The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVEN'ING, FEBRUARY ll, IM7.

suggest, that in the event of the Committee being
granted, their inquiry should be directed to the levying
of an equal rate throughout all unions. It appeared to
him that it would be a great advantage over the present
union of settlements. It would at once open up to the
labourer an ample fieldfor employment, while it would
revive that pecuniary interest in the rate-payer, which
was supposed by some to be of so much advantage.
The Duke of RICHMOND said, as the Noble Lord
had alluded to what had fallen from him with respect to
the Law of Settlement, he wished to say a few words.
He had stated, and he now repeated it, that a more
clumsy measure was never introduced and passed
property someTh drawing
The
than the Law of Settlement. It was origi-
nally proposed as a . much more extended
measure, bat half of its original provisions were left out,
and the lawyers did not agree as to the working of the
portion that remained. It had done great mischief, and
if a committee were appointed, and he should move for
one on a future day, the injurious effects of its working
could be proved. Nothing did so much mischief as the
continual alterating of the law of settlement, as the poor
found it difficult to ascertain, from the different views
that prevailed, any definite notion of the settlements and
the proper way to claim them.
Earl FITZWILLIAM approved of the principle of
the present Law of Settlement, yet he admitted the
clauses were so involved that its working was most de-
fective and injurious.. He thought that if the poor-law
to the removal of paupers, by
guardians had certain rules laid down for their guid-
icuenmtraatltearustrheofreitryl.,rgthere couid not possibly be any
Lord BEAU MONT said that an evil of considerable
magnitude had lately arisen in the construction of cot-
tages upon the land at the lowest possible prices, and to
gsaonrmocueend of objection. .
let them at the highest rents, without paying any rates
for them. He thought that with reference to the Poor-
law Settlement Bill passed last session, that it was a mea-
sure that was both just to the rate-payer, and genercus
to the pauper. There was one point which the N.,ble
Lord who presented the petition should consider well,
that was, whether the fact of high wages being given at
places might not act as a sort of advertisement for
paupers from the poorer districts.
Earl of STRADBROKE was of opinion that all
should be rated. He knew a place where there
were from 700 to 800 small cottages exempted from as
sessment. In Ilchester so great was the number of
houses exempted, that forty-five per cent. of the rates
were left unpaid.
Lord WALSINGHAM agreed with the Noble Lord
that the small occupier should be rated, as it would give
them an interest in keeping down the rates as much as
possible.

CRIMINAL LAW AND JUVENILE OFFENDERS.

Lord BROUGHAM gave notice that, on Monday
next, he would present a petition from the magistrates
of Liverpool on the subject of the administration of
criminal law, and of juvenile offenders.

THE POOR REMOVAL ACT.
The Duke of BUCKINGHAM presented a petition
from Long Crenden, praying for the abolition of the
Poor-removal Act of last session.
REDUCTION ON RUM.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from
the malt distillers of Huntley, Aberdeenshire, against
the proposed reduction of the duty on rum. The
petititioners thought that with the various restrictions
and burdens on them they ought not to be
subjected to an unfair competition. He hoped, there-
fore, their Lordships would do much to make a full
inquiry into the statements of the petitioners
before they assented to the reductio❑ complained of,
and he was quite satisfied that Mr. Robinson,
the gentleman who signed the petition on be-
half of the other petitioners, would be able to
substantiate all the statements made if an opportunity
were given him, as he (the Duke of Richmond) hap-
pened to know that gentleman, and he would under-
take to say that he would not put his name
to anything that was not true.
Lord MONTEAGLE said he had recently received a
deputation upon the same subject, and he felt that he
could rely with confidence upon the information they
gave him. He thought the distillers of this country
ought to be placed upon an equal footing with those of
the colonies. The manufacturers of spirits in this
country were subject ty inconveniences and re-
strictions to which the manufacturers of spirits in
this country were not liable. The colonial manufacturer
could distil how he pleased or where he pleased, without
any control, while the manufacturer of spirits in this coun-
try was compelled to go through a number of formalities.
pay duties upon every ingredient used in their manu-
factories, and subject themselves to all sorts of restric-
tion and inconveniences imposed on them by Govern-
ment.—(Hear, hear.) He therefore thought some
alteration ought to be made in the law.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented similar petitions
from distillers in Elgin and Banff, and the towns of
Hamilton and Keith. The Noble Duke also presented a
petition complaining of the charge imposed on land.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented copies of
the correspondence which had taken place between the
Government and the Lahore Durbar during the
minority of the Maharaja Runjeet Singh, which was
ordered to be printed.
Their Lordships then adjourned.

HO USE 0 FCOMMONS.
The SI/EULER took the Chair at Four o'cleck.
SECOND READINGS.
The following Bills were read a second time:—
East Lincolnshire Railway (Louth Navigation Purchase).
London and Blackwall Railway Improvement and
Branches to St. Katherine's and London Docks.
Windsor, Staines, and South• Western Railway (Rich-
mond to Windsor, So.)
Windsor, Staines, and South. Western Railway (Staines
to Ascot and Wokingham, with Branches).
PETITIONS.

Mn GREENE presented petitions against the North
British and other railways.
Lord DUNCAN presented a petition against the
Exeter, Yeovil, and Dorchester Railway.
Mr. DILLON BROWN presented a petition from
the barony of Westport, in the county of Mayo, praying
diliaEniStTor Salford, praying the House to
the House to establish foopdredseepnottesdina Ipreetliatniodn from the
.
R°aguparolr'or. law for Ireland which should throw the
mebsoatMaairnbdrieisonßhfance of the poor upon the owners of the land.
Several Hon. Members presented petitions from dif-
ferent places, praying for an alteration in the Poor
Removal Act of last session.
Colonel CONNOLLY presented two petitions in fa-
vour of Lord George Bentinck's Bill for aiding the
Railways in Ireland.
Mr. BRIGHT presented petitions from Bury, the
city of London and Greenwich, praying for the abolition
of punishment of death.
Mr. H. BERKELEY presented a petition, praying
the House to reduce the duty on copper ore.
Mr. M. PHILIPS presented a petition from a tobac-
conist of Manchester, named Stork, complaining that the
Income-tax Commissioners had assessed his profits at
500/. a-year, while he was prepared to prove that he had
lost instead of gained by his business, and praying the
House to amend the law, so that he, and others similarly
situated to himself, might be relieved from its operation.
Lord R. GROSVENOR presented a petition in favour
•f the claims of the Rajah of Sattara.
Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from
Nottingham, in favour of the reduction of the duties
on tea.