The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-07 00:00:00

sent session should be originated in their Lord-
ships' House. The Noble Earl th,pn went into a
history of the standing orders of both Houses in relation
to the per centage required to be paid up on the de-
posits, before the Bill could be entertained. The House
of Lords required a payment of ten per cent.—the
House of Commons a payment of five per cent. Now,
in order to facilitate the transaction of business, the
Committee recommended that for a payment of five per
cent. the Bill might be admitted, provided the deposit
had been made on the 6th of February, but that
they should not be admitted to a third reading until
an additional five per cent. should be paid; this would
place them nearly in the same position which they would
have occupied if they had bean originally intro-
duced into the House of Commons. This propo-
sition gave no encouragement to railway projects,
nor did it remove any obstacles which had
been interposed by the measures of lest session
With regard to measures which had passed last session
in the Commons, and which had been dropped in the
House of Lords, it was proposed that they should pass
the Commons pro fonnii, and come before the Lords
immediately, and that competing projects should be per-
mitted to originate in the Lords. The Noble Lord
concluded by moving a resolution founded on the report
of the Committee.
Lord IiONTEAGLE considered that the proposed alters
tion would have the effect of greatly benefiting the Irish
labourer, by bringing the railway works in that country
into earlier operation. lie would suggest the
propriety of permitting the promoters of rail-
way Bills to prove their compliance with
the standing orders simultaneously before b. th Houses
—a better course still would be, by bringing them before
some tribunal before the meeting of Parliament, the
report of such tribunal to he laid before both
Houses on the meeting of Parliament. He also
thought that the promoters of railway projects should
bs permitted to make the deposits in public securities as
wall as in money.
The Earl of STEADBROKE urged the necessity of
giving precedence to Bills connected with the south of
Ireland, as the distress there was most imminent.
The resolutions were then put and agreed to.
Lord PENMAN brought in a Bill to give the courts 01
law power to mitigate penalties in criminal cases.
Lord BEAUMONT gale notice, that some day next week
he would move for a Select Committee to consider the
peculiar burdens affecting landed property.
Lord CAMPBELL suggested that, as some railway Bills
were to originate in the House ef Lords, it might be ex-
pedient that the Government should originate some of
their own measures also in the 'louse of Lords.
The Duke of WELLINGTON would take care that the
suggestion should be cai ried_ to the proper quarter.
After a few words from the LORD CHANCELLOR,
complimentary to Lord CAMPBELL on his recent pub-
lication, which proved that he knew how to employ his
eisure with advantage to the public and an acknow-
Rdgetnent of the compliment from Lord CAMPBELL,
Their Lordships adjourned.

The House met at Four o'clock. This was the last day
for receiving cetitions on private Bills, and in conse-
quence a vast number of petitions were presented lbr and
against railway Bills. .
Sir JOHN YARDE BULLER brought up the report of
the Belfast and. County Down Railway and Newry and
Warrenpoint Railway Bills, reporting that the standing
orders had been complied with, and leave was given to
bring in both the Bills. •
A new writ fur the eastern division of the county of
Suffolk was ordered in the room of Lord HEN:alien,
who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET then proceeded to call
the attention of the House to the first Report of the
Seltct Committee on railway Bills. The Noble Lord
believed that by originating Irish Bills in the House of
Lords the best results would be effected.
Mr. F. FRENCH did not believe there would be any
advantage to Irish Bills by having them originated in
the Lords; on the contrary, he thought it would con-
duce to the passing of Irish measures to originate the
English ones in the other House.
Mr. BEnNAL believed that the proposition of originat-
ing some railway Bills in the House of Lords was good,
but he thought in preferring Irish and Scotch Bills great
injustice might be done to the English measures. He
did not think that any party would consider the report
of the Committee a great boon. It was a fallacy to
suppose that such a proposition would supply the
rants of the poor of Ireland. The first consideration for
the Committee was to see if they could not adopt a less
dilatory proceeding in Committees with respect to rail-
way Bills than at present existed.
The O'CoNoR Dux believed that the suggestion
of the Committee to give precedence to Irish Bills would
be productive of the best effects, as 'its adoption
would give employment to the Irish labourers at their
own doors, which they so much wanted.
Mr. AGLIONBY thought the best course to be adopted
would be to allow those Irish meaairea to commence in
the House of Lords that would be benefited by so
doing, but not to compel all Irish railway Bills to
commence there, if with greater success they could
be proceeded with in the House of Commons.
Sir G. CLERK said the adoption of the suggestion of
the Hon. Member for Cockermouth would be attended
with the greatest injustice to competing lines.
After some observations from Mr. Ross, Mr. GREENE,

Mr. W. COLLETT trusted that in bona fide measures
some course would be adopted to facilitate their pro-
ceeding through the House.
Mr. BECKETT DENISON thought that if some of the
suggestions of the report were to be adopted, the greatest
injustice would be inflicted upon those measures that had
undergone the ordeal of the House of Commons, and had
been stopped in the House of Lords by the termination
of the session. These observations were particularly
applicable to the London and York Railway.
Mr. WARD could nut see the juqice of the remark of
the lion. I‘.l. mber fur Leeds. He thought the House of
L•:rds ought to have the measure competing with the
London and York before it ere it decided in favour of
eny one of them.
Lord G. SOMERSET was convinced the public would
be benefited by the a•loption of the report of the Com-
mittee.
Sir 11. W. BAußox denied that employment would be
given. immediately to the p; (hie of Ireland by passing
Irish railroads, because nothing could be effectually
done before August next.
After some further discussion, the report was agreed to.
Mr. BusrrELD brought in the Leeds and Bradford
Railway Bilk, which were read a first time.
Mr. PHILP MILES gave notice that he should, on
Monday, on the order of the day being read for the
House going into Committee on the resolutions proposed
by Sir ROBERT PEEL, on the subject of our commercial
policy, move as an amendment that the House do resolve
itself into such Committee that day six months.
Mr LABOUCIIERE reminded the First Lord of the
Treasury of his promise to answer the question whether
the Governments of Spain and Brazil had taken any
steps of a retaliatory nature in consequence of the
differential duties imposed en the sugars.
Sir R. PEEL said that in January, 1810, the Brazilian
Government had imposed certain differential duties on
the products of those nations which did Rot admit their
sugars at the same duty as those of the most favoured
nations, but as yet they had not acted on those powers.
The House adjourned at Seven o'clock.

son, &c.
This unanimity at such a crisis is of the greatest lm'

MEETING OF THE LIBERALS.
(THIS DAY.)
A very numerously attended meeting of Liberal
Members was held this forenoon at Lord JOHN Rus-
snnn's house, in Chesham-place, to consider the course
to be taken in the approaching discussions on Sir
Ro-
BERT PEEL'S proposals. We understand that Lord
JOHN RUSSELL addressed the meeting, pointing
out the danger to the measure that might arise
from an amendment in Committee for immediate
repeal of the corn-laws, which might be supported by
the protectionists, for the purpose of throwing a
difficulty in Sir ROBERT PEEL'S way, and, being car-
ried by a majority combined of free-traders and protec-
tionists, might calve Sir R. PEEL to throw up the
measure. We are told that the most perfect unanimity
prevailed as to the necessity of the Liberal party doing
everything in their power to pass that part of Sir R.PEEL'S
PEELS measure which concerns corn as quickly as pos-
sible, and in thinking that, though immediate free trade
in corn would be preferable to its fulfilment in February,
1849, still it tsould not be right, under present circum-
stances, to risk the slightest delay in passing Sir ROBERT
PEEL'S measure by an amendment for immediate repeal.
The Members began to assemble at twelve, and the
meeting broke up shortly
ralmbefore
eoristteo.n, SirAmo George
gethogese
who attended were Lord
Mr. DSacaulay,
rMt
hr F. T.r
Beßaring,nal
Lord Marcus Hill,
Mr. Grey,ey, lO'Connell,r.L abo usc
ihre rlev,
Milner Gibson, Mr.
lEanadrl, Morr.sPhadt:
tSitsrount,t,MArl.r
J. Tho.
O'Connell,
Sir;
Don, Lord Harry Vane, ter,
Mr. Hay
11!Gr..eLoeradeeSr,trtihcke
burne, Sir Thomas Wilde, Mr. TurneGll,entherealOCioornroir.