The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-14 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
.HOUSE OF LORDS, March 13.

wholly unsupported even by those most likely to be be-
nefited by it. He would, therefore, move that it be
read that day six months.
Mr. GISBORNE expressed Ms concurrence; in the
sentiments which had fallen from the Hon. Member
who had last addressed the House; in his opinion this
railway would never be made, and if the House were
divided he should not vote in favour of the Bill.

(YESTERDAY.)

Their Lordships met to-day at Five o'clock.
REPEAL OF THE CORN-LAWS.
Earl FORTESCUE presented a petition from the
southern division of the county of Devon, praying that
all duties on the importation of corn be totally and im-
mediately repealed. He would state that the petition
emanated from a meeting called on behalf of protection,
most numerously and respectably attended, but which
agreed to the present petition by a large majority.
THE DIRECT NORTHERN RAILWAY,
Lord KINNAIRD presented four petitions in favour
of this railway.
Messengers from the House of Commons brought up
the Direct London and Portsmouth, the London and York,
and the Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway
Bills, which the House of Commons had passed, and pray-
ing their L trthhips' concurrence.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from Rath-
farnham, in the county of Dublin, against the Bill for
protection to life in Ireland, at present before their Lord-
ships' House. The petition was couched in very strong
language, and contained some very forcible epithets, but
he believed there was nothing in it which preve►ited its
acceptance by their Lordships. The Noble Lord was pro•
ceeding to point out objections to some of the clauses of
the Bill as it now stood, when he was interrupted by a
Noble. Lord, who suggested that it would be better to
r reserve his remarks till the third reading was moved.
He accordingly gave way to the
Earl of ST. GERMANS, who moved the third reading
of the

Sub-Committee No. 1.
THE GLASGOW, GARNXIRX, AND COAT-
BRIDGE EXTENSION.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
This Committee, after having called on several unopposed
railway Bills, adjourned in consequenee of the abeenee of
parties.

Capt. PECIIELL observed that he considered that
this was not exactly the time for a discu:ssion on the
merits of the Bill, but he asked how was. it possible
those merits could be fairly tested except in a Com-
mittee of the House ?

Sub-Committee No. 3.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
DARTMOUTH, BRIXHAM, TORBAY, AND
EXETER.
The preliminary proofs connected with this line were
heard on Tuesday last, and the Committee now proceeded
with the allegations raised by the petitioners against the
Bill.
The first objection made by Mr. VENABLES,
who appeared for Lord Devon and others, through
whose land the proposed railway is to pass, was, that
the title of the Bill was incorrect, being entered on the sth
of February as the " Dartmouth, Brixham, and Exeter
Railway," and on the 6th of February it was changed to the
" Dartmouth, Bixham, Torbay, and Exeter Railway." The
replication was that the title of the petition was also incor-
rect, as the petitioners did not denominate the line in their
petition by either of the above titles, and that therefore they
could not be heard.
The CIfAIRMAM said that this point was never raised be-
fore, and he would see the Speaker respecting it. On bis re-
turn he informed the petitioners that it was the opinion of
the Speaker that the Committee might proceed with the con-
sideration of the allegations against the line, and they pro-
ceeded accordingly.
A number of allegations were then gone into of little
moment, and the further consideration of the case was post-
poned till twelve o'clock on Tuesday, to which time the
Committee adjourned, it being a quarter past five.

Mr. i'ACKE thought it would only be wasting the
time of the House, and sanctioning the expenditure of a
considerable sum of money to no good purpose, if the
House were to pass the Bill.
Mr. H. BERKELEY requested his Hon_ Feiend to
withdraw the amendment, as it had not been usual during
the present session to propose such an amendment.
Mr. MUNDY—I certainly shall not withdraw my
amendment.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the original motion 6O
Against it 4O
Majority for the motion —2o
LONDON AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY.

Mr. S. O'BRIEN and Mr. MASTERMAN presented peti-
tionsin favour
AND of this
DUNDEE
ARBROATH RAILWAY.
On the motion of Mr. W. ELLIS this Bill was read a
second time.
GUILDFORD AND CHICHESTER EXTENSION

IRISH PACIFICATION BILL.
Lord CAUPBEI/ wished to call their Lordships'
attention to the 11th clause of this Bill, which he con-
ceived to be rather an anomalous one, and one which he
hoped to see corrected before it wentdown to the House
of Commons. That clause in its present shape was a
most arbitrary one, because it provided that it any spi-
rituous or malt liquors should be found to have been
" sold or consumed " in.any house or cabin, the parties
therein assembled were liable to a charge of misde-
meanour without one word about " suspicious circum-
stances," so that if two or three persons assembled in a
house upon a social occasion, and drank a glass of beer
or a glass of gin, they would be liable to a charge
of misdemeanour upon no other grounds whatever;
for thik words were not accompanied by the other
qualifying words, " under suspicious circumstances."
In the Bill there was a slight exception in favour of
travellers. The eleventh clause was most stringent and
highly dangerous in its effects. Suppose that in a village
within a proscribed district parties wished to provide
themselves with provisions ; groceries, perhaps, or other
necessaries. Now, if the grocer happened to have
spirituous liquors in his house, and that he had persons
at his table drinking, or that he presented his cus-
tomers with a glass of spirits, that person was liable
by this clause to be transported. If a messenger went
to the doctor's, and it should turn out, as no doubt it
would in a country district, that the doctor kept an
apothecary's shop, that, under the clause, would be a
place of public resort, and the messenger would be liable
to transportation. He hoped their Lordships would not
send this clause down with the others. Then there was
another clause equally objectionable.
The Earl ST. GERMANS hoped his Noble and
Learned Friend would take one clause at a time.
Lord CAMPBELL—No doubt it would be far more
convenient to do so.

Sub .Committee No. 6.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)

GREAT GRIMSBY, LOUTH, HORNCASTLE,
LINCOLN, AND MIDLAND JITNCT/ON.
The promoters of this Bill seek for powers to enable them
to construct a railway from Lincoln to Wragley, with branches
to Horncastle and Louth, and from Wragley to Grimsby.
The total length is 56 miles, the amount of the estimate,
700,0001., and the amount subscribed, 525,0001.
The engineers are Messrs. Swanick and Stephenson ; the
Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Williams, Hill, and Lefroy ;
and the solicitor, Mr. Frederick Carritt.
The customary proofs having been given, the standing
orders were decided to have been complied with.

SOUTHAMPTON AND DOUCHESTER.
This Bill was postponed at the request of the agents.
The Committee then adjourned until twelve o'clock on
Tuesday.

STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEES.
HOUSE OF LORDS.

This Committee resumed its sittings this day at half-past
twelve o'clock. Present, the Earl of Shaftesbury (in the
chair), the Duke of Richmond, Lords Hawarden and
Redesdale.
EASTERN COUNTIES (CAMBRIDGE TO LINCOLN)

The Earl ST. GERMANS was sure that his Noble
and Learned Friend on the Woolsack had not shown
any objection to consider the alterations suggested by
his Noble and Learned Friend (Lord Campbell). There
were a class of houses commonly called shebeen houses,
and the owners of which were not bound to receive tra-
vellers ; but rather than have any risks run, he had no
objection to the proposed amendment.
Lord CAMPBELL said that, in his opinion, the
amendment of the Noble Earl would not answer the
purpose, as it was very hard to say what houses, in some
instances, were houses of public resort ; for instance, it
might be said that grocers and apothecaries' shops were
places of public resort within the meaning of the Bill.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH said, that any person
acquainted with Ireland must know that', a strong party
was raised against the selling of groceries and spirits in
the same house in Ireland, and that it might be hard to
know how to distinguish in such cases.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, it might be hard to
prove the sale of spirits in a house, but it was easy to
know when it was sold, notwithstanding.
Earl DEVON said that the Noble Lord opposite
(Lord Campbell) seemed to have great sympathy for
the class of persons likely to be affected by the Bill, but
he wished to ask the Noble Lord if he entertained any
sympathy for the unfortunate labourer and tenant, who
were the marked objects of assassination 2—(Hear.)
The Marquis of WESTMEATH would wish that
the Noble Lord (Lord Campbell) would fancy himself
in the mountains of Spain for five minutes, surrounded
by banditti, and calling out for the protection of the
Habeas Corpus Act.—(Laughter.) He (the Marquis of
Westmeath) was of opinion that he would require some
other and better panacea for whole bones.—(Renewed
laughter.)
The clause was then agreed to.
The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
PROTECTION AGAINST RAILWAY
COMPANIES.

Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from Mr.
Hibble, of Greenlaw, near Paisley, Renfrewshire, which
contained allegations against two railway companies,
which, if true, struck at the privileges of that House in
a material degree. The petition had reference to
the Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock, and the Glasgow,
Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway Companies,
which had a joint line, and it was respecting this that
the complaint was made. The petitioner said that when
the measure was before Parliament the plans showed
that it was the intention of the projectors to take
the line through the lawn in front of his
residence. At considerable expense he came to London
to oppose the project, and it was eventually arranged that
a protective clause should be introduced into the Bill in
favour of the petitioner. He went home under this ar-
rangement, but judge his surprise to notice that when
the Bill was issued the protecting clause was struck out.
It was in regard to this that the petition was now pre-
ferred. A more gross and scandalous fraud on the Par-
liament and that House he (Lord Brougham) never
knew, and they were bound to make inquiries, and
adopt such steps as would prevent such mal-practices.
Another charge was, that the parties had made use of
totally different plans to those which they had produced
when the Bill was passed. The Bill was passed in
1837 ; but, however long ago it might be, if it could be
proved that parties had been guilty of such a gross
breach of faith, or such a gross deception on the House,
it was the duty of their Lordships to inquire into it.
LONDON AN!) YORK RAILWAY BILL.
On th© motion of the Earl of DALHOUSIE, this
Bill was read a first time.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and
their Lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 13.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at a quarter
.to Four
o'clock.

NEW MEMBER.

Lord HENRY BENTINCH, who was introduced by the
Earl of March and Major Beresford, took the oaths and
his seat for North Nottinghamshire. The Noble Lord
was cheered on his entrance from the protectionist side
of the House.

SECOND READINGS.
ThP following Bills were read a second time, and
ordered to be committed, viz, :
Weir Dock Company.
Bath Wat 4 r-works.

Royal Asylum of St. Anne's Society.
Trent Valley Railway (Alrowas Branch).
London and South-Western Railway Acts Amendment.
Manchester and Birmingham Continuation and Welsh
Junction Railway.
Liverpool and Preston and Manchester and Southport
Railway.
Lancashire and North Yorkshire Railway.
Willingham Inclosure and Drainage.
Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland Junction Railway.
Norfolk Railway. Extension (Stowmarket, Wymondham,
and Attleborough Branch).
Cromford Canal.

Manchester and Leeds Railway Extensions.

Exeter, Yeovil, and Dorchester Railway.
Birmingham Cemetery.
Shrewsbury, Osw•estry, and Chester Junction, and North
Wales Mineral Railway Amalgamation.
London, Bristol, and South Wales Direct Railway.
LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY.
This fill was read a third time and passed.
DIRECT LONDON AND PORTSMOUTH
RAILWAY.

This Bill was also read a third time and passed.
SHEFFIELD AND LINCOLNSHIRE JUNCTION

RAILWAY.
This Bill was read a third time and passed..
NORTH DEVON RAILWAY.

An lIoN. MEMBER presented a petition against this
line, and praying to be heard by counsel against the Bill.
WANT. OF ACCOMMODATION ON THE LON-

DON AND BIRMINGHAM. RAILWAY.

Mr. V. SMITH presented a petition from a number of
Noble Lords, complaining of the gross want of
accommodation afforded to the public for the
conveyance of coals and goods on the London and
Birmingham Railway, and praying to be heard by
counsel against all the extension lines proposed by
that Company. The lion. Member gave notice that on
a future day he should move that this petition be referred
to every group which contained any project or scheme
promoted or supported by the London and Birmingham
Company.
The .SPEAKER interrupted the Hon. Member by
saying that the petition must lie on the table.
NEWCASTLE AND CARLISLE RAILWAY.
Colonel SIBTIIORP presented a petition from a Mr.
Russell against this railway.
BATH WATER-WORKS BILL.

On the motion of Lord DUNCAN, this Bill was read
a second time.

WEIR DOCK AND RAILWAY.

This Bill was ordered to be read a second time on
Monday. _ _

SOUTHWARK IMPROVEMENT BILL.

This Bill was read a second time.
DUNDEE AND ARBROATH RAILWAY EX-

TENSION.
This Bill was read a second time.
STAFFORD AND PETERBOROUGH UNION

RAILWAY.
Captain PECIIELL moved the second reading of this
Bill.

Mr." MUNDY opposed the motion. The line was
•proposed to go from Stafford to Peterborough, but it
did not go within fifty miles of Peterborough, or within
twelve miles of Stafford. It was a line that had been
got up entirely. for speculation at the time when
Wnr the railwania was at its height.—(llear,
There was no necessity whatever for the line, and it was

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY ETENINer MARCH 'l4, 1846.

into the distress arising from the failure
of the potato crop in Ireland, announcing that in almost
every country where the disease in the potato had made
its appearance cases of fever had increased very much
of late. Under these circumstances, the Government
feel it necessary to take some measures to alleviate the
distress and danger arising therefrom, and I now ask
for leave to bring in a Bill for that purpose. I ask for
a Bill to grant to the Lord Lieutenant the power to esta-
blish a board of health, formed of a Commission, not ex-
ceeding five persons, with three A.ssistant-commissioners.
It is proposed, also, that in establishing this board of
health, power be given to the Lord Lieutenant to appoint
in each union in Ireland a medical officer, who will at-
tend to the state of the inmates ; and fiona the representa-
tion of that medical officer, if he 'thought it necessary to
make such representation, Stating the appearance of
fever in such unions, that the power be given to the
boards of guardians to build temporary fever hospitals,
and in failing to build such hospitals, at once to esta-
blish some place in the union for the reception of
the infected. The sick people are to have the
support of medical assistance and medical comforts
at the expense of the union, and power shall also be
given to the board of guardians to defray all the ex-
penses from the poor-rates. The Bill is limited in its
operation to September, 1847. On the representation of
the board of guardians that the fever has ceased, such
report shall suspend the operation of the Bill. With
the permission of the House I now move that leave be
given to bring in a Bill for the alleviation of this distress
in Ireland.

Mr. WAKLEY said, that in such cases as the. present
he thought prevention better than the cure. The Night
lion. Baronet stated that he intended to place fever-
hospitals in certain towns, but he (Mr. Waklev) would
rather that a supply of food were given to the people, and
that that wouldbe given immediatelyin no stinted measure;
and he would assure the House that if anyt ing would
counteract fever or pestilence in Ireland, it would be an
immediate and wholesome supply of food. By the late
pamphlet written by Dr. Carrigan, it appeared that no
change of weather, that no difference of climate, would
so much arrest the progress of fever as a liberal supply
of food. He considered that the supply of food would
be found much more efficient than any supply of
me3icine.

Mr. COLQUHOUN said, that whenin the year 1823 a
very serious famine had broken out in Ireland, an appli-
cation had 'bees made to Parliament, but the chief
want then was a supply of food. So it was in 1831,
when a similar famine and fever prevailed. He though t
that these evils might be fully met by a supply of food.
Mr. OSBORNE thought the Government were ob-
liged to provide employment for the people, and if the
Irish Railway Bills, which had been passed last session,
had been sufficiently supported, he thought that this
dearth of means would not have existed. If Govern-
ment assisted the rail way schemes— which in consequence
of limited funds had not yet laid a spade in the ground—
by advancing a given ruin, then employment might be
found for the Irish people, thus saving them the neces-
sity of asking for eleemosynary re!ief.
Lord G. BENTINCK thought, that before asking
relief for the Irish people, the whole of the papers relative
to Ireland should have been laid upon the table.
Mr. HUME said he was in hopes that the introduc-
tion of Indian corn into Ireland would have had the
effect of introducing a desire amongst the people for a
better description of food. But he would advise the
Government to be chary how they voted, lest their mis •
taken' kindness might be abused by importers.
Mr. O'CONNELL begged to recommend that the
Government would lend as much money for the pur
poses of railroads in Ireland, as had been advanced by
way of deposit. He would not recommend them to lend
more money than had been actually advanced, and they
should lend that merely by way of loan. There was
great difficulty in getting in the calls, and if they were
made (as they must be unless some such course as he
proposed be adopted) it would greatly increase the ex-
isting want.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that the Government
had established depots in the different parts of Ireland for
the purpose of supplying good at first-cost price.
The Hon. Gentleman should be aware that in the present
session, several Acts had been passed, advancing loans of
money to the amount of 3 or 400,0001., for the purpose
of encouraging public works in Ireland ; and there was
nothing that the Government could do to remedy the
existing distress that they did not do.—(Hoar, hear.)
Mr. WM. SMITH O'BRIEN said he was bound to
tell the Right Hon. Gentleman that as far as his (Mr.
O'Brien's) information extended, he should say that not
a single guinea had been expended.—(" Hear, hear," from
Mr. O'Connell). He should also inform him that hun-
dreds, nay, thousands of his countrymen were famish-
ing.—(Hear, hear.) He had himself seen whole families
sitting down.,to potatoes, such as Hon. Gentlemen, sit-
ting there, would not give to their dogs ; and under
such circumstances it did become the duty of that House
to consider well the subject. He should say that as far
as he (Mr. O'Brien) was concerned, he would not appeal
to the charity of England. They had taken the revenues
of Ireland, and then taunted his countrymen with
being beasts.—(Cries of " No, no," and Hear hear.)
But he would not dwell much longer on that subject.—
(Hear, hear.) He, for one, was prepared to say that he
thought the people of Ireland were able to provide for
this calamity out of the national resources of Ireland, and
he believed if they compelled the proprietors of land in
Ireland to do their duty to the people—(Cheers)—that
there would be neither disturbance nor starvation.—
(Hear, hear.) He would, therefore, point out measures
of that character, and he would tell them in the first in-
stance that they ought to introduce some measure to
remove the evil of absenteeism. He would not object to
the levying of an equitable property-tax. He wished
to apologise for speaking in a tone which he felt sa-
tisfied would not be acceptable to the House, but, cir-
cumstanced as they were in Ireland, they could not re-
main passive spectators of the proceedings in the English
Parliament. If the British Parliament were to legislate
justly, they would compel the landlords of Ireland to do
their duty, which would be quite sufficient to meet the
present evil condition in Ireland.
Mr. AGLIONBY feared very much that speeches of
the description which they just listened to would have
the effect of creating inflammatory feelings in the minds
of the Irish people. The House he was sure sym-
pathised with their distress, and they still more deeply
sympathised with them under the sickness with which
they were afflicted. He hoped that something more
might be done than that which had been sanctioned by
her Majesty's Government. The Hon. Member for
Finsbury had proposed a plan which he had shadowed
forth in terms so vague and indefinite that no one under-
stood him, and he (Mr. Aglionby) thought that he did
not seem to care whether the House understood him or
not. The lion. Member proposed apparently that
eleemosynary aid should be extended to the famishing
Irish. If that was the Hon. Member's view, he (Mr.
Aglionby) was certainly opposed to it, and was strongly
of opinion that such a grant would tend more than any-
thing else to demoralize the nature and destroy the better
principles of the Irish people. The introduction of
Indian corn and maize would to a certain extent be suf-
ficient to alleviate the distresses in Ireland, but that was
not sufficient. Large sums of money had, he understood.
been voted for the purpose of proceeding with public
works in Ireland, but the money had not yet been ex-
pended for that purpose. With respect to the
Bill before the House, no one he was sure could ob-
ject fora a moment to its being brought in. The
relaxation, however, of the corn duties would be totally
inadequate to furnsh relief, neither would the admis-
sion of maize at a very low duty make much differ-
ence in reducing the distress in Ireland.
Sir ROBERT PEEL was very sorry to hear the Hon.
Gentleman (Mr. O'Brien) speak in such vituperative
terms of the measure which had been promoted by the
Government to alleviate as speedily as possible misfor-
tunes of the sister country. Nothing could be more
strongly marked than the eager wish of the House to
adopt every measure which could by any possibility tend
to evince their sympathy for, and desire to relieve, the
distress and disease which existed in Ireland—even
those Hon. Gentlemen who had thought proper to dissent
from the course which had been taken by her Majesty's
Government in affording relief to the Irish people. He
(Sir Robert Peel) was of opinion that the evil was not
of a temporary nature, and, therefore, the Legislature
were justified in providing something more than a tem-
porary alleviation. Upon that point the whole of the
House had been unanimous, and were, also, of opinion
that the relief should be instanly afforded. They
had given precedence to the measure which was
proposed to mitigate the evils- and distresses of
Ireland before any other measure. The Hon. Gentle-
man, about two months„after the measure had been
brought in, tells the House that he scorns and repudiates
the offered bounty of English generosity, and proposes
as a substitute the levying of an income-tax. It would
be impossible to levy an income-tax upon the Irish pro-
prietors. Try it for six months, and see what would be
the rissult. No ; he (Sir R. Peel) would say at once
that unless the rish proprietors can be induced to come
forward and co-operate with the Government, all that
can be done will be almost entirely useless. He was
perfectly certain that if her Majesty's Government were
to propose the grant of large sums for the Irish people,
they would be granted without hesitation by the House
of Commons ; but he would advise them to take care
that this generosity do not defeat itself. The moment
that the proclamation goes forth that the Government
will provide for the poor, the people will not be so
ready to stir themselves in their own behalf, as they
would probably under circumstances of a different
nature. lie_ had found the English clergy most anxious
to exert themselves on behalf of the suffering poor in
Irelaiid. Unless the relief was afforded with caution,
greater evils, which it would be difficult to remedy,
would ensue. Much had been said of the advantage
which the execution of public works would be to the
labouring classes. As to the railroads, it was a
great question whether it would be advantageous
to bring at once large masses of the male popula-
tion into different districts, away from their wives and
families, and those who were dependent on them. This
was a matter which required great consideration before
it could be satisfactorily entered upon. He apprehended
that if the construction of certain works were deemed
requisite and proper, there would be no difficulty in ob-
taining the necessary supply of funds. He must confess
that he was somewhat surprised that an Irish Member,
who had taken no part in the discussion on the proposed
measure, should come forward and say at the eleventh
hour that the Irish people scorned the offer of English
generosity. If the Honourable Gentleman would en-
deavour to stir up the Irish landlords in his neighbour-
hood to co-operate with the Government in their desire to
mitigate the evils of Ireland, he was sure the Honourable
Gentleman would be employing his time to much better
purpose than in giving utterance to the opionions which
he had just expressed.
Mr. J. O'CONNELL said, although the Honourable
,Gentleman (Mr. O'Brien) was absent from the discus-
sion on the present measure, yet he was doing his duty
properly in another part of the country. He (Mr. J.
O'Coimell) was, however, present, and could bear testi-
mony, to the enthusiasm which existed in every
part of the house to proiide a remedy for the distresses