The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-13 00:00:00

COMMONS SUMMARY.

The House of Commons sat at Four o'clock.
The Sheriff of London presented a petition from the city of
London in favour of a repeal of the corn-laws. Several rail.

way Bills were read a second time, and ordered to be
committed.

A new writ for North Nottinghamshire was ordered, in
room of Mr. G. KNIGHT, deceased.

Lord DUNCANNON brought in the Matlock, Manchester,
and Buxton Railway Bill, which was read a first, and
ordered to be read a second time.

Mr. Suturr brought under the consideration of the House
an irregularity that had taken place in a petition for a rail-
way Bill, which led to some discussion, in the course of which,
Mr. GREENE gave notice that he would move an order to the
effect that no petition for a private Bill should be received by
the House, unless it was regularly signed by all the parties.
Mr. FERRAND gave notice that on ➢Monday he should ask
the First Lord of the Admiralty, if he should then be in office,
whether he proposed to fill up the two offices now vacant in
consequence of the resignation of two of the Lords of the
Treasury : and if he were afraid to appeal to the country by
nominating to the vacant offices, he should move that the
officers be abolished as useless.

Mr. SHARMA! CRAWFORD gave notice that he should ask
the Government on a future day if they intended to bring in
any measure during the present session to amend the law of
landlord and tenant in Ireland.

On the motion of Mr. LIDDELL, that the petition of the
Shipowners' Society be printed,

Mr. HUME asked if it WA3 intended to introduce any mea-
sure carryiag out the recommendations of the Committee
with regard to regulating the merchant seamen's service ?

Sir G. CLERK said that Government were in communica.
tion with the Shipowners' Society on the subject.
Mr. FORSTER denied that the petition expressed the senti

ments of the great body of shipowners of Great Britain.

Mr. LIDDELL replied, and the motion fur printing the pe-
tition was agreed to.
Mr. JAMES asked if the Government had received any ac-
counts of the dreadful affray which had taken place at Pen-
rith among the labourers employed on the Lancaster and
Carlisle Railway, and what measures had been adopted to
preserve the public peace.

Sir J. GRAHAM had received no official account whatever
from the Magistrates of the existence of any such dis-
turbance.

Mr. EWART asked if the Government had ever considered
whether it was necessary to make railway companies exer-
cise some superintendence over the labourers?
Sir G. CLERK said that the promoters of railway Bills
were obliged to provide a certain number of special consta-
bles to superintend the works.
In answer to a question from Sir R. bolus, as to 'the inten-
tion of the Government with regard to the rebuilding of
Westminster-bridge,
Mr. CARDWELL said the subject had been considered by
the Government, and that they had directed weekly reports
to be made as to the state of the bridge, and that when any-
thing special occurred the attention of the Government was
directed to it, so that ample care was taken of the public
safety.
Sir R. INGLIS considered that answer unsatisfactory. He
begged to ask when the Government considered the new
palace at Westminster would be ready for the accommoda-
tion of Parliament, and if it were not ready by 1847, whether
there would be any objection to the appointment of a Com-
mittee of Inquiry ?
Mr. CARDWILL thought it possible that the expectation
of Hon. Gentlemen that Parliament would sit in the new
House in 1847 would not be realised.—(A laugh.) He, how-
ever, thought it would be neither necessary nor discreet to
appoint a Committee-
In answer to a question from Mr. COLLETT, of Athlone,
The CliaxcELlAmt of the EXCHEQUER stated, in conse-

quence of a decision of the Judges in the Exchequer
Chamber overruling a decision of the Court of Queen's Bench,
and deciding that • certain parties were entitled, in conse-
quence of the enactments of the corn-law of 1842, the re-
venue would suffer a certain loss, but it was still under the
consideration of the Government whether an appeal should
not be made to a higher tribunal.

On the motion of Sir W. CODRINGTON, a new writ was
ordered .for the election of a Member for East Gloucester-
shire, in the room of the Hon. F. CHARTER'S, who had ac-
cepted the Chiltern Hundreds.

On the order of the day for resuming the adjourned debate
being read, an immense number of petitions en the subject of
the corn• laws were presented..
Sir Howell") DOUGLAS then rose to resume the adjourned
debate, and announced his intention to vote against
the proposition of the Government of removing pro-
tection from British agriculture. He had always
voted against a repeal of the corn-laws, he had fre-
quently spoken against the measure, and in reviewing
his past career on that subject, he found that he had nothing
to explain and nothing to regret, excep th,; insufficient
manner in which he had advocated the cause
of protection. His opinions were unchanged, and in
accordance with these opinions he should vote ; for
he considered that protection was not only necessary for
British interests, but also for the interests of our colonies,
which were unrepresented in that House, and which were not
properly understood. He considered that the experience of
the last three years furnished no correct data on which to form
an opinion ; and, therefore, he considered that the Right Hon.
Baronet had failed to give any just reason for his change of opi-
nion. The corn-laws had nut caused the distress of 1840, 1841,
and 1842, neither had the partial adoption of free-trade princi-
ples occasioned the prosperity of the subsequent years--
which prosperity, it should be recollected, had occurred
while the country was subject to a corn-law.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY
MEETING.
This Company held their usual half-yearly meeting at the
Board-room, Paddington, yesterday, at which there was a large
attendance of shareholders.

Charles Russell, Esq., M.P., having taken the chair, the
advertisement calling the meeting was read, and the seal affixed
to the deeds of register.
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to address the meetiog, which
he did at great length. Having congratulated the meeting
upon the statements contained in the report relative to the
results of reoucing the fares and increasing the accommoda-
tion, be went on to observe upon the projects the Company
-had then in progres , and the position of hostility in which
they were obliged to stand in regard to the Birmingham and
South Western Companies. With regard to the former, the di-
rectors did not think that the terms offered them were at all
commensurate with what the Great Western had a right to
expect ; and, therefore, all negoeiations between them and the
Birmingham had ceased; and, as regards the latter, he would
not then enter into a series of charges of bad faith against them, as
they would be brought forward at the proper time before the
Parliamentary Committees. With respect to the Bristol and
Exeter Company rejecting the terms of amalgamation, he
regretted they had done so; but when their lease expired,
this Company would be glad to meet them again. In reply to
a suggestion from the Rev. Mr. Nicholson, that lists of the
shares held by the Great Western Company in other Compa-
nies should be laid upon the table, he would beg to say that
these lists were ready ; but he would also say that it would
not be very judicious, for many reasons, to read those
lists; but he hoped the shareholders had sufficient confidence
in them not to believe them capab:e of acting as stags and stock-
jobbers. The Hon. Member continued to address the meeting
at some length upon the nature of the projects tkiey had in
contemplation, and the general state of the Company's affairs„
and when be bad concluded,