The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-16 00:00:00

REFORAI IN TIIE"CIIURCH.

Earl FITZ WILLIAM presented a petition from J.
Jordan, vicar of Ensham, in Oxford: the principal
objects of the petition were, that an increase should
take place in the number of those engaged in the
ministry, and that the Bishops should be relieved
of all legislative duties in their Lordships' House.
He (Earl Fitzwilliam) did not concur in the last sugges-
tion. The petitioner stated that there ought to be fonr
provinces and fifty-two dioceses, and that each diocese
should not exceed 500,000 souls, and when extended
over a large surface, not more than 300,000. The peti-
tion well deserved the attention of their Lordships.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said that he was
sure the Noble Lord was aware that there
were many subjects in that petition which did not
properly come within the scope of their discussion.
lie would, in a day or so, lay upon the table of the
House a report from a Commission appointed by her
Majesty to inquire into the state of the bishoprics in the
United Kingdom. The subject was one which deserved
the serious consideration of their Lordships.
RAMWAYS—STATE OF THE CURRENCY.
Lord ASHBURTON rose to move for the following
returns :—Capital stock authorised to be raised by rail-
way companies which have received the sanction of
Parliament during the last two sessions ; the amount
raised, laid out, and remaining unpaid ; sums autho-
rised and borrowed by the various railway companies
from their commencement to the present time, distin-
guishing the amount borrowed each year, and the rate
of interest paid by them. He said it was necessary that
their Lordships should be furnished with such a return
in order that they might be made acquainted with the
exact condition of the circulation of the country. It ap-
peared that there had been a great drain of
bullion on the banks of England for some few
months past ; and although he did not say that there
was any cause for alarm in the country, yet he could
not help stating that a greater drain than ordinary was
being made upon the finances of the country. The
Government would be compelled to borrow large sums
of money on Exchequer-bills to relieve the
distresses of Ireland, and if this drain took
place for railway purposes, they could not fail
to have much difficulty in doing so. Last year the Par-
liament advised that no railway projects should be en-
couraged save those required by the wants of the
country; but this year he thought they would do well, and
prevent the derangement of the currency of the country,
by confining their legislation during the present year to
such Bills as were necessary for the purpose of remedying
any defects or gaps in the Bills already passed, instead of
entertaining any new projects. The great drain upon
the Bank of England by railways prevented the Govern-
ment from obtaining money so easily on Exchequer-bills
as heretofore; and as money was required for more urgent
purposes, it was not right that they should derange the
finances of the country, and prevent them from being pro-
perly applied to a more legitimate and pressing purpose.
The Noble Lord said he would further move for a
return of the Public Securities held by the Bank of
England, and of the amount of capital paid into the
Bank of England on behalf of railways, the rate of
interest paid on it, and the periods at which it was re
spectively paid in and drawn out.
The Earl of CLARENDON said he regretted that
his Noble Friend who had just moved for certain returns
had departed from a very useful custom observed by
their Lordships, in not having given due notice of the re-
turns which he intended to move for. He believed his
Noble Friend had moved for returns of a very important
and comprehensive nature, and the Noble Lord had ac-
companied his mention of them with some very
important and useful remarks. Although he (Earl Cla-
rendon) had no objection to some of the returns which
had been moved for, yet another part of the mo-
tion of the Noble Lord seemed to him to
affect most intimately the great public financial interests
of the country, and as far as the returns bore upon
these he could not assent to their being granted with-
out due notice. Ile hoped the Noble Lord would post-
pone his motion to a future day.
Lord MONTEAGLE questioned very much the ex-
pediency of some of the returns moved for by the Noble
Lord being granted. He did not think the same ob-
jection lay against another part of the Noble Lord's
motion, such as a return for the amount of capital which
the different railway companies were authorised to
raise, the amount which they had raised, the amount
which they were empowered to borrow, and the amount
of borrowing power which they retained still unexbausted ;
these were returns to which there could be no possible
objection, for the companies themselves were obliged
by their own Acts to furnish these details to their
shareholders. But n hen the Noble Lord moved
for returns which would bear upon the rela
tion existing between the Government and the
Bank of England—when he moved for a state-
ment of the transactions between the Government
and the Bank—he did not think it was quite expedient to
grant such a return. He knew nothing more delicate
at a critical period, although the present was not, in
his opinion, such a time, yet, at a critical period, he
knew nothing more delicate than to move for the
amount and extent of the public securities at present
in the possession of the Bank of England. This was
not, he admitted, one of those critical periods which he
had alluded to ; but the motion of the Noble Lord
would establish a precedent. Let their Lordships only
suppose a time when the exchanges should be against this
country, and let them suppose a motion made for re-
turns either of the amount of Exchequer-bills cr
of stock, they must see that the effect of that
would be to communicate to persons buying and
selling stock out of doors, what were the opera-
tions of the Bank of England, and these leery persona
might take steps to neutralise these operations.
Lord BROUGHAM fully agreed with the Noble Lord
who had just spoken, that it was not expedient to move
for returns as to the public securities. As far as the
motion bore upon railway stock, the case stood very diffe-
rent, and he thought the returns might be granted
without injury. The great press of railway business
was now over; next year there would be no railways
brought before the House, and now that the steed was
stolen the Government were very carefully manufac-
turing a lock and key in order to prevent any others
from being stolen.
Lord ASHBURTON then consented to postpone his
motion until Thursday next. It was not his intention to
create the slightest alarm in the country; his object was
only to obtain information upon an important subject.
The real gist of the question was, how far the Bank of
England had been compelled to reduce its general issues
in consequence of the present drain upon the circulation,
thereby preventing its being able to take up the Exche-
quer-bills as formerly. He did not think that the Bank
of England would have any objection to grant the re-
turns he had moved for.

DISTILLATION FROM SUGAR BILL.
Messengers from the Commons brought up the Dis-
tillation from Sugar Bill.
INFLUX OF IRISH PAUPERS INTO LIVERPOOL.
Earl FITZWILLIAM moved for a return of the
number of Irish paupers that had lately arrived in
Liverpool. On the 7th of February, 2,585 had arrived
in one day, and the total number from the 13th of Jan.
to the 11th of Feb., was 27,012. It appeared that in one
day, the 26th of Jan., 25,529 had received relief ; on
the 27th, 23,313 ; on the 28th, 24,000 • and on the
29th, 24,000. During the last ten days the number had
considerably decreased—there had been only 6,000,
7,000, or 8,000 each day.
Lord BROUGHAM—The average influx lately
had been 900 a day.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH thought it would be
desirable to know how many of these were emigrants.
Earl FITZ WILLIAM thought it would be impos.
sible to ascertain that.

Lord STANLEY thought that the number of those
who were emigrants must be exceedingly small. The
middle or end of March was the period of emigration.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said it would be de-
sirable to have as much information as possible on the
subject.
Earl GREY agreed with the Noble Lord that in ordi-
nary years such was the period of emigration, but this
year was an exception. There had been 6,000 or
7,000 emigrants this year to the United States.
A NOBLE LORD would also move for Si return of the
number of emigrants into Newport, in Wales, and other
seaports.
Earl GREY thought, that though it might be pos-
sible to get the number that arrived in Liverpool, it
would be difficult to ascertain the number into other places.
The motion was then agreed to.
SUGAR DISTILLERIES BILL AND SUGAR

BREWERIES BILL.
Lord CL ARENDON said that ho proposed that these
Bills should receive a second reading upon Friday next,
and that no discussion should arise until the Bills

went into Committee.
POOR-LAW AMENDMENT.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition
from Mount Mellick, in the Queen's county, praying for

union settlements.
IRISH DESTITUTE RELIEF BILL.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said, in rising to move
the second reading of this Bill, ho did not intend to detain
the House, but merely to state the general principles of the
Bill; and ho would first state that the Bill was limited
in its character, and temporary in its duration, and it
was a Bill which, ho considered, was only justified by
the present state of Ireland. The Bill empowered the
Lord-Lieutenant to appoint a relief commission, sitting
in Dublin, who were empowered to relieve destitution.
The Noble Lord then read the main provisions of the Bill.
He had tile Pleaeure of stating that the Dill was solely