The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-17 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS, June 16.
The Earl of SMATTESBCRT. in the absence of the Lord
Chancellor, took his seat upon the Woolsack at te:i minutes
before Five o'clock.
Messengers from the House of Commons brought up several
Bills, and praying their Lordships' concurrence.
On the motion of Lord LYTTELTON, the Bill for Abo-
lishing the Office of Superintendent of Convicts to Bermuda
and other Islands was read a second time.
HARBOURS OF PORT PATRICK AND DONA-

----
GHADEE.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, pursuant to a notice he
gave on a former evening, moved for the production of ail re •
ports and docuaaents connected with the harbours at Port
Patrick and Donaghadee, especially Sir J. Rennie's last report
on Captain Evan's rudiments, which had been
placed before the Admiralty. When he had last men-
tioned the subject he had stated that this was the
best communication, and that it had been approved of
by the Board of Admiralty of that time. It had also been ap-
proved of by the Trinity Board in 1819. In 1823 a Committee
of their Lordships' House had come to the same decision.
In 1430 a Committeee of the House of Commons had said the
same thing, and in 1843 the Admiralty had again approved of
it. The whole expense of this establishment appeared to be
800/. a-yt ar. This money was spent simply to
direct the expenditure of a few thousands. Last year
the sum voted was 5,000/. of which only 3,000/.
were spent, so that 80W. were spent to direct the expenditure
of 3,0 ,0/. If he could show that there were better harbours
and better means of communication, he should assign a suffi-
ptn of
Evans, Captain
in Leonard,
therepor Sir
t
John
suffi-
cient reason for the retrenchment of the expense.
They
Rennie,had
and
the
caai
opinions
by which it appeared that the present harbours would cost,
with their attendant expenses for steamers and management,
21,9001. a year ; while the harbours of Port Patrick and Do-
naghadee would be an ex Duly of ensell,Bool.
p
ELLEN Lord
_. . _ . BOROUGH said he was not able to tell the

Noble Marquis what tne Government were prepared to do with
respect to the harbour. The best thing the railway companies
interested in it could do would be to mike some distinct repre-
sentation upon the subject.
PUBLIC-HOUSES (SCOTLAND).
The Earl of SELKIRK present, d several petitions :`rum va-
rious persons in Scotland, complaining •f the state of public-
houses in Scotland, and the sale of spirituous liquors on the
Sabbath.

THE GAUGE QUESTION.
Lord LY T T ELTON presented several petitions from various
persons complaining of the report ..f the Gauge Commis-
sioners, and praying the House to take the report into further

consideration.
OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE RAILWAY.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from a person of
the name of Brown, against the Oxiord and Cambridge Rail-
way, and designated the promoters of that scheme as a parcel
of speculators.
The Earl of HARDWICKE denied that . such was
the case. He himself held a number of shales
in the line, and he was no sp..culator. His
reason for connecting himself with it was because
it passed contiguous to his property. Other parties, also, who
had shares in it were locally interested, and were no speculators.
They wished to hue some control ever its management.
Tne Duke of BUCKINGHAM presented several petitions
against the Oxford and Cambridge Railway, from the city of
Oxford, from Bedford, and other places.
Lord DACRE concurred in the obsi.rvations of the Noble
Earl (Hardw juke). He was aware that many parties con-
nected with that railway were locally interested, and ought
not to be designated speculators.
Lord BROUGHAM said he had not the slightest doubt as
to the truth of his Noble Friend's statement. He (Lord
Brougham) did not charge the promoters as being mere
land-jobbers and share-brokers, but he said that was gene-
rally the case in such undertakings. It appeared that the
shares in this railway were in the hands of gentlemen locally
interested, but he prayed their Lordships' attention to this,
that the Noble and Gallant Lord who spoke first told their
Lordships that he was obliged in self-defence to take shares in
raiiwa)s that proposed to pass over his property, so as to
preserve it from the destruction with which it was
threatened. That was not the case with his Noble
Friend behind him ; he was not a speculator, bitt a large
landed proprietor in the district through which this railway pro-
posed to pass. He (Lord Brougham) admitted that all that
were engaged in that railway ware respectable people. But his
Noble Friend had said that he (Lord Brougham) had made a
coloured statement. Now what was that coloured statement ?
It was this, that a respectable gentleman, e hose name he had
given, and who was High Sheriff of that county last year, com-
plained that the railway would destroy his house and paik.
Why that was not a very coloured statement, unless it was
true, as his Noble Friend behind him would have their
Lordships believe, that it was very doubtful whether the gentle-
man said so or not. The Noble Lord had said he did not know
his property. Why that was the very reason that these
statements should be taken for true, because it came from
the person that did know this property, namely, the proprietor
himself.—( Laughter.) Surely, Mr. Brown did not dream
that he bad a building which cost a considerable sum of money—
his was no castle in the air or its Spain, and he (Lord
Brougham) therefore hoped that the petition of this respect-
able gentleman, who complained of great annoyance on the part
of the proprietors of this railway, would receive the must atten-
tive and iavourable consideration of their Lordships.
EAST AND WEST YORKSHIRE JUNCTION
RAILWBY.
Earl FITZWILLIANI presented a petition from a Mr.
Berkley against the East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway.
LORDS HARDINGE AND GOUGH'S BILL.
The Earl of RIPON moved the postponement of the fur-
ther consideration of these Bills till some day in the ensuing
week.
The Duke of RICHMOND wished to know the intention of
the Government with respect to their Lor .ships' am ndment.
Earl GREY hoped he should have an opportunity of re-
cording his vote against the amendment.
ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE.

Lord STANLEY wished to knew whether their Lordships
would adjourn over Thursday, the 18th of June, being the an-
niversary of the battle of Waterloo?
The Earl of RIPON stated that it was not the intention
of the Government to press any important business upon
that day.
Lord.BROUGHAM—You cannot adjourn the judicial busi-
ness.
The LORD CHANCELLOR—The House could not ad-
joarn , there was a commission appointed for that day ; word-
ing to usual custom the House would not assemble for the dis-

cession of any important measure.
The Duke of RICHMOND said he thought that it was
necessary to explain, after what had laden from his Nob'e
Fri-n 4 the Earl of Ripon. He had the other nigh t gone over
to his Noble Friend, and asked what course the Government
intended to pursue. The First Lord of th, Admiralty had
overneard all that passed, and he certainly thought he was en-
titled to all the intormation he had requested, If the decision
of those of their Lordships who bad been attending Committees
since twelve o'clock. and the. came into the House until it ro=e,
were to he overturned by those of their Lordships who went
comfortably home to dinner, and who had heard welting of the
argument in the first stage, certainly he was not surprised at
either of the observations of his Noble Frier` 1, or at any combi-
nation which might he entered into.— (Cri. s of •' Hear, hear.")
The Earl of RIPON was sorry that he should have t o explain
that he had misunderstood his Noble Friend the Duke of Rich-
mond, or that his Noble Friend had misunderstood him ; hut
he at any rate felt himself justified in reserving himself for the
opportunity to which he had alluded.
Lord STANLEY said, that he did not mean to say
anything which would be in the least diq.espectful to the
Noble Earl. Si, hat he did complain of was, that there was no
notice of the amendment which had been moved. According to
the forms of the House, such was a requisite proceeding.
He was exceedingly surprised at the course which had been
pursued. The amendment to the Bill would have been fatal to
it, as the House of Commons, without waving a privilege
which he hoped they never would surrender, would not sane ion
a Bill of the kind having suffered such a material alteration.
The Duke of CLEVELAND said, he was greatly surprised
that the amendment had been introduced without the ordinary
notice having been given.
Lord MONTEAGLE was glad that his Noble Friend had
brought the motion forward; he supported him on that occasion
and he would support him again when it was brought forward.
Nobody could impute to the Noble Duke any intention of
taking the House by surprise, for the truth was that it
originated with himself.
After a few words from the Earl of St. Germans, the Duke
of Richmond, and the Earl of Ellenborough, the subject
dropped.