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

place them nearly in the same position which they would
have occupied if they had bezm 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 last sessicn
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 former, 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. _ .

V.
Lord MONTEAGLB considered that the proposed altera-
tion would have the effect of greatly benefiting the Irish
labourer, by bringing the railway works in that country
into earlier operation. He would suggest the
propriety of permitting the promoters of rail-
way Bills to prove their compliance with
the standing orders simultaneously before both Houses
—a better course still would be, by bringing them before
some tribunal before the meeting of Parliament, the
report of such tribunal to be laid before both
Houses on the meeting of Parliament. He also
thought that the promoters of railway projects should
be permitted to make the deposits in public securities as
well as in money.

The Earl of STRADBROXIS urged the necessity of
giving precedence to Bills connected with the south of
Ire,land, as the distress there was most imminent.
The resolutions were then put and agreed to.
Lord DENMAN brought in a Bill to give the courts ol
law power to mitigate penalties in criminal cases.
_ _

Lord BEAUMONT gave 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 of Lords, it might hi ex-
pedient that the Government should originate some of
their own measures also in the House of Lords.
The Duke of WELLINGTON would take care that the
suggestion should be curled 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
leisure with advantage to the public and an acknow-
ledgement of the compliment from Lord CAMPBELL,
Their Lordships adjourned.

The House met at Four o'clock. This was the last day
for receiving petitions on private Bills, and in conse-
quence a vast number of petitions were presented for and
against railway Bills.
Sir Jonzi YARDE Burxzn 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 for the eastern division of the county o f
Suffolk was ordered in the room of Lord IlEraturnn,
who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET then proceeded to call
the attention of the House to the first Report of the
Select 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. BERNAL 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
wants 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.

O'CoNon DON 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 measures 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. Cola.rrr trusted that in bona fide measures
some course would be adopted to facilitate their pro.
seeding 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 not see the justice of the remark of
the Hon. Member for Leeds. He thought the House of
Lords ought to have the measure competing with the
London and York before it ere it deeided in favour of
any one of them.

Lord G. SOMERSET was convinced the public would
be benefited by the adoption of the report of the Com-
mittee.

Sir 11. W. BARRON denied that employment would be
given immediately to the people 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. BUSFIELD brought in the Leeds and Bradford
Railway Bills, which were read a first time.
Mr. PniLr 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 resole
itself into such Committee that day six months.

Mr. LABOUCHERE 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 on the sugars.
Sir R. PEEL, said that in January, 1840, 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.

Considering the importance of the measures proposed
by Sir Roßeer ReeL in the new tariff, it is really sur-
prising to find such a small amount of opposition to any
one of them throughout the country. They affect a great
variety of classes, and in bygone days would have excited
genet 4, • constt rim tion„ among tradesmen and manufac-
turers, es well as among the proprietors and occupiers of
land; but, e l•li the exception of the party who have
assumed the tide of " Protectionists" (though more
properly designated " Menepolists"), and the Spital-
fields weavers, we hear of no opposition to the compre-
hensive scheme. On the contrary, it meets with a
general approbation quite unprecedented on similar
occasions. Take, for instance, the Catholic Relief Bill
One half of the people were directly hostile to it
and they were supported by nearly all the clergy
of all denominations, either openly or covertly, by a
great majority of the House of Peers, till necessity,
which has no law, compelled them to yield, and by the
most furious of all religioes and political factions—the
whole Orange party in Ireland. The divisions in pub-
lic opinion were equally remarkable during the agitation
of the Reform Bill. The Bishops and the clergy as a
body resisted it to the last, and with an earnestness,
perseverance, and even violence, which pourtrayed fears
that referee would extend to tke Church, and finally
bring down the whole fabric of the Establishment. It
is needless to advert to the feelings which prevailed in
the Upper Rouse—the Peers again fought desperately
and lung for their pocket boroughs, and the endless
sources of corruption which the old Tory system
placed at their command, and at last saved themselves
by throwing overb)ard most valuable property in order
to save themselves from being swamped. But, besides
these two bodies, there were very large numbers of the
middle che.ses who had profited by wasteful expendi-
ture and the abuse of patronage ; many also who looked
with anxiety on such a wholesale re-edification of the
Constitution, and cried, " Let well alone?" These were
joined by the timorous and listless part of the com-
munity, who disapproved of the excitement, forming al-
together a most powerful body arrayed against reform.
At present the scene is as different as possible. The ad-
vocates of commercial reform and the repeal of the corn-
laws are more numerous, and as regards their influence
in the Legislature infinitely more powerful than even that
compact phalanx of freemen
to the Court (always
excepting the King), which triumphantly carried
the great measurei opposition
the clergy, and also to a very
tenacious, vigorous, un-
scrupulous,in opposition
p position to the Peers and
namely,der of the
Lain their livelihood by abuses and by the p un
and numerous Blass—those, who ob-
community. The clergy, on this occasion, to their un-
speakable honour, and we firmly believe, also, consistently