The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-31 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four
o'clock.
On the motion of Mr. GREENE, it was agreed, after
a short discussion, that the Lords' amendments to all
Bills brought from the House of Lords should be con-
sidered without notice, provided such amendments
should have been first submitted to the Speaker.
The report on Lord Kinnaird's (Sir John Webb's)
Estate Bill was further considered, and ordered to be
printed.
THE STOCKPORT IMPROVEMENT BILL.

Mr. BROTHERTON moved that the order of the day
for the third reading of the Stockport Improvement Bill
be discharged, in order that a new Bill might be intro-
duced. • • _ _ _

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition, signed by
5,096 inhabitants of Stockport against the Bill. The
petitioners stated that nine-tenths of the inhabitants of
Stockport were opposed to the Bill. He would now
move that the Bill should be read a third time that day
three months, as he never would agree to the third read-
ing of such a tyrannical measure.
Mr. BROTHERTON said that the motion he had
made was tantamount to reading the Bill a third time
that day three months.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that unless the Honour-
able Gentleman would agree to the proposition of
postponing the third reading for three months,
he should feel it to be his duty to make the
motion. The measure was a most atrocious and ty-
rannical one, and no person approved of it except those
who were to benefit under it. The parties who opposed
the measure had asked the mayor to call a meeting,
which he refused to do, or even to lend them the Town-
hall; the result was, the meeting was held in the market-
place, and resolutions were adopted against the measure,
which he believed to be a complete job. The parties
had been deceived with respect to the Bill, and did not
know for some time who was the concoctor of the measure.
He wished to know whether the Hon. Member for Sal-
ford would consent to the withdrawal of the Bill with-
out the condition which he had stated, viz., on the un-
derstanding that he should be allowed to reintroduce
it on a future occasion. If the Honourable Gen-
tleman would agree to that, he (Mr. Duncombe)
would abstain at present from entering at any further
length into the merits of the Bill. The fourth clause
proposed to give to the town council of Stockport the
sum of 10,000/. out of the public funds ; and in
the distribution of that sum the ratepayers would
not have the slightest control. The proposition
contained in that clause was one of the most disgraceful
proceedings which any body of men calling themselves
liberal could make. _ _

Mr. BROTHERTON said that he certainly should
not consent to the withdrawal of the Bill on the terms
proposed by the Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. DUNCOMBE said he would then go at length
into the objections which he had against this Bill.
Mr. HUME trusted that the Hon. Member for Finsbury
would allow him to suggest, that as the promoters of
the Bill were anxious to have it withdrawn, he (Mr. T.
Duncombe) would be saving the time of the House
by abstaining at present from any remarks on the de-
merits of the Bill. Of course he would have the
opportunity of making those remarks which he
intended now to make, should any attempt be
hereafter made to re-introduce it.—(Hear, hear.)
He himself had received several letters from some of
the most respectable ratepayers of Stockport, in confire
mation of the statement of the Hon. Member for Fins-
bury, and should the Bill be attempted to be re-introduced
he should heartily join with that Hon. Gentleman in
opposing the Bill, but he hoped that nothing would bo
at present said which would have the effect of inflaming
sntoheobtejermetison proposed to con•
the excited feelings of the people of Stockport.
sentM rtO DthUe ilwietViralWEal oafitdhe he
Bill
on
by the Hon. Member for Salford.
Mr. BROTHERTON refused to alter the terms of his
proposal.
Mr. MARSLAND said that, as he was interested in
the question, being one of the representatives of Stock-
port, he might perhaps be allowed to say a few words on
this question. The Honourable Gentleman the Member
had accused the mayor of being personally
question. He could assure the Hon.
Gentlemannsburiyn
t
at the
the mayor had been represented as
for
e
hostile to the measure, because he had kept aloof, as
he had himself. They never were consulted as to
whether the waterworks should or should not be pur-
chased, and they did not know that it was in contemplation
to do so until he saw the announcement in the. Guardian.

With respect to the observation that this was a job, it
was very far from the truth, as he was positive that there I
was no job in it. lie had with others objected to many
of its clauses. The town council of Stockport wero far
more liberal than any body of the same nature to be
found in Finsbury. It was composed of rate-
payers, and all were admitted from the highest
to the lowest. It had been characterised es a
gross job by one of the magistrates who was not a
ratepayer, and who wished to make it a gross job. He
begged to say that, having objections to some of the
clauses, he had consulted as to the proper means of
opposing them.
Sir R. H. INGLIS said that the Hon. Member had
offered to withdraw his opposition, provided that no
other Bill were brought in. He (Sir R. H. Inglis)
thought that the late period of the session would gau-
rantee that no other measure of the kind could be
brought in.
Mr. ESTCOURT said he had been drawn into this mat-
ter, and he had had a good deal of correspondence on the
subject. He did not think that if the House were to appoint
'a Committee—he was satisfied that it would not, in the
opinion of the Hon. Member for Montrose, be such a
Committee as would be satisfactory. But he w ould
further observe that if the Hon. Member were to bring
in another Bill, as he trusted he would, he should have
his support.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET was afraid that,
if another Bill were to be brought in containing the
same clauses, it would be equally unsatisfactory.
Mr. BROTHERTON would emphatically deny the
charge s that had been made against the inhabitants of
Stockport on this Bill. If the motion of the Hon. Mem-
ber for Finsbury fir the withdrawal of this Bill were
acceded to by the House, he should certainly bring in
nother Bill to the same effect. It was only the cot-
ton-spinners who wished the smoke of their factories
not to be stopped, and the publicans who wished to
keep their houses open on Sunday, and persons in a
similar position, who were petitioners against this Bill.
The Bill was for making parks, improving the streets,
and making other sanatory regulations. Great numbers
of Bills of similar character to this had been passed this
session without a word ; and if the Bill were thrown out
h. should certainly bring in another Bill of the same
kind. _ _

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that one division would do,
and he should, therefore, move that the Bill be read this
clay three months.
Mr. HUME was anxious to have for Stockport fair
play. He thought, under the present circumstances, it
would be the best course to allow the order of the day
to be discharged. That done, he hoped, before the next
sossion of Parliament, some general measure would be
introduced for the regulation of police in all towns, and
also a measure for market improvements. He hoped
that at present the matter would be amicably settled
without a divisi.n.

Mr. B. ESCOTT wished the Hon. Member for Stock-
port to give some information of the meeting respecting
the Bill which had been referred to.

Mr. M NRSLAND could not give any information
respecting the meet ng. He had left the town before
the meeting took place, and he had not had any com-
munication with the parties to it since then.
Mr. BRIGHT wished to bear testimony that the pro-
moters of the Bill had no other object in view than
the welfare of Stockport. The real difficulty ex-
perienced in that town was that the promoters
Of the Bill were desirous of having power for
the levying of rates for the improvement of the town,
while the small ratepayers were against it, and at pre-
sent refused the granting of any rates for that purpose
at any meetings that might be called for that pur-
pose. No danger could arise from the passing of the
Bill, because the power was vested in the town council,
which represented the great body of the inhabitants.
He had risen merely to give his testimony in favour of
the promoters of the Bill.
Mr. DUNCOMBE said he would withdraw his amend-
ment on the understanding that the Bill would be with-
drawn. .

The amendment was then withdrawn, and the order
of the day for the third reading of the Bill discharged.
Mr. BROTHERTON then moved for leave to bring
in a fresh Bill on the subject—the Stockport Improve-
ment Act, No. 2.
Some discussion then arose as to whether the Hon.
Member was in order in giving notice of a second Bill
the subject.
The SPEAKER said that it was competent for the
Hon. Member to move for leave to bring in a fresh Bill.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBEihOtighttheHorise should know
something of the nature of the Bill about to be intro-

duced.

Mr. BROTHERTON said he did not know what the
Bill would be; if he had leave to bring in a Bill ho
thought it would be one of the same nature as the pre-
sent Bill, which had been approved of by the Hon.
Chairman of the Committee of .Ways and Means, Mr.
Greene.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said that the Hon. Member the
Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means had
informed him that he had nothing t:, do with the Bill;
if, therefore, the Hon. Member for Salford proposed to
Oring in a Bill similar to the one approved by that Hon.
Member, he did not know where it was to be found.
Sir G. GREY wished to explain to the House the
part he had taken in this Bill. Great obj ctions were
made to several clauses of the Bill, and it was suggested
by the Hon. Member the Chairman of the Committee
of Ways and Means that it was a subject which should be
brought under the consideration of the Home-office.
He had accordingly examined the Bill, and had struck
out several objectionable clauses.
Mr. MARSLAND said that he had objected to se-
vi-ral clauses of the Bill, but he thought it a very
anomalous state of things that the Bury and Manchester
Improvement Acts shoud have been passed with pre-
cisely the same clauses as there were in the present Bill,
and yet that this. Bill was not allowed to be proceeded
with. _ _ _

Mr. GREENE said, that on a former occasion when

the Bill was before the House, he stated his opinion that
several., of the clauses were of a highly objectionable
nature ; he was still of the same opinion.
Mr. lIUME hoped the Hon. Member for Salford
would not press his Bill at the present ime. He
was sure that the Bill would not be allowed
to pass with its present objectionable clauses.
It was impossible for any man to suppose that it was
possible to carry such a Bill as this through the House,
and he, therefore, as a peacemaker, begged of his Hon.
Friend the member for Salford not to persist in his
motion.—(Hear, hear.
Mr. ESTCOURT approved of the suggestion of the
lion. Member for Montrose. There could be no ne-
cessity for pressing this Bill forward during the present
session. The Hon. Member for Finsbury, as well as the
Chairman of the Committee of Ways, and Mean,, had
inspected the Bill, and pronounced it to be
an unjust measure: -Under these circumstances he
should vote with the Hon. Gentleman the Member for
Finsbury.
Mr. BROTHERTON said he had no personal interest
whatever in the Bill, nor had he any strong feeling either
for or against it ; but he did hope that the House would
exercise its discretion in this matter. Whatever their
decision might be, he should cheerfully bow to it. No-
tice was given of this Bill in the regular manner, and it
proceeded as far as this, the last stage, without any
opposition. No petition was presented against it, with
the exception of that presented by the lion. Member for
Finsbury. He did think that the town council of Stockport
had been harshly used in this matter. He felt bound
to divide the House on this question.
Mr. DUNCOMBE said, that one of the Hon. Mem-
bers for Stockport (Mr. blarsland) had presented a peti-
tion, signed by between 5,000 and 6,000 ratepayers of
the borough, against the Bill.
Strangers were then ordereered to withdraw, when
there appeared—
For the motion
Against it
Against the Bill being brought in —8
'METROPOLITAN SEWAGE MANURE BILL.
The report and further consideration of this Bill was
postponed to Monday next.
The British Guarantee Association Bill and the Sligo
and Shannon Railway Bill were read a third time and
passed.

TENANT COMPENSATION.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented a petition from a
large body of the inhabitants of Castlereagh, praying
the House to take steps to provide a permanent measure for
providing compensation to tenants, after having regularly
paid theirrent, and were about to be discharged from their
farms. Such compensation to be adequate to the out-
lay made by the tenant whilst in occupation.
Mr. HUDSON presented a petition from Sunderland
against the union of the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor.
CONSTITUTION OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS.
Mr. CHRISTIE presented a petition from a gentle-
man of the name of Duppa, residing in Jersey, praying
for an extension of the British Constitution tri Jersey,
and the other Channel islands.
IRISH LANDLORD AND TENANTS BILL.

Mr. S. CRAWFORD gave notice that on Monday
next he should put a question to the Noble Lord at the
head of the Government, respecting the Bills now
l ing on the table for the direction of the Irish tenancy,
and that he should also at the same time ask whether
it was the intention of Government to issue any com-
mission on that subject during the recess.
SURVEY OF IRELAND.

Sir DENHAM NORREYS moved for a Select Com-
mittee on the progress of the trigonometrical survey in
Ireland.

ASSESSED TAXES.

Sir DE LACY EVANS moved fora copy of the list
of defaulters in payment of assessed taxes for the year
1845, ending the sth day of November, 1846, and pay-
able (in order to election qualification) on or before the
2oth day ofJuly, 1846, or two following days, furnished
in compliance with the 12th section sf the Act 6 Vic. c.lB,
by the assessors or collectors in the city of Westminster;
and, if any reasons for non-receipt of these taxes in each
or any case can be assigned, the same to be stated.
Similar copies of the same list for the city of London and
boroughs of Finsbury, Brighton, and Southampton.
THE CHANNEL ISLANDS.
Dr. BOWRING inquired whether the Government
will consent to extend the inquiries of the Channel Is-
lands Commission into the general state of the laws and
their administration in those islands.
Sir GEORGE GREY said that he did net see why
the criminal jurisdiction as well as the civil should not
be extended to the Channel Islands. The subject was
at present under the consideration of the Lord Chan-
cellor.
Mr. CHARLES VILLIERS moved that the petition
of Robert Maule Gillies and George Horne, respecting
the duties on rye, peas, and beans, be printed.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.
On the motion of Sir GEORGE GREY, it was agreed
that the House at its rising adjourn till Monday,
SPIRIT DUTIES.
Mr. MACKINNON said he had a motion for the
equalisition of duties- on colonial and British spirits. He
wished to know from the Chancellor of the Exchequer
1 whela wouktin tho most, ougivtaiezat glue 14 hi& PJ dual_

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
most convenient time would be at the time that the
House went into Committee on the Customs' Dutios Bill,
and when they proposed the amount of duty to be
imposed on rum.
Mr. MACKINNON—When will that be?

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—AII
that he could say was, that it would be as soon as pos-
sible, but he could nat say exactly when.

FLOGGING-IN THE ARMY.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that as notice of motion
had been given by an Hon. Member respecting flogging
in the army, he wished to inform the House that he had
caused the subject to be brought under the consideration
of the Commander-in- Chief; the Duke of Wellington.
The question was, therefore, at present under the con-
sideration of the Commander-in-Chief, not with the object
of abrogating the power of inflicting corporal punish-
ment, but with the view of regulating it. He thought,
therefore, it would not be advisable, till the result was
communicated to the House, that the subject of flogging
in the army should be discussed.
Dr. BUWRING was willing that his motion
should be postponed, so as not to interfere with the
proceedings of the Government regarding the question.
He would, however, wish the Noble Lord to understand
that if the measure the Government submitted was not
satisfactory, he (Dr. Bowring) should be at liberty to
bring forward the whole question. He was bound, before
the end of the session, to bring the subject before the House
Mr. B. OSBORNE said the intimation of the Noble
Lord was so tar satisfactory that he should not, under
the circumstances, press the motion of which he had
given notice.
Mr. WILLIAMS-wished to know if flogging in the
n,,vy was also to be brought under consideration, and
whether anything was to be done to regulate court-
martials in that department of the service ?
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said the subject of the army,
as he had stated, was under the consideration of the
commander-in-chief; but he (Lord John Russell) had
not had any communication with the Admiraly on the
sul:ject of the navy. He would, in regard to the Hon.
Member for Bolton, take care that, in case the Govern-
ment measure was not considered satisfactory, have an
opportunity of bringing forward his motion.
After a few words from Mr. HUME,
__

Mr. OSBORNE said be pledged himself not to press
his amendment, if the Commander-in-Chief recom-
mended that the number of lashes should be limited.
The Noble Lord had not given any express pledge that
the Commander-in-Chief would recommend a di-
minution in the number of lashes. Now, unless
the Commander-in-Chief did limit the number of lashes,
he should press his amendment.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHECUER having
moved the order of the day for the House resolving itself
int) a Committee of Ways and Means,
ACCIDENTS ON EASTERN COUTIES RAIL-