The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-04 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, MAY 3.—ln a Congregation holden this day
the following degrees were conferred:—
Masters of Arts—Thomas Sier, Queen's College,
Grand Compounder; Rev. William Joseph Ripley, Wad-
Exeterh Co
College, Grand Compounder; Rev. Saltren Rogers,
llege ; William Stewart Ferrers, Exeter
College; Rev. James Arrowsmith, St. Edmund's Hall ;
Rev. John J. Ebsworth, St. Edmund's Hall ;
Alexander Taylor, Michel Scholar, Queen's College ;
George H. Heslop, Queen's College ; Rev. Slater W.
Neale, Queen's College.
Bachelor of Arts—Simon James Gordon Fraser, New
Inn Hall ; Lewis R. C. Griffiths, Worcester College ;
Langharn Dale, Queen's College ; Albert M. Wilson,
Queen's College.
In a convocation holden in the afternoon the Proctors
of the last year resigned their offices, and the new
Proctors having been previously elected by their re-
spective Colleges, were presented for admission to the
Vice-Chancellor.

Senior Proctors—The Rev. William Andrews, M.A.,
Fellow of Exeter College, who appointed for his Fro-
Proctors the Rev. Evan Evans, Fellow of Pembroke
College; the Rev. George Rawlinson, late Fellow of
Exeter College.
Junior Proctors—The Rev. Thomas Shadfortb,
Fellow of University College, who appointed for his
Pro-Proctors the Rev. William Hedley, Fellow of Uni-
versity College ; the Rev. Henry Ellison, Fellow of
University College.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 3.
POOR REMOVAL BILL.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
The remaining clauses of this Bill were agreed to
with some verbal amendments, and the report was
orderal to be received to-morrow (this day).
SMALL DEBTS BILL.
Mr. B. COCHRANE moved the second reading of
the Small Debts Bill, the object of which was to
amend the defects at present existing in the law with
respect to the recovery of small debts, the provisions
of which were of a most tyrannical description.
In the law, as it formerly existed, parties were
Only sent for 'debt to the debtors' side of
the prison, hilt, under the existing law,
the judges of the County Courts could send debtors
guilty of contempt to the felons' side of a prison for
forty days.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL could not con-
sent to the second reading of the Bill. The matter
complained of in the present Bill was not of
modern date, and it would be better to repeal the
law as it at present stood with respect to the recovery
of small debts altogether, than adopt the sug-
gestions contained in the Bill of the Honourable
Member opposite. He had been informed
by the judges of the County Courts, that if the
punishment for fraudulent debtors sought to be re-
moved by the Bill was abolished, the whole virtue
of the present law would be taken away, and
the measure rendered useless. The Honourable
and Learned Gentleman concluded by moving as
an amendment that the Bill be read a second time
that day six months.
Mr. H. BERKELEY thought that the present
law for the recovery of small debts was most excel-
lent and effectual, and trusted that the Hon. Member
for Bridport would abandon the Bill which he now
sought to have read a second time.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER would not oppose the
second reading of the Bill, in order that it might go
into Committee, and its details be fully discussed.
In the county he had the honour to represent the
greatest inconvenience was occasioned by sending
debtors to the felons' side of the prison.
Mr. HENLEY thought that it was a very doubt-
ful proceeding to subject a man to prison discipline
because the judge thought, from the evidence brought
before him, that he was able to pay such instalments
of the debt as he thought proper.
Mr. Csakt.DWELL thought that the power to
punish fraud, when proved to the satisfaction of the
judge, ought to be retained. It was his opinion
that the Attorney-General had acted in a psrfectly
proper manner in opposing any alteration of the law
in this respect.
Mr. NEWDEGATE felt convinced that the effect
of the existing law was to treat poverty as a crime ;
he would give his support to the second reading of the
Bill.
Sir G. GREY said that the operation of the Act
would only be felt in cases where persons were guilty
of the fraud of refusing to pay when they had the
means to do so, and he thought that it was most pro-
per that the power to punish such frauds should re-
main in the hands of the judge for the protection of
the interests of the creditor.
Mr. B. COCHR.ANE said that he still felt that it
was a most monstrous power to confer upon an indivi.
dual, to allow the poorer classes of this country to be
treated as felons; and so long as it remained on the
statute-book the opinion would still prevail that
there was one law for the rich and another for the
poor. He should not, however, after having heard
the opinion of the House upon the subject, put Hon.
Members to the trouble of dividing.
The motion for the second reading was therefore
decided in the negative.
GREAT YAIDIOUTH FREEMEN DISERAN-
CHISEMEN T BILL.
On the order of the thy for going into Committee
on this Bill,
Sir G. GREY suggested that it should be post-
poned until after the measure which now stood upon
the paper—the Borough Elections Bill, which in-
eluded, among others, the borough of Great Yar-
mouth—should be disposed of, as upon the result of
that Bill might depend the course which many Hon.
Members might take with respect to the Bill now
before the House.
Mr. SEYMER said, that if it was the general
wish of the House, he would consent to post-
pone the measure. In bringing forward the Bill he
was acting only as the organ of the Committee, who
came to the unanimous decision that the freemen of
the borough of Great Yarmouth ought to be dis-
franchised.
Mr. STAFFORD said that he disapproved of the
Bill for disfranchising the freemen of Great Yarmouth.
The effect of that Bill would be to punish the innocent
with the guilty, and also to let off those who were
more guilty in their conduct than the poor freemen
who had been found guilty. If the Bill were pro-
ceeded with, he must certainly move that the House
should go into Committee on the Bill this day six
months.
Lord MAHON expressed himself favourable to
the postponement of the Bill.
Mr. BRIGHT said that the Committee, having
evidence of the best nature brought before it, had
unanimously decided that the freemen ought to be
disfranchised. If that recommendation were car-
ried out he believed that the infliction of that sum-
mary justice would have a most salutary warning
upon the freemen of other boroughs. Such being his
opinion, he should most certainly support the motion
for proceeding with the Bill.
Mr. S EIJART thought that as a clear case had
been made out against the freemen of Yarmouth, the
case ought to be proceeded with immediately.
Sir G. GREY said that he had suggested the
postponement of the Bill not with a view to oppose
its progress. He was decidedly in favour of the
Bill, and if the Hon. Member should persist in
dividing the House, he should most certainly vote
with him.
Mr. R. YORKE and Mr. MILES were opposed to
the postponement of the Bill.
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw. No
division however took place, and the House went into
Committee on the Bill.
After a few words from Mr. STAFFORD and Mr.
HUME,
Sir J. HANMER said that in bringing forward
the Borough Elections Bill he was actuated with the
most sincere feelings.
A somewhat desultory discussion then took place,
which ended in Mr. STAFFORD moving that the
Chairman do now report progress.
The House divided, when there appeared—
For the motion l6
Against it
Majority against it
Upon our return to the gallery we found
Sir J. WILLOUGHBY stating that he would
oppose the Bill. He did not believe that the freemen
of Great Yarmouth ought to be disfranchised.
Mr. A. STAFFORD maintained that no sufficient
grounds had been made out fur disfranchising the
borough. There was no evidence to prove
that
there had been any extensive or systematic bribers'
adopted; it had been proved in evidence before
Committee that the total number bribed had
the
not exceeded fourteen or fifteen. The most
just course, therefore, to adopt would be to disfranchise
those who were bribed, and not punish the innocent
with the guilty. Besides, this Bill only proposed to
punish those who were bribed, but the person who
tempted these poor persons by holding out the
bribes to them, came off clear of all punishment. The
Honourable Member then proceeded to read
various extracts at great length from the evidence
given before the Committee, showing that a Mr.
Coble and two other gentlemen had been most
actively engaged in bribing the people, and giving
the money to the voters. The Hon. Member then
proceeded to state that to select a particular
class in a particular borough, and visit them
with political extinction, because, being poor,
they had yielded to crime, was most unjust, and the
more so, because the instrument for punishing those
parties did not in the least degree reach those
who had brought about this bribery by their
temptation. The Bill proposed to disfran-
chise the poor people only ; but why was
it, in common fairness, that they left the
agents of these nefarious proceedings at large, un-
touched and unpunished,? The way to deal with
the, subject cf bribery was not in this piece-
meal. manner, but to make it not only a penalty
to receive a bribe, but also to fix a penalty upon
al persons who offered bribes making such
parties liable
any
common
infornertoi be informed against by
and giving such informer halt
a
the amount of the pen'i
be adopted, the House might
If such a course were to
lgtht depend upon it that
h
they would hear very all: o
such
persons as those
of whom they had heard in
this Committee
The poor people of this countrys would never have
any confidence in that House
o long as
those who
bribed were allowed unpunished,toremthalonseviooo
while the
not
td with
oppressed eole punishment fell upon
Poverty, received the bribe. He didn ,
to divide the House on the subjecwt,bouilletLomwfauistashteeahfigatorhwien;
ever, enter his protest against the •B
going too far in disfranchising the
men of the borough, or not going far enough, ineaes-
much as it did not punish the principal acttrs in the.
affair.
Mr. SEYMER said that be had no sympathy
with the bribers ; he should be most happy to see
those persons punished, and he believed that
there was already a law applicable to such persons.
But he contended that, so long as there were treernen
willing and ready to he bribed, there would always
he found persons ready to bribe theta. Tre Hon.
Member then proceeded to read a number of extracts
from the evidence given before the Committee, with a
view of allowing that the freemen' of this borough
were most. clamoious- in their demands for the
money which was given to them for voting.

Mr. PLOWDEN said the most extensive and
systematic bribery prevailed in the borough, that the
freemen were in the habit of looking upon the re-
ceipt of money for their votes as their dearest and
most ancient custom, and he should therefore give his
utmost support to the Bill.
Mr. HUME wished to know whether in the event
of the freemen of the borough being disfranchised it
was the intention of the Government to extend the
franchise so as to make up for the reduction which
would thereby be caused in the number of electors of
the borough by allowing shareholders paying Si. a
year rent the right to vote.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that he was not at present
prepared to answer that question.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR. wished to know whether the
Si. franchise, mentioned by the Hon. Member for
Montrose, would form the basis of the new scheme
that he was about to bring before the House.
Mr. HUME said the plan he was about to submit
would be upon a much larger scale than he had re-
ferred to. When that plan was before the House the
Hon. Member would have an opportunity of judging
of it.
The Bill then went through Committee without
amendments, and was ordered to be reported on
Friday.

The House resumed.
JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES BILL.
On the question being put for going into Commit-
tee on this Bill,
Mr. HEADLAM hoped the Committee would be
postponed.
Mr. CARDWELL resisted the proposal for post-
ponement. This Bill was of great importance to the
commercial world. It had been two years before
Parliament, and it ought to be delayed nu longer.
Lord J. RUSSELL also urged the necessity of at
once proceeding with the Bill.
The House then went into Committee.
Mr. HEADLAM moved as an amendment to
clause 2 that the word "commissioner" shall mean
any country commissioner of the Court of Bank•
ruptcy having jurisdiction
an in
is situate. town where the
principal office of the company
The SOLICITOR-GEN ERA L resisted the
amendment, believing that it would have the effect of
increasing the appeals to the Court of Chancery,
without conferring any advantages upon the parties
whom this Bill proposed to relieve. •
Mr. HUDSON said the argument of the Learned
Solicitor-Greneral went for nothing, for whether the
Committee agreed to the amendment or not, there
underwould thisstil be
i Bi manyll. ap p e
Law
ewal
oughts t o the
to
o beCourtnar of r
iedChanceryhome
t 0
every man's door. It rendered it cheaperafd far
more convenient to thosewhhoe
had
dr
onteh shinouilsd-
fcoerrttuani
certainly
supportengagee
ti'rn it,and
amendment, believing as
he did that the law to be established by this Bill
would be much better administered in the country
than in Lobdon.

Mr. MILNER GIBSON said, if the amendment
were agreed to tt would very much detract from the
efficacy of the Bill, and he should strenuously re-
sizt it.

The SOLICITOR. GENERAL explained that
the appeals from the Masters in London would be
trifling compared with those that would come from
the counties if the amendment were passed. Instead
of there being one general tribunal, acting upon one
settled principle, if the amendment were agreed to
the Bill would establish a separate court in every
part of the country, and the confusion such a system
would give rise to would be interminable.—(Hear.)
Mr. AGLIONBY was inclined to support the
amendment, but he trusted it would not be hastily
agree .l to. lie would suggest that the question
should be postponed, in order that time might be
afforded to Government to take it into their serious
consideration.
After a few words from Mr. STUART,
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL consented to the
postponement, and the Chairman was instructed to
report progress and ask leave to sit again.
The House having resumed, the Chairman reported
accordingly.

The remaining orders of the day were then disposed
of, and the House adjourned at Six o'clock.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
AFTERNOON SITTING.

The discussion upon the means of carrying on the
Chartist movement, and the policy of issuing an address,
to the people, was resumed yesterday afternoon.
Mr. E. JONES moved that the Assembly should issue
an address to the country to convince the people that
they were determined to go on with their movement.
Mr. WEST proposed an amendment, to the effect that
before they issued an address, the Assembly should
determine upon their future policy with regard to the
Charter.

Mr. CHURCIIILL supported Mr. Jones's motion. The
newspapers, which were the organs of the middle
classes, spoke in triumphant terms that Chartism was
defunit, and as many people in the country might be
misled by such false statements, the address was to
show that Chartism was still alive and kicking, and did
not depend upon the will of Mr. 0 Connor. The address
was also to counteract the injurious effect which Mr.
O'Connor's letters had produced upon the movement.
When poison was once instilled into the body the sooner
an antid,te was administered the better.

Ultimately the amendment was withdrawn, and the
motion of Mr. Jones carried unanimous;y. A com•
mittee was then appointed to draw up the address.

FUTURE CHARTIST POLICY.

Mr. CLARE then proposed a motion to the effect that
they should resort to moral force agitation in forwarding
the Chartist movement, by the estalishment of reading
rooms, the employment of lecturers, the issuing of tracts,
by fraternizing with all bodies of reformers, and with
the electoral bodies of the country. _

A DELEGATE said physical force was'all nonsense, and
the only way to accomplish their object was by energetic
moral ugitatioß.
Mr. HENRY deprecated discussing the question of
moral and physical force.
Mr. CHURCHILL proposed an amendment, that phy-
sical and moral foice should not be discussed, and that
the matter should be left to the committee appointed to
draw up the address.
Mr. KIDD proposed another amendment, that the
principles of the Charter should be disseminated by
means of lectures, tracts, public meetings, discussion
societies, the registration of the working classes, and by
other legitimate means in their power.
Mr. E JONES said they were all moral force men—
(Laughter and cheers)—but the time might come when
the people would only be satisfied with physical force.
Dr. M•DotrALL said the people were not now prepared
for any outbreak, for, if they had, the awful distress
which existed in the country would not have been allowed
to exist. _ _

Mr. JOHN SHAW, (Towel: aamle:s), said Mr. O'Connor
had done a great deal of injury to the cause There
were a body of staunch reformers who were determined
to take advantage of the position of Mr. O'Connor, and
start a newspaper in opposition to the Northern Star.
They had now got Mr. O'Connor by the hip, and they
would hurl him to death, so that he should never be
able to show his face among the people again.
Mr. 1-1 lIRLY said the Northern Star was the only
paper which had declared the Assembly illegal, and it
supported it in the first instance. He, therefore, wished,
for one, to be relieved from the support of such a man.
The Assembly then adjourned the consideration of
the subject until this day, and separated.

WATERFORD, WEXFORD, WICK-

LOW, AND DUBLIN RAILWAY.
A meeting of certain shareholders in this company
was held yesterday, at twelve o'clock, at Fendall'sallotel,
to consider the petition to Parliament against the pend-
ing Bill of the Waterford Company, and tbr the appoint-
ment of a committee of investigation, and to receive the
report of the Irish agent ; Mr. Nash in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN read a report of the complaints which
the shareholders whom he represented had to make
against the directors.
Resolutions were proposed expressive of dissatisfac-
tion with the conduct of the directors generally; that
as the first project of a line to Waterford had failed, it
was but just to the original shareholders that either
their deposits should be returned, or the company
should be wound up ; that the expenses
of the
company had been excessive,
especially the votes
to the directors and the secretary; that an arrange-
ment ge ment which had been entered into withilie-
tto the
ii
nwthe
B
South Wales Company, by which the latter, on the sub-
an
presented scriptioa of an eighth of a million, should have the
power to nominate one-halt of the directors of the
Waterfordlinet,hwat a
petitionasinjuaic bed injurious iousagainst
company, and
pending in Parliaraet for the attainment of that
n
übj ect.
The resolutions having been unanimously passed, the
meeting was dissolved.

SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.
A special general meeting of the proprietors of this
company was held yesterday afternoon at the station, Pad-
dington, for the purpose of taking into consideration
the drafts of certain Bills applied fur in the present
session of Parlament.
CHARLES RUSSELL, Esq., Chairman, presided, and
stated that the mooting had been called, in order to
comply with the standing
orders uf the House of L rds.
In bringing forward the Bills which would be submitted
to the meeting, the directors had strictly adhered to
their resolution, not to be induced, on any consideration
whatever, to embark in any nesv undertaking under the
existing state of affairs.
The following draft Bills were then read to the meet-
ing, and, after much discussion and opposition, ulti-
tnixttely agreed to, and the directors requested to proceed
vvi :,11 4 them in Parliament:—
Bill for erlabl'n, the South Wales Railway Com-
pany to hold shares in ares in the undertaking of the Vale of
Neath Railway Company, and for other purposes.
" A Bill to
Wexford.
w.,f!rnend the Acts relating to the Waterford,
I.kiow, and Dublin Railway, and for other
A vote of thanks
directors, and then passed to the Chairman and
the I:, ea tS •
pining separated.
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