The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, May 15.
The Loan CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.
Lord EDDISBURY (late Mr. E. J. Stanley) took the
oaths and his seat.
Lord CAMPBELL presented several petitions in
favour of the Jewish Disabilities Removal Bill.
Petitions with a similar prayer were presented by
Lord PORTMAN.
POOR REMOVAL BILL.
The Poor Removal Bill was read a second time.
Lord PORTMAN complained that sufficient notice
was not given of the second readings of Bills sent up
from the other House.
PETITIONS.
The Earl of EGLINTON presented several petitions
from various Presbyterians in Scotland against the Jewish
Disabilities Removal Bill.
Petitions with a similar prayer were presented by the
Bishop of WINCHESTER and the Earl of GALLOWAY.
The Bishop of NORWICH presented upwards of 100
petitions against the sale of intoxicating liquors on the
Sabbath day.
PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND).
The Duke of WELLINGTON moved for returns
of the correspondence which had taken place between the
Treasury and the Board of Public Works in Ireland, in
relation to the clear expenditure of the advances made
under the provisions of the Land Improvement Act, and
in particular to that portion which refers to the payment
of wages in the current coin of the realm, and not other-
wise ; and a return of all advances, showing the total
amount applied for and the total amount advanced un-
der the provisions of the Act.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE did net object to
grant the returns.
After a few words from the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH
and Earl FITZWILLIANt the motion was agreed to.
MAIL CONTRACTS.
On the motion of the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH,
certain returns relating to the mail contracts were or-
dered to be made.
THE LATE LORD ASHBURTON.
Lord STANLEY, in moving that Lord Redesdale be
appointed a member of the Select Committee on Banking,
instead of the late Lord Ashburton, took the oppor-
tunity of passing a high eulogium on the political and
private character of the late Lord Ashburton.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had for forty years
enjoyed the friendship of Lord Ashburton, and that
friendship had never been interrupted by difference of
political opinion.
Lord BROUGHAM also bore testimony to the great
merits of Lord Ashburton, and the motion was agreed to.
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS BILL.
Lord STANLEY moved the second reading of this
Bill. After the kindness with which their Lordships
had listened to him, when he brought in the Bill, he
would not detain them by any further observations.
Lord CAMPBELL did not rise to oppose the second
reading of the Bill, although he doubted whether the
measure proposed by the Noble Lord would provide a
remedy for the evil of which he complained. The pro-
visions of the Bill, however, were worthy of the most
attentive consideration, for they went to change the whole
constitution of Parliament. The Noble Lord proceeded
upon the supposition that it was necessary that every
Bill should be read three times in each House. Such,
however, was not the case. It was not the law—it was
merely an order of each House, which it was perfectly
competent for either House, so far as regarded its own
proceedings, to rescind by resolution. The proposition
of the Noble Lord would be attended with several prac-
tical inconveniences. Suppose the House of Commons
should agree to repeal an obnoxious tax, and should send
the Bill up to their Lordships' House ; if the Bill of the
Noble Lord were to become law, it would be perfectly
competent to their Lordships to read the Bill a
first and second time, and then, without rejecting
it, to detain it in their Lordships' House for twelve
months, and thus virtually continue a tax which
the House of Commons had determined to abandon. It
should be borne in mind, too, that the circumstances
under which one branch of the Legislature had thought
it expedient to pass a particular measure might have
altered, and rendered it quite inexpedient to carry the
measure further. Their Lordshipa would do well to
pause before they agreed to a measure the consequences
of which would be difficult to foresee ; and he much
doubted whether it would not be expedient to look for
another remedy for the inconveniences which the Noble
Lord's Bill aimed at removing.
Lord REDESI)ALE felt it his duty to express his
opinion most strongly against the measure. The system
contemplated by the Bill would be found quite inopera-
tive in times of political excitement, and it might lead to
collisions of a most dangerous character between the
two Houses of the Legislature. It was not want of
time they had Us complain of so much as the late period
of the session when Bills were brought up to their
Lordships' House, and when there was a very limited at-
tendance of Peers ; but that was an evil which the Bill
of the Noble Lord would rather increase than diminish.
Earl GREY was of opinion that both Noble Lords who
had spoken against the Bill had rested their objections on
the most far-fetched and unlikely suppositions which it
was possible to conceive. Surely, it the present practice
was an inconvenient one it was the duty of Parliament
to amend it. For his part, he thought that very consi-
derable advantage had arisen from the manner in which
the Railway Bills were allowed to continue over two
sessions ; and that it would be highly convenient if the
measures which this Bill affected were to be originated
in the other House, and that this House should then
revise and pass the measures, if necessary. Though he
was strongly of opinion that this Bill by itself would
afford a very inadequate remedy for the evil hitherto
complained of, yet, so far as it went, it was plainly in
the right direction towards effecting an improvement
in that which had been experienced to be a great incon-
venience.
Lord BROUGHAM concurred
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of what was a very great and crying evil. Still, without
giving a decided opinion upon the subject until he saw the
Bill in its later stages, he could not say that he had made
up his mind to give it his support. Their Lordships
should recollect that this would be the very first
time that there had been an Act of Parliament passed
to regulate the standing orders of either House of Par-
liament. Between two sessions of Parliament circum-
stances might occur to change the opinion of the House
of Commons, though they might not change the opinion
of the House of Lords, and the effect of their Lord-
ships adopting the Bill without an alteration would be
to tie down the House of Commons to the measure as
originally passed by them, and that notwithstanding
their change of opinion.
Lord BEAUMONT agreed with other Noble Lords
that it was necessary to provide some remedy for a
growing evil, but ho was not prepared to say that the
present measure was the best way of curing that of
which they justly complained. If the Bill were passed,
it would prevent any Bills; of importance being ori-
ginated in that House. He would reserve further ob-
jections until they went into Committee, when, if it
were not greatly improved according to his mind, he
must record his vote against it on a future stage.
After a few words from the Earl of DEVON,
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object which the Noble Lord had in view. He was not
disposed to withdraw that concurrence. He was per-
fectly sensible of the inconveniences and difficulties
which had been stated as attendant upon the Bill, but
of all those inconveniences there was none greater than
,that House being compelled to give their assent to a
measure to which they were not averse in principle in
too hasty a manner. He trusted the Noble Lord would
give his attontion to the suggestions given that evening,
end improve the details before proceeding further with
the Bill.
Lord STANLEY received with respect and thank-
fulness any suggestions from any Noble Lord, and un-
doubtedly they would have his best consideration.
At that hour of the night he would but very lightly
notice some of the objections which had been taken
to the Bill. He had stated in introducing the
Bill that it was an interference with the preroga-
tive of the Crown —it was but slight but still he
had said that he doubted whether the Bill could be
passed without the consent of the Crown being signified
through one of its responsible Ministers. The consent
of the Crown ought to be taken as a preliminary to the
adjournment of any Bill, said the Noble Marquis ; but
supposing that such were the law, it would give the
Minister of the period a veto to prevent the adjournment
of any Bill. The Bill did not touch the prerogative of
the Crown until the Bill was proposed to be ad-
journed. There must first be a majority for passing
the Bi'l, and also a majority for an adjournment.
Under such circumstances no Minister would dare
in these days to stop any Bill ; but still the
Crown, even if his Bill passed, would have
of even 48 hours at the time proposed for the further.
prorogation
proceeding of the Bill, suppo
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he trusted that their Lordships wo
having beard many valuable
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Noble and Learned Friend
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ASSIGNMENT OF ECCLESIASTICAL DIS-
TRICTS BILL.
mßiitlltewda.s then read a second time, and ordered to
Bill was read a second time,
on Friday next.
Their Lordships then and ordered o
adjourned.
On the motion of the Bishop of WINCt HhEeScTomEß.tttheids

HO USE OF COMMONS, May 15.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
NEW bIEMBER.
Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT took the oaths and his seat
for South Wilts.
NEW WRIT.
ordered to be issued for the election of a knight of the
On the motion of Mr. TUFNELL, anew
under
writt
he s ty wasle
shire for the Northern Division of Cheshire, in the room
of Mr. E. J. Stanley, raised to the peerage.
THIRD READINGS.
The following Bills were read a third time and
passed :
Liverpool Docks (erection of warehouses and construe-
ti" of new works) Bill•
Patent Galvanized Iron Company, trading
or firm of " Manna and Rawlinsons,,, Bill.