The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-02 00:00:00

miserable speculations let loose upon society. It might be very
well if there was no remedy for the evil. But they have
nothing to do but to purchase the plans and go down to Ser-
jeant's:lnn, pay 51., and they would be again a registered company.
These were the grounds on which be should object to the mo-
tion of the Noble Earl.
Lord MON TEAGLE thought that his Noble Friend, who
had just sat down, had made a very strong case in one part of
the subject, but he must contend that though the parties
weae highly to blame, the Legislature were most in fault. The
Government might be exonerated from one portion of the
blame to which they were liable, but still he should contend
that they were deeply responsible for not having taken measures
' for the avoidance of the evil and now, when it had accrued
' they dealt with it in a small and pitiful manner, instead of gran-
' pling with this immense speculation in a large and masterly
way. On the 31st March they had given notice to the parties
engaged in railways, in order that they might prepare them-
selves for the altered state of the markets. The principle
which was adopted by the Bank and the East India Directors, of
not allowing individuals to vote until they had been some time
inthe possession of stock, was the one that ought to have been
adoped. He (Lord Monteagie) had proposed that no one
should be allowed to vote unless he had been in the posses-
sion of the stock, and had become a bon4
.fide possessor, before
the 31st March. Now, would any one deny that a new, an in-
creased, and mischievous speculation had been raised since the
declaration of the stock. He was quite sure that such would
be the case. The 13th clause of the Bill allowed any persons
in the possession of shares were to be entitled to vote. But
this was highly detrimental, for under it any two persons might
go into a meeting. to vote, transfer their shares, and then again
re-transfer them, voting all the while, and this might be done
ten thousand times over.—(Hear, hear.) Let those parties
who refuse to acquiesce in the dissolution of the company,
purchase the plans, and then re-register, while those who
seceded from the company would be reimbursed for their out-
ltaityl.ed
tHoea tih,roeu_gemhtutthioant.theHoeritigaindanl
oprdoepsriireetotorstholuogwhtditiso
in the way, but he was desirous of seeing it made as
usecbefuulltiinae-ss
possible,

th: Lorddthjeu st B.
sat
measureod oUuhGne
but it
quitet appearedagreed
thatwith
though
ohisugNh ohbel ewFa es i efnr
ide
nwdhl
were
spoken. against it. When they were
Channel
su
la,
pzeta
tu measure a
speech
cuhs uoarl
aon
vote,thi
but sidei
to
seemedf the British
such
was not the rule everywhere, for his Learned Friend went on
the principle of looking one way and rowing another. He
quite regretted that a fuller measure bad not been introduced,
but he hoped that such would be the case with respect to all
private Bills, although he was aware that great difficulty laid
in the way of any great change being made at once. That it
was necessary was evident from the almost convulsion in the
money market which we had just escaped, and which was l
nearly as mischievous as the panic of 1807, 1812, and in a
much larger wayi n 182.5-6. Thank God, under the firmnes
of those at the head of affairs, and through the admirable
management of the directors of the Bank, the cloud had passed
without bursting. But the danger in the future remained, and
he should like to have time. to consider any alteration, as any
one false step might be productive of a great deal of mishief.
As to the voting, there appeared to have been a slip in the
draft which was to be amended. He approved of the Bill, but
it must be understood that he said this as not at once condemn-
ing the alterations of his Noble Friend (the Earl of Radnor)
without the opportunity of considering them before going into
, Committee. But he still hoped for a more enlarged Bill,
1 for it ought not to be forgotten that all the courts
in England, Scotland, and Ireland, could not dis-
pose in ten years of the pecuniary and other
interests of the private Bill legislation—a legislation which
was conducted as badly as possble, and which gave what the
Master of the Rolls called a transcendental power to take men's
property at will—not in compliance with their wish, but
against it, and contrary to all law. And he should return
from his political life, whenever that time came, he should
feel it a consolation to reflect that he had always been the
strenuous advocate of what he could not but feel a most un-
constitutional and mischievous power.
Lord
plained. MONTEAGLE and the Earl of DALHOUSIE ex-
Lord ASHBURTON wished to rectify the impression that
this Bill was the only thing that was going to be done to do
away with the mischief and the confusion into which the
country had been thrown by this railway speculation ; for he
was quite true that they would entail upon the country the
greatest possible injury, if they went no further. Wherever
there were the materials of gambling there would be gam-
bling; and whilst these materials remained it would be quite
useless to stop the evil by legislation. He thought the bette-
plan would be to prev_nt the issue of scrip at all until the seve-
ral Bills reached a certain stage before the Houses of Parliament.
To save the evil, also, they might give to the shareholders who
remained the power of buying out those who wished to secede.
One thing he wished particularly to impress upon their Lord-
ships—one thing which he had particularly alluded to on all
the Committees of that HOUR—and that was, that, it would be
highly improper to suffer these Bills to leave the House in the
shape of laws, without a sufficient assurance that their object,
would be carried into effect.
Earl FITZ WILLIANi approved of the Bill, but he feared
I that it might have the effect of destroying many good schemer
and supporting many bad ones, for the goodness or the badness
of the schemes were in no way to be judged of by the positions
and characters of the promoters. With respect to the plan, he
wished that the best mode to be adopted would be for the Go-
vernment to take possession of them on behalf of the public;
and that he conceived would be a very good quid pro quo for
the right to wind up the affairs of the several companies. He
was anxious for this, for he hoped some day that the whole of
these railway projects would be in the hands of the Govern-
ment. He was especially opposed to the sale of the plans, be-
cause he conceived that they would be bought up by the great
companies, and be hereafter made use of most mischievously.
Lord REDESDALE explained that the books of the sur-
veyors were only intelligible to themselves, and as to the plans
they were all lithographed, and, therefore, easily attainable
anywhere. With respect to the winding up, he believed that
those companies which might be dissolved would be very ILinestly
wound up. Aud with regard to the state of railway legisla-
tion, he intended next week to ask their Lordships to accede to
a resolution that they would not take any opposed railway Bill
into Committee after some late day, say the 20th July. Their
doing this would have the effect of saving a great many Bills
from coming up from the other House of Parliament, and render
the business much more controlable than it apparently was a
present.

The Marquis of CL ANRICARDE supported the Bill, but
thought that the Earl of Dalhousie had not met the objections
of his Noble Friend (the Earl of Radnor) and his proposition
that persons should make a declaration of the time at which
they came into possession of the shares before they were
allowed to vote. Ho thought that was a proposition well
worthy of consideration, and which ought to be thought of
before the report was brought up.
The House then went into Committee on the Bill, when
The Earl of DALHOUSIE said he was quite ready to con-
sider the objections of any Noble Lord.
Earl GREY suggested that the practice of the other House
be adopted which was to commit the Bill pro
.fiirma, have it
printed, and then fully consider it in Committee or have it
re-committed afterwards. This was necessary, as it appeared
there was almost as much writing as print on the Bill.
The Earl of DALHOUSIE objected to the Noble Earl
drawing any inference from his bird's eye view of the paper he
held in his hand. There was no alteration whatever in the
principle of the Bill, and he then went through the alterations
to show that such was not the case.
After a few words from Lord MONTEAGLE,
Earl GREY proposed to impose a penalty of 51. fnr each
vote given not according to the provisions of the Act, both on
the scripholder and the proxy who might vote for him.
A conversation ensued on this point, in which Earl Grey.
Lord Monteagle, the Earl of Dalhousie, and Lord Redesdale
participated, the last nobleman objecting to the date of the Ist
of March being fixed as a day posterior to which the sale of
scrip should invalidate the right of voting. A provision was
also inserted for obtaining a fair decision at the meeting for
dissolving the company, the rule being, that the minutes should
be signed by the chairman, and countersigned by two of the
scrutineers, and any attempt to falsify them should render the
party guilty of a misdemeanour. The authority to dissolve was
to be obtained by a majority of the whole of the scrip, or of
at least three-fifths of that which was actually is.tied.
The Bill passed through Committee, several Bills were ad.
vanced a stage, and the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 1.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'cleek.
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY.
Sir C LEMON moved that it be an instruction to the Com-
mittee (Group 27), to which the North Staffordshire Railway
(Hareeastie to Sandbach), North Staffordshire Railway (Chur-
net Valley Line), North Staffordshire Railway (Potteries
Line), ars referred, that they have leave to consolidate the
three Bills into one Bill.
The motion was agreed to.
EDINBURGH, LEITH, AND GRANTON RAILWAY.
Mr. RICARDO moved that the Committee on Group
(No. 8) of Railway Bills have leave to sit and proceed on
Mondaay next on the Edinburgh, Leith, and Granton (exten-
sion and branches) Bill, notwithstanding that seven clear days'
notice of the sitting of the Committee on that Bill had not been
given at the Private Bill-office,
After a few words from Mr. GREENE, the motion was
withdrawn.

IMr. WARD moved that the Cambridge
was given for Monday,
notice of the second reading
of
which
hd
time, notwithstanding
CAMBRIDGE IMPROVEA.IENITnpBroItt
the 97th of April last, be realttai.
the period limited by the rest
The
motiondaneN.dl7:lCL SURE
Mr. GREEN osns of the House had expired,
BILL. Improvement Bill,
E moved " That the order referring the pe-
tition of Major-General Sir James Fullerton Dundas, Baronet,
against the Gollon lnclosure Bill, to the Committe on the
Bill, and counsel ordered, be read. That the said petition being
against the whole Bill, and not against the preamble or clauses,
and not praying for the petitioner to be heard, by himself,
counsel, or agents, cannot, according to the practice of this
House, be referred to the Committee:'—that, therefore, the
said order be dischaled."
The motion was agreed to.
LOUGH SWILLY AND LOUGH FOYLE DRAINING
AND EMBANKING.
mitted.
This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be com-

P
The following reportsßE wereORTS brought up, .the amendments
and alterations agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be en-
grossed :—HelensburAh Extension and Police,'Helensburgh
Harbour, Glasgow Union Arcade, Boston. Stamford, and
Birmingham Railway (Stamford to Wisbech), Stowmarker
Navigation.
GLASGOW WATERWORKS BILL.
The Lords' Amendments on this Bill were read and
agreed to.

LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
Sir JOHN TYRELL presented petitions from the parish of
Kennington and other places, praying for a revision of the law
of settlement, more especially with respect to pauper lunatics.
The petition was ordered to lie on the table.
ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL.

Mr. SHARMANdiAIiFORD presented a petition from
,he Roman Catholics of Rochdale in favour of the Roman Ca-
,holic Relief Bill.
The petition was ordered to be laid on the table.
PASSENGER-DUTY PAID BY RAILWAY
COMPANIES.

Mr. BROTHERTON moved tor a return of the amount of
moneys levied and paid annually by each railway company in
England and Wales, under the head of duty on passengers,
made up to the sth day of January iu each year from 1841 to
1846. Also, a similar return for Scotland. Also, a similar
return for Ireland.—Agreed to.
PUNISHMENT OF DEATH.
Mr. WARD presented a petition from a public meeting
recently held in Exeter Hall, against the punishment of death.
Mr. AINSWORTH presented a petition in favour of the
Lancaster and North Yorkshire Railway.
THE LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
Mr. BANKES presented a petition from. the poor of
Bridport Union against certain amendments in the law of
settlement.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that
the House at its rising should adjourn to Monday next.—.
Agreed to.
WILLIAM SMITH O'BRIEN.
Mr. B. ROCHE said that it appeared that his Honourable
Friend the Member for Limerick considered that he had been
misrepresented iu what he (Mr. It.)che) stated to the House
last slight. Ho therefore hoped that the Howe would
per.