The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-30 00:00:00

ing, and if he was convinced that this Committee
would be the means of alleviating their distresses he
would be the last man in the House to oppose its
appointment. Inquiries had frequently taken place
before a• Committee of the House on the subject of
the distress of the frame-work knitters, and he be-
lieved the House had now before it all the materials
that could be collected on the subject ; and such
being the case, he thought the appointment
of such a Committee as was now proposed would
only have the effect of holding out hopes to the hand-
loom weavers which never could be realised, that
their condition might he improved by the in-
terference of Parliament between themselves
and their masters. All the evidence that
had been brought forward clearly showed that it
would be impossible by direct legislation to improve
the condition of the hand-loom weavers.—(Hear.)
Frame-work knitting was open to all classes of un-
skilled labourers, while women and children could
always find employment in this description of work,
and he put it to the House whether, under these
circumstances, it would not be dangerous to hold out
the delusive hope that in a trade like this they could
safely legislate for the regulation of wages ?
—(Hear, hear.) - The Honourable Gentleman the
Member for Shrewsbury, although he did not
advocate the principle of direct legislation upon
the subject, drew attention to the defects which
he represented as existing in the savings' bank
system, and to certain frauds which prevailed in this
particular trade. For his part, he had no hesitation
in telling the Hon. Gentleman, that if he introduced
any measure for remedying these defects, it
should have the best consideration of her Majesty's
Government; but, although he regretted that he felt
it was his duty to do so, he was convinced that in the
end it would be found that he had acted for the best
interest of those poor people in resisting the motion
of the Hon. Gentleman opposite.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. PACKE regretted to hear the speech of the
Right Hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of
Trade, for it would go far to confirm the feeling of
the humble classes of the midland counties that it
'wits hopeless for them to look to this house for help.
No Tess than 100,000 men were employed in the frame-
knitting trade, and he knew of his own know-
ledge that they had long been subject to
great injustice and oppression. It was seldom indeed
that they ever obtain a fair day's wage for a fair day's
work, and it was perfectly ridiculous to tell him, who
lived amongst them, that there were periods of the
year when they were in the receipt of high
tide wages. So far from that being the case,
they had always to struggle most severely
to obtain even a paltry livelihood, and he trusted that
ere long Government would be made to feel the
necessity of taking up the question.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. GARDNER said it was absurd to apply ab-
stract principles of political economy to this question,
and he hoped the Government would take heed in
time and see the folly of non-interference.—(Hear.)
Colonel SIBTHORP trusted the Hon. Baronet
who had introduced the question would carry it to a
division, and then the country would see who really
were the friends of the working•classet. There
were a good many Members in that House who made
a point of talking largely of their sympathy
for the working classes, but they took good care not
to do• anything practically for their benefit.—((fear.)
The Corn-law League and those who supported
them, could plead most eloquently about the rights
of landlord and tenant, but when the rights of master
and servant were brought under discussion, they took
good care to pooh pooh it, and to tell the House and the
country that agitating the rights of the working man
was mere delusion, for their rights and privileges—
nay, their daily bread—was dependent upon and
regulated by the abstract principle of supply and
demand.—(Hear, hear.) Let the House act
honestly with these poor, patient, suffering
people, and if they could not afford them
a legislative remedy, prove it to them by inquiry, and
not refuse to hear their case stated by those whom
they believed to be their friends.—(Cheers.).
Sir H. HALFORD replied, remarking that he
regretted to hear that it was the determination of
Government to resist the inquiry because it
would lead to misapprehension out of doors. He did
not want to interfere with the principle of demand
and supply ; all that he wanted was, that certain
frauds which prevailed in the frame-work knitting
trade, and demoralised those who were engaged in it,
should he inquired into, with the view to their
removal, and he hoped that ere long Government
would be induced to grant the inquiry.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the Committeee 5l
Against it
Majority
The motion was therefore lost.
SCOTCII SC EIOOL MASTERS.

Mr. COCHRANE then rose !or leave to introduce
a Bill to facilitate the removal of schoolmasters in
Scotland. At present the removal of those persons,
on account of immoral or other improper conduct,
could not be brought about without the greatest
difficulty, on account of the ambiguity of the Act,
the 43i of Geo. 111. lie did not propose to do away
with the jurisdiction of the Presbytery,but he proposed
when a schoolmaster proved inefficient, or was guilty
of misconduct, that one or more of the heritors
should apply to the Lord Advocate, who should act
as a grand juror, and investigate the charge ; or he
might remit the case to the Sheriff-Substitute, who
should try it, his decision being final. He had fully
investigated the subject, and believed that the Bill
would meet the object he had in view
The LORD ADVOCATE admitted that there
was great difficulty in removing an objectionable
schoolmaster, and that the law en the subject required
alteration. As the matter was an important one, he
did not consider he should discharge his duty if he
threw any impediment in the way of the introduction
of the Bill. He did, not, however, wish it to be un-
derstood that he should give his support to the Bill.
After a few words from Mr. MACKENZIE and Mr.
FORBES,

Mr. HUME inquired if the Government intended
to bring in a Bill on the subject ? No reply having
been given, he gave notice that he should ask the
question to• morrow. _ . .

Leave was then given to bring in the Bill ; it was
read a first time, and ordered to be read a second
time on Monday, the 17th April.

HORSHAM.

• In reply to Captain PECHELL,
The Earl of MARCH intimated that he had given
notice that he should move, to-morrow, that the writ
be issued.

Mr. HUME said, in the event of the Noble Lord
doing so, he should submit that the issuing of the
writ ought to be deferred.

RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS.

Mr. BAN KES gave notice that, on Tuesday next,
he should move for leave to introduce a Bill to repeal
the Act under which the Railway Commissioners were
constituted.

TILE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS.
Mr. HUME gave notice that he should to• morrow
call the attention of the House to the va-
cant office of Sergeant-at-Arms, and suggest
the propriety of instituting an inquiry with a view
to consider the expediency of separating the office of
housekeeper from that office, with a view to the better
accommodation of the House.

The Heuse adjourned at five minutes to Six o'clock

ELECTION COMMITTEE.

BODMIN.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Mr. Wonnsworan, on the part of Mr. Wyld, then
entered into n long and elaborate argument, with the
view of show ing that the Committee had the power of
deciding whether the recognizances were good or bad.
Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM, on behalf of Mr Lacey,
followed in the same line of argument, contending that
the 7th and Bth of Victoria, the last Act passed upon
this subject, did not deprive, but reserved to the Corn
mittee the jurisdiction of determining these preliminary
points.
Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE replied for the petitioners,
insisting that the decision of the Examiner of Recog-
nizances appointed by the House was final, and in the
face of that officer's certificate on the back of the recog-
nizances the Committee had no power whatever to re-
open the question. It was the House that delegated its
authority to the Examiner, and it was the House alone
that could recal it, or alter or revise the decision which
the Examiner had arrived at in his official capacity, and
it must therefore be taken for granted that this was not
the tribunal to decide upon the validity or invalidity of
the recognizances entered into in the case of the present
petitioner.

The arguments had not closed when the Committee
ailjourued.

TUE ARMT.—Desertion is prevalent to a great
extent from the rank: of the 20th Regiment of Foot, at
present stationed ut Kingston, in Canada. On Sunday,
the 27th of February last, twelve men left the garrison
during the night, and made their way across Long
Island, trusting to get over the main channel of the
Saint Lawrence to the American side, but owing to a
heavy gale from the westward the ice there was broken,
rendering it difficult to cross by a boat, and impossible
to accomplish on foot. In the attempt four of the de-
serters were drowned, and the remaining eight were cap-
tured and brought back to the barracks. In their com-
pany was an American, said to be a sergeant in the
Unit, d States army, and some of the men accuse him of
having enticed them to desert.
The members of the Provisional Government have
become ten years older during the month they have been
in power. M. Ledru Rollin, who had a head of fine
black hair, is become perfectly grey. M. Flocon has
been at the point of death. M. Louis Blanc, who had a
fresh juvenile countenance, is no more recognizable.
MM. Lamartine and Garnier Pages spit blood. M.
Cremieux has lost his voice. M. Marrast seems worn
out with fatigue. In fine, there is only M. Arago, who
appears formed of Pyrennian granite, who supports the
weight of the Provisional Government, the weight of
two ministerial offices—the direction of the Academy of
Science,' and the 04ervatory. lle alone has not
quitted his post.--. Parts Paper,