The Sun.
London, England, 1840-03-20 00:00:00

FIVENING

Mr. EDWARD TURNER moved that the name of
Mr. Blewit be added to the Banking Committee. There
was not one person on this Committee connected with the
Joint Stock Banks of Issue. There were three Directors
of private banks. The Chairman and one of the Directors
of the Bank of England, a member of the Bank of Ireland,
two private bankers, were on his Committee, yet no person
to protect the Joint Stock Banks cf Issue. He would ao-
peal to the Right Hon. Gentleman en this subject, Sir T.
Fremantle, who was a Director of a Bank, and was not con-
nected with a Joint Stock Bank of Issue. Let the inquiry
be fair and impartial, and the report would carry confidence,
and therefore he mentioned that it was necessary that a
Person connected with some Joint-stock Bane of Issue
should be on the Committee, and he hoped the Right Hoe.
11entleman would consent to the appointment of Mr.
Blewit as a Membe rof the Committee.
Mr. WODE HO USE objected to the motion, and
wished that the arrangements already made should not be
disturbed.
Mr. GISBORNE was also opposed to the motion.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
thought he was not open to the objection of having acted
unfairly on the occasion, as Mr. Connell, and other Mein.
hers of the Committee, were appointed on the Committee.
After a few words from Mr. HUM E, the motion was
withdrawn.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then
moved that it should be a secret Committee.
Mr. HUME objected to the motion, as he wished
that their proceedings should have pub'icity.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER de-
fended the motion, and said that their purposes would be
best attained by secresy.
Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN said that the Committee was
formed for the purpose of giving information to the coun-
try, as well as to Members of the House. He was
therefore opposed to the motion.
Sir R. PEEL said that, by having the proceedings of
the Committee secret, a'l necessary information would vot
be withheld from the public, who would learn the genera.
results of their investigations, though particular details
might not be made known to them. He remembered that
the course now recommended to the House had been
adopted on a former occasion by a Committee on Joint-
stock Banks.
After a few words, in reply, from Mr. HUME, the
House divided, and the numbers were—
. For the motion 33
Against the motion 23
Majority
Mr. HUME wished to know to what extent the pro-
ceedings of the Committee were to be secret.
The SPEAKER said that as the proceedings of the
Committee were to be secret, no Member of it could dis-
close them, and that the Committee would have the power
of excluding from their publication any part of the evi-
dence which they might think proper.
Me. HUME could only say that in that case the Com-
mittee would be wholly useless.—(A laugh.)
It was then moved that the Repents of preceding Corn-
Ill...tittees on the same subject should be referred to the said
Committee, and the motion was agreed to.
MENDICANCY IN IRELAND.
Lord MORPETH rose to move for leave to bring
la a Bill for the purpose of amending the laws re-
lating to mendicancy in Ireland. The Noble
lefore proceeded to say that the New Poor-law
Guardians in Ireland had all, with two exceptions,
Called on the Government to adopt such a measure as
:as now proposed. The present laws relating to vag-
.'enY in Ireland, were, he thought, liable to much oh-
Jection, becamie the clauses they contained were capri-
cious and uncertain in their operation, or because they
were so severe as to defeat their own objects. The ex-
teenaepunishment of vagrancy under those laws was
tdraespoitation for life, and such a punishment necessarily
ilterred parties from attempting to eeforce those laws.
• Q floe Proposed to adopt so much of the vagrancy laws
ln England as relate to mendicancy, without following
out their other _details. It was his wish to make the
provisions of the Bill as simple and as considerate as the
extreme difficulty of the case would allow. The main
object he had in view was to relieve the occupiers of the
soil in Ireland from the double pressure of the Poor-rate
!ass, and that regular and systematic species of mend,-
encY which was known to prevail in that country. He
wished to prevent vagrants from practising on those kind
feelings which animated the peasantry of Ireland, and to
relieve them from that fear of ill will on the part of mends.
cants, or that dread of Divine vengeance which they enter-
Ricci fired case they refused aid to any parties who might
PPle for it. The rich in Ireland were already sufficiently
protected against such applications by their parks and
their avenues, and it was the cabin which was open
to the winds of heaven, that was also most liable to the
visits of the distressed. He did not desire to extinguish
thou feelings of charity which prevailed to such a large
extent among the poor of Ireland, and he was happy to
Say that it would not be in his power to effect such an
object even though he endeavoured to do so. It was
merely his wish to prevent that regular trade in mendi-
cancy which existed in Ireland. He did not, however,
disguise from himself that many difficulties environ the
Question. This certainly would appear to be an anomal
yyn malting the asking of alms a crime in a country where
he poor had no legal right to claim relief. He
therefore proposed not to make mendicants pun-
hhabic by the law till after the opening of
the workhouses, and merely so long as those
workhouses could not give assistance to deserving objects.
He believed that, on the score of expediency and of the
general welfare, some such measure es he proposed should
be adopted. He did rot wish to hurry his Bill through
the House without giving Hon. Members ample opportu-
nity of discussing the clauses, and he hoped that under all
the circumstances of the case the House would have no
objection to agree to his motion.—( Hear, hear.)
Sir R. PEEL—Does the Noble Lord mean, that when
the workhouse of a Union is full, a mendicancy will be
allowed, which will be prevented when it is not full 2
Lord MORPETH said the penalties of the Bill would
not apply, except when the workhouse-was not full.
Sir- R. PEEL—Supposing the workhouse to be full,
would a system of mendicancy be tolerated ?
Lord MORPETH—In that case, no alteration is made
in the law as it now stands.
Sir ROBERT PEEL doubted whether there would
not be difficulty on this point. And again, as to the term
" disorderly begging," did it mean violence ? There was
no doubt that was now illegal ; but if it implied mere dis-
order, he was afraid the lower order of proprietors would not
be sufficiently protected from those affecting appeals to their
charity, which they were always ready to exert.
Lord -MORPETH said by " disorderly begging" he
only meant begging contrary to the spirit of the Bill he
now proposed.
Mr. F. SHAW did not object to the introduction of
the Bill; but he feared there would be great difficulty in
working it out, especially with regard to the New Poor-law.
Mr LYNCH said he should support the Bill, because
he felt that it would be useless to attempt to carry the
Poor-law into operation if mendicancy were allowed.
Mr. M. O'CONNEL L holed the Bill would not be
hurried through.
Leave was given to bring in the Bill.
Mejnr C HETWYND moved for returns of the name of
the Master of the Free School at Sutton Coldfield, in the
county of Warwick; the date of his appointment; the
amount of annual salary received by him from the time of
his appointment up to the Ist day of January, 1840 ; and
the number of Scholars in each year, distinguishing those
teho were boarders in his house, and those admitted on the
Foundation. Return of the name of the present Head
Master of Breewood Free Grammar School, in the county
of Stafford ; the date of his appointment ; the amount of
annual salary received by him from the time of his appoint-
ment up to the let day of January, 1840 ; the number of
Scholars in the Upper School in each year, distinguish-
mg those who were boarders in his house, and those who
Were out-boarders, or on the Foundation. Also return of
the name of the present Under Master ; the date of his
ftlenointment ; the amount of annual salary received by
:ran- from the time of his appointment up to the Ist day of
to• •i 1840 ; and the number of boys in the Lower School
Peach year since his appointment.—Ordered. Also, for
urn of the names of the Colonels and other Officers of
the following regiments of Militia in England and Wales;
thehos dates of their several commissions; distinguishing
t
e wno have served in the Househnld Brigade, the
Line, or Royal Navy ; together with the rank obtained by
.
Leern in any of the above services, and whether on half-pay
at this time, or holding commissions in any yeomanry regi-
ment, if so, the date of such commission ; these returns to
be signed by the Colonel or Field Officer, or senior officer
of the regiment in England or Wales, and by the Adjutant
of each regiment :—Cornwall, Devon (East) Flint, Hants
(Nerth), Hants (South), Isle of Wight, Kent ( East),
Kent ( West), Lancaster, Leicester, Nottingham, Rutland,
Somerset ( let). Somerset (2d), Stafford, York (Ist West
Riding), Chester, Devon ( North), Dorset.
Ordered.