounds.
Mr. ‘VILSON PAT I'EN must say that he-was most
surprised at the Honoue4ble Gentle;nan taking the
matter up so warmly. It was well known, however,
that there were many objections to Members serving on
such Committees, which aid not in the least affect the
character of those who were objected to. lie must
say that the situation of the Committee of Se-
lection was a most painful one, and if it was ren-
dered more so it would be impossible for it to dis•
charge its duties with efficiency.—(Hear and cheers.)
His own impression was, that the Hon. Member had
committed an error, but he did not think the course the
House had adopted would in any way lower its high
charael

Mr. ELLICE explained. He hoped he had not
expressed himself in any way to offend the
Honourable Member.—(Hear, hear.) It was true
he had spoken warmly on the subject, bat he did so
because he believed the character of the House was in-
volved in the matter.—(Hear, hear.) He disclaimed any
intention of wishing to cast any imputation whatever
on his Honourable Friend opposite—he disclaimed it the
other night, and he did so now. He knew the
arduous duty of a member of one of the Railway Com-
mittees ; but he hoped that the practice of making
charges against a Committee behind its back would not
be repeated again.—(hear, hear.)
Mr. S. HERBERT considered that there was no wish
on the part of the lion. Gentleman with whom the dis-
cussion had originated to cast any imputations on the
Hon. Member (Mr. Ellice). A misrepresentation pre-
vailed as to the right of parsons to object to Members
nominated to serve upon Committees. The:South-Wes-
tern sent a list to the Committee of Members to whom
they objected, but they refused to entertain any such
proceeding on the part of the company, and the list was
in consequence returned to them. What the Committee
asked for was a list of the Members who were disqualified
from sitting on the Committees from their connexion
with various railways. It was possible that a Com-
mittee might not know those Members who were di-
rectors of companies ; and, therefore, it was necessary
that such a list should be furnished to them whenever
they required IL
Sir W. HEATHCOTE stated that he endeavoured to
explain as well as he could that he had no intention to
impute improper conduct to the members of the Committee
behind their backs. The imputation, if it really was
an imputation, was this, that every member
of the Committee, with the exception of two,
were selected from one district of the country.
The discharge of the Committee had no reference to
private character or private connexion. Now he would
put himself upon the judgment of the House. He was
called upon by his Hon. Friend to say that what
he had done was wrong, and that he weuld
not do so again, but he maintained that what
he had done was right; and it; at any future time, from
any oversight or want of information, they should have
nominated a Committee, and afterwards it ap-
peared that there were good reasons to discharge
it, ho would consider it his faithful duty to
face the obloquy which he knew attended him
at the present moment.—(Cries of " No, no.") At all
events, he knew that he had given some offence to his
Hon. Friend, but he would tell him that the reason why
he did not confer with him was, because there was no
question of private connexion; it was only an objection
to a line of country, and it was nothing which any
Gentlemen could answer, or required any communica-
tion
with individual Members.

Lord JOHN R►USSELL said, he rose as a Member
of the House; although he did not often take part in
the duties to which the discussion referred, yet he
thought it necessary to do so after the statement
of the Hon. Baronet. The objection to his Right
Honourable Friend was nut that he had any private
interest to disqualify him from serving on the Com-
mittee, it was only to the place which he represented,
and upon which there could be no difference of opinion
as to matter of fact. Ile concurred generally with the
Hon. Baronet, and he felt quite sure that the House
could not do better than leave all these matters to his
discretion, and he was certain that he w,uld exercise a
sound discretion, and preserve the character of the
House. He considered also that the Ilouse ought to
support him in the discharge of very onerous duties.
Mr. ELLICE wish, d to know whether, should a Com-
mittee be appointed, after the fullest investigation and
named in the votes, it could be discharged without the
interference of the House ?

After a few words from Lord SANDON, which did
not reach the gallery,
Mr. AGLIONBY suggested that before the Com-
mittee nominated by the Committee of Selection was
reported to the House, or appeared on the votes, some
communication should be made to the Members b hom the
Committee of Selection intended to put upon the list.
He thought that after such communication, any lion.
Member might himself object; but he did not think that
the honour of the House would be advanced by striking
out the names of lion. Members of the Committee after
they had once been placed upon it.
Mr. VILLIERS STUART thought it was scarcely
fair that this charge should be brought forward
a second time, as that had been done in the first in.
stance, and an explanation given.
After a few words from Mr. BOUVERIE the subjec
dropped.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
In answ*-r to a question put by an HoN. MEMBETI,
Mr. M. GIBSON said, that it was the intention of the
Government to proceed as speedily as possible with the
Bill relating to the collection of agricultural statistics.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS' BILL.
Lord MAHON wished to know what cc,urse was in-
tended to be pursued with respect to the Juvenile Of-
Fenders' Bill.
Sir G. GREY said that the Bill was proposed to be
read a second time, and that any discussion which might
arise upon it should be taken upon a subsequent stage.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
Sir R. PEEL hoped the Noble Lord would allow him
to remind him of a rule of the House to which he often
used to call his (Sir Robert Peel's) attention—it was to
give the House distinctly to understand what
order of the day was to have the precedence over
the others.—(Hear, hear.) He believed it was gene-
rally understood that the Poor Relief Bill would be pro-
ceeded with, bat it would be certainly an advantage to
have more dyeizive intimation.
Lord J. RUSSELL admitted the propriety of the
Right Hon. Baronet's remark.
WINDOW-TAX.

Lord DUNCAN wished to know whether there was
anything in the Health of Towns' Bill bearing upon the
window tax? The Noble Lord the Commissioner of
Woods and Forests had given an opinion, in:',vhich he
expressed a decided coviction that this tax militated
against the health of the population.
Lord MORMTII said that the window-tax was a
financial, as well;as a sanatory question, and as he had re-
ceived no intimation from the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer on the subject, he could not promise that any
alteration would be made with respect to it.
HIGHWAYS.
Mr. AGLIONBY wished to ask the Secretary of State
for the Home Department whether it was the intention
of Government to introduce any measure for amending
the law, and providing for the better management of
highways ?
Sir GEORGE GREY was understood to say that
the sabiect would he referred to a Select Committee.
FRENCH HOSPITAL AT PORT MAHON.
Mr. BORTHWICK was desirous to put a question to
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on the sub-
ject of an alleged arrangement between the Govern-
ments cf France and Spain, by which a French military
hospital and a store of coal are said to have been esta-
blished in Port Malion. He thought when France was
increasing the defences of her shores, and when she
was crowding the sea with ships at a time of profound
peace, and when he looked at other circumstanaes to
which he would not fully refer, but which would not
soon be forgotten, it was most important that the atten-
tion of the Government should be called to the conduct
of France—that they should wa.ch her proceedings with
jealousy. and that the people of this country should be
informed whether the Government were or were not vigi-
lantly watching theeonduct of that nation. When he looked
at the conduct of France during the last fifteen years,
and at the readiness which her Ministers had evinced to
rival and embroil other nations—to sacrifice European
liberty, if not European nations, he thought a British
Member of Parliament would ill discharge his duty if
he did not call the attention of the Government to such
a matter as this ; but he put the question in no spirit
of offensiveness to ar.y one connected with foreign
policy.
Lord PALMERSTON said. in answer to the question put
by the Hon. Member, he had only to say that the Government
had received no official information tending to confirm the re-
port, but the tendency of such information as they had received
induced them to believe that such report was unfounded.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

On the motion of Lord J. RUSSELL, it was agreed that the
House at its rising do adjourn till Monday.
SEARCH WARRANTS.

General JOHNSON desired to know whether the Govern-
ment had issued instructions authorising policemen to enter
houses and search without warrants ? Several cases of such a
nature had come under his observation ; one was, where two
policemen came seventeen miles out of their district, and ar-
rested two persons for theft, it was clearly proved that the
parties had been twenty miles distant at the time the robbery
was committed.

Sir GEORGE GREY said that no such instructions had
been issued.

MR. AIARA.
The Earl of LINCOLN wished to make an explanation with
reference to the appointment of Mr. Henderson and Mr.
Mara, alluded to by him on the previous night. On refer-
ring to some documents in his possession he found that he was
wrong. Mr. Mara had only been appointed six months,
and Mr. Henderson Lad held his appointment for nearly five
years.

POOR RELIEF (IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion for reading the order of the day for going
into Committee on the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill,
Mr. E. CALLAGHAN said he wished to make one or two
observations before the House went into Committee. It would
be remembered that the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath
stated the other evening►, and it was afterwards reiterated by
the Hon. Member for Marylebone, that in the neighbourhood
of Mallow there resided a gentleman of large property with an
income of 10,0001. a year, who kept a great number of dogs—
twenty-seven it was said—and yet this gentleman had
neglected to subscribe to the funds for the relief of the poor of
the district. Now ho held in his hand a letter from that
gentleman, from which he learnt that this statement was un-
true. The truth was, that while in London opposing a
railway which passed through his domains, he was applied to
to contribute to a local fund for the relief of the poor, and he
wrote to his agent to know if any previous application in re-
spect of his farms in the district had been made. Now before he
received an answer to this letter he wa, surprised to see the letter
of the Rev. Mr. M'Carthy published in the public prints.
He felt exceedingly indignant at this, and did not send his
subscription, but when he did this he employed the people