The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-22 00:00:00

WARWICK AND WORCESTER.

This Bill was next taken. Its object is to make a line
commencing at the terminus of the London and Birming-
ham Railway at the town of Warwick, and proceeding by
Alcaster to Worcester. It will have a branch from Crafton
Flyford to Droitwich. The length of the main line will be
28 miles, and the branch 7 miles. The cost is estimated at
550,C:,01. Messrs. Dorrington and Co. are the agents, and
Mr. W. B. Prichard is the engineer.
This Bill was opposed by several petitioners, but on the
formal proofs being given, Mr. Dorrington applied to have the
opposition adjourned.
Mr. VIINABERS and Mr. JOSEPH BURKE, on the part of the
petitioners, were willing to hive the case adjourned until
Friday, but not until to-morrow or Monday.
The CHAIRMAN could not consent to any such arrangement.
The case might be adjourned, but if any other Bill was before
the Committee on Friday this could not take precedence.
Mr. VENABLES had agreed to the adjournment. but only
on condition that it should come on on Friday, as some of his
witnesses could not be present tither to-morrow or on Mon-
. _

After soma discussion, however, it was agreed that the case
should come on at the meeting of the Committee to-morrow,
and the Committee then adjourned at a quarter past two
o'clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly-YterT-We-lv.e o'clock.
The following motions were agreed to without any obser-
vations :

That it be an instruction to the Committee of Selection,
that the Liverpool Sanatory Regulations Bill; the Liver •
pool Paving, Sewering, and Watering Bill ; the Liverpool
Water Bill; the Liverpool and Harrington Waterworks Bill ;
4nd the Toxteth Park Improvement Bill, be referred to the
same Commit tee.
That the Exeter, Topsham, ani Exmouth Railway Bill,
of which notice of report was given for Thursday, the 9th
day of April, be reported to-morrow, Wednesday, the 22d day
of April, notwithstanding the resolution of the House of the
7th day of April.
That the Order made on the 6th day of February last, re-
ferring the petition for the Liverpool, Warrington, -Manches-
ter, and Stockport Direct Railway Bill, be now read. That
the said Order be discharged; that the said petition be with-
drawn.
That the Order (6th February last) referring the Ayr-
shire and Caledonian Junction Railway Bill to the Com-
mittee on Petitions be now read. That the said Order be dis-
charged ; that the Bill be withdrawn.
Mr. GREENE moved, that, in consequence of the agents
not having obtained the breviate in time to give an earlier
notice of the second reading, the Holme Reservoir Bill be
read a second time on Monday the 27th day of April, not-
withstanding the time prescribed by the sessional order has
expired —The motion was agreed to.
The Hox ME3IIIEn then moved that, in consequence of the
agents for the Bill not having obtained the breviate in time
to give notice of the second reacting, Lt., et..m.L.L
deacin, eotreA April, r iltlnboetwrieLaia
.tc..o.nbd time endrnesecs
rdiabye ,tit
bh 2t
121(d3
sessional order has expired.—The motion was also agreeuto.

Mr. HAWES presented twenty petitions from the Wes-
leyan Methodists and various Dissenting bodies in Cornwall
and other counties, praying the House to take into consi-
deration the best means of preventing the sale of intoxicating
liquors on the Sabbath.
Mr. DUNCOMBE gave notice of a motion that he in-
tended to move to-morrow for inquiring into the merits of
the various railways before the House, with a view to provide
for their better regulation.
RECEIN ER-GENERAL OF CUSTOMS.
Mr. BARING asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether it was the intention of the Government to make any
alteration in the Receiver-General's department of the Cus-
toms, now that the Receiver-General (Sir W. Boothby) was
dead? He also wanted to know whether the Right Hon.
Gentleman had any objection to lay on the table of the
House a copy of the report of the proceedings in the depart-
ment of the Receiver• General.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that he
was not in a position to answer the first part of the Right
Hon. Gentleman's question, as he had only so reeently as
last night heard of the decease of the Receiver-General of the
Customs. With respect to the latter part of the question, he
could see no objection to lay on the table the report which
was inquired for.
In reply to question of Mr. WADDINGTON,
Sir J. GRAHAM said it was not the intention of the Go-
vernment to make any alteration at present with respect to
the branch of the Pour-laws which provided for the casual
reception of paupers.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL.

The orders of the day were then read, and the further con-
sideration of the report of this Bill was proceeded with iu
Committee.

Clauses 1,2, and 3 were agreed to.
Mr DUNCOMBE ruse when clause 4 was read, and said
that the Bill at the present moment was much misunder-
stood. There was no doubt that a great number of friendly
societies now in existence would be greatly cireutn-
scribed and crippled in their operations if clause
4 were allowed to stand part of the Bill. He proposed
that these societies should, under the new Act, have the
power of transferring their shares. A deputation had waited
upon him that morning, from a friendly society, stating
a case in which they would be interfered with. A few days
ago some members of a friendly society wished to emigrate.
They had been subscribers to their society for a length of
time, and of course their subscriptions were worth something
to them. After the passing of the 4th clause of this Bill
they would be unable to withdraw their money, or to trans-
fer their shares to any other persons, whether they were or
were not connected with the society, and of course their
money would be left behind them in this country. He did
not see why their shares should not be transferable to their
families, or even to strangers, and he should therefore pro-
pose such alterations in the clause as would admit of the
transfer of these shares.
Sir J. GHAHAaI said that the observation made by the
Hon. Member, when he said it was the tendency of the Bill
to narrow and restrict the existing powers of friendly socie-
ties, was incorrect. The object of the Bill was not to inter-
fere with any existing societies which should have keen re-
gistered before the passing of this Act—but foreseeing how
much legislation and inconvenience was likely to arise in
future if the law continued in its present state, this Bill
d just.
introduced for the purpose of extending and enlarging these
associations—and it would secure what was lawful and
The sth clause enabled any society to apply
foornreeg and this
and to certify that its object was a legalof the operations
Bill, so far from narrowing the spa
the particular point made by
h rtes of these societies, he (Sir
of these societies, would greatly
hexetgiodnc.ier.
Gentlemanreferencewith to
re-
gard to the transfer of the s
at the present moment permitted
With
in stating that if the law
this Bill would interfere with that
the transfer of shares
J. Graham) thought that the Hon. Member was not correct
clause
those societies registered before the pass-
ingwith
of the Act ;forl
d main so. With regard to the policy of
transferable, they were
in such societies, if they were
he conceived that these associations
principle ; for
making sharwertranrseferable he objected extremely to the
were associations of mutual contract and assurance
The law assumed, and rightly assumed, that the members of
these societies were parties known to each other, and who
r ed each other • and, as the case was put by the Hon.
tMuesmtber, members Of these societies would have the power of
transferring shares to persons not known to the society—to
parties not trusted by them, and not acceptable to thew, and
who might not be agreeable associates for the other mem-
bers. He conceived that it was not right that new members
should be admitted without any power of checking or con-
trolling their admission on the part of the society
in general. He wished to make these shares, not
a matter of barter—he did not wish to create
friendly society stags as well as stags of another
nature, and whatever might be the law with respect to these
societies, he was not prepared to introduce the principle of
unlimited and unchecked transfer to strangers, for the law
based these societies on the assumption that they were
formed for the purpose of friendly and mutual assurance. He
therefore proposed to strike out the words after the word
"that," and to add the words " the investment of each mem-
ber shall be employed for the sole benefit of the person
investing, or for his children, or kin, and that no
party shall give his investment for the relief,
maintenance or endowment of any other person
or member whatever." That addition would make the in-
vestment the property of the parties subscribing, or their
relatives.
After some observations from Mr. RUTHERFORD, which
did not reach the gallery,
Sir J. GRAHAM, in reply, said that he was perfectly will.
ing to admit the right of persons to combine against their
employer for higher wages, and under the existing con-
bination laws every facility was given to them. He was
willing to giTt OM facility t 9 those friendly societies to

London: Printed and Published by lleUltDO YOUNG. of No. 112.
Strand, Printer, at The Bun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct
of the Savoy, to the County of ALMAlesem. Wednesday. April
22. 1846.