The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-18 00:00:00

JUVENILE OFFENDERS' BILL.

The Earl of DEVON moved the Committee on this
Bill, and briefly entered into its details.
Lord BROUGHAM thought that something must be
done to remedy the present defective state of the law
with respect to the punishment of juvenile offenders,
There were many cases in which the servkes of a jury
might be dispensed with, particularly inTealing with
very young persons. He entirely approved of that part
of the Bill which made parents responsible for the good
conduct of their children.
Lord DENMAN had long thought it expedient
and necessary for the ends of justice that all petty cases
should be submitted to a jury, because he never could
think that an Englishman should be tried without a jury;
still the evils inherent in the mode of trying
juvenile and petty (offences were great ; for instance,
persons were tried for stealing such thins as eggs,
stores, and game. They were incarcerated for some
time before their trial, and when at last the time arrived
juries considered that the parties had been suffi-
ciently punished ; and even when they were
found guilty, the Judge could only inflict
a fine of one shilling in consequence of
the punishment which the prisoner had received.
The consequence was, that petty offences were
committed with impunity, and the lower classes, who
were the persons guilty of them, were demoralised. He
Wab compelled, therefore, however reluctantly, to say
that that jury might be dispensed with in such cases
where a good and responsible tribunal could be obtained.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
The Hon. Frederick Leveson Gower took the oaths
and his seat for Derby. The Hon. Gentleman was in-
troduced by Mr. Strutt and Mr. W. Entwisle.
LIMERICK DOCKS AND HARBOUR BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY BILL.
This Bill, for making deviations in the East Lanca-
shire Railway and the Rawtenstall Canal branch, was
read a third time and passed.
MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLN-
SHIRE RAILWAY (ASHTON CANAL PUR-
CHASE).
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
REPORTS.
The reports on the following Bills were brought up
and ordered to lie on the table :
Chester and Holyhead Railway Extension.
Crowland and Cowbit Washes, &c., Drainage. •
Manchester Corporation Waterworks (Power to sell to
Manchester and Salford Waterworks).
THIRD READINGS,
The following Bills were read a third time and
passed:—
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway.
Northern unties Union Railway Deviation.
York and North Midland Railway (Knottingley Branch).
Midland Railway (Extension of the Nottingham and
Lincoln Branch at Lincoln).
Midlands Railway (Masbrough and Normanton Station
Enlargement).
Paisley, Barrhead, and Hurlet Railway.
Lincoln Town Rating.
Limerick Docks and Harbour.
Leeds Central Railway Station.
Guildford Extension and Portsmouth and Fareham
Railway.
East of Fife Railway (Markinch Deviation).
Edinburgh and Northern Railway, St. Andrew's and
Newburgh Harbour, Branches, and Road Crossings
(Newport Railway Extension).
CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS.
The reports on the following Bills were further con-
sidered and agreed to:—
Belfast Improvement.
Caledonian Railway (Edinburgh Station and Branches
to Granton, and to the Edinburgh and Glasgow
Railway).
Clarence Railway, and Leeds and Thirsk Railway Amal-
gamation.
Eastern Union Railway (Branch from Manningtree to
Harwich).
Exeter and Exmouth Railway.
Great Northern Railway (Deviations between Grantham
and York).
Inverness Harbour and Navigation.
Inverness Municipal and Police, &c.
Leeds and Thirsk Railway (Eagleseliffe and Stillington
Extension).
Leeds and Thirsk Railway (Branch from Melmerby to
Northallerton, &c.)
Leeds and Thirsk Railway (Harrogate and Pateley
Branch, &c.)
Leicester Waterworks.
London (City) Improvements.
Rathmines Improvement.
Taw Vale Railway and Dock (Deviations and Bideford
and Southmolton Branches).
York and North Midland Railway (Hull Station and
Branches).
STOCKPORT MANORIAL TOLLS AND
BRIDGES.
On the motion for the third reading of this Bill,
Mr. B. ESCOTT opposed the
third reading, on the
ground that the Bill would interfere with the interest of
the licensed victuallers, who had been refused a hearing
before the Committee on the Bill.
Mr. TATTON EGERTON supported the third read-
ing, alleging that the inhabitants of Stockport were
particularly anxious that the Bill should pass.
The Bill was then read a third time.
CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAILWAY EX-

TENSION.
Mr. WARD moved that the evidence taken before the
Committee be printed before the Bill was further pro-
ceeded with.—Agreed to.

REGULATION OF PRIVATE BILLS.
Mr. GREENE said, that in the absence of the Hon.
Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume), he begged to move
the order of the day for the adjourned debate on the
question, that it is expedient that the constitution and
practice of all Committees on private Bills, in future
sessions of Parliament, should be assimilated as nearly as
may be to those of Committees on railway Bills; and that
it be an instruction to the Committee of Revision of Stand-
ing Orders, to make provision accordingly. In doing this
he could not but regret that the duty had not fallen into
more able hands. But as he had nine years ago entered
fully into the subject, and as he had participated in the
construction of one of the first reports that had ever
been made, he was anxious to see the recommendation
which had been then thrown out. The House some time
afterwards adopted the principle of placing Members on
the Committee who had no interest in the places
to which private Bills had reference; but it
had not been commonly adopted, and it was now
necessary that some further regulations should be made.
He did not think that Hon. Members, who were locally
interested in any Private Bills which came before them,
in their Committees, should be allowed to vote upon the
decision of such Bills 1 and he certainly thought that
some change was needed for in the constitution of the
Committees of the House of Commons.
Mr. BERNAL thought that the motion ought not to
have been brought forward in the absence of the Hon.
Member for Montrose, whose offspring this motion really
was. Ho was convinced from the enormous increase of
private business annually brought before the House
that a time was not far distant when the House
would completely throw overboard all the private
business, and leave the adjudication of such
subjects erttirely in the hands of another tribunal. He
would oppose the motion by every possible mode the
rules oJt the House afforded.
Fir R. H. INGLIS • thou that the principle of con-
-b :itreting the private business ought to partake mere of
the nature, and be influenced more by the
principles, of the public business of this House.
In the management of railway Bills there was a great
error committed in placing the business which affected
a local district before a Committee of that House, the
Members of which were completely ignorant of the local
wants of that district. Why, in such a case the decision
depended not so much on the merits of a case as on the
abilities of the counsel. He thought that no reason had
been assigned for reversing the decision which the House
had come to on the 20th of January,: and he should,'
therefore, give his opposition to the motion.
Sir W. HEATHCOTE supported the motion, and
considered that the Hon. Gentlemen -who opposed it had
not- stated sufficient grounds for- its TheY