The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-14 00:00:00

THE

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly after Twelve
o'clock.

PETITIONS.

Mr. TANCRED preserved a petition from Banbury
in favour of the Religious Houses hill.
Mr. BL AIR presented a petition from Falkirk against
Pap I aggression.
Mr. WESTHEAD presented a petition from Roman
Catholics et linareshro' against the Religious Houses

Bill.
Mr. HUM.E presented a petition from certain indivi-
duals in the metropolis against the clause in the Sunday
Trading Bill preventing shaving after ten o'clock on
Sprotay.—(A laugh.)
Mr. HENRY pros( nted a petidon from Manchester in
favour o; the Religions Houses Bill.
Mi. HERR]. '‘‘,S presented a petition from the association
of shipowner.: at Is,-Ilazt apt list the navigation laws.
Mr. RICARDO resented u petition from the
Roman Cat&olics at Stoke upon-Trent against ine Re-
ligious Hou.ies Bit.
Sir U S rRICKLAND presented two petitions to the
same effect troth d ices in Lancashire.
Mr. W. PA [TEN preset.ted a similar petition from
Roman Cat; (11106 alai, in places in Llncashire
Mr. JOHN EVANS presented a peAtion from places
in Wales in favour of giving county courts juristilciion
in cioes of bat.kruptcy.
Mr. FORBES presented petitions from Eiinburgh
and other places iu Scotland against. Lord
Educations( Bill.
Lord DUDLEY STUART present, d a petition from
Mar) iebot sigainst the Religious Houses Bill.
Mr. GEACH presented a petition from Coventry
agai•

Anst th.• taxes on knowledge:
Mr. NEWDEGA l'E presented petitions from places
in Wurwickshire in favour • f the Relielous Houses Bill.

NATIONAL REFORM.
Mr. HUME postponed his motion, which dropped
yesterday in constquence of their being " no House,"
with respect to a Bttl tor amending the national repre-
seutation, until the 3d of Juue.
THE NO HOUSE" OF YESTERD&Y.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER complained that there should
have been " no House" yesterday, when so many im-
p,rlant notices of motion were on the paper. Mr.
Hume had a motion for amending the national
representation, and he thought it was very
extraordinary that, atter the agitation for re•
form out of the House. and the fact that the Go-
vernment were defeated not many days ago on
a question for the extension _of the franchise,
that only twenty-one Members should be present
at four o'clock, out of which there were only six de-
serving to be called Radical Reformers, and only two
members of the Government. He should like to know
where the Hon. Gentleman the Member for the West
Riding and the Hon. Members for Manchester were
when so important a question was to be brought for-
ward? Where, also, was the Attorney-General, who,
at his last election, bad promised his support to such
extensive measures of reform? He did think he was

justified in asking whether these Gentlemen were
sincere in their advocacy of measures for reforming the
representation.—(Hrar.)
Mr. HUME excused his absence by stating

that he was in attendance on the -Committee
on the Army and Navy Estimates. He was
no prete=nding reformer, but sincerely desired
that the national representation should be extended, and
he was greatly disappointed to find that he had not an
opportunity of bringing forward the motion. When he
recollected how this motion was cheered when he gave
notice of it, he did expect that a greater number of
Members would have been present.
Sir G. GREY said he was sure the Hon. Member
had satisfactorily explained the reason of his absence.
The motion of the Hon. Gentleman was well known to
ne fixed for last night, and he c mid only attribute the
absence of Members to a general indisposition to dis-
cuss the question, when the Government had promised
to bring forward a measure of reform next session, and
especially when the House had sat very late for the last
few evenings.
Mr. J. WILLIAMS made an attack on Mr. Hume for
having stated at the meeting of the Maryleboue Vestry
:hat he had more friends among the Conservatives than
the Liberals.
Mr. HUME said he had been so many years in oppo-
sition that he thought he bad as many friends on one

side of the House ;s the other.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS considered that some alteration
of the rules of the House with regard to thelumber of
st
Members required to be present four o' clock was
necessary, with the view of preventing such an occur-
rence again.
Mr. BANKES observed that the absence of many
Members was occasioned by the long corridors anti lob-
bies which they had to traverse after leaving Coin.
mittees, in order to be present at the making of a House.
Mr. REYNOLDS taunted the Liberal Members with
being abse,,t when any great question of civil and reli-
gious liberty was coming on. He had himself seen yes-
.erday many reformers hiding in holes and corners in
the lobbies like drowned political rats, instead of attend-
ing to their duty.—(Hear, hear.)
Alter a few words from Mr. BERNAL and Colonel
&WHOA?,
Mr. AGLIONBY thought it was extremely injurious
to the cause of Reform to make attacks on individuals
and political bodies in the House. A considerable
number of sincere Reformers, who had no desire
to burk" the question, e ere kept away entirely through
accident yesterday, and not from any desire to prevent
the motion being brought forward. Be thought Hon.
Members were only injuring the cause by bringing
such motions on during the present session, and strongly
rc•oommended their postponement until next session.
After some further desultory discussion, the subjec
dropped.

ADVERTISING VANS, &o.
Colonel SIBTIIORP asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department whether be was prepared to take
effective measures for the stringent suppression of
barrel-organs and advertising vans in the metropolis?
Sir GEORGE GREY replied that the Commis-
sioners of Police bad issued notices that nuisances
of the kind to which the Gallant Colonel had referred,
which were dangerous obstructions in the public streets,
were illegal, and must be removed. He did not think
it was necessary to bring in a special Act of Parlia-
ment on the subject, the existing law being quite suffi-
cient to deal with the evil.
Colonel SIBTHORP said in that case he would intro-

duce a Bill himself.
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
Mr. STANFORD asked the Secrntary of State for
the Home a,partment whether the scale of charges
made by the Electric Telegraph Company, far the trans-
mission of information in criminal cases, where their aid
was necessary to secure the ends of public justice, be
,ccupied his attention; and whether there was any in-
tention on the part of Government to ask for Perlis •
mentary powers to secure a " maximum" rate of charge
in such cases, as was secured to the public for railway
travelling?
Sir G. GREY said the subject had not occupied his
attention, but observed there was a clause in the com.
pany's Act which gave ttie Board of Trade jurisdiction
with respect to the scale of charges.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTION NOTICES BILL.
On the motion of Mr. SPOONER the second reading
of this Bill was agreed to, and it was ordered to be com-
mitted on the 22.1 instant. _ _