The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-02 00:00:00

miserable speculations let loose upon society. It might be very q
well if there was no remedy for the evil. But they have
nothing to do but to purchase the plans and go down to Ser-
jeant's:lnn, pay 51., and they would be again a regisf ered company
These were the grounds on which he should object to the mo-
tion of the Noble Earl.
Lord MONTEAGLE thought that his No' le Friend, who
had just sat down, had made a very strong case in one part of
the subject, but he must contend that th' ugh the parties
wele highly to blame, the Legislature were most in fault. The
Government might be exonerated from one portion of the
blame to which they were liable, but still he should contend
that they were deeply responsible for not having taken measures
for the avoidance of the evil and now, when it had accrued
they dealt with it in a small and pitiful manner, instead of grap-
pling with this immense speculation in a large and masterly
way. On the 31st March they had given notice to the parties
seenigvaegse(florin
trhaeilwaal3;es,redin
sotradteerofthatittekem r might they prepare
principleareth
that ought to have been
nwhich
allowingwas
individuals
a dopted theby t
to vote
and
untilt h e
theyth Easth had
d Indiah been
en
some Directors,timoef
markets.
inthe possession of stock, was the one d
should be allowed to vodteheuenome a
bona fide
possessor, before
adoped. He (Lord MonteaTeess)
hhea
hapdrohpeoesnedinththaet no one
sion of the stock, and had
the 31st March. Now, would
any one deny that a new, an in.
creased, and mischievous istchle tiesvtrek. He wassspeculatio qunhiatdesure that u
been raisesdsh would
eila
declaration ofi
be the case. The 13th clause of
to
thehleldel
natlilotiwededtoav(Lni.tersnounts
in the possession of shares_ were
this was highly detrimental, for under it any two persons might
go into a meeting to vote, transfer their shares, and then again
re-transfer them, voting all the while, and this might be done
ten thousand times over.—(Hear, hear.) Let those parties
who refuse to acquiesce in the dissolution of the company,
purchase the plans, and then re-register, while those who
seceded from the company would be reimbursed for their out-
lay. He thought that the original proprietors ought to be in-
titled to a pre-emption. He had no desire to throw difficulties
in the way, but he was desirous of seeing it made as useful as
possible.
Lord BROUGHAM quite agreed with his Noble Friend who
had just sat down, but it appeared that though he was friendly
to the measure he had spoken against it. When they were
favourable to a measure it was usual on this side of the British
Chanr.el to support it by a speech or a vote, but it seemed such
was not the rule everywhere, for his Learned Friend went on
the principle of looking one way and rowing another. He
quite regretted that a fuller measure had not been introduced,
but he hoped that such would be the case with respect to all
private Bills, although he was aware that great difficulty laid
in the way of any great change being made at once. That it
was necessary was evident from the almost convulsion in the
money market which we had just escaped, and which was
nearly as mischievous as the panic of 1807, 1812, and in a
much larger wayi n 1825-6. _ Thank God, under the firmnes
of those at the head of affairs, and through the admirable
management of the directors of the Bank, the cloud had passed
without
bursting. But the danger in the future remained, and
he should like to have time to consider any alteration, as any
one false step might be productive of a great deal of mishief.
As to the voting, there appeared to have been a slip in the
draft which was to be amended. Ho approved of the Bill, but
it must be understood that he said this as not at once condemn-
ing the alterations of his Noble Frierd (the Earl of Radnor)
without the opportunity of considering them before going into
Committee. But he still hoped for a more enlarged Bill,
for it ought not to be forgotten that all the courts
in England, Scotland, and Ireland, could not dis-
pose in ten years of the pecuniary and other
interests of the private Bill legislation—a legislation which
was conducted as badly as possble, and which gave what the
Master of the Rolls called a transcendental power to take men's
property at will—not in compliance with their wish, but
against it, and contrary to all law. And he should return
from his political life, whenever that tints came, he should
feel it a consolation to reflect that he had always been the
strenuous advocate of what he could not but feel a most un-
constitutional and mischievous power.
Lord MONTEAGLE and the Earl of DALHOUSIE ex-
plained.
Lord ASHBURTON wished to rectify the impression that
this Bill was the only thing that was going to be done to do
away with the mischief and the confusion into which the
country had been thrown by this railway speculation ; for he
was quite true that they would entail upon the country the
greatest possible injury, if they went no further. Wherever
there were the materials of gambling there would be gam-
bling; and whilst these materials remained it would be quite
useless to stop the evil by legislation. He thought the bette-
plan would be to prevent the issue of scrip at all until the seve-
ral Bills reached a certain stage before the Houses of Parliament.
To save the evil, also, they might give to the shareholders wh•
remained the power of buying out those who wished to secede.
One thing he wished particularly to impress upon their Lord-
ships—one thing which he had particularly alluded to on all
the Committees of that House—and that was, that it would be
highly improper to suffer these Bills to leave the House in the
shape of laws, without a sufficient assurance that their object,
would be carried into effect.

Earl FITZ WILLIAM approved of the Bill, but he feared
that it might have the effect of destroying many good schemes
and supporting many bad ones, for the goodness or the badness
of the schemes were in no way to be judged of by the positions
and characters of the promoters. With respect to the plan, be
wished that the best mode to be adopted would be for the Go-
vernment to take possession of them on behalf of the public;
and that he conceived would be a very good quid pro quo for
the right to wind up the affairs of the several companies. He
was anxious for this, for he hoped some day that the whole of
these railway projects would be in the hands of the Govern-
ment. He was especially opposed to the sale of the plans, be-
cause he conceived that they would be bought up by the great
companies, and be hereafter made use of most mischievously.
Lord REDESDALE explained that the books of the sur-
♦eyors were only intelligible to themselves, and as to the plans
they were all lithographed, and, therefore, easily attainable
anywhere. With respect to the winding up, he believed that
those companies which might be dissolved would be very honestly
wound up. Aud with regard to the state of railway legisla-
tion, he intended next week to ask their Lordships to accede to
a resolution that they would not take any opposed railway Bill
into Committee after sore late day, say the •20th July. Their
doing this would have the effect of saving a great many Bills
from coming up from the other House of Parliament, and render
the business much more controlable than it apparently was at
present.

- The Marquis of CL ANRICARDE supported the Bill, but
thought that the Earl of Dalhousie had not met the objections
of his Noble Friend (the Earl of Radnor) and his proposition
that persons should make a declaration of the time at which
they came into possession of the shares before they were
allowed to vote. He thought that was a proposition well
worthy of consideration, and which ought to be thought of
before the report was brought up.
The House then went into Committee on the Bill, when
The Earl of DALHOUSIE said he was quite ready to con-
sider the objections of any Noble Lord.
Earl GREY suggested that the practice of the other House
be adopted which was to commit the Bill pro forma, have it
printed, and then fully consider it in Committee or have it
re-committed afterwards. This was necessary, as it appeared
there was almost as much writing as print on the Bill.
The Earl of DALEIOUSIE objected to the Noble Earl
drawing any inference from his bird's eye view of the paper he
held in his hand. There was no alteration whatever in the
principle of the Bill, and he then went through the alterations
to show that such was not the case.
After a few words from Lord NIONTEAGLE,
Earl GREY proposed to impose a penalty of 51. for each
vote given not according to the provisions of the Act, both on
the scripholder and the proxy who might vote for him.
A conversation ensued on this point, in which Earl Grey,
Lord Monteagle, the Earl of Dalhousie, and Lord Redesdale
participated, the last nobleman objecting to the date of the lst
of March being fixed as a day posterior to which the sale of
scrip should invalidate the right of voting. A provision was
also inserted for obtaining a fair decision at the meeting for
dissolving the company, the rule being, that the minutes should
be signed by the chairman, aid countersigned by two of the
scrutineers, and any attempt to falsify them should render the
party guilty of a misdemeanour. The authority to dissolve was
to be obtained by a majority of the whole of the scrip, or of
at least three-fifths of that which was actually issued.
The Bill passed through Committee, several Bills were ad-
vanced a stage, and the House adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 1.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAILWAY.
Sir C. LEMON moved that it be an instruction to the Com-
mittee ( Group 27), to which the North Staffordshire Railway
(Ilarecastle to Sandbach), North Staffordshire Railway (Chur-
net Valley Line), North Staffordshire Railway (Potteries
Line), are referred, that they have leave to consolidate the
three Bills into one Bill.
The motion was agreed to.
EDINBURGH, LEITH, AND GRANTON RAILWAY.
Mr. RICA RDO moved that the Committee on Group
(No. 8) of Railway Bills have leave to sit and proceed on
Mondaay next on the Edinburgh, Leith, and Grantors (exten-
sion and branches) Bill, notwithstanding that seven clear days'
notice of the sitting of the Committee on that Bill had not been
given at the Private Bill-office,
After a few words horn Mr. GREENE, the motion vs as
withdrawn.
CAMBRIDGE IMPROVEMENT BILL.
Mr. WARD moved that the Cambridge Improvement Bill,
notice of the second reading of which was given for Monday,
the 07th of April last, be read a second time, notwithstanding
the period limited by the resolutions of the House had expired.
The motion was agreed to.
GOLLON IN
That the order referring the pe-
tition of Major-General Sir James Fullerton Dundas, Baronet,
alig,V,risatndtheee,,Gnsoellloonrdelrnecdl7lu,ererelaldi.ll,Tthoatththee Csaf:dmim,eittitteiono, n
beingtha
against the whole Bill, and not against the preamblehea or douses,
and not tirapng focratnhneotp,etaictieounredrintotte
theyreferred
at,Prtakicetreel °ref, thisthe
said order be discharged."
The motion was agree-3 to.
LOUGH SWILLY AND LOUGH FOYLE DRAINING
This Bill was reaAdNapseeEonlt3i'mkNe,KalnNdGordered to be com-
mitted.

REPORTS.
The following reports were brought up, the amendments
and ?iterations agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be en-
Harbour,(ss :—lfelnsbgh Extension and Police, lielensbuigh
' Gliisgow Union Arcade, Boston, Stamford, and
Birmingham Railway (Stamford to Wisbech), Stommarket
Navigation.
GLASGOW WATERWORKS RILL.
The Lords' Amendments on this Bill were read and
agreed to.

LAW OF SETTLEMENT.
Sir JOHN TYRELL presented petitions from the parish of
Kennington and other places, praying for a revision of the law
of settlement, more especially with respect to paaper lunatics.
The petition was ordered to lie on the table.

ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL.
Mr. SHARMAN CRAWFORD presented a petition from
the Roman Catholics of Rochdale in favour of the Roman Ca-
tholic Relief Bill.

The petition was ordered to be laid on the table.
PASSENGER-DUTY PAID BY RAILWAY
COMPANIES.

Mr. BROTHERTON moved for a return of the amount of
moneys levied and paid annually by each railway company in
England and Wales, unier the head of duty on passengers,
made up to the sth day of January in each year from 1841 to
IS-16. Also, a similar return for Scotland. Also, a similar
return for Ireland.—Agreed to.
PUNISHMENT OF DEATH.

Mr. WARD presented a petition from a public meeting
recently held in Exeter Hall, against the punishment of death.
Mr. AINSWORTH presented a petition in favour of the
Lancaster and North Yorkshire Railway.
THE LAW OF SETTLEMENT.

Mr, BANKES presented a petition from the poor of
Bridport Union against certain amendments in the law of
Settlement.
The CEIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved that
the House at its rising should adjourn to Monday next.—
Agreed to.

WILLIAM SMITH O'BRIEN.
tprieir,rd• Rti;elloleCmHbeEr
fosraiduratheartikt acp.in)esaidreerdectihatthahtishHeohnaodurbaebel:
strepresented in what he (Nlr. limehe) stated to the House-
' night. Re therefore hoped that the House would per—