The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-31 00:00:00

`TILE SITN, LOVDON, M'ONDAY_fIEVENING;

thought that the order for this Committee was dangerous,
and ought to be rescinded ; and he trusted that their
Lordships would not, therefore, vote according to their
instructions, but according to the conviction of their
own consciences.
Lord LYNDHURST said that the object of this com-
pany was *o make a line direct between Oxford and Bir-
mingham, in order:to obtain ticompeting line to that town ;
and this he had stated to be the object when he presented
this notice to the House more than six weeks ago. But
what had the Great Western Company done ? They
had used every effort to bring the line into play, but the
North-Western Company had bought 8,000 out of
50,000 shares, with a view to obtain a command over
the proceedings of the Company. He begged their
Lordships to consider the powers of the Birmingham,
now called the North-Western Company—powers given
it not only for the good of the shareholders, but for that
of the public also. And he begged that they would look
at the abuse which had been made of these powers.
Such was the conviction on his own mind that he would
persevere in his motion.
Lord BEAUMONT tnought there had been a great
misconception of the case before their Lordships.
The `case was not one bearing ;on the relative
claims of two contending companies, between
whom their Lordships were palled to judge. That
was a misconception. The motion so grounded, was
wrong, and without precedent. If a case of a public
grievance had been made out, that would have been a
legitimate subject of public inquiry. But the miscon-
ception had arisen from the mis-statements of
the Noble and Learned Lord. He thought
the principle of selection for the Committee
was that which applied to a Kommittee sitting on an op-
posed Bill. But the case was one of public grievance,
and the Committee ought to have been appointed in the
usual way, the Noble and Learned Lord himself being a
member and a chairman of the Committee.

Lord WHARNCLIFFE thought the case was one
fit for, and requiring a sifting inquiry, how those mono-
polising abuses had arisen.
Lord STANLEY said it was assumed by some of
their Lordships that there had been a public grievance;
bat he denied that there had been any thwarting
of the intention of Parliament, or public grievance.
The Wolverhampton and Dudley Company had power
to sell, and sell they did. But how did they come to
Parliament? Was it as bona fide shareholders?
They first contracted to sell to the Great Western;
they afterwards sold to the North-Western at
a premium ; and they wished, with this money in their
pocket, to exercise their influence. These parties came
asking Parliament to inquire into the facts. What,
then, was the Committee to do ? They would inquire
into the facts, and report upon focts already well known.
What were the Committee to do, or what did their
Lordships mean to do ? There was no fraud. The
shares of the railway in question were in the market,
and were brought up as those of another
would have been. Looking at the whole he felt
it necessary to call upon his Noble and Learned
Friend to reconsider his motion. If he pressed it to a
division he would certainly vote against it.
Lord ASHBURTON did not mean to occupy
their Lordships time, but the question was one
demanding the expression of opinion. This was not
like any ordinary railway Bill, for it affected the great
manufacturing interests of the north, and it was evident
that when the business of that district could not be carried
on by one line of railway, that they were entitled to
two. If then a mistake had been made, was it to be
said that when the subject came before their Lordships
that this mistake was not to be considered in order that
the error might be remedied. But how did this affect
the great companies. They gave power to raise capital
for effecting certain public purposes, and yet all those
purposes were defeated by the proceedings of a rival com-
pany. A certain Noble Lord had stated that out of the
50,000 shares, 38,000 had been bought up by a rival
company. To this it was replied that those shares had
been brought, not by the company, but by individuals
connected with that company, but when he (Lord
Ashburton) saw that the individuals who had
purchased these shares were persons who were
chiefly interested in the property of the rival
company, he could not help believing that the opposition
arose out of the conduct of the company itself, and ha
thought that this was an element well worthy of the
consideration of their Lordships.
Lord BROUGHAM said that their statement on this
subject had been made with the clearness which charac-
terised all the speeches of his Noble Friend, but yet
notwithstanding all :that, it should be recollected
that he had only stated three or four of the
bare facts, and though they were important
facts, yet such as only gave a very meagre view of the
case. Their Lordships should further recollect that this
decision was not arrived at on the moment, but declared
after an adjournment, in order to afford due considera-
tion to the subject, and no doubt whatever had been
expressed upon the result at which they had arrived.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, he could assure his Hon.
Friend, and the House, thathera was no wish on the part
of her Ma;esty's Government to avoid this discusion, be-
cause the wore the question was known, the better the
Government would stand ; but he did not think that the
House should enter upon the question until certain docu-
ments, for which the Chancellor of the Exchequer
would move, were laid before them.
Mr. HUME said, documents or no documents, he
would move for a Committee on Friday.
Mr. B. OSBORNE said he would refuse all motions
to go into a Committee of Supply till the question was
brought forward.
Mr. P. BORTHWICK said the Noble Lord's answer
would produce a greater effect on Portugal than any
force he could send out. He hoped, however, the Noble
Lord would hasten the printing of the papers as much
as possible.
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK asked it the Noble
Lord would have any objection to lay the papers on the
table of the House in detached portions, for if they were
so volunminous as had been stated, it would be impos-
sible for Hon. Members to read them in sufficient time ?
He thought, therefore, it would be a great convenience
if his suggestion were attended to.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said they would be brought
forward as expeditiously as possible.
POOR RELIEF (IRELAND) BILL.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that in moving the
order of the day for the consideration of the Lords'
amendments on the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill he wished
to draw the attention of the Speaker to the course
adopted by his predecessor, Lord Dumfermline, when he
was in the chair in 1838. He would therefore ask the
Speaker to state what his opinion was of those amend-
ments, and how they affected the privileges of the House.
The SPEAKER said he had no hesitation in saving
that the amendments made by the House of Lord's to
the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill and the Landed Pro-
perty (Ireland) Bill were an infringement of the privi-
leges of this House. In 1838, when similar amendments
were passed by the Lords to those they had introduced
into the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill the House agreed to
wave its privileges, and it was for the House to decide
whether they would adhere to that practice in the present
instance. With regard, however, to the Landed Property
(Ireland) Bill, there was no precedent for the guidance
of the House, and the case was the more difficult
to deal with, because the amendments re-
lated to funds to be drawn out of the Consolidated
fund, while in the other case the amendments related
only to local rates.—(Hear, hear.) It was, nevertheless,
for the House to decide in both cases what course should
be taken.

The order of the day for the consideration of the
Lords amendments to the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill was
then read.

Lord J. RUSSELL, in moving the consideration of
the amendments, said the House would perceive that
the opinion given from the chair was entirely in
conformity with the one given in 1838.—(Hear).
The question was whether it was expedient that they
should waive their privileges. Those cases to which
reference had been made were of local taxation, in which
the object in view was not taxation for any object of the
State, but had merely in view local objects. With regard
to the last of these, one of the chief amendments made
by the Lords was the division of the taxation into what
was termed electoral divisions, and that was an amend
ment which had been agreed to by the House of Commons.
It did materially alter the burden of taxation ; but con-
sidering that the object of this amendment was the same
as that to which he referree,, he was not disposed to
think that they ought to press the point of privilege. But
it was quite another question when they came to consider
it apart from privilege, and they should take into considera-
tion in what state the House of Lords had returned to
them the Bill which they had sent up. That Biil was of
a very important nature—it extended relief to all the old
and infirm, whather in or out of the workhouse ; and to
the able-bodied pe or outside, if the workhouse was full.
With regard to those two great principles, he found that
the House of Lords had left them untouched. There
was the amendment proposed for the purpose of limiting
the operation of this Bill to three years. Such a
clause would have been most injurious, and he
was glad to see that no such provision ap-
peared in the Bill. He was glad to say that all
the main features of the Bill remained unchanged
on its return to that House. It was true that the Lords
had insisted that the out-door relief should be given by
electoral division ; but there was, however, another
clause, which seemed to counteract the omission
of the clause which relieved the electoral di-
visions from the payment of these rates.
The provision introduced by the Lords very much
counteracted the evil which would arise from the omis-
sion made by the Lords ; and considering that as a
change which would not be injurious to the • Bill,
and that the Lords had agreed to all the main
pcints of the measure ; and considering also the
necessity of the measure receiving the sanction of
both Houses this session, he was disposed to re-
commend them to agree to the amendments. He did not
object to the alteration which enacted that the landlords
of the highest rating should sit upon the boards of
guardians ; but he thought that it was very unfair that
the non-resident proprietor should have a nominee and a
proxy. He would therefore move that these amendments
be now read.

The nantion was agreed to, and the amendments were
read and passed.

CLEFT BITTING.)

CRICKET.

DIARYLEBONE CLUB WITH DEAN AND HILL-
YER, v. OXFORD UNIVERSITY.
This annual contest was opened on the Magdalen
Ground, Cowley-marsh, on Thursday, and was continued
throughout Friday and Saturday in the presence of a
large assemblage of spectators. The following is the
score of the first innings:—

MARYLEBONE.
A. K. George, Esq., b Yonge
Dean, b Yonge
L. H. Bayley, Esq., b Yonge
Hillyer, b Yonge
Hon. E. Grimston, b Yonge...
C. Harenc, Esq., b Willis
Lord Burghley, b Yonge
R. W. Keate, Esq., not out ...
M. Ainslie, Esq., run out
C. Lloyd, Esq., b Yonge
W. Moncrieff, Esq., run out...
Byes 11, wide 8, no ball 1

... 39

UNIVERSITY.
R. Bateman, Esq., b Hillyer...
R. Honeywood, Esq., b Harenc
P. Williams, Esq., b Hillyer...
C. H. Ridding, Esq., b Hillyer
W. H. Davies, Esq., b Hillyer
V. C. Smith, Esq., b Hillyer
C. Randolph, Esq., b Dean
G. Yonge, Esq., b Hillyer
A. Redding, Esq., b liillyer...
S. Soames, Esq., run out
F. Willis, Esq., not out
Byes 5, wide 1

. 26

... 20

- -
146

24

145
CAMBRIDGE TOWN v. GOWN MATCH.
The annual match between the Gown and Town of the
University of Cambridge was played last week, and
seldom has it occurred that so much excitement has been
manifested as upon this occasion.
The final score stood thus:—
THE TOWN.
Pryor, c /114..Tiven, bA. Walker 5 b Lee
Bell, b Lee 27 c and b Walker... 16
Cornwall, c Boudier, b Leith 34 c and b Walker... 7
Fenner, c RPNiven, b Leith
Diver, b Hammersley .. lO c and b Walker 3
Hayward, b King
Ringwood, c APNiven, b Lee
Arnold, b A. Walker
11. Foster, Esq., bA. Walker... 5 run out 6
Ilaggis, not out 5 b Lee 2l
Winterton, b Lee
Byes 4, wide 11, no balls 5. .. 20 Byes G,_wide 3

195 91
THE GOWNSMEN.
J. Lee, Eq., c Cornwall, b Fenner 2
R. Seddon, Esq., b Diver ... ...... 26 b Arnold
A. M. Hoare, Esq., c Diver, b
Winterton ... 4O not out
IL T. King, Esq., c Cornwall, b
Arnold
Boudier, Esq., c Winterton,
b Diver
0. C. Pell, Esq., not out
J. Walker, Esq., b Arnold
E. Wiciven, Esq., c Kingwood,
b Arnold ...... 29 not out ~ 25
llammersley, Esq., b Diver 2
J. Leith, Esq., run out 0
A. Walker, Esq., b Diver 2
Byes and wides l3 Byes and wides .... 1

172
The Gownsmen thus won by eight wickets.

~.. 58

MILITARY COURTS-MARTlAL.—Saturday the 2d
Battalion of Coldstream Guards, stationed at St. John's
Wood, under the command of Colonel Bentinck, were assem-
bled in square to bear the minutes of a court-martial read
on private J. Brow”' ill, of No. 8 Company, who had been
tried by a court-lit/Ir.:al for absenting himself without leave
from his battalion for upwards of seven days and nights.
The Court found him guilty, and sentenced him to thirty
days' imprisonment with hard labour. On Friday, the 28th
inst., a district court-martial assembled, composed of the
oflicers of the 2d Battalion Coldstream Guards, at present
stationed at St. John's Wood when private J. Crook, No. 7
Company, was brought to trial' by order of Colonel BTitinck,
commanding the Coldstream Giiards, under authority of a
warrant from his Grace the Commander-in-Chief, for dis-
graceful conduct as a soldier in stealing one pair of regi-
mental trousers, the property of another private of the 2d
Battalion Coldstream Guards. The finding and sentence of
the Court will not be made. known to the battalion until
finally,, approved of by the Queen.
IIIE SEASON.—PROSPECTS OF THE CROPS.—The
accounts contained in the provincial papers from all quarters
of the country coincide in describing the prospect of the har-
vest as mot favourable, and the effects of the present genial
weather as most beneficial. The crops are everywhere look-
ing remarkably fine, and no doubt appears as yet to be enter-
tained. of an early and abundant harvest.
It is a sad fact, that from the very large quantity
of game preserved on the Duke of Marlborough's estate at
Blenheim, some of the corn-growing land in the locality will
not produce a bushel of corn to the acre. His Grace has some
hundreds of acres of arable land in his occupation, which is
now unproductive, and which has not this season been cul-
tivated.

John Gorman, Dennis Gorman, James Coffee, John
Gilbert, and Catherine Gorman, were finally examined at
Westminster Police•court on Saturday, on a charge of com-
mitting a desperate assault upon the police, and Ellen Gorman
was charged with attempting to rescue one of the other pri-
,9ners. The first five prisoners were fully committed to
•
Mwgate for trial on the capital charge of assaulting and
wounding with intent, Sec.
proved to have tried to rescu'e her husband, was admitted
49 bal. and Ellen Gorman, who was

MAY 81, 18477

ASCOT HEATH RACES.
The following entries took place on Saturday after-
noon :

FIRST DAY.

The Trial Stakes of 5 sous. each, with 50 added ; two
yrs old, 4st 41b ; three, 7st 41b ; four, Bst 71b ; five
9st ; six and aged, 9st 31b. The new mile.
Prussic Acid, 4 yrs Embrace, 2 yrs
Alsatia, 3 yrs The Iron Crown, 2 yrs
Wanota, 3 yrs