The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-12 00:00:00

THE BANKRUPTCY BILL.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in reply to Mr. Morley,
said he hoped to be able to go into committee on the bill
immediately after the holidays.
BRIGADE FIELD DAY.

Lord ELCHO gave notice of his intention of calling
attention to the facilities for holding brigade field days for
volunteers in Hydo Park.

REMOVAL OF MAYORS.
Mr. BRUCE, in reply to Mr. Eastwick, said it would
require very great consideration before a general measure
was introduced to deal with mayors who might be guilty
of conduct calculated to bring the administration of the
law into disrepute.

•
PROCESSIONS IN CORK.
Mr. C. FORTESCUE, in reply to Col. Fordo, said he
had not received the report he had sent for from Ireland
with respect to the reports of party processions with
banners having taken place in Cork.

O'SULLIVAN'S DISABILITY BILL.
On the order of the day being read for the second read-
inn this bill.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said, in accordance with
the directions received, he had taken care to provide wit-
nesses to support the preamble of the bill, and that they
were row in attendance to be called in. He bad also ap-
pointed the Solicitor-General for Ireland, Mr. Sergeant
Ballantine, and Mr. Barry to represent the Drown, and he
begged to move that the witnesses ba called in.
Mr. MAGUIRE rose to meet the motion with a direct
negative, but before doing so he would read a letter from
the person most deeply interested in the proceedings. The
hon. member then read a letter he had received from Mr.
O'Sullivan in which he stated that the language he had
used did not represent correctly what he meant to
convey, that he would be the first to aid the saving of
human life, that under the peculiar circumstances he would
retire from and resign the office of mayor of Cork, and he
had taken the necessary steps to carry out that intention.
Under such circumstances he hoped it would not be
thought necessary to go on with the bill.

The O'DONOGHUE said Mr. O'Sullivan had under-
taken that night to write to the proper officers at Cork
placing his resignation of the office of mayor in their hands,
and he felt quite sure that Government might rest certain'
that the purpose of Mr. O'Sullivan, guaranteed as it
would be by himself, and the hon. member for Cork (Mr.
Maguire), would be fully and honourably carried out.
(Hear, hoar.)
Mr. GLADSTONE said be felt it right to say that
until that moment he was totally unacquainted with the
contents of the letter just read, but as he understood it was
to be clearly taken that Mr. O'Sullivan bad absolutely,
though not technically, resigned the office of Mayor of
Cork. He could not distrust the statements of Mr. O'Sul-
livan, even had it not been supported by the unimpeach-
able guarantee of the two hen. gentlemen who
had just spoken ; and under such circumstances
he did not think it would be desirable to prosecute the
measure against the gentleman who had volun-
tarily divested himself of the office of Mayor of
Cork. But it would be wise to consider the bill with
respect to future Mayors of Cork, and, if on the
resignation of Mr. O'Sullivan he should again be re-
elected, they would then be again in the position in which
they then stood. Under such c:rcumstances he should pro-
po,e to postpone any further consideration of the bill until
a successor to Mr. O'Sullivan as Mayor of Cork had been
elected. (Rear, hear.) The object of the Government
had been fully attained, and as that was so, he would
move the postponement of the consideration of the bill.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. NEWDEGATE said had the bill he had submitted
to the house some time ago been passed, the state of things
that then existed would have been fully provided
for. Under the present circumstances it seemed to him
highly advisible that some general measure should
now be passed, in order that in the event of .motions like
the present one arising there might be a means of ade-
quately meeting them without bringing out the full ma-
jesty of the State and giving importance to motions that
ought to be treated in a very different way.
In answer to a question from Colonel WILSON PATTON,
Mr. GLADSTONE said he meant to have said that on
Mr. O'Sullivan ceasing to be the Mayor of Cork the Go-
vernment would abandon the bill of pains and penalties.
The measure was not introduced against Mr. O'Sullivan
as a private individual, but as a public functionary, and
in order to secure a proper administration of justic.).
Mr. MAGUIRE said he could assure the house that
the resignation that had been tendered by Mr. O'Sul-
livan was a full and entire one ; and he felt quite
certain that the gentlemen had no intention of again
coming forward to seek a re-election ; he might further
say that in the event of his being re-elected he would
most positively refuse to fulfil the office.
Mr. DOWNING said there need be no fear that Mr.
O'Sullivan would ever again be Mayor of Cork after the
course he bad pursued that day. (Loud laughter.)
Sir P. BURRELL wished to know who was to pay the
expenses that had been incurred in providing counsel, and
for the attendance of witnesses.
Mr. GLADSTONE, amidst some laughter, said the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, who had the means to pay
with.
The bill was then ordered to be read that day four
weeks. •
REVENUE BILL.
This bill was then read a second time.
SUPPLY.

The report on supply was brought up and received.
The sitting of the house was then suspended until nine
o'clock. _ _

On resuming at nine o'clock,
Mr. KNATCHBULL-FIUGESSEN moved for leave to
bring in a bill to establish county financial boards.
Col. W. PATTEN approved of the bill so far as it was
based upon the report of his committee, and bore testi-
mony to the efficient manner in which the magistrates in
Quarter Sessions now performed their judicial and admi-
nistrative duties.

Mr. WARD HUNT thought the cry that had been
raised for the introduction of the representation principle
in the management of county finances was due to the
ignorance on the part of the ratepayers of the fact that the
discretion in the hands of tha magistrates was of a very
limited extent. The better course would be to make ar-
ra, gements for separating the, collection of the county
rate from the poor rate, and allowing the occupier to de-
duct the county rate when settling with his landlord. By
that means the necessity for an alteration would no longer
exist.

Mr. HIBBERT concurred generally in th• 3 views of the
ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer ; but Mr. Secretary
Bruce, who answered the few objections advanced against
the measure, aFsured the House that an examination of
its details would convince them that all these were satis-
factorily met.
Leave was then given to introduce the bill.

Mr. TORRENS moved for the appointment of a select
committee to inquire as to the desirability- of examining
upon oath persons called to the bar of the house to give
evidence in support or in disproof of the preamble to a bill
of pains and penalties.

11r. GLADSTONE assented to the appointment of a
committee, beliering that it was eminently desirable that
the house should have the power of examining witnesses
on oath, and cease to depend exclusively upon the reso-
lution which it passed annually in defence of its own au-
thority. He suggested, however, that the terms of refer-
ence to the committee should be to inquire into the expe-
diency of adopting any further measures for the exa-
mination of witnesses upon oath by this house or by
its committees.

The original motion being withdrawn, the words sug-
gested by Mr. Gladstone were substituted and agreed to.
The remaining orders were disposed of, and the Louse
adjourned at a late hour.