The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-07 00:00:00

THE WENSLEYDALE PEERAGE.

Lord LYNDHURST rose to move that the copy
of the letters patent purporting to create the Right
Hon. Sir James Parke, Kt. a baron of the United King
dom for life, which had been laid upon the table, be
referred to the committee fur privileges, with di-
rections to examine and consider the same,
and report thereon to that house. The noble
lord, in commencing his speech, said it was a
subject of the deepest importance, and related to the
composition of their lordships' house. The question
involved in his motion was simply whether the ancient
character of that house was to be maintained, or whether
it was to be composed of members according to the mere
discretion and political interests of the Ministers of the
Crown for the time being. (Hear, hear.) The question
was not whether more persons were to be raised
to the Peerage, but whether they were to be raised
in a different form than that which had been recog-
nised by the practice of 400 years. One of the
first acts of his official life was to recommend
Sir James Parke to a seat upOn the judicial bench. He
felt proud of that recommendation. The learned Judge's
assiduity, his great legal knowledge, hie learning, and
his impartiality would more than justify that appoint-
ment, and confer a high honour upon those who were at
all instrumental in placing so eminent an individual
upon the bench of this country. (Hear.) The obvious
consequence of this life peerage was that it should be re-
garded hereafter as a precedent, and that by such
a precedent future Ministers would be enabled, for
the time being, to place in that house as many life peer-
ages as it would suit their political interests to appoint.
He (Lord Lyndhurst was himself deeply indebted to his
Sovereign for many marks of distinction, and it would
ill become him to say or do anything that was cal-
culated to reflect upon the conduct of her
Majesty. Let it then be perfectly understood that in
speaking upon this subject he was not speaking of the
Sovereign personally, but only of the advisers of the
Crown. It was said that it was the sole prerogative
of the Crown to create peerages whether they
were created in the usual constitutional way, or only
peerages for life. Assuming that to be the case, it did
not at all follow that every exercise of the Royal prero-
gative was consistent with the principles of the Consti-
tution. There was not a single instance in the last 400
years of any commoner having been raised to a seat in
in that house by patent for life only. He therefore
could not avoid saying that the recent instance of the
creation of life peerages was a violation of the prin-
ciples of the Constitution, and ought not to be
tolerated. The noble lord then proceeded to
quote cases of life peerages, which occurred in
the reign of Richard 11., of Henry IV., of Henry V.,
and of Henry VIII., but contended that not one of
those cases was in point, inasmuch as the persons created
were all ultimately entitled to seats in the house.
(LEFT SPEAKING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(This Day.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. BAINES took the oaths and his seat for Leede.
FIRST READINGS.

The following bills were severally read a first time :
Forest of Dean Central Railway, Wandsworth and Put-
ney Gas, Poole Railway, Bawtrey Roads, London, Til-
bury, and Southend Railway (Extension), Bagnaistone
Railway, Dewesbury Water, Cork Bridges, and Perth
Harbour.

Mr. SPOONER presented petitions for the repeal of
the Maynooth grant.
Mr. HADFIELD presented a petition from the
clergy of Sheffield against the opening of the Crystal
Palaca on Sundays.
THE RIVER. WE AN .

Mr. THORNELY moved for an account showing the
amount due fur principal debt and interest on the River
Weaver on the sth of April, 1844, with an account of
the'annual receipts and expenditure in each year, and to
the latest date; distinguishing the amount annually
received for tonnage from other incidental sources of in-
come and from money borrowed ; also distinguishing the
annual expenditure for ordinary maintenance and rapairs
from the expenditure on account of debt and interest, the
purchase of land, and erection of churches thereon and
endowing the same, or other like incidental expenses,
and from the amount annually paid over for the use of
the county of Chester (in continuation of Parliamentary
Paper No. 115, of Session 1844).
Agreed to.

M. V. SCULLY moved that the Treasury minute
made with a view to improve the postal and passenger
communication between England and Ireland, under the
act of last session, be laid on the table of the House.—
A;reed to.

PHELLIMORE gave notice, that on an early
day he should call the attention of the house to the in-
justice of assessing the clergy to parochial rates.
Mr. MUNTZ said that on Thursday next he should
call the attention cf the house to the present monetary
system of the country with a view to a remedy more in
conformity with the present time.
Mr. LAYARD gave notice that on that day fortnight
he should call the attention of the house to the report of
Sir J. M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch relative to the army
in the Crimea during last ytar.
Majord REED gave notice that on an early day he
should move tLat the franchise be extended to all who
were assessed to the income tag, not being aliens.
Mr. WISE gave notice of his intention to move, on
the let of February, for an inquiry into the consular
establishments abroad.

Mr. ADDERLEY asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department why there had been no report
made by the Insppotor of Prisons in the Home district
for five years past ; and when any report, such ai the
act requires annually, was likely to be made by that in-
spector ?

Sir G. GREY said there were a number of those
reports in arrear, and he had written to Captain Wil-
liams on the subject. He had taken measures to hare
those reports made more regularly for the future.
SUPPLIES TO THE ARMY.
Sir J. FERGUCON said the report of the Commis-
sion of Inquiry into the Supplies of the British Army
in the Crimea having appeared. he wished to ask the
Under-Secretary of State for War, whether it wad the
intention of her Majesty's Government to make any
change in the direction of that department ; and r ba-
ther it was their intention to place that department of
an army in the field under the charge of a superior mili-
tary officer, as recommended by the said commission ?
Mr. P. PEEL, the suggestion of the hon. member is
a very valuable one, but it has not yet been determined
to act on it.

Mr. MAGUIRE asked whether it was the intention
of Government to introduce a bill in the present session
for the better regulation of the Medical Charities of
Ireland ?

Sir G. GREY said :it was not the intention of Go-
vernment to introduce any bill on the subject this
sevsion.

CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS.
Mr. U. BERKELEY said he wished to ask, seeing
that the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act expires this
session, and that a strong and general opinion prevails
as to its inefficiency, whether it was the intention of
her Majesty's Government to bring in a bill to renew
that act, or to submit its operation to the inquiry of a
select committee
Lord PALMERSTON said it had not been deter-
mined by the Government whether they should bring in
a bill to continue the apt or refer the subject to a select
committee. When it had been determined what course
should he pursued the house would be informed on the
subject.