The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-04 00:00:00

INPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS.—LAST EVENING.
The Loan CHAXCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PETITIONS.

Lord REDESDALE presented petitions from various
banking companies, and gave notice that he should move
the second reading of the Sale of Joint Stock Shares Bill
on Tuesday, the 21st of May next.

The Marquis of WESTMEATH. presented a petition
from Landport, near Portsmouth, in favour of the Clerical
Vestments Bill, to which was appended an immense num-
ber of signatures.

RELIGIOUS AND BUILDING (SITES) BILL.
This bill was now committed, and tho House resolved
itself into a committee, whe►. tho 'words "intended to ba
used" were inserted after the.word "site."

The LORD Ud.A.NCELLOh said that he sho.ild move
that elnies relating to the enrolment of deeds should be
inserted in the bill.

Lord ORAN WORT /I said that ha objected to the do uses
relating to emolument.

The clause was then inserted, an•l the report received.
THE WiILTE 'LERLUNG FISEIERY BILL.
On the motion of Lord BELMORE, this bill was read

a second time.

The house then adjourned.

HOUSE OP COIIMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAK.ER. took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed:—
Paignton Water; Wallasey Improvement; and Waterford,
New Ross, and Wexford Junction Rtilway.
THE FENIAN PRISONERS.

Mr. BRIGHT presented a petition praying that the per-
sons accused of Fenianism might have fair trials, and also
be treated with more leniency than they had heretofore
received, that the troops should be ordered to conduct
themselves for the future with feelings more in accordance
with legitimate warfare. The hon. gentleman read the
prayer of the petition, and also the names of the persons
signing it, and handed it to the Speaker.
On the motion that the petition be laid on the table,

Major KNOX moved thatt as he considered the prayer
of tho petition disloyal and objectionable, it ba not re-
.

cei ved .

Mr. DAWSON seconded the motion.
Mr. NEWDEGATE thought that it would be parti-
cularly hard, and therefore he hoped the petition would b 3
received.
The petition was ultimately received, Major Knox with-
drawing his opposition.
THE FENIANS.

Mr. BLAKE asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland
whether, in consequence of the report of the medical officer of
the Mountjoy Convict Prison, that the prisoners confined
there under the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act were suf-
fering in health from the discipline they were subjected to,
and were likely to suffer still more if the prison rules con-
tinued to be enforced to the same exten:, it was the inten-
tion of the Government to direct that the untried political
prisoners should be treated in a less severe manner than
they have been hitherto?
Lord NAAS said, as a report had been presented that
the continued confinement was acting prejudicially on the
health of the prisoners, he had caused certain relaxations
in tho prison rules to be made, and that the result bad
been most satisfactory. They were now daily in associa-
tion with eaoh other, and they were freely allowed to
smoke during exercise, and that they had the privilege of
receiving their food from their friends.
IRISEI LAND TENURE BILL.

Mr. MAGUIRE asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer
whether it was the intention of the Government to allow
the adjourned debate on the Irish Lind Bill to stand for
the first business on tits evening of Monday, the 13th

of May.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
could give the hon, member no promise on the subject.

TEE MEETING IN HYDE PARK.

Sir C. RUSSELL asked the Secretary of State for the
Homo Department Waether his attention had been called to
a resolution passed at a meeting of the Reform
League held in the Sussex Hall last night, by
which it was determined (after tha reading of the
Governm ont Proclamation, prohibiting the
_meeting
announced for Monday next iu Hyde Park) " that such.
meeting be held as publicly notified." Whether, in the
event of such meotiug taking place, the vice-presidents, as
well as the president, would be hold liable for a de-
liberate infraction of the law. And whether the
Home SeCretary had received, in common with other
members of the house, a list of the members of the Re-.
form League, in which the names of Thomas Hughes,
Esq., M.P., Thomas Bayley Potter, Eq., M.P., P. A.
Taylor, Eaq., M.P., ant The O'D.moghue, M.P., are pub-
lished, as purporting to be Vice-Presidents of the Reform

L ^ague.
Mr. WALPOLE said his attention had been drawn to
the proceeding's at the meeting held at Sussex Hall. With
regtrd to the third question, he had to say he had not re-
ceived a list of the members of the R ;form League. With
regard to the second question, which ha answered last,
with respect to th., vice presidents I”cirning liable for any
infraction Of the law, he ha,l to say that, regarding
the position of some of the gentlem m named as vice-pre-
sidents occupied in society and that house, he could not
think they would be any parties to a resistance to the law
of the land or any infraction of the law. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. R. J. HARVEY asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department if any facilities wouid be given to meet
the general desire on the part of the tradespeople and others
residing in the western parishes of London to be sworn-in
as special constables for the preservation of the peace for
Monday, the 6th May.
_ _ _

Mr. WALPOLE said he had received a representation
relative to the proposed meeting, and he had also received,
about ten minutes before he left the Home-office, a
memorial signed by 6,000 working men, deprecating the
proposed mooting, and he had also been informed that
before eleven o'clock to-morrow morning that number
would be increased by about 4,000 more. lie was happy
to inform the house that ho had been in communication
with the vestries in the neighbourhood of Hyde-park, and
stated that every facility would be given to the swearing
in of special constables to preserve the public peace.
Mr. BRIGHT asked whether the Middlesex magistrates
had been communicated with.

Mr. WALPOLE replied in the negative.
were 3r. 1 aßd
oßpltGe
itT iaysakse
not
oNtr hnee tche es r,
sa
rbye ftohrae t sduecpho es xtt
orenms,etsatkeepas
before the magistrate, should b 3 forwarded to him. It did
not, in his opinion, follow that because there was going to be a,
public mooting it followed, as a matter of course, there
was ving to b 3 a breach of the peace—the alarm was
absurd—and he hoped the hon. gentleman would do
nothing. (Loud cries of " Order," and " Hear, hear.)
Mr. WALPOLE said he had stated that he had been in
communication with the different parishes, stating that
facilities would be given th nu in swearing in special con-
stables. He had done so iu accordance with the act, which
stated that when any turmoil, riot,, or felony was appre-
hended, the Home Secretary, on receiving an intimation
to that effect befOre the magistrates, should have that
power. He had done nothing contrary to the act of Par-
liament. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BRIGHT asked whether the special constables
would interfere with peaceful subjects entering the park?
or whether they would be called upon to act with others

dispersing the meeting in caso tumult should arise ?

Mr. WALPOLE said he had stated that he had no ap-
plication from the magistrates. (Hear, hear.) The
special constables would not interfere with peaceful sub-
jects on the dispersing of the meeting. The spacial con-
stables would only be there in case the peace was broken
to assist the constitutional authorities.
Mr. WHALLEY asked if any further information had
been received by the Government since the issuing of the
proclamation. •
Mr. WALPOLE said no proclamation had been issued—
merely a notice, signed by the Secretary of State, requir-
ing persons to abstain from attending a meeting
not permitted, and which would not be pehat.
rmitted.
(Hear, hear, and cheers.) . •.
t was
Major KNOX asked the hoe. inein',3r for Birmheling-
ham, as he had stated the meeting would be d
whether lie had the authority of the Reform League to

make that statement.
Mr. BRIGHT said he was not in the council of the Re-
form League, neither was he a member of that body.
THE REFORM BILL.—THE DIVISION LAST
NIGHT.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, re•
furring to the division last night, which arose on the third
clause w:th respect to the time of residence to qualify for
the franchise, he regretted for himself that the discussion
of that important matter should hare been of so brief
character 33 to a
give it the appearance of hurry. The
matter had been argued from a nu ueric d pint of view;
the desired,lvi they
that as it ought in his opinion to have been taken, AO that
wishes of the
the parties interested might have a real interest in the
that-is:id:l
locality represented. The security for that was neces-
sarily c )esiderable, but the matter had been brought
under the clasid 'ration of his colleagues,
and
threesai,llteetsrf.e, which
by thethat would be
althong!t they regretted that the local ~; and
hone.'.cliiPdi ) th‘ovuags
(Loudht noi
it
ii theireefts
cheers.)
tnTyuheteho
hlllela(fst.c!vrha
se:0;11011:1:
e 0
rightrs-) With respect
&pia of boial file ratiug
upon as the only solution of ich he looked
to the matter referred to
acceptable to the country.
opposite last night he had intro hon. gentleman
was
sure juiced .
would meet with hi words which he
that there might be no s approbation, and in order
should the misapprehension
at proper time m
tion of the act knownmove the repeal of the th.
as Sir W trd sec-
Mr. FOSTER asked whetherW.
Clay's Act.
on that matter before tone a debate would be taken
consideration of the third clause proceeded
with the further
The ause of the Reform Bill.
CHANCELLOR 0
present advised he did of the EXCHEQUER said, as at
but he would not think that would be possible,
consider the matter.

THE MINISTERIAL CIRCULAR.
M. lioasuAri, referrin4 to the circular issued by