The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-07 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
ifOUSE OF LORDS, April 6.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, in the absence of
the Lord Chancellor, took his seat on the Woolsack at
Five o'clock.

INDEMNITY BILL.
On the motion of Earl ST. GERMANS, the Indem-
nity Bill was read a third time.
THE MIDLAND AND GREAT WESTERN (IRE-
LAND) AND THE CORK AND WATERFORD

RAILWAYS.
Lord MONTEAGLE, in rising to present two peti-
tions front shareholders in certain railways, said that
they both illustrated a mistake under which the public
laboured with respect to the power and right of share-
holders in railways generally. These were both petitions
from shareholders who objected to the further progress
of Bills in which they themselves were interested ;
and the misapprehension that he alluded to was, the
common mistake that shareholders could not petition
against Bills to which they had given a previous assent ;
so that it was perfectly competent, and, in fact, was in
the power of the shareholders of a railway, if they sub-
sequently saw reason to alter the favourable opinion
which they had formerly expressed with respect to it,
to take steps to prevent its receiving the assent of the
Legislature. Ile could not bring himself to believe that
the allegations contained in these petitions were un-
true, because they appeared to be supported by
good grounds. The first petition was from a num-
ber of shareholders in the Midland and Great
Western Railway of Ireland, and was signed (as
we understood) by one of the Members of the city
of London, and set forth that a great number of those
who had signed the contract deed were not persons in a
condition to do so, as immediately before depositing the
list several persons subscribed their names for very large
sums in which the shareholders admitted no deposit was
paid by them, and that it was their belief that they had
no intention to subscribe the amount of the capital which
they had so engaged to pay. If this were true, and ho
could not doubt it, the Company, in the event of obtain-
ing their Bill, would be left without the means of
completing their works. He therefore trusted the
Noble Lords to whom the Bill had beea re-
ferred would take the trouble to read the petition in order
that they might ascertain whether it contained any just
grounds for impeding the progress of the Bill. The
other petition was from the city of Cork, against the
amalgamation of the line with the Limerick and
Waterford. _ _ _ _ _

The petitions were ordered to be referred to the
Committees on the Bills.

LONDON AND YORK (EASTERN COUNTIES).
The Earl of HARDWICKE presented a petition
against this line, and praying, in the event of its
passing, that proper clauses would be inserted in the
Bill for the protection of the property of those through
which it would pass.
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
House to a report of the Tidal Commissioners, setting
forth the great necessity for the alterations and improve.
ments prayed for. 85,0001. had 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
Lord 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 Bills 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. lie thought that a wise and
wholesome control on the part of the Admiralty was
necessary to secure the interests of the public. He
knew from his own knowledge that many mischief's had
arisen from the inefficiency of public works with re
spect to tidal harbours. Their Lordships sometimes
passed Bills, leaving out certain parts to be
under the control of the Admiralty and the Board
of Public Works for the time being. Now, although
he (Lord Moriteagle) 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 either one way or another without
further investigation. He might state for the satisfac•
tion 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.
ROSEBERY The Earl ofthat
tha tg,
given
es
n it Chairmantheiruof
the Committee before which this Bill had been inves-
gahtitons,ay
had
and no Committee of their Lord-
ships,heconsideration,
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 underatood that Captain
Washington was present when Mr. Walter was ex-
amined before the Committe ; he, however, dissenting
from the opinions of that gentleman, had volunteered
his evidence upon the occasion.
The Earl of ROSEBERY had no recollection of the
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 sufficient 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 had been borne
upon that occasion to those great and glorious services
by the Noble Duke connected with her Majesty's Govern.
ment. The Noble,Duke (the Duke of Wellington), who had
been on the scene, and had won those victories which
added honour to his name, hoped he had lived to see the
maintenance of our territory on the banks of the Sutlej
brought to a final consummation by the gallant victories
which had crowned the exertions of Sir Henry
Hardinge and Sir Hugh Gough.—(Hear.) Know
ing this, and confirmed in it by the expressions
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 vote
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 11. 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.
t
(hpa,wouldso:klmade
et
eyah
adsorb:
f,e
question
hhhol
eeeaoaisGfrdt:i
vannefdrrwtanohti
mmeit
oh
Government
bohtn lfeyie of the
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Wellington.)
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objectionablefi
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—hnet
the contrary, if he felt any anxiety to see those papers
produced, it was because they contained the proclama-
tion to which he had referred, which was issued by the
Governor-General on entering the Seikh territory, and
because he felt his policy would be found satisfactory •
to the Parliament and to the country.—(Cheers.) He
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-
ment 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 effected in their social existence.
(Hear, hear.) Next to that should stand the fact
that all the nations of Asia should tinder-
stand that the Indian Government were not
desirous of conquest, but security ; awl that it was not
with 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