The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-12 00:00:00

RAILWAY.

Mr. CHARLES FORSTER moved that this House will,
upon Monday the 25th April, resolve itself into a com-
mittee to consider of authorising the cancelling of the
bond, which under the fifty-third section of " The Metro
politan and St. John's Wood Railway (Extension to
Hampstead) Act, 1865,' has been given by the Metro-
politan and St. John's Wood Railway Company to the
Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty Treasury, for
securing the completion of the railway authorised by
the said Act."
The motion was agreed to.
CANADA.

Mr. MONK asked the Under Secretary of State for the
Colonies whether his attention had been called to a tele-
gram dated Ottawa, April 8, which appeared in the Times,

to the effect that the Minister of Finance had stated that

the Canadian Government intended to disregard the
'opinion of the law officers of England as to the appropria-
tion of the Intercolonial Railway Loan of last year; and
whether the Government had received any information
confirmatory of that statement.
Mr. MONSELL said through the courtesy of Mr. Reuter
his attention had been drawn to the telegram, but the
Government had received no such intelligence, although
they had received two telegrams from the Governor of
Canada on two other subjects.

ROADS AND BRIDGES IN SCOTLAND.

In reply to Mr. S. PARKER,

The LORD ADVOCATE said he did not think it would be
possible to deal with the matter during the present
session ; but next year he hoped to be able to do so.

THE LICENSING SYSTEM.

On the motion of Mr. GLADSTONE, that the House at
its rising adjourn until Monday, the 25th of April,

Sir WILFRID LAwsoN rose to call attention to the
serious public injury caused by the delay in introducing
the Government Licensing Bill, and to the imperative
necessity for dealing with the question during the present
session. He thought the greatest injury was being done
by the Government delaying the announcement of their
policy on a subject which was attracting the utmost
attention in most parts of the country, and which inter-
fered with the prosperity, the comfort, and he might say
the lives of the people. Fourteen years ago a committee
sat on the subject, and recommended early legislation,
yet time went on, and nothing was done. It
however was attempted by private members to
deal with the matter, and he had himself
twice introduced bills, the last of which was on the
12th of May, last year. The Home Secretary opposed
that bill, and stated that the Government had a bill
virtually ready, but they had delayed introducing the
measure under the impression that the House was not
prepared to take up the matter. He sketched out the
policy,-and then said that next session the Government
intended to deal with the subject in an efficient manner.
That declaration doubtless swelled the majority against his
(Sir W. Lawson's) bill, but notwithstanding the promised
bill had not yet been introduced by the Government.
He had been accused of being an enemy of the trade, but
he was an enemy of no honest trade, and he had never
condemned those who carried on a business for which they
had the sanction of law. He thought the trade
ought to be dealt with fairly, and that the bill
ought not to be kept dangling over their heads.
He could not admit that there was a subject more impor-
tant than that which was calculated to check pauperism
and crime, and as the Government had admitted the evil
it was their duty to deal with the matter, and that with
no niggard hand. It might be said that the Government
had been already overdone with work. He sympathised
with them, but it was in his opinion most important that
a measure whose object was to check poverty and
crime should not be laid easily aside. It was true the
Government had brought in a Peace Preservation Bill for
Ireland, but he thought a bill of the same description
was most urgently required for England. He was quite
aware that a great many important measures now stood
for decision, but he thought the most important—if the
Government had a good bill calculated to deal with one
of • .the greatest evils of the day—it was their
duty to bring it in, and if it was approved of there was a
support out of that House which he would receive, and
which would enable him triumphantly to carry it through
with success.

Sir S. IBBETSON seconded the motion. He said he had
tried to deal with the matter in a limited extent, and he
felt that the bill he had introduced last year had done a
great deal of good, as it had prepared the way for a larger
and more adequate measure.
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE said he did not wish to under-
rate the ample exertions of the hon. baronet, the member
for Carlisle. He had done a great deal of good, but he
(Mr. Osborne) was not inclined to find fault with the
Government for not bringing in the licensing bill. He
did not see there would be any earthly use in doing so, to
let it be a dead letter on the table to be shot at by every
member who felt so disposed. He thought the Govern-
ment would be unwise to bring in the bill until they saw a
fair opportunity of dealing with it and successfully
carrying it, and he hoped the Home Secretary would
not add to the block of business, and put another omni-
bus in the way. The fact was the Government was
striving too much, and with respect to the matters in that
House, he must say there was a thirst for information,
that appeared to him almost wonderful. Instead of two
or three questions, as was formerly the case, they
now had a string of them, upwards of twenty
long; and no subject was omitted, for they had even
thought that policemen's hats were not beneath attention.
They lost hour by hour with useless talk, and it appeared
now almost an impossibility to get into Committee of
Supply. The hon. member for Peterborough was maimly
responsible for that, as he appeared indefatigable and
curious in his desire to obtain information. The
Government had brought in the Land Bill ; that,
he thought, would have been quite sufficient for a
session ; but in addition to that they had got an Educa-
tion Bill and then the Ballot, and now it was asked to
give them what was called the Licensing Bill, but which
was the Permissive Bill in disguise. He was quite sure
that the Government would not be able to accomplish the
first three bills, and he fully expected in a short time to
see a murder of the innocents this year that would exceed
in extent all those that had ever taken place for
many years—(hear, hear). If the Government got through
the Land Bill, it would be as much as he expected, be•
cause he began to see signs for the erection of tombstones
over the Education Bill and the Ballot, and for his own
part he should not object to see them both decently inter-
red for the present year. The Land Bill was the subject
calling for their utmost attention, and it would be most
important to dispose of that before they began the consi-
deration of others, important though they might be.

Mr. BRUCE said the dealing with the licensing system
had been surrounded with the greatest difficulty, and
when he had undertaken the duty he found he had greatly
underrated the labour. It interfered with no less than
forty Acts of Parliament, and the labour of completing
this exceeded all his expectations. He was quite ready
to admit the impolicy and injustice of the present law,
and he agreed with the hon. member for Waterford
that it would not be well to introduce the measure he had
prepared without he saw a fair prospect of passing it
during the present session. The bill was prepared, and
he should only be too glad to introduce it, and although
he did not yet quite abandon that hope, yet if he snould
fail for the present, he should be in a position
on the very first night of the next session
of Parliament to introduce the measure, and
thus take the earliest opportunity of carrying the
motion, he hoped to a successful issue. He was quite
ready to bear his testimony to the bill of the hon. baronet
(Sir S. Ibbetson)—it had done a great deal of good, and he
hoped the larger measure would result in a like success.
Before he resumed his seat, he might say, with respect
th.t. _l44lo§_ Pgl4. .s:4lj9k fit. 424 fos

the 25th of April, it was his intention to
have the bill committed pro forma for the purpose
of introducing certain amendments and clauses to embody
the provisions of the bill that had passed the other House
on the subject of Metalliferous Mines, and he had no
doubt that when that was done they would be able to dis.
pose of that matter in a single sitting.
Mr. MUNDELLA complained of the factious opposition
which was given to the progress of the Land Bill by hon.
genthmen opposite. T bey had been over seven days awl
a 1 alf in doing one clause and a half, and when the wholo
of the 300 amendments would be disposed of no one could

After a short discussion the motion for the adjournment
was agreed to.

The budget resolutions having been brought up,
Mr. AFFIE broughi the subject of the patent laws under
consideration.

At a quarter past five the house was counted out.

ITALY.

(BY P,EUTER'S TELEGRAL)

ROME, April 11.
It i stated that the Vatican, after consulting the
Spanish bishops, has decided that the Spanish clergy
cannot take the oath of fidelity to the Constitution.
The date of the third Session of the Council is not
yet fired.

The Marquis de Bannerville is expectel here on
the 13th lest.