The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-06 00:00:00

SCOTTISH GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

The Marquis of BREADALBANE presented a pe-
tition from Glasgow, in favour of this line of railway.
He also presented a petition from the Presbytery of the
Free Church of Biggar, in Lanarkshire, complaining of
the proceedings of the labourers employed on railways
in that neighbourhood, and the desecration of the Sab-
bath. The petitioners prayed for an investigation.
LIMERICK HARBOUR.

The Earl of CLARE presented a petition from the
Bridge Commissioners of the city of Limerick, in favour of
the deepening and improving of the harbour of that city.
The Noble Lord, in doing so, called the attention of the
Honse•to a report of the Tidal Commissioners, setting
forth the great necessity for the alterations and improve
ments prayed for. 85,0001. bad been expended on the
harbour of Cork, and about half a million on the Upper
Estuary of the Shannon ; therefore, he thought some-
thing ought to be done for the harbour of Limerick.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH said he was not prepared
then to give an opinion. He believed that gross abuses
had hitherto prevailed in the management of that har-
bour, but if a Bill was introduced to effect a change, or
carry out an improvement of it, it would receive every
attention from the Board of Admiralty. The Noble
1,,,rd then presented a petition from the corporatiOn
of Newry against the Newry and Roscommon Railway.
He was only made acquainted on Saturday night that
the Bill was before Parliament, and he was informed
(and he believed correctly so) that it would be read a
third time to-day. He was at the same time informed
that the consent of the Admiralty had in the usual way
been given to the passing of the Bill, but that a report
had appeared directly adverse by the Tidal Commission-
ers. He (Lord Ellenborough) had requested the en-
gineer to make a report on the subject ; that re-
port had been presented, and it was favourable,
and as the consent of the Admiralty had been given to
the Bill, perhaps the best course would be to allow the
Bill, which has gone so far in that House, to pass, and
when it had been sent down to the House of Commons,
inquiries could be made during the recess into the true
merits of the Bill, and such amendments could be made
as might be found advisable.
Lord MONTEAGLE thought it was not consistent
with the wisdom or decorum of their Lordships' pro-
ceedings, to allow Billa to pass a third time, which
would have to be amended in the other House.
He hoped that this Bill would be postponed until the
Admiralty should be put in possession of the reports
and plans on this subject. He thought that a wise and
wholesome controul on the part of the Admiralty was
necessary to secure the interests of the public. He
knew from his own knowledge that many mischiefs had
arisen from the inefficiency of public works with re
spect to tidal harbours. Their Lordships sometimes
passed Bills, leaving out certaln parts to be
under the controul of the Admiralty and the Board
of Public Works for the time being. Now although
he (Lord Monteagle) had every respect for these Com-
mittees, although he had every confidence in the mode
in which they exercised their functions, yet he thought
that every Bill which passed that House, should be
perfectly complete ; and that no public office should
have it in their power to alter or amend it.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said, that he would
have no objection to adopt the course recommended.
The Board of Admiralty had then before it the report
of their own engineer, in favour of the railway. An-
other report had been presented to himself personally.
by a gentleman against the Bill, and under
these circumstances, it would hardly be fair for the
Admiralty to decide on the one way or another without
further investigation. He might state for the satisfac•
Lion of his Noble Friend that an officer had been ap-
pointed for the purpose of examining into these matters;
he reported afterwards to the Board of Admiralty, who
decided on a full consideration of the case submitted to
them.

The Earl of ROSEBERRY said that, as Chairman of
the Committee, before which this Bill had been inves-
tigated, he might say, that they had given it their ut-
most consideration, and no Committee of their Lord-
ships, he was sure, could have taken greater pains to com-
pare the evidence with the view of arriving at the truth.
Captain Washington had been examined by the Com-
mittee previously to the Committee having come to a
decision. He thought it necessary to say these few
words upon the subject.

Lord -ELLENBOROUGH understood that Captain
Washington was present when Mr. Wallace was ex-
amined before the Committe ; he, however, dissenting
from the opinions of that Gentleman, had volunteered
his evidence upon the occasion.
Earl of ROSEBERRY had no recollection of these
circumstances alluded to by the Noble Lord.
.The Marquis of LANSDOWNE thought it was a
case calling for the interference of Parliament.
The motion was then agreed to.
THE LATE VICTORIES IN INDIA.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE rose, pursuant to
the notice he had given, to ask a question of the Govern-
ment upon the subject of the great and glorious
events which have recently taken place in India. Before
he put that question, he would however perhaps be per-
mitted to express personally the regret which he felt at
not having been present upon the former occasion. It
was perfectly impossible for him to attend upon that oc
casion. He thought the motion had been brought on
without se.fficient notice, owing to the circumstance of
their Lordships not sitting upon Wednesday. It would
have been impossible for him or any other person, to add
anything to the valuable testimony which bad been borne
upon that occasion to those great awl glorious services
by the Noble Duke connected with her Majesty'e Govern-
ment. The Noble Duke (the Duke of Wellington), who had
been in the scene, and had WOD those victories which
added honour to his name, hoped he had lived to see the
maintenance of our territory on the banks of the Sutlrj
brought to a final consummation by the gallant victorie:,
which had crowned the exertions of Sir Henry
Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough.—(Hear.) Know
ing this, and confirmed in it by the evpressions
of his Noble Friend (the Earl of Auckland)
who sat behind him, who, from his acquaintance
with India was well able to estimate the difficulties of
that service, and who, on the occasion of passing a vete
of thanks to the army, confirmed, in a most clear and
satisfactory manner, the statements then made. Having
ventured to say this, in excuse for himself, he begged to
ask a question, whether any communications on the
subject would be produced, or that they might
have some additional information to that supplied
in the newspapers ? Was it the intention of
her Majesty's Government to produce all the papers re-
lating to those military transactions ; but he was par-
ticularly desirous to- know whether the proclamation of
Sir W. Hardinge, the Governor-General of India, after
the last and decisive battle and the treaty which
it was stated he had concluded with the Seikhs,
after the battle of the 17th of February.
would be laid on the table of the House ? He did not
ask that question, with any idea that those papers could
be made the foundation of anything objectionable to the
policy of the Government in that quarter of the world.—
(" Hear, hear," from the Duke of Wellington.) On
the con:rary, if he felt any anxiety to see those papers,
produced, it was because they contained the proclama-
tion to which he had referred, which se as issued by the
Governor-General on entering the Seikh territory, arid
because he feeling his policy would_be,found satisfactery
to the Parliament and to tt e country.—(Cheers.) Ile
felt satisfied that this great conflict was not produced by
any invasion on the part of the British.—(Cheers.)
It had always been the safety of the Indian Govern-
meat to depend on the satisfaction and protection which
they gave to the natives of that quarter of the world,
the prosperity given to their trade and commerce, and
the improvement affected in their social existence.
(Hear, hear.) Next to that should stand the fact
that all the nations of Asia should under-
stand that the Indian Government were not
desirous of conquest, but security ; and that it was not
wits them a question, beyond this, whether those Go-
vernments were perfect or imperfect, Mahometan or
Hindoo ; their only desire being to recognise them as
allies, and to treat them as equals.—(Hear, hear.) He
felt, therefore, peculiar satisfaction when he saw those
principles laid down in the proclamation alluded to.—

(Hear.) No doubt in doing so the Governor-General had
but acceded to the views of her Majesty's Government ;
and in doing so they (as a Government) might challenge
the world fur an example to such a course.—(Loud
cheers.:, So much it was his duty to state on the present
occasion ; they would see that security and not conquest
was the motive that led to the late great and glorious results
He was aware that the reports bad reached Government,
and he was consequently surprised that no mention had
been made respecting rewards to be confers ed upon the
several officers engaged in these operations. He hoped
that some such communication as that to which he had
alluded might he made iu that matter as to set every
one at rest with regard to the intention of Government,
and that no long time would elapse before her Ma-
jesty's most gracious intentiors were communicated
to the House. He wished that the unusual course which
had been pursued in this business of making a communi-
cation to this House without laying the requisite papers
on the table had not been adopted.
The Earl of RIPON said that it was impossible to
express his regret•at having been unable to e:ijoy the
benefits- of his Noble Lord's attendance when the vote
of thanks to the officers of the Indian army was so
unanimously and satisfactorily carried through
the House. The facts were that he had
asked this question on Tuesday evening
at which time the official accounts had not reached her
Msjesty's Government, and when no answer could be
given. Those accounts were received on Wednesday
morning, and, as the House of Commons were sitting on
that day, it was thought better to give notice in that
liouse, and so to depart from the usual course. He was
not at that time aware that his Noble Friend
was •out of town, and he bad addressed a
letter to him accordingly, but, on discovering that fact,
he had added another - communication to his Noble
Friend,. who was confined to his bed by the gout. That
was the reason why sufficient notice had not been given
to his Noble Friend (the Marquis of Lansdowne) of the
motion for Thursday evening. He was truly rejoiced to
find that the conduct of .the Governor-General, and that
of the several officers associated with him, had met, as
it deserved to meet with the full approval of his Noble
Friend. With respect to the question which his Noble
Friend had put, he might say that, in point of fact,
all that had been received up to the present
time was that . which had been already pub•
lished in the Gazette. All the arrangements
however with regard to the remainder of the intelligence
had not been reduced to proper form, but as soon as they
were care would be taken that they should be
immediately ltkid before their Lordships:. Until
those documents were ready, it would be itapossible
for him to lay :any, further intelligence bcfare them.
With respect to what. his Noble Friend had asked
as to whether- any communication had been re-
ceived from her Majesty with regard to the I,onours
to be conferred upon those great men who had
achieved those great victories, he could only say that at
the present monient he was not authorised to make any
statement upon that subject, but this he could say,
that no sooner had her Majesty become
aware of the events which had occured, and the services
which those two individuals had rendered, then she gave
her commands for the patent of Sir Henry llardinge and
Sir Hugh Gough.— (Cheers)—a proceeding which world
confer honor not only upon those two individuals, w.lio
had so richly deserved it, but on the country for which
they had fought.—Cheers.)
THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

Lord BEAUMONT said that he had given notice to
the Noble Earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs that it
was his intention to put a question to him to-day, and he
understood from him that he had do ob;ection to his (loin,
so. The question that he intended to put to the Noble
Earl regarded recent events in the provinces of the
Austrian t mpire. In putting that question, he should
not apologise to their. Lordships for bringia it before
them, nor should he pause lo ask them to reflect
wheth( r there was combination, any treaty, or
any international custom which 'gave him the
privilege of bringing the subject before them in that
place. Ile claimed the privilege and the right to do so
on far higher grounds ; ha claimed it on the ground that
he believed that all European states had entered into a
tacit compact to advance civilization, and to
arrest the continuation of any barbarous custom or
law, which had hitherto existed in Europe. A re-
volution had recently occurred in some of the Aus-
trian provinces, which all must deplore.—(Hear.)