The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-27 00:00:00

COMMONS' SUMMARY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at tour o'c!ock.
Several railway Bills were read a second time, and orderer
to be committed.

Sir R. PEEL presented petitions in favour of the Govern-
ment measures, with respect to corn and the tariff.
Lord DuNcAN postponed his motion with respect to the
window-tax till after Easter.

Sir R. INaus asked, pursuant to notice, when it was the
intention of the Government to introduce the Bills, prepared
by the:Treasury, for carrying out the recommendations of the
4th and sth reports of her Majesty's Commission(..rs fur the
improvement of the metropolis.
Sir B. PEEL said the Bills were prepared, but his Noble
Friend (the Secretary for Ireland) feeling desirous to see
them before they were introduced, they had been sent to him
in Ireland, and they would be introduced immediately on
their return.

Mr. Comma x presented petitions from the tenantry of Sir
JAMES GRAHAM, at Netherby, in favour of the Government
measure with respect to the corn-laws. The petitioners
stated, however, that they would have preferred the imme-
diate and total repeal of the corn-laws.
Sir J. GRAHAM, in resuming the debate on the second
reading of the Corn Imrortation Bill, assured the House,
with reference to the petition that had just been presented,
that he had never interfered in the slightest degree with his
tenant:,' upon the subject on which the petition had been
presented. Lie was prepared on public grounds, notwith-
standing all the obloquy that had been attempted to be cast
upon him, to support the present measure, which, he felt as-
sured, would receive the sanction of Parliament.

Middlesex, the smallest county but one in England,
is richest in railways, having an annual income from them of
f 60,4431. ; Lancashi-e stands for 593,5151. ; Surrey fur 191,0121. ;
Durham for 171,0191.; Derloshire for 104,2041. ; and YorliAiire for
93,5191. The total amount of railway income in 1843 was, for Enz.
land and Wales, 5,417,6091., and Scotland, 131,333/. ; since which
period a material increase must have taken place. At the Bete in
question no less than twenty counties in Englund, and rive in wales,
were without railway*.

THE STATE of the CORN TRADE.
The following petition, signed by forty or fifty of the
principal millers and corn-factors of :ewcastle-upon-Tyne,
has been presented to the Premier :
" TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR R. PEEL, BART., &C.
" The humble Memorial of the undersigned, corn-merchants,
factors, and millers of Newcastle-on-Tyne,
" Showeth,—That your memorialists beg respectfully to
refer to the memorial sent from this town early in February
last, in which the advantages that would result from the ad-
mission of foreign grain, under the peculiar circumstances
existing, were pointed out—advantages not limited to the
holders of grain in bond, but extending to the agricultural
interest of this country, which could not have failed to benefit
by the opportunity of mixing the dry with the damp grain,
and thus bringing the latter into consumption under more
fovourable circumstances,
" That since the transmission of that memorial the old
wheat in the country has been still further exhausted, and
the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient supply of dry wheat to
mix with last year's crop greatly increased. That the price
of old wheat has in consequence advanced without a corre-
sponding rise having taken place on the wheat brought to
market by the farmers.
" That your memorialists are decidedly of opinion that no
class would benefit more than the English farmers by the
admission into the market of the wheat now in bond, and
that instead of thereby suffering a diminution in price, an im-
provement in that respect would probably follow such a
measure, calculated, as it would be, to meet the wants of the
consumer, and having, therefore, a necessary tendency to
benefit the producer.
"That from the complete exhaustion of the stock of old
wheat, further delay in the settlement of this important
question must be followed by most injurious consequences;
and your memorialists, therefore, earnestly solicit that the
privilege which has just been conceded in the admission of
buckwheat and maize into the home market, may be ex-
tended to wheat.
"And your memorialists will ever pray," &c.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. March 26.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
THIRD READING.

The York New 'Waterworks Bill was read a third
time and passed.

TEN HOURS' BILL.
Dr. I3OWRING presented a petition, signed by fifteen
medical men of Bolton, in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill.
SETTLEMENT OF THE POOR.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said, the House would bear
with him while he made a few remarks upon the motion
proposed by the Hon. Member who had just sat down.
The Hon. Member had alluded to the speech of his Right
Hon. Friend (Sir Robert Peel) upon this question.
Now, he considered that the speech of the Right Hon.
Baronet was clear and perfectly intelligible. The ques-
tion raised by the Hon. Member was from a forced and
strained construction of the two expressions which fell from his
Friend. The first of them was the proposed alteration-
in the law of settlement, and the second was its bearing upon-
the Corn Bill. He must say, that had it been his lot to opera
this question to the House, the subject could not have beets
better stated with reference to his opinion. His Hon. Friend
had clearly described the precise object of the introduction of
this Bill. He spoke under the correction of the highest legal
authorities in that House, and he believed it impossible to alter
the law of removal without altering the law of settlement, for
the principle in either case was the same. His Hon. Friend
said that a permanent settlement was not intended to be pro'
posed by Government. The question was not by any mean'
connected with the alteration of the corn-laws. It was an'
nounced in that House as a measure brought forward by her
Majesty's Government in connexion with the landed interest.
It was a measure conducive to the public good, and \ELIO
might stand by itself, perfectly independent of the other nu's'
sures to which the Hon. Gentleman referred while calling the
attention of the House to the other measure. He (Sir James
Graham, was prepared to support the Bill without reference t°
the corn-laws, and he was also prepared to vote for the Corn
Bill in its present shape, even though it should be the pleasure
of the Legislature to reject the other Bill. He must nay told,
in the course of allhis experience in that House, a mot: extra'
ordinary motion was never made than the one just made laf
the Hon. Gentleman who had just spoken, and who proposed
that the subject should be referred to a Select Cow'
mittee before the second reading of the Rill'
They had a Bill then befoe them which had received the firs"
reading, and stood for the second. Many of the most /01-
portant provisions, with reference to the law of removal, were
conclusively not injurious, but, on the contrary, highly belle'
fieial to that portion of the community likely to be effected by
it. Now it struck him that the proposition of the Hon. Go'
tleman was rather en extraordinary one, as it gave the go-b 9
to that already before the House ; though every object sough;
to be gained by the Hon. Gentleman cauld be accomplished
after the second reading, on the motion that the Speaker dos
leave the chair, and the House go into Committee.—(Hear.)
The first proposition of course would be, that the Bill be
divided into two parts, which he ( Sir J. Graham) would de'
cidedly oppose. The Hon. Gentleman, however, said there
were certain portions of the Bill that dil not meet his fell sP"
probation. He ( Sir J. Graham) had the honour of proposia
a similar measure to the pre-ent at a former period ; but thl
he accompanied it with several alterations as regarded parocli
settlement, instead of settlement under the old system, whit
he did not press, in consequence of the opposition of Hone
Members. If that opportunity were lost. there would be gree
difficulty in hereafter settling the question ; while the arrattg,,e,
r
merit, as it now stood, was excellent and fair, and it was Is
the House to determine whether it should be carried out.
was true there were matters of detail which it might be necec
vary to alter, but they could easily be arranged when the 13i
got into Committee. The principle, however„ he believed'
could not be objected to, and he, for one, was prepared to gilt
his moat hearty and uncompromising support to the Bill. `a
was his most decided opinion that it was equitable and fair, an
viewing this question irrespective of any other measure before.
the House, it was one well worthy of support. Many of thv
alterations proposed to be made in reference to the poor Were
humane and just. The Bill itself had been most carefullYPre:t
pared, under the advice and guidance of the highest ler:
authorities of the country, and he was quite satisfied °'
machinery could not be altered with advantage. Under the!e
circumstances he should most certainly give his decided °MO'
Lion to the motion of the Right Hon. Gentleman.
MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.

Messengers from the Lords brought down certain Bills.
Mr. SPOONER wished that the motion of his Hon. Friel!
would be agreed to • and, with regard to what had fallen fr°l7
the Secretary for the Home Department, namely, that he hat,
never held nut the proposed measure as one of compeoseti°
for the passing of the corn-law, he would only refer to th,o,
statement which he made when he introduced t,",
Bill, namely, " that he believed that it would,, gittoa
a very material relief to the agricultural interest ;
the First Lord of the Treasury said, " that they 4
intended to accompany the Corn Bill with arrangeotien f
calculated materially to advance the interest of that portion °of
the community which would be called upon after the lapse
three years to relinquish protection." How then would t the
get over the great difficulty by bringing the measure on
next night? He quite agreed with what had fallen from 1",
Hun. Member for Oldham, that this matter was not at all olio
derstood in the towns ; as the measure at present stood, it scler
likely to create a greater evil than that which existed and
the present poor-law, if the evil it contained was to be ea%
out. It might lie all very well if confined only to the in Bpi
trious poor, who at present were occupied in towns. 41
how were they to distinguish between the industrious. 4
vagrant poor, if the laws remained, as the Right ft,j,'he
Baronet proposed—after a certain term of residence ? t,
poor man could not be removed, even with his own ec'eset-se
should he fall into sickness or up-et with an accident, tO,OS
care of those who were best fitted for rendering assistancelj,
consolation necessary under such circumstances. He she-s.ss
therefore, contend that a Committee .;f the whole House .eat.
not the proper place for the consideration of such a !obj
It ought to be dealt with by a Committee up sloe
There was another practical difficu7ty. There were tsee,
parishes in Birmingham ; and suyposing a man to live ie.:nie
and work in another, and had to change his residence W
the
the five years, he would be deprived of all benefit under oe'
law in such a case. His object was, that some practical ods
weuld consider these difficulties up stairs, and be prePitoet
against the second reading of the Bill, with some plan te, ,et•
them, so that the matter might be fairly and satisfactoriYr
tied at once. These were the grounds on which be suer„
the motion. d jot
Sir R. PEEL said, that his Hon. Friend who he
spoken did not misunderstand her Majesty's Governoletd to
this question. What that Hon. Gentleman said was Wit the
the greatest consideration, as he had great experience ?it the
subject, living, as he did, in a large town, and knowl the
csndition of the poor therein. He said that the object °boa
Bill, as explained to the House, was to substitute insio°l3,. sad
for removability, and not to confer rights. He, at least' to
no doabt on the subject, respecting the expressions agedo fp
what were the intentions of her Majesty's Government.
Toes-
(Sir R. Peel) would again say, that the intention of tirtitots
sure did not relate to th right of settlement, but to soulore
ing irremovability for removability. He proposed the otoltsi
because he eanceived it would not only be a benefit to theand
interest, but a good in itself, and fraught with great toce.sees'
social advantages.—( Hear, hear.) And when the Honi' d the
her for Finsbury (Mr. Duncombe) said he atteel thei
greatest importance to this measure, and hope tbse
(the Government) also did, he did nothing toetedisi
express the feeling of her Majesty's Ministers. They e G°'
tach great importance to it. He (Sir R. Peel) saius th
iiastiol;
yernment considered themselves under the positive ow :es o'
of doing everything they could to secure the adesote:f tot,
the proposed arrangement, not only for the benefit oreg
landed interest, but for the interests and combrt of fhe.,l3)eiplsf
classes. He could not consent then to discuss the Pilo pre
or provisions of the measure, so as to interfere with t timat6
gross of the Corn Bill before the House, but he would pros
that he should do everything in his power to make t telef/.
posed alterations a good and efficient measure of tone gift,
His Hon. Friend who had male the motion wished odd
the right of settlement, and his Hon. Friend who had srpeseJ
the motion had expressed himself as most decidedly
to the right of settlement—( [dear hear)—and the wig:
which he proposed to deal with the question wai, by hat they
discussion en the second reading of the Bill, and 00n8.
should consent to a Select Committee for the purpose e's of the
into consideration the laws relating to the settlemen.Lions
poor.—( Hear, hear.) It had been stated by the ""jthat &sr:
her who proposed the appointment of a Committee,__at pet'
lain impressions had been propagated throughout a livreeronse
tion of the towns of this kingdom, that the Ge f setthrof
intended to bring in a Bill to confer the right °..rnose.,,,
ment; and he proposed the Committee for the ,13_145',gaci;Jj
removing those impressions. Now, considering fou,o
Wool
of the Hon. Member, he should have thought that Sit
have been the last to propose any such course.
.7tionse io
Peel) hoped that his Hon. Friend would permit
Bill
tivg
(Hear, hear.) „vide,
tphreocseeetdtleinmethnet uofsutiailecroeuorrs.e—with respect to the Bill re'"
to say, that he hoped his Hon. Friend would, after to°,o`,. ta°
Mr. COLQUHOUN rose, amidst cries of " Dividet_usloa. e.ch.
of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State
tmheoteioonu.r—se(
by
because it did appear
him would be the best.—(Divide, divide.)
end `l°°
Home Department,,ae wteithhdimrawthehtis
Sir R. H. INGLIS also hoped that his Hon. Fri
not press the House to a division.—(Hear, hear.) that hi!
Colonel SIBTHORPE hoped, on the contrary,
0601
Hon. Friend would divide the House on this quarter th,,
hHear, hear, and laughter)—for he did think that, hrokeo
eavy
ipledges which the Right Hon. Baronet had piedg,e
(Laughter)—no reliance ought to be placed on aey fromij
picked
out
which he might choose to make.— Hear, hearVopeod%
1845 to 1846, a sum, not less than 52,000/. had been
Pura I
on the old system, and he could not see the use of
aryl onger. ierir
/no,. . of
ssANKES thought that, if he withdrew hisod f
should like her Majesty's Government to halt A
stoo'• ,q,°erlf
when the measure would be brought forward. It
__near ,es
second reading on Monday next, but it did not 2;ll;l'sta/ices he
that it would come on then, and under those eiercsocision. far
thought that a fixed day should be named fortn
Sir ROBERT PEEL said that it would be '
n Bill
disclaed
him to name a fixed day Bill wee.th
on the measure. The second reading of the
coot 4
for Monday, and if it were possible then to pr
bsefc
the principie of it could be affirmed. one o
on which to bring o
Mr. VERNON SMITH would ordy host us''s by
by
tion. The words " industrial residences
(nu lame, sal*
several lion. Members in the course a h