The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-14 00:00:00

‘.OJ irrnins

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1846,

Lord DENMAN, in the absence of the Lord-Chancellor,

took his seat on the Woolsack in the House of Lords, shortly
after Five o'clock.

Earl SOMERS presented several petitions against any alte.
ration in the corn-laws.

On the motion of Lord DENMAN, the Administration of
Criminal Justice Bill went through Committee.
The Earl of REDE.SDALE presented a petition from an
indi-
vidual complaining of the course pursued by many parties
with respect to railway Bills, and praying that their Lord-
ships would make it a standing order of the House that all
panics, before they should be permittted to introduce
railway should be bound to prove that the provisions
of the Registration Act had been complied with.
The Earl of DALHOUSIE moved the adoption of the resolu-
tions contained in the second report from the Lords Corn
mittee on Railways, which was agreed to.
The Public Works Ireland Bill went through Committee,
and was ordered to be reported en Monday.
In answer to a queztion from the Earl of CLAKENDON,

The Earl of ABERDEEN stated that he had no objection to
lay on the table of the House the correspondence that had
taken place between the Spanish Minister and himself rela-
tive to the duty on Cuba sugar.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY gave notice of his inten-

tion, on Tuesday next, to ask the Noble Duke (WELLING-
Tox) the cause of the dismissal of Mr. GulisToxx from the
Poor-law Commission in Ireland.

The Duke of WELLINGTON said he would take care that
the Noble Marquis should have the information he required
on the day he had stated.

The House then adjourned till Monday.

The House of Commons sat at Four o'clock.
The Sheriff of London presented a petition from the city of
London in favour of a repeal of the corn-laws. Several rail-
way Bills were read a second time, and ordered to be
committed.

A new writ for North Nottinghamshire was ordered,
room of Mr. G. KNIGHT, deceased.
Lord DUNCANNON brought in the Itiatlock, Manchester,
and Buxton Railway Bill, which was read a first,
ordered to be read a second time.
Mr. STuurr brought under the consideration of the ()use
an irregularity that had taken place in a petition for a rail
way Bill, which led to some discussion, in the course of which,
Mr. GREENE gave notice that he would move an order to the
effect that no petition for a private Bill should be received by
the House, unless it was regularly signed by all the parties,
Mr. FERRAND gave notice that on Monday he should ask
the First Lord of the Admiralty, if he should then be in office,
whether he proposed to fill up the two offices now vacant in
consequence of the resignation of two of the Lords of the
Admiralty : and if he were afraid toappeal to the countryby
nominating to the vacant offices, he should move that the
offices be abolished as useless.
Mr. Suartitan CRAWFORD gave notice that he should ask
the Government on a future day if they intended to bring in
any measure during the present session to amend the law of
landlord and tenant in Ireland.
On the motion of Mr. LIDDELL, that the petition of the
Shipowners' Society be printed,
Mr. RUNE asked if it was intended to introduce any mea-
sure carrying out the recommendations of the Committee
with regard to regulating the merchant seamen's servi•e ?
Sir G. CLERK said that Government were in communica-
tion with the Shipowners' Society on the subject.
Mr. FortgrEu denied that the petition expressed the senti-
ments of the great body of shipowners of Great Britain.
Mr. LIDDELL replied, and the motion for printing the pe-
tition was agreed to.
Mr. JAMES asked if the Government had received any ac-
counts of the dreadful affray which had taken place at Pen-
rith among the labourers employed on the Lancaster and
Carlisle Railway, and what measures had been adopted to
preserve the public peace.
Sir J. GRAHAM had received no official account whatever
from the Magistrates of the existence of any such dis-
turbance:

Mr. EWART asked if the Government had ever considered
whether it was necessary to make railway companies exer-
cise some superintendence over the labourers?
Sir G. CLERK said that the promoters of railway Bills
were obliged to provide a certain number of special consta-
bles to superintend the works.
In answer to a question from Sir R. hicus, as to the inten-
tion of the Government with regard to the rebuilding of
Westminster-bridge,
Mr. CARDWELL said the subject had been considered by
the Government, and that they had directed weekly reports
to be made as to the state of the bridge, and that when any-
thing special occurred the attention of the Government was
directed to it, so that ample care was taken of the public
safety.
Sir R. luaus considered that answer unsatisfactory. He
begged to ask when the- Government considered the new
palace at Westminster would be ready for the accommoda-
tion of Parliament, and if it were not ready by 1847, whether
there would be any objection to the appointment of a Com-
mittee of Inquiry ?
Mr. CARDWELL thought it possible that the expectation
of Hon. Gentlemen that Parliament would sit in the new
House in 1847 would not be realised.—(A laugh.) He, how-
ever, thought it would be neither necessary nor discreet to
appoint a Committee.
In answer to a question from Mr. Coeeerr, of Athlone,
The CirAfeceenoit of the EXCHEQUER stated, in conse-
quence of a decision of the Judges i❑ the Exchequer
Chamber overruling a decision of the Court of Queen's Bench,
and deciding that certain parties were entitled, in conse-
quence of the enactments of the corn-law of 1842, the re-
venue would suffer a certain loss, but it was still under the
consideration of the Government whether an appeal should
not be made to a higher tribunal.
On the motion of Sir W. ConraxGrox, a new writ was
ordered for the election of a Member for East Gloucester-
shire, in the room of the Hon. F. CHARTERIS, who had ac-
cepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
On the order of the day for resuming the adjourned debate
being read, an immense number of petitions en the subject of
the corn- laws were presented.
Sir llow,inn DOUGLAS then rose to resume the adjourned
debate, and announced his intention to vote against
the proposition of the Government for removing pro-
tection from British agriculture. lie had always
voted against a repeal of the corn-laws, be had fre-
quently spoken against the measure, and in reviewing
his past career on that subject, he found that he had nothing
to explain and nothing to regret* except the insufficient
mannner in which he had advocated the cause