The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-25 00:00:00

INSOLVENT DEBTORS' BILL.

On the motion ol the Duke of BUCCLELICII, the House
went into Committee on this
THE NATIONAL DEBT. _ _

Lord STOURTON rose to move for returns of the deduc-
tions at different times in the interest of the National Debt ;
for the exports in the five years terminating in 1790 (inclusive
of that year), and in the five years preceding 1821, and in the
five years preceding 1846, for the aggregate amount and
values of the different species of income as deducible from the
last five years of the French war to the termination
of that tax or income, and the annual amount
of national income, as deducible from the last income-tax, so
far as the returns may be made up, and for a return of the
average produce of wheat in Poland, Prussian or Russian, and
adjoining provinces, as estimated by Mr. Jacob in his reports
to the Government. The Noble Lord prefaced his motion by
a few observations, but they were quite inaudible in the
gallery.
The motion was agreed to.
The Bills on the table were then advanced a stage, and the
House adjourned.

HOUSE OF GOitiMOA March 24.

The Sraattzu took the Chair at a few minutes to Four.

Mr. LAWSON moved that the following Bills in Group
No. 43—East and West Yorkshire Junction (York and
Knaresborough), Great North of England ( Bedale Branch),
Great North of England (Boroughbridge Branch)—be taken
out of Group No. 43, being unopposed Bills, and referred to
Mr. Greene and the Members introducing such Bills, on the
31st instant, unless petitions against any of these Bills be pre-
sented on or before Monday next, the 30th instant (inclusive),
in which case such Bill or Bills shall continue as at present
grouped.
After a desultory conversation, in which Mr. Brotherton,
Mr. B. Denison, Mr. Fox Maule, Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Greene,
Mr. Craig, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Dnneombe, Mr. Aldam, Mr.
Collett, and,Col. Wood joined, a division ensued, when there
appeared—
For the motion

Against it

...
Majority against the motion ..... ... —l6
ROYAL ASSENT.

Sir Augustus Clifford, the Usher of the Black Rod, ap-
peared at the bar of the house, and summoned the attend-
ance of the Commons in the House of Lords, to hear the
royal assent given by commission to several Bills, which have
passed both Houses during the present session.
Mr. T EIORNELY presented a petition against the Glasgow
Police Bill.
Mr. BOUVERIE presented a petition against the Edin-
burgh and Northern Railway.
Mr. HUME said he would call the attontion of the House to
a circumstance which he knew to be against the rules ; be was
at all times unwilling to transgress in that way for a matter of
small importance, but this case called for the interference of the
House. The borough of Montrose, which he had the honour to
represent, contained 15,000 inhabitants, and, during the former
times of scarcity, a sum of money was subscribed to purchase
certain grounds for the accommodation and recreation of the
public. One of the numerous railways then under the con-
sideration of the House, would in its course interfere with this
ground. The magistrates of this borough of course expected
that the railway company would be willing to make compen-
sation, by purchasing an equal amount of ground, and leveling
it. Negotiations to this effect were in progress, and the
magistates had every reason to believe, until a few days' ago,
that the compensation they expected would be given ; but a
short time since they received an intima'ion that the Company
would have nothing to do with purchasing fresh ground, but
that it was only a case of compensation in the ordinary sense of
the word. The property interfered with was land near the sea
side, and the price of an acre of it would not be the value of a
quarter of an acre elsewhere. The petition aces, therefore, that
they might be heard before the Committee to which this Bill was
referred. He was aware that it was not usual to send petitions
before Committees after they had comtrenced their labours ;
and if it was for an individual,
.he should not make any such
application, but this was a public question. The magistrates
were merely trustees, and the grounds so given were to remain
for ever for the public use. All he asked, therefore, was that
the petition should be allowed to go before the Committee on
the Railway Bill.
Mr. GREENE was extremely sorry to oppose the motion
of the Hon. Member, but he thought that if the House gave
way in the present instance that they would have to give way
in others, and great inconvenience to all parties could not
fail to result. Besides that was not the first time such
a case had been brought before the House, as he could point
out numbers of instances in which parties had so come forward
to complain of similar hardships. The case brought forward
by the Hon. Member did not appear to him to justify them in
breaking through the orders which they had adopted for the
regulation of public business.
Mr. T. BARING considered, with the Hon. Member who
bad just sat down, that it would be unwise to break through
the rules which they had adopted. As the money was granted
for a public purpose, he should recommend the on. Member
to apply to the Treasury, who would no doubt see that the
money so granted was really devoted to the purposes intended.
Mr. HUME said his sole object was that the public interests
should not suffer. The Government undeniably gave 2001.,
and the parties referred to a similar sum, in order to lay out
those grounds for the recreation of the people. But if the
Treasury had any power to interfere in the matter,
he thought an application to that quarter would
be the proper course to adopt. With respect to
what had fallen from Mr. Greene, he must say that he enter-
tained as high respect for the rules of the House as he did. He
considered that the case which he advocated was one with
respect to which he thought the House would not hesitate to
depart from the established rule.
After a few words from Mr. GREENE,
Mr. HUME said that if the petition were allow .c 1 to go
before the Committee he should withdraw his motion.

The motion was subsequently withdrawn.
NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.
An HoN. MEMaER presented a petition from Jedburgh in
favour of the Carlisle Extension of the North British Railway.
Mr. ESTCOURT brought up the report of the Standing
Orders Committee.
TIMBER DUTIES.

Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from the Chamber
of Commerce, Liverpool, in favour of the reduction of duties on
timber. The petitioners stated that they heard with great
satisfaction the proposed measure of the Government, and that
for the purposes of ship building there was felt a great scarcity
of live oak and pitch pine.
Mr. HUME presented a petition from the inhabitants of
Leith, praying also for a reduction of the duty on foreign
timber. The petitioners stated that the interest of the general
community w ould be greatly benefited by the proposed measure
of her Majesty's Government, and that there was a scarcity of
timber for the purposes of house building.
Ordered to lie on the table.
TEN HOURS' FACTORY BILL.

Mr. LAWSON presented several petitions in favour of the
Ten Hours' Factory Bill. They were ordered to lie on the
table.

Sir R. H. INGLIS presented a petition from Bradford, in
Yorkshire, in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill.
Sir G. STRICKLAND presented two petitions from Chor.
ley, in Lancashire, to the same effect.
SETTLEMENT OF NATIONAL DISPUTES BY
ARBITRATION.
__

Pr. KM RINO pr tod a patitivA from Newport pray.

ing that all disputes between nations be settled by arbitration
instead of war.
MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.

Messengers from the Honze of Lords brought up several
Bills.

ISLE OF MAN.

rr. BOWRING moved for certain returns relating to the
Isle of Man.—Agreed to.
NOTICES OF MOTION.

Mr. WYSE gave notice that on the 7th of April he should
move for a Committee to inquire into the present state of
education in Ireland and the best means of improving it.
POOR. LAW.

Mr. GEORGE BANKES gave notice that, on Thursday
next, he should move that the proposed. Bill for the removal
of the poor in England be referred to a select Committee.
Mr. O'CONNELL, not wishing to throw any impediment
in the way of the adjourned debate on the corn-laws, postponed
his motion for a Bill to enable the county of Cork to send two
additional Members to this House, to replace those formerly
returned for Sudbury, till after Easter.
Mr. WYSE, under similar circumstances, postponed his
motion for leave to ['ring in a Bill relating to art-unions.