The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-17 00:00:00

Clitat 312bition

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clvek.

ELECTION COMMITTEE.
(THIS DAY.)
LANCASTER.
The Select Committee appointed to try the merits of
the petition presented against the return of Mr. Arm-
strong, for the borough of Lancaster, met for the first
time this morning, Lord Courtenay in the chair.
Mr. Sergeant Wrangham and Mr. Merewether ap-
peared for the petitioner,
with whom was Mr. James, for the sitting Member.
Mr. Sergeant WranOam opened the case for the pe-
titioner, Mr. Stanley (sun of Lord Stanley), as s case of
scrutiny merely. and Mr. Sergeant Kinglake,
Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE took an objection to the list
of disqualified voters, which had been delivered by the
petitioner, but the Committee overruled the objection.
Evidence was then put in to show that one of the voters
who had polled for Mr. Armstrong was
a pauper re-
ceiving parochial relief.
The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(THIS DAY.)

GROUP 11.
Mr. Blackstone in the chair.
MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLN-
SHIRE.
The case for this Bill was further considered and
adjourned.

GROUP VI.
(Mr. Walpole in the chair.)
NORTH AND SOUTH• WESTERN (HARROW

TO BRENTFORD).

The case for the promoters having closed,
Mr. JAMES addressed the Committee against the Bill,
on behalf of the Great Western Company.
The Committee decided that the preamble was proved,
and introduced a provision that the promoters should
build a convenient and commodious station at Hanwell.
The whole of the clauses having been agreed to, the
Chairman was instructed to report the Bill to the House.

GROUP XII.
(Mr. Fitzroy in the chair.)
EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW.
The Committee passed the Bill enabling the above
company to make several branches, and to raise, upon
shares, 156,0001. for the purpose, with power to borrow
55,000. to pay off some of their pressing liabilities.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Twelve o'clock.
REPORTS.
The following reports were considered and agreed to,
and the Bills ordered to be engrossed :
Aberdare Railway Act Amendment (Lease of Line and
Works to the Taff Vale Railway Company) Bill.
Barrow Harbour Bill.
Forth and Clyde Navigation and Airdrie and Coatbridge
Water Bill.
Leeds and Thirsk Railway (Alteration of Levels of
Leeds and Hartlepool Railway in Eaglescliffe, Preston,
and Stockton, &c.) Bill.
York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway (late York and
Newcastle Railway Main Line Improvement, &c.)
Bill.
Sir John HANKER presented a petition from the
mayor, alderman, and burgesses of Grimsby in favour of
the Health of Towns Bill. •

Several petitions were presented in favour of the
Church Sites Bill.

Captain PECHELL presented a petition from
Brighto❑ in favour of Sir W. Clay's Bill fur granting
compensation to parties whose property might be da-
maged ur destroyed by riotous assemblies.
Mr. CARDWELL presented a petition in favour of
the Church Sites Bill.

Sir DAVID DUNDAS presented similar petitions
from Grimsdhlp and Sutherland.
RAILWAY COMMISSION.

Mr. BANKS postponed his motion until the 6th June
for have to bring in a Bill to repeal the Railway Com
mission Act.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Mr. BANKS gave notice that he should move for
leave to bring in a Bill to give additional power to in-
spectors of weights and measures kr the purpose of
more effectually preventing fraud in tte sale of bread
and other provisions.
DROPPED NOTICES.

The dropped notices of motion were re-appointed.
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTORS BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this Bill.
Sir DE LACY EVANS said that when the Reform
Bill was brought in, it was proposed that the suffrage
should be a 101. rent, but it was required, in the course
of a discussion which was insisted upon,
that a rent of
that amount should not only be required, but also that
the rates and taxes should be paid on a certain day
before the voter could exercise his franchise. In conse-
quence of that arrangement the number of electors in
the kingdom had been greatly diminished, and in the
borough of Alarylebone 60,000 electors bad been deprived
of the franchise through its- operation. This Bill was
intended to obviate that objection, and to carry out
its
principal real spirit and intention of the Reform Act; and
principal provision was to extend the time for the pay-
ment of rates and taxes which were due on the sth of
April to the 11th of October preceding.
Captain HARRIS objected to the principle of the
Bill.

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es
only member of the Gov.,rnment who expressed his
intention to support it, and when it was brought iia
again on another occasion, he understood that all the
Members of the Government would support it. The
Bill would not at all effect the principle of the
payment of the taxes under the Reform Act, but
it merely extended the time for the payment of
those taxes, and would enable those who were perfectly
able to pay, but who were prevented doing so by acci-
dental circumstances, to enjoy the privileges granted
under that Act. As he had supported it before, he
would give his individual support to it now, not from
anything connected with the state of this country, or
from circumstances occurring on the Continent, but from
a desire to see the spirit and intention of the Reform
Act fairly carried out.
The House then divided, when there appeared_
For the second reading .... .... ......... 60
Against it .................................... 25
Majority. ............................. —35
AUDIT OF RAILWAY ACCOUNTS BILL.
Sir F. T. BARING, in rising to propose the second
reading of this Bill, said, the provisions of it were to the
effect that a minority of shareholders in any railway
company should be able to compel the company to have
their accounts audited by an impartial person, ueeon.
netted with the company, and appointed by some Go-
vernment department. On a requisition being sent in
by a number of shareholders, the appointment of an
impartial person was required, in order that
e
a lair audit of the accounts might be made.
The Bill had originated in the House of Lords,
but had not arisen from any abstract wish to legislate,
nor from a desire to meddle unduly with railway affairs,
but solely in consequence of the facts and circumstances
which came to the knowledge of their Lordships in the
course oHousef the
oinvestigationse ish otpheed I, t at ihlwrao that the
House would see the necessity of passing the second
reading of the Bill.
Mr., Committees
Mr.,BANKES had no connexion with
railways
of any
description, and he therefore could not be supposed to
have any object in view in the course he was prepared
to adopt—that of moving that this Bill be road a second
time this day six months—other than the interest of the
determinedlie to adopt this
course unless the Right Hon. Gelln
ntleman who was now
at the head of the Railway Commission was prepared
to alter the opinions he had hitherto entertained on the
subject.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said, although the present mea-
sure was not : a Government one, he felt that in
consequence of its importance, the House had
a right to know the course Government in-
tended to pursue with respect to it. The present
was a Bill that had come to the House from the
House of Lords, where it had obtained the unanimous
assent of that branch of the Legislature, and where the
great railway interests who had conceived themselves ag-
grieved by the Bill had shown no opposition to the measur.
The Hun. Gentleman the Member for Dortetshire (Mr.
Bankes) had given notice of v.; .
his
,t intention
to propose a resolution . which, if
tcceded t
would lead to the dissolution of the Railway Boa o•
Now he had not long been connected with the
Boarrd.
of Trade, but he might state that during that time hd
bad repeatedly seen the advantage of that railwaye
tribunal—it was necessary to have practical men
devote their attention to railway matters, and to dto
the Board of Trade and Parliament with respect to advise
for it was quite impossible that one individualern
accurately inform. himself of all these complicated
couldi
way matters. For instance, let the House and the ItiaT
Gentleman bear in mind how essential the Railway Boardon.
had proved in connexion with the much-agitated ques-
tion tion of the Taw Vale Railway. It was impossible that
Minister could be responsible for all these matters,
in