The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 4, 1847.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.)

GROUP 111.
LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST
(LONDON BRIDGE STATION ENLARGE-
MENT AND ARRANGEMENTS).
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
The Committee wai engaged up till four o'clock in hearing
evidence in supporbef the alterations and extensions of the
station, in order to accommodate the great and increasing
traffic of the company.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at twelve.

GROUP VI.

wrLTs, SOMERSET, AND WETIVIOUTII

AMENDMENT (NO. U).

The Committee was occupied the whole of the day with
the cross-examination and re-examination of Mr. Charles
Russell, the chairman of the Great Western, and with the
examination of Lord Falmouth. the former on the financial
condition of the Great Western Company, and the latter with
the proposed accommodation to be given by [the Great
Western scheme, to the districts west of Exeter.
The Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow.

Sarah Morgan and Thomas Deacon, two persons hav-
ing stalls in the market, corroborated this statement, and
denied most positively that the complainant used any bad
language towards the prisoner.
The prisoner said that the old man bad an old griev-
ance against him, and was in the cunstant habit of abus-
ing him in most filthy language; but this morning he
had an engagement to work for one of the complainant's
masters, and whilst passing him in the gangway he un-
fortunately pushed up against the old man, who abused
him, and followed him, pushing him, and nearly threw
a load off which he had on his head. He pushed him
and he fell, and as he recovered himself seized him by
the sleeve of his shirt and tore it completely out. Be-
ing much exasperated he certainly did strike him, but he
did not kick him. He was very sorry that he had struck
the old man, but he was very willing to make him any
compensation.
Mr. JARDINE could not allow that, but he must be
taught to control his temper, and not knock a poor man
about in that way. He should commit him to take his
trial at the sessions, as it was not a came he could deal
with.

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, JUNE I.—Since Friday last there has
been a pretty fair inquiry for goods; but a, manufac-
turers generally demand increased rates in some propor-
tion to the advance in the cotton market, the actual
business has been limited. Prices, though rather irre-
gular, have been generally rather higher than those of
last week. For yarn there has been very little demand,
but the spinners have been very firm in prices, and the
few orders executed have been at rather higher rates.
So far as we can learn, there is no material change in
the extent of short-time working ; but we understand
that some of the spinners and manufacturers, who have
hitherto worked twelve hours a day, have determined to
reduce their time to ten hours, as soon as the Bill now
before the House of Lords is passed. This resolution,
if extensively acted upon, will cause a sensible diminu-
tion in the production of goods and yarn.
ROCHDALE, MAY 31.—The flannel market is quite as
dull as it has been for some wee ks past. The business
transacted has been upon a very limited scale, and the
prices extremely low. The wth.l market continues in-
active, and prices in foreign wool have a downward
tendency.
HALIFAX, MAY 29.—The rapid fall in the price of
corn and the cheering state of the vceeether have thrown
a more hopeful feeling over the hall to-day ; but we
cannot report any actual improvement either in the de-
mand for goods orin prices. For yarn the derremil con-
tinues in the same languid state, b, ing greatly below the
power of product' ; and the prices are so wretched
that, rather than submit to further reductions, spinners
would stop their machinery to yet a greater extent.
For long wool the demand continues on the most limited
scale ; and prices are rather receding. Short wool re-
mains about the same ; the smallness of the quantity
produced tending to prevent that reduction in price which
the depressed state of the clothing trade would other-
wise render inevitable.

. _
HUDDERSFIELD, JUNE I.—We have had more buyers,
and everything looks more cheerful than they have done
for some weeks past. It is hoped by many that the
worst period is past. More buiiness has been done in
wool, and the foreign warehouses continue busy with
American orders.
a very quiet market ; and to-day the LEEDS, JUNE I.—We had last week, on account of
our cloth halls wore a similar appearance.
busi-
nesstTh he hr
deoliinsdeaayanst'opinton abroad that wool, like corn, is to
come down in price ; and being on the eve of the Ger-
man wool fairs, many transactions are suspended until
this point is ascertained.—Manchester Guardian.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT
HOUSE OF LORDS, June 3.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
Messengers from the House of Commons brought up
several Bill, which were ordered to lie on the table.
CLERGY OFFENCES BILL.
The Bishop of LONDON moved that this Bill be
referred to a Select Committee.—Agreed to.
The members of the Committee were then nominated.
PORTUGAL.
Lord BROUGHAM asked wl4en the papers respecting
Portugal would be on the table ?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said he would tell
him to-morrow.
LUNATIC ASYLUMS BILL.
This Bill, on the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, went
through Committee.
HERITABLE JURISDICTIONS (SCOTLAND)
BILLS.
Lord CAMPBELL rose to move the second reading
of the five Bills which had been brought before their
Lordships on this subject. They were all of a technical
character, so that he need not trouble their Lordships
with many observations. And after recapitulating the
titles, which are—Service of Heirs Bill. Transference
of Lands Bill, Burgage of Tenures Bill, Heritable
Securities for Debt Bill, and ' Crown Charters
Bill—the Noble Lord briefly explained their characters,
which are indicated by their titles. He would conclude
by stating that the Transference of Lands Bill was of
particular importance, for at the present time no- land-
owner. could transfer an acre of land without a very con-
siderable expense an evil which was peculiarly injurious
to the country.
.Lord BROUGHAM entirely approved of the Bills.
They would get rid of many prevailing defects in the
present system, and simplify and encourage the law in
many of its details. He, therefore, highly approved of
these measures, and he hoped shortly to see them car-
ried into effective operation. There were several amend-
ments which he could suggest, but he should defer them
until they got into Committee on the Bills.
The Bills were then read a second time.
POOR REMOVAL (ENGLAND. AND
SCOTLAND) BILL.
On the motion of Lord CAMPBELL, this Bill was
read a second time, and ordered to be committed on
Monday next.
POOR RELIEF SUPERVISION (IRELAND)
BILL.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the second
reading of this Bill, and briefly explained the objects of
the Bill, which was to improve the administration of
the poor-laws in Ireland.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH objected to the Bill
as going to effect a total change in the mode of carrying
out the poor-laws. Originally the admitestration of the
law was in the hands of parties unconnected with the
Government, but now it was proposed to place it under
the control of the Executive Government. The result
would be that the machinery for carrying out the law
would vary and change with every new Government that
held office. There was another evil in the practical
working of the poor-law. It was no doubt well that the
board should be made up of men of ail parties. But
he had great reason to suspect that it would
be uppermost in the mind of those at that
board that the Government would listen rather to its
friends than those who happened to oppose it in politics.
He would then oppose this law for carrying the poor-law
into effect as he had opposed the poor-law itself.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said the Noble Earl
seemed so far at variance with general opinion, that it
was the experience of the last five or six years
that the public generally were determined to dismiss all
party feeling and difference on a subject of the nature
of the poor-laws. As to the other topics mentioned by
the Noble Earl, he thought he was in error.
Lord BROUGHAM thought that the change proposed
was very portentous, inasmuch as it made the poor-law
a Government department. Ile considered that the Bill
was making the poor-law a Government department.
He did think the administration of the law ought to be
placed in the hands of a high officer with a large salary.
It was not stated whether this Government officer was to
be removable with the Ministry or not. He believed
that it was not so intended ; but if so there would
be a great difficulty occasioned, which he could
not see the way to obviate. This was evident,
for this department being a portion of the Government
it was liable to all the attacks on the men of the day,
and such being the case it was surely a-lain that a
vast mischief must ensue, for the Government
must of necessity protect its officers, and what-
ever the guardians might have to complain of,
whatever the overseers might have to complain of, and
whatever the poor might have to complain of, no remedy
whatever could be afforded by the nisn in office.—
(Hear, hear.) Of all things, then, he thought that
anything could be worse than making this board an
object of attack on the one hand and a matter of defence
un the other.
Earl GREY said it was impossible for any Member of
that or the other House of Parliament to have watched
the discussion which had recently taken place upon
the poor-law, without being convinced that the time had
arrived when some change ought to be made in the
constitution of the board to whom the administration of
the law was entrusted. In the ether House of Parlia-
ment, within the last two years, every conceivable point
in connexion with the administration of the law had been
freely discussed, and the Secretary of State for the
Home Depa-tment had been forced upon many occasions
to defend and justify the acts of officers with whom he
had little or nothing to do. Did it not strike Noble
Lords, therefore, that it would be introducing a
great improvement into the system, if some of the admi-
nistretors of the poor•law had seats ia the other House
of Parliament, in order that they might be prepared, on
their own individual responsibility, to explain or defend
any act connected with the administration of the law
that might be called into question by parties either
within or without the walls of Parliament ? In the
other House of Parliament, among all who had any ex-
perience of the administration of public affairs, there was
a unanimous feeling that the administration of this law
should be in intimate connexion with the Execudve Go-
vernment,
Lord BROUGHAM said a few words in exptinalion.
Earl St. GERMANS could not see how this measure
would be madssto work beneficially. He thought it per-
fectly impossible for the Secretary of Irelasid to attend
to the regular duties of his office, and give any conside-
ration to the administration of thiii law.—(Hear, hear.)
His experience of Ireland led him to this conclusion. At
the present time the Chief Secretary was perfectly over-
whelmed with business, and he would not be able to give
his attention to any more.
The Earl of WICKLOW did not like the turn which
the debate had taken, in Noble Lords intimating that the
principle of Government supervision was objectionable,
in the Bill progressing in the other House, as applied to
England, but that it might be made to operate very well
in Ireland. One thing he decidedly objected to; it was
the monstrous power given to the Poor-law ommis-
sioner, and, he supported the present Bill, so far as it
introduced the check of the Government over his pro-
ceedings.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE thought the Bill objection-.
able. The Chief Secretary was generally one half of the
year absent from Ireland, and the Under-Secretary for
Ireland had his hands so full of business, that it would
be impossible fu• him to give any attention to the
administration of the law. Practically, therefore, the
whole management would be in the lianas of the Poor-
law Commissioner.
Earl FITZ W ILLIAM hoped his Noble Friend who
had introduced the present Bill would give its provisions
a re-consideration. He thought them decidedly objec-
tionable. With regard to the measure now in progress
in the other House, he thought it was one also which.
had not been well digested, and would work unsatisfac-
torily. The most serious evils would arise, in his opinion,
from making the administration of the law dependent on
the changes that might from time to time take place in
the Government.
Earl LUCAN made a few observations, which were
inaudible in the gallery.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE briefly replied,
stating that the Government would fully consider the
objections stated between now and the day of Committee,
and he would also take care that every Noble Lord was
duly summoned.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to
be committed pro forma on Monday next.
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.
Messengers from the House of Commons brought up
several Bills, which were ordered to lie on the table.
POOR RELIEF (IRELAND) BILL.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the considera-
tion of the Commons' amendments to the Poor Relief
(Ireland) Bill. There were two amendments, one re-
lating to the residence of persons requiring relief, and
the other to the jurisdiction of ex-officio guardians..
The Earl of WICKLOW had no objection to the
first amendment, but he could not consent to the second.
Lord MONTEAGLE complained that the House of
Commons had made no provision in the Bill for the
education of the children in workhouses, but he trusted
this omission would be supplied next year. He thought
it was unworthy of the House of Com:ions to restrain
that House from introducing reasonable alterations into
Bills by making them money Bills, but with regard to
this Bill he contended that the amendments their Lord-
ships made in this Bill in no way infringed the privileges
of the House of Commons.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE agreed with -his
Noble Friend that the amendments their Lordships
introduced into the Bill could not be considered as 'an
infringement of the privileges of' the HouSe of Commons;
and expressed a hope that some arrangement might ere
long be come to which should obviate the raising of such
an objection in future. He must, at the same time
regret that no provision had been made le) the other
House of Parliament for education of children in work-
houses, but he could promise his Noble Friend that the
omission should not be lost sight of.
After a few words from the Earl of DEVON the
amendments were put and agreed to.
LANDED PROPERTY (IRELAND) BILL.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the onside.
ration of the Commons' amendments to this Bill. The
amendments made were rather numerous, but the one
he regretted the most was the striking out of the clause
which provided for the erection of mills and other build-
ings of a similar description.
Lord MONTEAGLE thought that the amendments
to the Bill now under consideration would be fatal to its
operation as far as Connaught was concerned.
The amendments were then agreed to.

RAILWAY BILLS.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved that a
Select Committee be appo;nted t,, c.nsider whether it is
expedient that any measures should be adopted for sus-
pendiug further proceedings in all or any of the railroad
Bills in the present session, and for enabling the par-
ties, under certain conditions, to proceed with the same
in a fattire session-bf.P.artiapeitt.; otd'ili-of whether it
is advisable that any further provisions should be made