The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-05 00:00:00

PRICE 5(1

IMPERIAL. PARLIA3IEY'7.

HOUSE OF LORDS, June 4

Their Lordsh.ps assembled at Five o'Clock.
Messengers from the Commons brought up the Stafford-
shire Potteries Small Debts Bill, and the Newcastle and Ccr-
lisle Railway Bill, which were severally read a first time.
VICTORIA PARK.

The Victoria Park Bill was read a third time and passel'.
The Duke of WELLINGTON presented petitions trom
the county of Norfolk against any alteration in the Corn- aws.
The Earl of WINCHILSEA presented several petitions
from places in Kent, against any alteration in the Corn -'aws.
Also petitions from Kent, against any alteration in the dutiei on
sugar and timber.
Lord SEGRAVE presented a petition from Stroud, in Glou-
cestershire, against the repeal of the Corn-laws.
Lord FEVERSHAM presented severalpetitions from York-
shire against any alteration in the Corn-laws.
Lord STRANG FORD presented several petitiors from
Kent to the same effect.
Lord ROLLE presented petitions from Devonshire against
any alteration of the Corn-laws.
Lord BEAUMONT presented petitions from Evesham
against any alteration in the present graduated scale of duties
with respect to corn.

Lord BRAYBROOK presented petitions from certain agri-
cultural labourers, against any alteration in the Corn-laws, in
which they stated that if any alteration took place, it would be
the means of throwing them out of employment. He (Lord
Braybronk) fully concurred in that petition.
3he Earl of RADNOR would ask the Noble Lord what
were the ages of the persons signing the petition, and what
sort of labourets they were.
Lord BRAYBROOK said he could not then give the Noble
Earl an answer, but if the Noble Earl wished, he would obtain
the information.

The Earl of RADNOR thought that before the Noble Lord
expressed his concurrence in the prayer of the petitioners, he
should have been prepared to answer any inquiries respecting
them.
The Earl of CLARE presented a petition from the Cham-
ber of Commerce of Limerick, against any alteration in the
Corn-laws, and against any alteration in the timber duties.
The Earl of WARWICK' presented several petitii;hs to the
same effect.
The Earl of STANHOPE thought the prayer of the peti-
tioners was a very just one. The party opposing the present
Corn-laws had argued that their repeal would benefit the man-
facturers of this country. In that he fully concurred, as it
would certainly be the means of reducing wages.
Earl FITZ WILLIAM denied the assuption of the Noble
Earl, that a repeal of the Corn-laws would be the means f
reducing the wages of the labourer. He (Fitzwilliam) con-
tended that the present Corn-laws had been proved a hind-
irt Ice to our intercourse with other nations.
Earl STANHOPE said that a low price of corn in this
country was always attended with a corresponding price in the
wages of labour. There was one class of the population of this
uountry.which was unrepresented in the House of Commons, and
that was the labouring classes. He would tell the Noble Lord
at the head of her Majesty's Government, that he would ra-
ther the country were governed by Chartists than by the pre-
sent Administration.

After a few words from Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Ducie, and
Lord Beaumont, the subject dropped.
Earl STANHOPE thought the Noble Lord (Godolphin)
had calumniated the petitioners, and he (Earl Stanhope)
viewed with horror this treating with contempt the petitions
of the people, and, most of all, the labouring classes. He
(Earl Stanhope) would advise the Noble Lord to converse
more with the labouring classes before he made such an
assumption as he had just done..--( Hear. )
Lord GODOLPHIN meant not to throw any aspersion on
the whole of the labouring population of the country ; the ob-
servation he had made only bore reference to the petitions pre-
sented by the Noble Lord (Lord Hardwicke).—(Hear. )
Earl FITZ WILLIAM would like to know what arguments
were addressed to those who signed the petitions?—(A laugh.)
Lord HA RDWICKE said he certainly could not answer
the question. As far as he (Lord Hardwicke) had heard of
the petitioners, they were then very comfortable, and they
had expressed their conviction, that if an alteration were to
be made in the present Coin-laws, they would not long re-
main so.—( Cheers. )
The Earl of ABERDEEN presented several petitions from
Aberdeen and its neighbourhood, one of which was signed by
8,000 persons, against any alteration in the Corn-laws, and
against an alteration in the timber duties.
The Marquis of ANGLE SEA presented a petition from
Burton-on-Trent in favour of an alteration in the present
Corn-laws.

The Marquis of NORMANBY presented a petition from
Kingston-upon-Hull, praying for an alteration in the Corn.
laws.

Lord MELBOURNE presented several petitions, very
numerously signed, from Portsmouth, against the Corn-laws.
Earl RADNOR presented a number of petitions from
places in Kent, from Uxbridge, Salisbury, Newport, Isle of
Wight, and other places, against the Corn-laws.
Lord BERESFORD presented petitions from Kent against
the Bill brought into the other House for an alteration in the
Poor-lawn, and particularly complaining of the bastardy clause.
Earl FIT ZWILLI AM presented petitions from St. Luke's,
Chelsea, and other places, in favour of the measures now before
Parliament, with respect to the import duties. Also peti• ions
from Derbyshire, to the same effect.

Earl STANHOPE begged to say a few words with respect
to those petitions. He understood that the parties in Derby
who were against the present Corn.laws, had not ventured to
call a public meeting in that town to petition Parliament en the
subject, but had obtained signatures to their petitions from
strangers passing through the town, and from women and
children.

Earl FITZ WILLIAM said he could say nothing on the sub-
ject, the petitions he had presented were from Derbyshire, and
not from the town of Derby.

The Duke of BEA UFGAT presented a petition from Glou-
cester against any alteration in the Corn-laws.
Earl FITZ %VILLIAAI presented a petition from Birming►-
tam, agreed to at a public meeting. and signed by 18,000
persons, pra3ing for a total and immediate repeal of the Corn.
laws.

Earl PO WIS presented a petition from Huntingdon, against
any alteration in the Corn-laws.
The Marquis of BUTE presented several petitions from
Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Northamptonshire, against
any alteration in the Corn-laws.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCI( presented a petition to the
same effect from Melrose, Roxburgh.
Several Bills were then forwarded a stage, and their Lord-
ships adjourned at Ten Minutes to Seven, till Monday.