The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-25 00:00:00

PRINCE ALBERT.

Colonel SI BTHORP wished to ask the Noble Lord,
the Secretary for the Colonies, whether it was his in-
tention to-night to confine himself merely to making a
statement to the House as to the views by which he
was actuated in proposing the provision for Prince
Albert, or whether the discussion Las also to come on ?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that in replying to the
Hon. Member for the University of Cambridge, he had
the other night stated that it was his intention o. going
into the Committee of Supply to make his statement
the ground on which he proposed the resolution, and
then to move that the further discussion of the question
be adjourned to Monday.
FACTORY BILL.
Mr. BAINES asked if it was the intention of the
Government to introduce any measure for the Regulat-
ing of Factories during the present Session.
Mr. L ABOUCHERE said that it was the intention
of his Hon. Friend the Under Secretary for the Home
Department to introduce such a measure.
MEDICAL REFORM.
Mr. FRENCH gave notice that on Monday he
should move for the reappointment of the Committee to
consider the state of the medical profession.
STEAM BOAT ACCIDENTS.
Sir R. BATESON wished to ask the Right Hon.
the President of the Board of Trade if it was
his intention to introduce any stringent measure
on the subject of steam-boats, so as to sub-
ject them to a rigid examination, both as to
the efficiency anil safety of 'the machinery, and
also as to their general sea-worthiness. The recent ac-
cident which had occurred to the Dublin steamer Hus-
kisson showed the necessity of introducing some measure
to prevent the avarice of the steam-boat owners from
sacrificing the lives of her Majesty's subjects.
Mr. LABOUC HERE said the subject was one of
very considerable difficulty, as well as importance, but
it was the intention of her Majesty's Government shortly
to lay before the House a proposition on the subject,
and he hoped they should be able to legislate upon it
during the present Session.—( Hear, hear.)

RAILWAYS.
Sir ROBERT PEEL did not know to what Mem•
bcr of her Majesty's Government he should address his
question.—not knowing. what officer was connected with
Railways or that branch of the public service. He
wished to know whether there existed at present a Com-
mission of Engineers for the purpose of reporting upon
contested lines of railway in England ; and if there
were, what were the lines referred to that Commission
for its decision ?
Mr. L ABOUC HERE was not aware that he could
answer the Right Honourable Gentleman's question
with perfect accuracy. He believed the matter
stood thus : There were two addresses in the
course of the last Session of Parliament—one for
an inquiry into two lines of railway, which were
in contemplation in the North of England, with a view
to ascertain their respective merits—he meant the
line leading from London towards Edinburgh and
Glasgow—the other address referred to the lines
contemplated towards Ireland. In consequence of
these addresses to the Crown in the course
of last Session, engineers were appointed to
investigate those lines which had been surveyed, and he
knew that the engineers were at present prosecuting the
inquiry, and, he would add, with all convenient speed
the result of those inquiries would be made pub-
lic. When that Commission was appointed, he
believed it was expressly guarded against its
being supposed that there was a general Commission
of Engineers to inquire into all competing lines, or to
inquire generally into the subject of railways. On the
contrary, it was stated that the Commission would
merely apply to the lines already surveyed, and which
might be supposed to have reference to the great lines
of communication with the North, and with England.
Sir R. PEEL presumed that it was not intended to
take these lines out of the hands of private companies
for the purpose of having them executed by the Go-
vernment.

Mr. LA BOUCHERE said decidedly not. The
Government, considering- the importance of the subject,
had considered itself authorised to interfere merely to
see that the best lines were selected.
Mr. O'CONNELL supposed that the Right Hon.
Baronet did not prefer the line of railway which was in
progress of survey in Wales, because the Chancellor of
the Exchequer had given the country to understand
that in three weeks the Report upon that line would be
laid upon the table.

COURT OF SESSION. I
Mr. WALLACE understanding that one of the
Judges of the Court of Session hid resigned, wished
to know from the Noble Lord, or the Lord Advocate
of Scotland, whether it was intended to fill up the
vacancy, or to wait and see if the appointment could
be dispensed with.

Lora JOHN RUSSELL would give the subject
his hest consideration before any new appointment was
made, but he could not undertake to say that the num-
ber of Judges would be reduced.
Mr. HUME wished to ask the Chancellor of the
Exchequer whether it would be in his power to give
the country a smaller silver coin than the fourpenny
pieces—(Laughter)—which were the smallest now in
circulation. He could not, for h s part, understand
why this country should not have a coin still smaller.
The CHANCELLOR. of the EXCHEQUER
said, that the impression on his mind was, that it
would not be expedient to have a smaller than that
of fourpence which they now had.
Mr. HUME said that his principal reason for asking
his question was, that he believed the Bank of England
refused to issue fourpenny pieces as they ought to do.
Mr. ELLIS wished to know if it was the determina-
tion of Government to give effect to their intentions
with respect to railroads ia Ireland.
Lord MORPETH said that his answer to that ques-
tion should depend on the degree of encouragement
which he should get from the House of Commons. He
could only say that his own opinion of the motion of last
year remained unchanged.
PROVISION FOR PRINCE ALBERT.
On the motion of Lord J. RUSSELL the House
resolved itself into a Committee of Supply for the pur-
pose of considering of a provision for Prince Albert.
Lord J. RUSSELL then proceeded to address the
House. In answer to the Address from the Crown, the
House of Commons had offered its heartfelt congratula-
tions at the announcement made by her Majesty on the
subject of her intended marriage, and they had after-
wards declared that they would most gladly make
any provision for her future consort, which might be
considered necessary and conducive to the dignity of her
Majesty's Crown. It was not necessary for the House
at the present moment to enter into any other part of
the subject of her Majesty's marriage, excepting so far
as it was connected with the pecuniary provision
to be made to Prince Albert. He (Lord
John Russell) might observe, in respect to
political considerations, that he thought it would have
been a subject of considerable embarrassment to this
country at a future time if her Majesty's marriage con-
nected her with any considerable power of Europe,
thus entangling the empire with the alliances and
the enmities of foreign kingdoms.—(Hear, hear.)
This was a difficulty felt, though in a minor degree, in
the course of the last century, in consequence of the con-
nection of this country with Hanover, though in the Act
of Settlement it was provided that this country should
not be involved in war, without the consent of Parlia-
ment, for the defence of the King's electoral dominions.
It was obvious that if the Sovereign of this country
found her inheritance invaded, it was impossible for this
country, in the honourable support of its Sovereign, not
to become embarrassed in the defence of those terri-
.

tories. Prince Albert, being born in foreign dominions,
but coming to this country at an earl;' period of his
life, it should be the object of this country to attach him
as much as possible to English habits and affections, that
lie might always find from this country the affectionate

support which the
Throne was always certain to
receive from Englishmen
(Hear, hear, hear)—and
any measures which might tend to show the Prince
that, contrary to all precedent, plans would be pursued
by the British Parliament, which would induce him to
wish his connection with this country dissolved, would be
exceedingly unjust and improper. He would now state
what bore upon the question of the provision to be
made by Parliament. Although the Prince, who was
to be allied to the Queen of this country, had not pro-
perly any of the privileges, or powers, or attributes,
which belonged to the Queen Consort of these realms ;
yet, at the same time, there were many respects in
which this was the nearest analogy that could be drawn.
As to the arrangements made in former times, it was
useless to mention the precedent of the marriage of a
King of Spain with the Queen of these dominions.
Another of the Queens of this country was married a
considerable time before her accession to the
throne. Queen Anne had devoted after her
accession to the throne 100,0001. for the support
of Prince George, and in 1702 she settled
50,000/. upon him for life. An arrangement was
proposed in regard to Prince Leopold, on his marriage
with the heiress presumptive to the throne ; but still it
was to be recollected that the Princess was by no

means certain to succeed to the throne, even in the