The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-29 00:00:00

MARCH 29, 1848.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
ttlo('SF OF MONS. fila,ch
THE EVICTIONS IN GALWAY.

Sir G. GREY. said he might perhaps permitted to
refer to a ease which had been mentioned on a former
evening, by the Hon. M.:Daher for Stroud (Nlr. P.
Serope). Ho had that morning received a private letter
from Lis Not;le Friend the L•n.d-Lieutenaiit of Ireland,
stating that ho had seen the notice taken of that case
in the House, and expressing surprise, in which he (Sir
G. Grey) participated, that his Right Hon. Friend (Sir
W. Somerville) and himself should hare been ignorant
that measures in reference to this case had actually been
taken by the Irish Government; for it was the Noble
Lord's firm c mviction that information of the pro-
ceedings taken by the Government had been ad-
dressed to the Home•office some time ago. That letter
must have been accidentally boat, for it had certainly
never reach:d him (Sir G. Grey); and his Right
lion. Friend (Sir W. Somerville) had assured him
that, until the preceding ni,4ht, he had not received any
answer to the communication ho had addressed to Mr.

Redington on the subject. He felt it due to the Lord
Lieutoiant, after the reproach that had been cast on the
Irish Government, to state the steps that had been taken
in the matter, whereby the Noble Lord would be ac-
quitted of any neglect, or any indifference to the outrage.
At the moment he heard of the case, which was before
the statements appe:tred in the newspapers, for it was
first brought to the knowledge of the Poor-law Commis-
sioners—he determined to take those measures which it
was competent to him to adopt for a thorough investiga•
tion of the facts, and for the punishment, if possible, of
the parties who had been guilty of the cruelties alleged.
Considerable but unavoidable delay took place, owing to
the circumstance of Captain Ellard, who was deputed to
make the requisite inquiries, being seized with typhus
fever, whi2h unfortunately terminated in his death. Major
NVElie was appointed to succeed him; an inquiry was di-
rected to be taken upon oath; and the result was before the
House. Immediately after that report has been brought
under the notice of the Lord-Lieutenant he had sub-
mitted the whole case to the law officers; and they were
of opinion that the Government could not legally insti-
tute a criminal prosecution against the parties. The next
step which the Lord-Lieutenant took was to intimate his
opinion to the Lord Chancellor—Mr. Blake lecing a
magistrate—that his name should be removed from the
commission of the peace.—(gear, hear.) The Lord
Chancellor had not immediately acted on that sugges-
tion, but, adopting his invariable practice, had trans-
mitted a statement of the case to Mr. Blake, thus afford-
ing him the opportunity of explanation. For a length of
time no explanation had been received from Mr. Blake,
Ind when it did arrive at last it was considered unsatis-
t'actory, and Mr. Blake's name had been struck off the
commission. Another person also implicated in the
transaction, Mr. St. George, a Member of that House,
but who was now abroad, had been called upon for an
explanation, but no;answer had yet been received. This
would convince the House that the case had not escaped
the observation of the Irish Government, and that the
Noble Lord had taken all the measures which it was
competent to take in order to express his sense of the
proceeding.—(l-lestr, hear.)
ELECTION RECOGNIZANCES BILL.

Mr. S: WORTLEY roso to move the second reading
this Bill, but Mr. Hume and Mr. Bankes, who had

ecitises on the paper, having refused to resign their right
precedence, the Bill was postponed.
EXPENSES OF THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.
Mr. BANKES then rose to move, " That in the
opinion of this House the powers, rights, and authority
now vested by the Act 9 and 10 Vic., c. 105, in the
Commissioners of Railways, may be so regulated as to
secure their efficient execution at a greatly diminished
rate of charge to the public." He complained that the
Railway Commission had no duties to perform, because
the Act of Parliament which was to regulate their pro-
eeediegs had not been proposed to the House after the
Mil of the Right Honourable President of the Railway
Board had been withdrawn. Under these circumstances
he thought the sooner the Commission wasidone away
with the better. The authority proposed to be given to
them was most arbitrary and vexatious. Ile thought
they had sufficient experience of the Railway Commis-
skin to justify them in corning to the conclusion that
it was more an evil than anything else. Its con-
stitution was most expensive. The expenses of the
railway department when it was connected with the
Board of Trade did not exceed 1,972/. But in the first
year of the present Commission it cost the country no
ess than 17,0001. That was an amount quite dispro-
p wtionate to any benefit derived from the Railway
Board. He thought they could easily save the country
this expense in a great measure by transferring back the
railway department to the Board of Trade. The Right
lion. Gentleman who was appointed to the head of the
Iteilwily Commission was nut a Member of that House,
end he believed that it was essential for the head of that
department that he should have a seat in that House.
['here was a President and Vice-President of the Beard
of Trade, both of whom had seats in the House, and he
believed they had sufficient time at their disposal, in
consequence of the free-trade measures, to attend to the
railway department. But if they had not, a small in-
crease mialet be made in that department which would
enable them to do the business to the satisfaction of the
public. lie thought the Government would do well to
adopt his motion, because matters could not remain as
they were.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
it was desirable that the utmost practical economy should
be carried out in this department.—(Hear, hear.) With
regard to the origin of the board, the Hon. Gentleman
seemed to forget that there were three reports recom-
mending the constitution of such a body, and the Bill
for this purpose had the almost unanimous support of
that House.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to the ex-
penses, the Hon. Gentleman was in error in saying that
they amounted to 17,0001. The actual expenses were
only 12,0001. He regretted that his Right lion. Friend
(Mr. Strutt) was not then in the House, as he would be
able to give the Hon. Gentleman a more detailed ac-
count of the expenditure. The Hon. Gentleman seemed
to forget the great services performed by the Railway
Board in preparing reports for the guidance of Com-
mittees. The business of that board was greatly on the
increase. At the present time the business transacted
amounted to more than one-third the whole business
done in the course of last year. His Right Honourable
Friend (Mr. Strutt) had been appointed to the head
of the board from his acquaintance with the private
business and standing orders of the House. As soon as
the report of the Derby Election Committee had been
made, he placed his resignation in the hands of his
Noble Friend, feeling that it was essential for the head
of the railway department to have a seat in the House.
His Noble Friend being of the same opinion, accepted
that resignation, however reluctantly. ,The Government
then had to determine whether they would fill up that
place, and they came to the conclusion not to fill up the
place vacated by Mr. Strutt. It was not their intention,
therefore, at present to appoint any successor to that
gentleman.—(Hear, heat'.) They would appoint a
member of the Beard of Trade as an unpaid Commis-
sioner to the office; and they would then see, by experi-
ment, how the business of the railway department could
be conducted in that way. If the Committee that was
then sitting reported as advisable that it would be ex-
pedient still further to reduce the expenses of that
department, the Government would readily ac-
quiesce. The Government were ready to reduce the ex-
penditure; but he did not see that there would be any
advantage in coming to the resolution proposed by the
Hon. Gentleman, in the spirit of which, however, they
fully concurred.
Mr. HUDSON cougratulated the House on the
speech of the Right Honourable Gentleman. It was not
his desire to take away the super vision of the Govern-
ment, or to weaken the power which they possessed over
different railway companies, but he thought that more
economy might be practised in the railway department.
As an instance of the way in which unnecessary expense
was incurred, he would mention to the House that an
anonymous letter having appeared in the Times, stating
that Mr. Hudson had detained the train at Derby, and
that an accide et had occurred, the Commissioners
actually cut out the letter, and sent it to the secretary
of the company to know what explanation could be
given. IsLy.v tie fact alleged was perfectly untrue; but
when persons were scut about on such slight
grounds it was no wonder that the expenses should b.
great. There was an old adage, that when persons had
nothing to do, they were sure to do mischief, and that
was the case with regard to the Railway Board. He
believed that one man of common sense and cep, ri-
ence would be mere efficient than a host of intelligent aed
resin stable men with salaries of 1,000/. a year each
(Hear.) It had been his good fortune to he on the best
terms with the Board of Trade, and it was his bounden
duty to ?illy that that Board executed the business of
railways far better than the existing Commission. He
was sure that a large and a very important saving might
be effected by the abolition of the Board.
Mr. V. SMITH said the tendency of the Hon. Mem-
ber's speech was to get rid of all supervision and control.
—(No, no.) For his part he thought supervision abso-
lutely necessary for the sake and safety of the public.
He cared not whether it we: in the Board of Trade, or
any other authority; but control, ho felt assured, was
the one thing wanting.
Mr. GLAI)STONE thought it necessary that, before
all things, they should remember that the question now
was not whether there should be some sort of control,
but whether the present description of control should
continue. lie sincerely wished, after what he
had hoard, he could desire the withdrawal of
this motion. But he thought there was some-
thing primarily wrong in the existing system.
The Act proceeded on the supposition that
Government was to exercise a very great control; but
the limits of that control were not defined before the
Commission was appointed. The consequence was a
failure. Powers were demanded which the House re-
fused to give; and it was clear that, at this time, those
powers would not be conceded. Then, if Parliament was
not prepared to give thoso powers, they were not justi-
fied in maintaining the authority which was originally
designed to carry them into effect. For his own part he
could not at all understand why the Board of Trado
should not undertake all this business. That depart-
ment was by no means overcharged with business. This
very year it had happened that the President of the
Board of Trade had conducted all the Parliamentary
business of the Colonial-office i❑ the absence of the
Member for Kinsale; and surely, if he had time for that,
he could find time for the business of railways. The
duties now divided between the President and the Vice-
President of the Board of Trade, the Master of the Mint,
and the Chief Commissioner of Railways, were all at one
time performed by his Right Hon. Friend the Member
for Dover. There was every prospect that the business
would be still'easier than it was wont to be, and that it
might be executed with perfect ease and satisfaction in
one or two apartments of the Board of Trade.
Mr. HUME said it was quite refreshing to hear such
advocacy of economy. Ile hoped they should have
many repetitions of the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech.
He had agreed to the appointment of the Commission
under the strong impression that further powers were