The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-30 00:00:00

IMPIRIAL PARLIAMENT.
ROUSE OF COMIYIONS, March 29.
ELECTION RECOGNIZANCES BILL.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. S. WORTLEY here proposed the addition of
a clause, giving to the Committee the power of decid-
ing that in the cases of any recognizances which
should prose void or invalid, but which invalidity
was not owing to the Inches or neglect of the parties,
or in the cases of recognizances which were not clearly
void, then that such recognizances-should be.alloWed
to be received. . •
Mr. ELLIOT opposed the clause.
Sir R. IN GLIS, thinking that no discretion ought
to be allowed to the Committee, felt bound to oppose
the introduction of the clatise also.
After a good deal of desultory conversation,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the omis-
sion of certain words, upon which the Committee
divided, when there,appeared—
For the amendment . 72
Against it
Majority
71),e amendment was accordingly lost, and the
clause was agreed to. . .

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he should
take the sense of The House on the Bill as amended
on the bringing up of the report.
Mr. S. WORTLEY said he intended to bring :up
the report to-morrow, so that the Bill might Le
printed and placed in the hands of Hon. Members in
the mean time. He should more the consideration of
the report to-morrow.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said all he was
desirous of doing, after the Bill was in the hands of
Hon. Members, was to state to the House the effect
of the alterations they had made.

The House then resumed.
Sir R. H. INGLIS considered that further time
.than to-morrow should be given for the perus3l of
the Bill, the original form of which had to-day been
isaterially altered.
Mr. ELLIOT said many Hon. Members did not
',early understand the alterations that had been made
in the Bill, and therefore ample time should be given
-4er its consideration.
The notice of the Hon. and Learned Member was,
however, not departed from.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL.
The Earl of SURREY, after a short discussion,
as to whether this Bill should be proceeded with,
it being a quarter to four, the understanding having
been that it should not be taken after four o'clock,
moved that the House go into Committee.
Mr. LAW moved—first, that the other orders of
the day be proceeded with ; next, that the House
should adjourn, which was met with loud cries of
" No, no ; ' he then moved that the order be postponed
until the 19th of April. The two former motions
be withdrew, taking his stand upon the last, which he
submittO as an amendment.
Mr. WALPOLE said he had just come from the
Court of Chancery, and that he left Mr. Anstey
speaking.
Mr. R. YORKE said the business of the country
would be neglected if it was allowed to give way to
private convenience.
Sir R. H. INGLIS considered that the position
in which the House was now placed arose from not
taking the orders and disposing of them as they
stood.
Sir G. CLERK hoped the House would not be
forced to divide, and appealed to the Noble Lord
to withdraw his motion, and to consent to the
amendment. _

Lord MOV.PETH said the understanding was,
that the Bill should not be taken after four o'clock ;
that hour had virtually arrived, and as a long discus-
sion night be anticipated, the object of the lion.
Gentleman with whom the Bill originated would be
better answered if the motion were postponed.
Mr. MONSELL said the lion. and Learned Gen.
tleman (Mr. Anstey) had informed him if he had an
opportunity of bringing in the Bill at a minute before
four, he should do so.—(Hear, hear.)
The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY said the
fact was he was fighting against his own inclination ;
he would, therefore, consent to the postponement of
the'Committee until the 19th of April.
FRAME-WORK KNITTERS.

Sir HENRY HALFOItD then rose to move fur
a Select Committee, to take into consideration the
report and evidence laid before Parliament, in 1844,
by .her Majesty's Commissioner for inquiry into the
condition of the frame-work knitters, and to make
such further inquiries as may appear necessary, in
order to ascertain whether any, and if any, what
legislative measures can be devised for the
relief of their lone-continued distress.—(Hear.)
Iu the last" session of Parliament he had introduced a
Bill upon the subject, but his object at the present
time was to move for the appointment of a Com-
mittee to consider the nature cif the reports which
-bad been presented to the House, and report whether
any and what legislative measures were necessary
to be adopted for the purpose of amelio -
ratting the condition of the people.—(Hear, hear.)
He did not think that the House would
sanction any such mockery as that of instituting ex•
*nsive inquiries into the subject, and then refuse to
propose any legislative measures called for by the
result of those inquiries. The parties seeking for
relief had been informed by the Governinent that
steps would be taken to remove the causes of their
grievances. He could assure the House that grievances
did exist, and all that he now asked for was the ap
pointment of a Committee to inquire into these
further grievances.—(Hear, hear.) He knew it
might be objected that it was improper to
interfere with the regulation of trade. He did not
agree with that abstract principle, without references
to particular cases. If the House should adopt the
principle of non-interference, when would they con-
sent to repeal all the laws which had been passed for
that object ? Would they repeal, for instance, the
law prohibiting the payment of wages in any other
manner than by money ?—(Hear, hear.) He trusted
that the Right Hon. the President of the Board of
Trade would concur with him in the opinion that it
was advisable to appoint the Committee in question.
Mr2HUME said he was most decidedly of opinion
that masters and men ought to be allowed to make
their own terms without any interference on the part
of the Legislature. He thought that the Honourable
Member was introducing a very dangerous doctrine ;
they might take a lesson from what was going or(
on the other side of the Channel, where they
might see numbers of workmen demanding of
the Government regulations respecting the wages
of workmen, and the Government had foolishly ad-
ceded to their demands ; and he had no doubt within
a twelvemonth the House would see the la-
mentable result of that interference. Masters
were already leaving the country in great numbers,
on the ground that they could not carry on their
business upon the terms prescribed by the Go-
vernment. Every result that had been brought about
by this interference had proved most ruinous.—
(Hear, hear.) He maintained that no Act of
Parliament could beneficially arrange the amount of
labour and of wages between masters and work-
men. At the period when the frame-work knitters
.were carrying on their disturbances in the coun-
try, the distress was as great, if not greater, than
it was at the present. time. The Commissioners
appointed to inquire into that subject reported that
the only effectual remedy for the great distress was
a more equitable distribution of labour.-(" Hear,
hear," from Sir 11. lialford.) But then no act
of Parliament was able to regulate that dis-
tribution ; there was the fallacy into which
Ecipourable Members fell on this subject. Ile
did not think that any further amount of informa-
tion could be obtained than the house was already in
possession of, and he should most certainly oppose the
appointment of the Committee.
Sir J. WALMSLEY thought it was time they
should have a full and ample inquiry into this subject.
It was admitted on all hands that the artizsns in this
trade were suffering great privations, and he
firmly believed that the manufacturers themselves
would join most cordially in the inquiry. He thought
it would be dangerous not to grant an inquiry on so
momentous a subject, and he trusted therefore that
her Majesty's Government would not hesitate for one
moment in acceding to the motion of the Ilonourable
Blironet.
Mr. NE WDEG4.3I3 siimortgallase'inotitin for the
appointment of Cdmriiitte'e;lnd deprecated the re-
nitence that bad been made by the Hon. Member for
Montrose to what had taken place in Prance, and the
ease of the Luddites. He contended that what had
taken place in France clearly showed that the course
adopted in England was right, and that in France
wrong .
Dr. BOWRING objected to the motion. Expe-
rience had shown the impossibility of attempt-
ing to regulate between masters and men.
He thought the motion, if carried, was cal-
culated to raise false hopes among the working
frame-work knitters, and if it did
.notliing else, be
thought that was sufficient objection to it. He depre-
gifted holding out to the working classes that their
wages could be raised by means of Acts of Parlia-
ment.

Mr. SLANEY thought that by the means of the
Committee frauds might be put an end to, and
thereby the condition of the workin; classes im-
proved. In stating this, he begged clearly
to be understood as not for one moment
!supposing that the condition of the working
classes could be improved with respect to
wages by the passing of Acts of Parliament. He
thought, if no other good could be effected by the
appointment of the Committee than that of con •
wincing t.hp working classes that they were willing to
inquire tato their grievances, Parliament would, be
amply compensated for appointing the Committee.
mr. LABOUCHERE said it was not without
severe concern that 'he felt it his duty to oppose this
motion. Lie lamented for the distress under which
the large body of frame-work -knitters were labour