The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-28 00:00:00

GROUP XXVII.

The Committee, to whom the consideration of the merits of the
lines of this Group was referred, met to-day at one o'clock, for the
first time, in room 28 in the new:Houses of Parliament. The Com-
mittee consisted of Sir C. Lemon (West Cornwall), the Chairman,
Mr. Marshall (Carlisle), Mr. Wawn (South Shields), Mr. Bright
(Dundam), Mr. Hampden (Great Marlow).
The lines in the Group were the Derby and Crewe Junction, the
Leicester and Bedford, the North Staffordshire (Churnet Valley),
North Staffordshire (Harecastle to Sandbach), North Staffordshire
(Potteries), and the South Midland (Northampton and Bedford).;
After the different :petitions presented against the lines were read
over, a discussion ensued as to the order of precedence with regard
to their consideration, when it was ultimately arrarged that the
three Staffordshire lines should he taken first.
Mr. TowNsExp objected to this arrangement, on the ground that
the Amalgamation Committee had as yet made no report, and if the
consideration of the lines be postponed till that report were made,
such a course might save trouble and render any inquiry with re-
gard to them unnecessary.
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE (3 LINES.)

Mr. _luaus, with whom were Mr. Talbot, Mr. Murphy, and Mr.
Macauley, then opened the case on the behalf of the promoters of the
three lines, after which Mr. George P. Bidder, civil engineer, was
examined, when the Committee adjourned until twelve o'clock to-
morrow.

IMPER,TAL PARLIAMENT.
iIOI7SE OF LORDS, April 27.
EMPLOYMENT OF DISCHARGED PRISON
The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a petition, signed
by a large number of the inhabitants of Winchester, praying
their Lordships to take into consideration the state of dis-
charged prisoners, and provide some means for their employ-

■sent
Messengers from the Commons brought up certain Bills.
SEES OF ST. ASAPH AND BANGOR.
Earl POWIS presented a number of petitions against the
union of the sees of St. Asaph and Bangor.
CORN-LAWS.

The Marquis of SALISBURY presented a number of pe-
titions against any alteration in the corn-laws.
SUNDAY TRADING.

Lord CAMPBELL presented several petitions from different
parts of Wales, praying their Lordships to adopt some mea-
sure for the prevention of the sale of spirituous liquors on
Sundays.
Earl FITZWILLIAM presented a petition from Halifax
against the sale of spirituous liquors on the Sabbath.
The Bishop of St. DAVID'S presented a similar petition
from Lanroost.
THE IRISH GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved the third reading
of this Bill.
The Duke of RICHMOND thought the Bill ought to be
postponed, as a petition had been presented fro .n shareholders
representing 800,0001. of the capital, praying that the Bill
might be withdrawn.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said there could be no
objection to postponing the Bill. He had moved the third
reading, because he believed that those Bills which had arrived
at a third reading would not come under the regulation re-
specting Railway Bills which had lately been established by the
House.
The Bill was then postponed to Friday next.
THE CORN-LAWS.
Lord BROUGHAM wished to call the attention of their
Lordships to five returns to which he was about to move, con-
nected with the importation of foreign flour, and the importa-
tion of corn from Ireland. The production of these papers
could not be objected to, because they had already been laid
before the other House of Parliament. It would naturally
suggest itself to their Lordships that he was rather premature
in moving for these returns, which affected the discussion of a
question which he was going to say they were about to enter
upon, but which he did not think they would enter upon at
present. This important matter, he perceived by the votes,
had at various times, and in different manners, occupied the
attention of the other House of Parliament for many weeks in
the present session. He perceived by the same votes that no
considerable progress had been made in this question during
the last three or four weeks, partly from the intermission of all
business during the recess—partly from the intermission of
actual business since the recess. The situation in which the
business of the country had been brought, according to the
votes, which was the only record he hsd access to, was such as
to excite grave doubts in the capital from which he had lately
returned, respecting expediency. Many persons there, with
whose political opinions ho did not agree, quoting, as they were
wont to, that great author Tacitus, who said of a Government
composed of King, Lords, and Commons, Regis, prinzores, et
populus. The measure was easily commended, but feared
more. He had endeavoured vainly to explain to them that
what they looked upon as a radical evil in our system was
merely of a passive and accidental nature, only to be accounted
for by the various caprices of fortune which placed certain men
in certain positions, of which they availed themselves, affct-
ing to be for measures which in their hearts they hated, and
affecting to be against measures which in their hearts they
loved, and which they only complained of because they did not
go far enough, but using the opposition to the measures they
loved for the purpose of postponing measures which they hated.
He had given this theory to his French friends, but they had
said in return, " Effects are against you—you don't get on—
your business is stopped—week after week passes away—you
do nothing there is an incapacity to carry on the business
of your country. How long that is to last, and what is to
happen if such a state continues, who can tell ?" His answer to
this was—there is that in the nature of the British constitution,
that when there shall happen to arise any temporary injury
from accidents in the machinery, or a resitance to the medium
in that machine, there is in that system of our great political
engine the perfection of human policy, as I believe it is, which
will regulate the constitution. A power acting by means of a
well-represented system ; there is a power within itself of self-
adjustment, self-correction, and self-education to the nature
of the evil which has given rise to this temporary obstruction,
and to restore harmony to the working of the great machine;
and accordingly their Lordships possessed the power of
applying a corrective and administering effectual relief,
and if any person should entertain the desperate
hope that they could have the power of frustrating
the intentions of Parliament and of the country by
endless vexations and delay, and that they could postpone the
arrival of that great and, in my conscience, most salutary mea-
sure, till it should be too late to discuss the question—which
God forbid, should be passed without—their Lordships had then
the power of anticipating the discussion, and coming to a well
considered and deliberate opinion. That was the reason for
his moving for those returns, and, if in the course of a fortnight,
or thereabouts, he should perceive the same obstruction to this
and to all other business, he should then feel it his bounden
duty—as their Lordships had an unquestionable right to discuss
the question without waiting for the Bill—to give their Lord-
ships an opportunity of discussing so great and important a
measure. When they had discussed it, he hoped, and he believed,
he might venture to foretell that the passing of the measure
would very soon follow. It was for this reason that he felt him-
self bound to bring the measure thus briefly before their Lord-
ships that evening.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from the
Synod of Aberdeen against the Bill for the abolition of tests.
HIGH CONSTABLES BILL.
The Duke of RICHMOND reported this Bill with amend-
ments.