The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-12 00:00:00

and the counsel engaged in the Opposition as to the correctness of the
plan adduced.
Mr. TALBOT then proceeded to examine Mr. Bidder, with reference
to the proposed alteration. His evidence was an echo of the opening
statement of the Learned Counsel.
The Committee adjourned at four o'clock,

GROUP
EURIVIINGIZELIVI CANALLVII.
AND RAILWAY
ARRANGEMENTS.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. WADDTICGTON haying stated that the case for the promoters
was concluded,
The CHAIRMAN said he had received a communication from the
Board of Trade on the subject of
THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM GRAND
JUNCTION, AND MANCHESTER AND BIR-
MINGHAM AMALGAMATION.
In that communication the Board of Trade stated that they could
not recommend the perpetual amalgamation of those companies,
although an amalgamation for a few years might be advintageous.
The Committee was, therefore, not prepared to give a decision at
present.
DUDLEY CANAL AND BIRMINGHAM
CANAL AMALGAMATION.
Mr. WADDINGTON said, that as this Bill was in intimate connexion
with the Birmingham Canal and Railway Arrangements Bill, he
would proceed with this before the opposition to the other was gone
into, as such opposition was necessarily the same against both the
Bills. .The object of the Bill was to improve the property and navi-
gation ofthe UudleyCanal by an amalgamation with the Birmingham.
The Dudley Canal was poorly supplied with water, and of that
there was a great waste in consequence of the badness of the levels;
whereas the Birmingham Canal had an excellent supply of water,
by which the other would be greatly improved in the navigation,
and the contemplated arrangements would be conducive to extended
benefits.
Several witnesses wore then heard in support of these general
statements.
Mr. SELF, with Mr. M. D. Hill, Q.C., opposed the Bill on
the ground that it made provision for the continuance of certain
tolls, which past experience proved the companies might reduce
without loss to their own revenues and with great advantage to the
After hearing evidence in support of this opposition, the Committee
adjourned at four o'clock till twelve to-morrow.

GROUP LXIV.
The Committee re-assembled to-day at twelve o'clock, Mr. T. 5,
Duncombe in the chair, and resumed the consideration of the
• IRISH GREAT WESTERN (PORTA.R-,
LINGTON TO GALWAY).
Mr. ALEXANDER, on the part of some of the petitioners against the
Bill, read the petition, which was very voluminous, and alleged,
among other informalities, that the source whence the capital for
the ttill was derived had not been truly set forth, inasmuch as the
real promoters of the Bill were the promoters of the Irish South-
Western Rpilway Company.
Mr. Sergeant Moaeny contended that the Bill before the Com-
mittee was to all intents and purposes a new Bill. It was found by
the old company that in consequence of their expenses,
and the bad odour into which the company had fallen,
that it would be necessary to reconstruct the company,
and the present company was established, allotments
being given to those of the old company who desired the present
project. The present Bill proposed to construct a railway different
from the former Bill and, ipso facto, the company was bona fide a new
company.
The Learned Counsel then called evidence to show thal parties
ha I become promoters of the project in this Bill under a conviction
that it was an entirely new project.
The Committee overruled the objections in the petition.
The evidence in support of the Bill was then resumed, and the
Committee adjourned at four o'clock.

STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEES.
HOUSE OF LORDS.
Their Lordships met at eleven, as usual, in room No. I, House of
Lords, Lord Shaftesbury in the chair, and present, the Duke of
Richmond, the Earls of Devon and Fortescue, the Marquis of Win-
chester, and Lords Hawarden and Camoys.
The Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston (Thornllebank, Househill,
and Hurlet Branches)—The Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston
(Paisley Branches)—The Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock (Harbour
Branch)—The Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction—
The Edinburgh and Northern (Strathearn Deviation) —and the
Lancashire and North Yorkshire Bills, and also the Northumber-
land Docks Still, were declared to have complied with the standing
orders.
Having disposed of these Bills, the Committee resolved itself into
a Select Committee on merits, in order to proceed with the case
of the

BITCHINGHA2VISHIRE (OXFORD AND
BLETCHLET BRANCHES),
the preamble of which Bill was declared to be proved. The Bill
was ordered to be reported.
Their Lordships rose at about half-past four o'clock.

LYNN AND ELY RAILWAY.
A special meeting of the scripholders, shareholders, and
proprietors of the Lynn and Ely Railway took place yesterday
at the offices of the Company, No. 7, Millbank-street, in
pursuance of the sessional orders of both Houses of Parliament.
The chair was taken at two o'clock by Sir William Browne
Folke.

The SECRETARY having read the advertisement convening
the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said that the capital required to be repre-
sented at the meeting necessary to qualify it to come to any
decision was 80,0001., but they held 113,7501. worth of shares
assenting to the Bill. He would therefore propose to the
meeting a resolution embodying their assent to the two fol-
lowing Bills :—A Bill to empower the Lynn and
Ely Railway Company to construct a railway from
the borough of Wisbeach to Spalding, in the parts of Hol-
land, in the county of Lincoln, with a branch up to Holland ;
and a Bill to empower the Lynn and Ely Railway Conpany
to construct a railway from the borough of Wisbeach to
March, in the parish of Doddington, all in the Isle of Ely
and county of Cambridge.
The votes having been taken, it was found that there were
3,225 shares assenting, and 715 dissenting.
The CHAIRMAN therefore decided that the resolutions had
bt'eficarried. --
The CHAIRMAN also informed the meeting that the first
half of their contract had been almost finished, and their
contractor has even -offered to have it open in July next, if
they, gave him 1,5001. extra; but, as they had not their
engines ready, they did not choose to incur the additional
expense.

The meeting then separated, having passed a vote of thanks
to the Chairman.

FICTION. AND REALITY,
OR THE PEASANT _OF THE OPERA-HOUSE AND
THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER AS HE REALLY
IS.—(A CONTRAST.)
All the fashionable young ladies and the elegantly.
dressed young gentlemen who frequent the Opera-
house, have a sort of vague idea that the spruce
young peasants with broad-brimmed straw hats,
and shirt-sleeves tied up with blue ribbon, and
flesh-coloured silk stockings and satin tights, as
seen on the stage, are true and exact repre-
sentations of country labourers ; that these same
peasants, as they call them, are engaged all day senti-
mentally leaning against a tree and playing on a pipe to
a flock of sheep, and dancing every night under trees
illuminated by lamps, with young damsels as elegantly
dressed as themselves. And these young fashionables
think.their papas and their uncles, who make protec-
tion speeches in Bond-street or the House of Com-
mons, very patriotic and wise men; and that that wieked
Sir Robert Peel, that odious Sir James Graham, and
that dreadful revolutionary League, wish to destroy this
rural happiness, and to shut up the dear creatures in
union workhouses. And they further believe that all
these stories, got up by Mr. Sheridan and the Rev. Mr.
Osborne and others, about labourers breaking stones,
with cold potatoes in their bags, and their wives and
children with nothing to eat but cabbage leaves and
horse beans boiled together, and wages being only seven
shillings a-week—are inventions of free traders to make
" protection to native industry " unpopular, and to bring
that worthy class, the country gentlemen, into contempt,
and that it is all a cunningly devised scheme to inveigle
these charming and interesting young men and women
who dance so divinely and sing so charmingly in chorus,
into horrid and pestilential factories, which they are
never allowed to leave to return to their dear country
pastimes.

These same fashionable young ladies and gentlemen,
iving at the west end of London, where they see nothing
but gold lace, equipages, elegant dresses and tall foot-
men ; or if in the country, surrounded by all the profu-
sion and tasteful appendages of a gentleman's seat—
draw all their ideas of rural life not imbibed at the
opera, from the pet lady's maid who married the hand-
some footman, and who lives at the beautiful and
tasty lodge at the entrance of the park, and
who always curtseys so low when the carriage passes,
and is so thankful for religious tracts, securing thereby
the broken dainties from the hall, and enough of cast-
off clothes for her family—not to mention blankets and
coats at Christmas.

These very ignorant and sentimental young gentle-
folks knovv.nothing of cottages in ruins, the mother ih
consumption, children in rags, no fire except a few
stolen sticks, a dinner of boiled cabbage leaves and horse
beans. No! the stern realities of truth would have no
charms for them, so they give themselves up to the ar-
cadian fancies of opera tableaux. And so, buried in a
world of deception and delusion, like the French noblesse
of the last generation, they are totally unprepared for
the day of retribution, which may come like a thief in
the night.
It is to be hoped that there is enough of redeeming
virtue in free trade, now within our grasp, to avert this
awful catastrophe.—The Struggle.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS June 11.
Earl SIIAFTESBURY took his seat
on the Woolsack at a
qaarter to Five.
MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS.
Messengers from the Commons brought up thirty-six Binh
principally for railways.
_ _

Lord CAMPBELLCORN presented a LAWp
etition from Cupars in
Fifeshire, praying their Lordships to pass the Bill for the
repeal of these laws with as little delay as possible, and without
any alteration whatever.
Petitions were also presented from various places in Scot-
land, by the same Noble Lord, praying their Lordships 'to
adopt some measures for affording sites for churches for the
Free Church of Scotland.
The Duke of RICHMOND could not allow the present ee"
casion to pass without vindicating himself from charges which
had been brought against him for refusing to grant sites
for the Free Church of Scotland; he stated that in every case
where application had been made to him for these sites fle had
granted them. He gave them spots of ground which he con-
sidered best for them, and he thought a landlord should know
best what was proper for them.
Lord CAMPBELL said that after having presented se
many petitions on the subject, he considered it fair only t.l
say that the Noble Duke had acted in the kindest spirit, and
he did not consider the Noble Earl had any just complaint to
offer upon the subject. The members of the Free Church were
exposed to the most unjust persecution in many places. They
were not allowed to worship en the roads and highways'
and they were obliged to build iron steamers and moor then;
on the sea-shore, in order to have a place where they could
unmolested worship their Creator. Now if this state of things
continued, he was prepared to move some measure which sheet"
put an end to this abuse of the rights of property.
Lord BROUGHAAI considered that it was a very great miss'
take of his Noble and Learned Friend to say that it was pose;
cution in landlords to exercise their just rights. He ner
would allow any person in his presence to term such an exercise
a persecution. No person had a right to take his property
without his consent, and he would advise the Free Church pot
to make their cause unpopular by endeavouring to force all
interference upon the subject.
The Earl of FITZ WILLIAM brought up the report upon
the Harwich and Eastern Counties Railway Bill.
RAILWAY LEGISLATION.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said that, in consequence of
the remark which fell from the Noble Lord opposite in respect
to what had been said by his Noble Friend, he felt bound to
say that if the Noble Lord had given any notice of his inten-
tion his Noble Friend the President of the Board of Trade
would have been present, or he (the Duke of Wellington)
would have been prepared to give every information which
could have referred to the question.
Earl FITZ WILLIAM thought that all railways should be
considered as public ways, and that the Government should'not
give to the company the actual property of the ground on which
the railway was laid down. Such a course would remove the
grievance of which his Noble Friend complained. With re-
spect to any other remedy. it would be d.fficult to find one suit-
able for the purpose. Great difficulty was found last year in
comirg to any conclusion with respect to the compensation to
be awarded for land which in the ordinary course of things
must be interfered with by a railway.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY thought the property of
a person's mines was affected by railways.
PETITION OF RIGHT.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Isallell.e
Ainslie, praying that some steps should be taken by tee,ll,
Lordships to enable them to obtain a fiat in a petition of right
which they had presented twelve months since.
Some discussion arose upon the question of the practice in
this case, in which the Lord Chancellor, Lords Brougham'
Campbell, and Cottenham took part.
REFORMATION OF CRIMINALS.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented several petitions from
Lincoln, praying that their Lordships would take some steps
for providing that criminals discharged from public prison
should be received into houses of occupation, where, by
eAhonpnyeersi
niteeni
ancsdeuursamt rabyn,ayvt
ndegyi
ffimacuiugcl
bthi teasbleoebbnujaetbe enable, de
btewo
oewuaolrdeni their
dpuaadmit,
I i
woolio
x
to theft
Lordships—was not that a reason why they should refuse. to
attempt it, particularly as they were aware that the Duni;
of juvenile offenders was on the increase ?—( Hear, hear.), te
was a lamentable fact, that a young creature who, before
knew the difference between right and wrong, having met
mitted some offence, was imprisoned, and having there rem's
evil companions, when he was discharged, the only reso;b;
which he had was to commence a course of evil- to
was in consequence of their having no refnges..,,e
fly to, and he conjured their Lordships to 1270.
some measures to put a stop to this great ,7,„d,
Institutions for this purpose had been established in Eng"
but he thought that it was the duty of Government to tak: tdhide
matter into their own managensent.—( Hear, hear.) I!_eis.
not wish to ask the Government now what was their la_ 0,
tion on this subject, but he purposed giving notice to-mor,'"_°nd
of his intention to bring the subject fully before the Houses ;and
finally move that a select Committee be appointed to consider
the question.
The Bishop of LONDON presented a petition to the sae"
-effect as those presented by the Noble Duke, remarking
aster
at the
same time that the present treatment of juvenile criminals
their discharge in England, was a disgrace to the countrf
(Hear, hear.) The country had neglected or forgottee, its
~_
duty, and the cause was left to the efforts of those wh
uoa tas
interest in the welfare of the human race and the country-
It
coun,
was difficult in the present state of the people ;aft the sub
and the present artificial state of society,
should be taken in hand by the Government, except ine the
form of an inquiry. The experiment of the model
Prisom at
Pentonville had wonderful y answered the benevolent in ten-
_
tions of those who sanctioned its formation. He w
as
of opinion that the experiment should be first tried by
exertions of a body of associated individuals, who
would be enabled to come before Parliament with a case of
jtrecYt
successful experiments_ which would necessarily have its due
weight. There was a benevolent individual in this
country named Mr. Wright, of Manchester, who had
taken in hand no less than 90- criminals sentenced• to
various terms of imprisonment, and subjected them of their
own free will to a course of instruction in- useful industry, end
he had been the blessed means of restoring to the country', to
the Church, and to society no less than sixty-three of them. if
one benevolent man could effect so much by his exertions, what
could be done by a well-matured scheme,' carried out by the
Government of a Christain country?
After a few words from Lord LYTTELTON, whiCli did
not reach the gallery,
CORN LAWS.
L meetingord C
ofOCIIhI
inions
ehshinremageaniZt rt
cnrtue d
-1 a
w petition
Lord DELAMERE was well acquainted with the op
of the inhabitants of the county of Cheshire. and believed
Houseeli
gest
ceoasfrom a county
.
He supported the Bill, because he believed it wouldre boa
h Y.
public benefit, and would be far from inflicting
any injur
He did not creeit that it would interfere with any their
f
he con-
of
established institutions, as it had been asserted. I
sidered that it would, he would be far from supporting lr
Lord COMBERMERE—As to what the Noble Lord
said that it was a very popular Bill with the county of Lanca-
shire but the
he could only say that such was not the case,ed that
they were generally in favour of the Bill before
•
Noble Lord must have taken his opinions from Stock:
port or that part of the • county, as he could
state that the contrary was the fact in parts
other
of the county, where he was intimately acquainted.
and where large meetings of the tenant-farmers had expressed
their opinions against it.
Lord DELAMERE was not aware that such had been the fact
He admitted that this was not a farmer's but a landlord's Bill.
The Duke of RICHMOND thought the tenant-farmers had
been ill-used upon the question, for no sooner did they
present petitions against the Bill than up got a Noble Lord
and said he knew the farmers were not against the Bill. What
would their Lordships think when he told them that the Noble
Lord who had just explained was a subscriber to the Cheshire
Protection Society, of which the Noble personage he had al-
luded to, as being favourable to this Bill, was the president.
When the question was first agitated in the House of Com-
mons the tenant-farmers of Cheshire got up a society to pre-
serve protection, and their cry was "Protection, and nothing
but protection, as it then existed." Now he found these two
Noble Lords joined that Society, and supported it with their
great influence, and contributed to its funds. He had
_a.no
doubt the farmers of Cheshire were grateful to them for vela t
they did, but he thought this gratitude would not last very
lone.—(Hear, hear.) An occasion would shortly present _
it-
self When the Cheshire farmers would have an opportunity of
expressing their opinion on the subject, and he trusted they
would follow the example of Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire,
and the other counties, and form themselves into Coin
mittees, so as not to return any man who had abandoned
the principles he professed in IB42.—(Hear, hear.) Their
had the game in their own hands, they
.were an influen •
tial portion of the people of this country, and if they only
chose to exert themselves, even if this Bill did no.w.
be able to repeal it. His Noble Friend the Noble
and the day would shortly come when they would
and Gallant Duke, the other day, recommended their
Lordships to pass this Bill, because he said there must be*
now they might expect the Bill to be sent before theca
new Parliament before long, and that if they did not pass it
by the Members of a new House of Commons.—( Hear, hear.)
He (the Duke of Richmond) most sincerely believed that
many of the greatest agitators with respect to the repeal of the
corn-laws were really now alarmed at what they had done.--
_
( Hear, hear.) He believed that many of them had no idea
whatever that free trade was to be carried with respect to every
article in which they themselves dealt.—( Hear, hear.) An 4
he believed that at the time that they asked for another
might:
entire repeal of the corn-laws, their object was that they
mightrns
ask for more than they really wanted, in ordl,reerh.) they t However,
make terms between the parties.—
hear. )
would not pass as it at present stood (
(hil?eptailr'ara.nd,trusted that it
Lord DELAMERE said that it
society;
the Bill was not yet passed, and
if he had done so
that he ever subscribed to a protectionawe
of
was not in his recollection
and never would, belong to such
(Hear, hear, and
al.
thought in another part..
this was the first time he was
LONDONDERRY thought they were
The Marquis of
interests of the public by making violent de-
clamationnot advancing
the t the farmers thought on this sub' in
alasuogehietetyr..) But he never a,
subject one
as to what
and what they
Part of the couheetry,
Noble Duke bow many etiti
He would ask
tt
at
use
the farmers Pe in
onshad beens
presented to___aha
it H
not extraordinary th t this Ireland against'
this Bill ? W a country, which
wasbe so much affected by this Bill, had
to•not toit? He not petitioned
their Lordships pass
rather exaggerated when he spoke of the feelings of the t nant-
farmers , and he must say that the Noble Lord e'
his
had,
mind, given very satisfactory proofs
that there existed among
the tenant-farmers different • • opinions on this subject. He
thought, too, that it was not right for the
Noble Duke to be
continually addressing their Lordships (and he always took
care to close his speecheswith some open and some great and
terrible denunciation againstw
the principle of free- trade) when
petitions on this subject were presented to the House.
arquis of SALISBURY concurred with his Noble
Friend, that much good was not done by speeches on
these petitions—(Hear)—but he begged his Noble Friend at
the same
time to recollect that the custom had originated with
the Noble Lord behind him. He knew, that in
every county
in England the tenant-farmers were almost unanimous against
this Bill.—(Cheers and cries of "No no, " and Oh loh V"
,
No doubt the tenant-farmers of Durham, who were represeleted
in Parliament by one of the agitators of the Anti-'cos, a Law
League, did hold opinions in favour of this Bill.—(l7.ear, hear.)
If he were to assert that which he believed -Jae might, be
should say that a considerable portion of 0:1e mill owners of
Lincolnshire were averse to free-trade. Sssme Noble Lord said
they were very anxious for it. As far as he had looked at the
petition on the subject, he found that there had not been
single petition of the tenant-farmers in favour of the measure.
It was too much for his Noble Friend to find fault with the
Noble Duke on the cross benches for making a violent de-
clamation on this subject. The tenant-farmers had done all
they could to prove their dislike to the Bill. They bad met in
every county in England, and had presented petitions to this
and to the other House, begging that the Legislature would
not be guilty of such a breach of faith to them.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said, that after the ex-
traordinary personal attack made upon him—(Laughter)_he
felt it necessary to make some remarks. He had asserted that
the tenant-farmers were not opposed to the Bill. He had on
several occasions listened in the House to the Noble Duke, who,
had made strong remarks after every petition he presented.
Such a course was not usual, and.when he remarkedit,the
Noble Marquis got up and index's: -ninst extKaorionary, per/
'oriel attack on hinu—(Laughter.) It Way not throoo hi i