The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-21 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Earl GREY presented petitions in favour of the Dlar-
riage Bill from Wigan, Manchester, Perth, Shields, and
&everal other places'; also several against Papal
aggression ; also petitions in favour of copyhold en-
franchisement; and a petition from Monmouth in favour
of a, repeal of the window-tar.
MARRIAGE BILL.
The Earl of ST. GERMANS gave notice that he
should on Monday move fnr a return the number of
petitions which had been presented fur and against the
Marriage Bill.
Their Lordsips then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 20.
The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four
o'clock.

NEW MEMBER.
7slr. PARIIOW took the oaths and his seat for South
Nottinghamshire.
UTTOXETER ROAD BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
GIaLl AT. NORTHERN RAILWAY (No. 3) BILL.
On the motion of Mr. B. DENISON that this Bill be
read a second time,
Lord GALWAY said that he had received a nume.
rously signed petition from his constituents (the electors
of East Retford) praying that the Bill should not pass,
It should be recollected that this Bill had been previously
before the House and had been twice rejected. The ob-
ject of the Bill was to !take a deviation from the loop
line of the Great Northern Railway. By the deviation
which was proposed by the Bill the routs
to Gainsborough would be from the Great
Northern line about sixteen miles, whereas,
by the present route, it was only nine miles. The Com-
mittee of the House had almost unanimously rejscted the
Bill, and when on another occasion it was put before the
House it was lost by a large majority. Thy ro was no
doubt that this was an attempt to impose upon the
House a Bill which had received a universal condemna-
tion of the Legislature. He had received but little no-
tice of the second reading of this Bill, or he could have
said more respecting it. He should therefore move that
Ibis Bill be read this day six months.
Mr. B. DENISON complained of the Noble Lord's
objection to the Bill, on the ground that he had not re-
ed a sufficient notice of the second reading of the
Bill. It wins true that the Noble Lord had, in 1848,
persuaded the House to reject the Bill, but it should be
recollected that the Noble Lord had not, nor had any of
his relations, the slightest interest in the land which
would be affected by this Bill. The line which was intended
to t'e carried out would go through a flit piece of country,
and cross the Sheffield, Manchester, and Lincolushire
line, so as to save a great inconvenience to the public,
and he trusted, therefore, that the House would not
again subject the population of that district to the ex-
pense of fresh litigation, to the delay of a great con-
venience, and to the disadvantages of a commercial
competition.
Mr. MONCKTON MILNES said that the line had
been concocted for a certain purpose, arid if the Hon.
Member for West Yorkshire, who was chairman of the
Great Northern, would only carry out what he had pro-
mised to do when he first assumed the position which he at
present held, he (Mr. Milnes) would have no objection
to the passing of the Bill, but he could assure him, that
unless the promises which had been held out by the
powerful company of the Great Northern were fulfilled
that no benefit could possibly arise to the company.
Great companies were defended by Acts of Parliament,
and when private gentlemen came into positions of power
and great influence, the only means of curbing them lay
with the House of Commons.—(Hear, hear.) Feeling
such to be the case, and knowing that the rejection
of this Bill would be instrumental in promoting the bene-
fit of the district through which the line was intended to
pass, he should vote for the Noble Lord's amendment.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For the second reading .. 46
Against it ... 102
Majority against it ...-56
The Bill was accordingly thrown out.
ROYSTON AND HITCHIN RAILWAY.

On the motion for the second reading of this
Mr. GOULBURN informed the House that the Bill
had already been once or twice rejected by the
House and by a Committee up-stairs. There was
no necessity whatever for the line which was
proposed to be sanctioned, inasmuch as a line
from Royston to Hitchin was now in the course of
construction and would be opened to the public before
the Ist of next June. The scheme embraced by the Bill
would seriously injure St. Peter's and other colleges, as
the promoters contemplated erecting a station in the
centre of the town of Cambridge, and as both the line
and that station were wholly uncalled for .he should
move that the Bill be read a second time this day six
months.

Mr. B. DENISON would not occupy the time of the
House by discussing the merits of the Bill, as it was
neither the wish nor the intention of the Great Northern
Railway to make the line. It was, however, their wish
to see a communication established between Cam-
bridge and Hitchin, and this Bill wa3 only
brought forward to force on the Eastern Counties
to the completion of their line, which they undertook to
make three years ago, but until notice was given of this
Bill, they did not attempt to put a spade in the ground.
He would not put the House to the trouble of dividing.
The motion for the second reading was therefore ne-
gatived without a division, and the amendment agreed to.
SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE METROPOLIS.
Sir G. GREY moved that it be an instruction to the
Committee of Selection not:to fix the sitting of the Com-
mittees on any Bill connected with the supply of water
to the metropolis, or to any part thereof, till at
least one week after the Easter recess. The Right
Hon. Gentleman had observed that the Government
had considered the recommendations of the Board of
Health with regard to a better supply of water
to the metropolis, and they had prepared
a Bill—he would not say founded on the
scheme of the Board, but which, if it received the sanc-
tion of the House, would render it extremely desirable
that no new Bills on the subject should go before the
Committee until this one was laid before the House.

:e therefore proposed, as the fairest course which could
be adopted under the circumstances, that these Bills
should be deferred until after Easter.
Mr. V. SMITH hoped the Right Hon. Gentleman
would name an earlier period, as Easter would fall very
late this year, and the companies who had introduced
Bills would be delayed in carrying out their improve.
ments for a better supply of water if those Bills could
not be proceeded with at an early day.
In reply to Mr. W. PATTEN,
Sir G. GREY said the Bill was in preparation, and he
expected to lay it on the table of the House before
Easter. The Government were of opinion, with the
Board of Health, that it would be inexpedient and un-
desirable that the supply of water to the metropolis
should be made the subject of competition.
PETITIONS.
Sir J. YOUNG presented several petitions, from
places in Ireland against Papal aggression.
Mr. W. PATTEN presented petitions from Lancashire
to the same effect.
A great number of petitions were presented against
the window-tax.
Sir R. H. INGLIS presented a number of petitions
against Papal aggression.
Colonel CHATTERTON presented petitions from
-various places in the county of Cork, to the same effect.
Petitions against the paper duty were presented by