The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-06 00:00:00

taking into consideration the question of the Corn-laws.
Sir R. prxr, saidoit, was the intention of his Right
Hen. Friend the Secretary for the Home Department to
gt, tlowit EA) Vv indsor and lay before her Majesty all the
'petitions that had been presented on the subject.
On the motion of Captain BOLDERO, returns were
ordered of the number of muskets supplied by the Ord-
nance to her .Majesty's navy, stating the description,
with any alterations that had been made, and by what
authority, since the year 1834.
The Hause then adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS, Oct. 5.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his seat on the
Woolsack at Half-past Three o'Clock.
Lori Abinger and the Earl of Carnarvon took the
oaths and their seats.
ROYAL ASSENT.
The Royal assent was given to. day by Commission to
the Administration of Justice Bill, the Expiring Laws
Bill, the Navy Pay Bill, the Foreign Bishops Consecra-
tion Bill, the Frogmore Lodge Bill, the Royal Gardens
Bill, Riddle's Estate Bill, Marlborough's Estate Bill, and
Clayton's Name Bill.
The Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the
Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord Wharncliffe.
The House then adjourned during pleasure.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack
at the usual hour.

On • the motion of Lord ELLENI3OROUGH, tho
Exchequer Bills Funding Bill was read a third time and
passed.

DRAINAGE OF TOWNS.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said he wished to call
he attention of the Noble Duke to a subject of great
Parliamentary interest, and in which he (the Marquis of
Normanby) personally took great interest. Last Session
he had brought in Bills for the drainage of towns and
the improvement of buildings, which Bills were approved
of by that House, both as to details as well as principle,
and were sent down to the other House, where the prin-
ciple met with no opposition, but as respected some
localities the details cave rise to much discussion,
in consequence of which he found it would not be
able to pass that House during the present Session.
He had mentioned the subject to his successor, and he
now wished to ask the Noble Duke whether the Go-
vernment had determined to adopt those measures so far
as the principle went? If the Noble Duke would give
him that assurance he would leave them in the hands
of the Government, but if no such assurance was given
he would take that opportunity of giving notice
that he would himself bring them into the House on the
first day of business next Session, and trust to his Noble
Friend the Member fur Dorsetshire to conduct them
through the other House.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said that he had commu-
nicated with his Right Honourable Friend the Secretary
of State fur the Home Department on the subject,
and expressed to him the anxiety he felt for the success
of those measures, but his Right Hon. Friend
very justly replied that the Bill would have to undergo
the investigation of a Committee of the House of Com-
mons, as it had in that House ; and as a new opposition
bad arisen to some of the details of the Bill, it
would be impossible to proceed with it in the present
Session. With respect to the question of the Noble
Marquis, all he could say was that no member
of the Government had looked into the Bill,
and they were therefilre not vet prepaitd to
say whether they would be taken up as Go-
vernment measures, but this he would promise,
that the Bills should receive their attentive consideration
during the recess.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said, that he had sup-
ported the Bill last Session, and if again introduced he
should support i t.
The Marquis of NORMANBY said, be was 'quite
satisfied with the Noble Duke's assurance, and,
therefore, unless the Government should do so, he
would himself bring in the Bill again, and trust to the
assistance of the Noble Duke.
POOR-LAW COMMISSION BILL.
On the motion of the Duke of WELLINGTON, the
POor-law Commission Continuance Bill was read a third
time and pass's]. Also the Exchequer Bills- Fund-
ing Bill.
Lord MF,l,lt )URNE presented several petitions, pray-
ing the House to take the Corn-laws into consideration.
THE CORN-LAWS—THE PROROGATION OF
PARLIAMENT.
The Earl of RADNOR wished to allude to the subject
of the immediate prorogation of Parliament, a subject
which excited the greatest interest in the country. He
had last night understood the Noble Duke (the Duke of
Wellington) to disclaim all intention upon the part of the
Government of taking the subject of the Corn-
laws into their consideration.—(Cries of " No, no.")
He would be glad to find he had misunder-
stood the Noble Deice. The question was one
deeply connected with the national welfare and our
commercial prosperity. Distress might exist in a coun-
try, although there might be plenty of food in it ; and
that was now the case in England, for the people had
not the means of purchasing food. That was a fearful
state of things, and one which deserved the immediate
consideration of Parliament. He had by him a
letter which he lately received from a gentleman
in the country professing his own political opinions—
for he was what was called a Radical—(A laugh)—
and his correspondent stated that the feeling throughout
the country was, that the people had nothing to expect
from Parliament ; that everything was to be attained by
I;eslence rim& Mat' nuitting-teoattrttrgranted to ' argu-
ment or common-sense.—(Hear.) He (the Earl of Radnor)
had always observed that there was a singular aversion
to discussion upon the part of Noble Lords opposite.
If the Parliament were now prorogued, and popular out-
rages should take place during the winter, and it say-
thing should be done by the Government next Ss . nen,
would not that be a repetition of the lesson tang} 1n ih
people by the granting of Catholic Emant it 6. a?
Would they not again be taught that that was conceded
to . violence which was refused to argument and
common sense?—(Hear, hear, hear.) Ile would now
read their Lordships a passage from another letter which
he had received from the same individual, in which the
writer stated that now the Government had got into
office they were endeavouring to persuade the people that
there was no distress. Now with respect to the question
of distress, it was remarkable that while the existence
of that distress was admitted and deplored, documents
were produced which went to show that there was
no distress at all. With regard to that part of the ques-
tion, however, he had that morning seen in a newspaper,
purporting to be a petition to the House of Commons,
signed " A Member of the Royal College of Surgeons
in London," which stated certain facts relating to the
admissions into the Fever Hospital at Manchester during
the last ten years. During the first five years, which
were years of manufacturing prosperity, the number
of admissions amounted to 2,459, and the number of
deaths to 309, while during the last five
.years, which
had been y ears of distress, the number of admissions
amounted to 4,639, and the number of deaths to 853,
being nearly 18 per cent. on the admission. Was it
not matter worthy the consideration of Parliament,
when such multitudes were complaining of distress—
when medical men were publishing books, calling on
the clergy to exert themselves to assist
in endeavouring to devis:s some remedy for
that distress, which was affecting so deeply
both the corporeal and intellectual welfare of the people?
Under such circumstances it was most painful to see the
Government turn a deaf ear to their applications, and
Parliament dismissed without having considered the
subject. Me repeated that he thought the Government
was incurring a grave responsibility in advising her Ma-
jesty to adopt the step of proroguing the Parliament.
The gentleman to whom he had before alluded in another
part of his letter stated that the Government should re-
collect that the greater number of the Chartist leaders
were now out of prison, and that they were endeavouring
to persuade the working-people that a repeal of the Corn.
laws would do them no good.—(" Hear, hear," from the
Duke of Richmond.) The Noble Duke seemed to be of
the same opinion. Would he agree with the other doc-
trines of the Chartist leaders, that all the land ought to
be taken into immediate cultivation, that the present
possessors of the land had no right to it,
but that it ought all to belong to the State?
The writer then went on to say that great dismay pre-
vailed in Manchester, on account of the Chartist meet-
ings, and that if justice were done to the people, it
would put an end to all those absurdities, and the
people who live by promulgating them. The letter was
from a very plain man, but one who very well under-
stood the subject. He hoped Noble Lords opposite
would lay these things to their hearts, and that some-
thing should be done before the prorogation.—(Hear,
hear, from the Opposition.)
The Duke of WELLINGTON said that the erson
who advised her Majesty ought to consider well before
he submitted his advice ; and he (the Duke of Wel-
lington) would do so. But he would tell the Noble Lord
opposite what he would not do. He would not
allow himself to be intimidated by the Noble
Lord and his correspondent—a Radical, the Noble Lord
called him—(A laugh)—from doing his duty, let the
consequences be what they might which should follow
upon the advice which, to the best of his judgment, he
should think it his duty to submit to his Sovereign' .
(Hear, hear, from the Ministerial benches.) It was his
(the Noble Duke's) opinion, that there was not a
wiser order upon their Lordships' Standing Or-
ders than that which provided that reference should
not be made to former debates—(llear)—wild he thought
that when Noble Lords thought proper to pay no at-
tention to that order, and to refer to former speakers,
they ought to be correct as to what passed, and not at-
tribute words to other Noble Lords which never were
uttered--(Hear, hear)—nor give a meaning to those
words which the Noble Lord to whom they were attri-
buted never could have intended to convey. If the Noble
Lord (Radnor) had attended to what occurred last night,
he would have known that it was not him, but the
Noble Viscount opposite (Lord Melbourne), who alluded
to the subject.—(Hear.) The Noble Viscount said that
if he (the Duke of Wellington) would give notice of
bringing the Corn-laws under the consideration of the
House, he would secure a full attendance of Members.
His (the Noble Duke's) answer to that was, that he would
not announce any intention which he did
enaort
entertain, in order to insure a full attendance.—(Hear,
h
ear.) Ile was sure the Noble Viscount opposite would
_
allow that what he alluded to, was the attendance_earf
Members in the present Session of Parliament.-0
Melbourne.)yfroisincoLunortdmenttilatfur
Noble
In fact,
meant now.
notiiicee didshoullldot btehinglivetnh
the Noble Viscount meant no such thine months, or any distant period.--(Hear, hear.) In
I lifo—rd that it would
He perfectly agreed with the
He was not prepared
what he stated was perfectly true.
bring a large number of tpheersi\-o'ons to the House. But
What he stated was that it was a large and
to bring forward at the present time a review of the
Corn-law.
serious question, which required consideration in all its
parts, and must be so considered in all 'its parts and all
its bearings in reference to commerce and finances, and
the other questions with which the Corn-law was connected