The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

THE JEW BILL.

The Earl of LUCAN said he 'proposed to take the
second reading of his bill on Thursday week. He had
ascertained that that day would be convenient for Lord
Lyndhurst to attend.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said it would be
better if no day at present was named, but that the bill
should be proceeded with when both the Earl of Derby
and Lord Lyndhurst were in their places.
The Earl of LUCAN thought, under all the circum-
stances', the arrangement he had made should stand for
the present.

MANNING THE NA.VY.
Lord BROUGHAM inquired whether a commission
had been issued to consider the best means of manning
the navy. The noble lord thought as thecloud had passed
away between this country and France, the present op-
portunity was the best that could be selected for such a
purpose.
The Earl of MALME%BURY said a commission to
inquire into the best way of manning the navy had been
issued. He should be sorry if it was supposed from
the observations of the noble lord that the navy at
the present moment could not be efficiently manned at a
very short notice—(hear, hear)—or that men were not
ready to come forward at the shortest notice to man a
sufficient number of ships to defend the channel. (Hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM was very far from doubting that
there were men ready to come forward. His observa-
tion was that at the present moment the Navy was not
sufficiently manned.
The subject then dropped.
LAW OF FALSE PRETENCES BIIJJ.

Lord BROUGHAM moved the second reading of this
bill.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said he did not intend to
oppose the present bill, but he must remind him that a bill
with a similar object had been already introduced into
the other house. He thought the best course would be,
in the event of the bill to which he had alluded passing
the other house, that both bills be then referred to a
select committee.
The bill was read a second time.
PROPERTY QUALIFICATION BILL.
The Earl of FORTESCUE moved the third reading
of this bill.
Lord RAVENS WORTH warned their lord-
ships against passing measures of this description, and
he regarded the present bill as a concession to
popular clamour. He considered that the bill,
instead of being satisfactory to the democratic
portion of the public, would only induce
them to make further efforts to obtain the other points of
the People's Charter.
The Earl of CLANCARTY concurred in the obser-
vations'of the noble lord who had just sat down. He
considered that the present bill had been hurried through
the house, and that it had not received sufficient con-
sideration. He thought the worst results would follow
the passing of the bill, and the effect would be that the
proper balance between property and democracy would
be thrown down.
The Earl of WICKLOW said it had been contended
on the other side that the possession of property was not
a necessary qualification for a legislator, but he held that
it was of the highest importance, that in the House of
Commons they should at least have men of property and
status in society, and by the abolition of the qualifica-
tion they would remove all such security. As for the
argument that the law was evaded, he thought that was
a reason for its amendment, not for its abolition, and he
thought there was no law that might so easily be guarded
against abuse as this. Even the evasion practised at
present was almost as good as the qualification itself.
A man who had not the qualification either abstained
from coming forward to disturb a constituency when he
knew he could not take his seat, or he got some one to
supply him with a qualification. Now that must be a
person of property, so that even the evasion afforded
some security, inasmuch as there was at least a person
of property that was responsible for the individual.
That was almost as good a security as if he had the real
qualification. He did not, however, wish to be under.
• stood as encouraging such evasion. Every downward
step the noble lord at the head of the Government took
of this character would render it more difficult for him
to resist measures of an extraordinary character. He
believed their lordships would do a great evil to the
public if they allowed this bill t pass.
Tne Earl of FORTESCUE in reply, considered that
by conceding this point their lordships would be better
able to resist demands of a more sweeping character.
He contended that the benefits derived from the con-
tinuance of the property qualification were more than
counterbalanced by the evils of its continuance.
Lord DEN MAN opposed the bill, and moved its third
reading that day six month?.
Lord BROUGHAM supported the third reading of the
bill. They ought to act consistently to accompany this
measure with another, not to take the privilege from arrest
away from members, but to put private gentlemen—nun-
traders—on a footing with traders. The latter class of
members of the other house were given twelve months
in which to set aside proceedings in bankruptcy or pay
the amount of their debts in full ; if they had failed to
do so within that time their seat was declared to be
acat.d.
The amendment was withdrawn, and the bill was
read a third time and passed.
THE CHARGES AGAINST MR. M'DERMOTT.
Lord CLANRICARDE moved that Mr. M‘Der-
mott's petitio.n be considered, and that the consideration
of the cbarges preferred against him should be postponed
till the 10th of July.
Th. Rae! of DONOUGHMORE considered the
prayer of the petition ought not to ne granted. Mr.
M'Dermott had notice of the charges by letter on the
7th of June, and ought to be ready to meet them. There
were two grounds on which Mr. M'Dermott prayed for
a postponement ; one was that he was about to go on
circuit, and could not, therefore, attend their lordships'
house ; and the other was, that their lordships should
direct payment of the expenses of all the witnesses that
were to be brought forward. He could not enter into
the latter ground, and with regard to the first he thought
their lordships ought not to entertain it, but endeavour
to prevent a man who bad had such charges brought
• against him going on circuit, and sitting on a bench of
justices. (Hear, bear.)
Lord CAMPBELL considered Mr. M`Dermott had
had reasonable notice of the charges preferred against
him, and sufficient time to prepare his defence. He con-
sidered it was hardly decent that a person with such
grave charges hanging over him should be allowed to sit
on the bench and administer justice to her Majesty's
subjects. All men were considered innocent till proved
to the contrary, and he (Lord Campbell) thought a per-
son so charged should be eager to clear his character and
resume his duties if found innocent.
Lord CLANRICARDE concurred with the noble
lord that a gentleman labouring under charges ought
not to sit on the bench until he had proved his inn°.
cence ' • but independent of that, Mr. M'Dermott could
not absent himself from his duties without he provided
a substitute.
Lord CAMPBELL—Does he mean to set this house
at defiance ?
Lord CLANRICARDE apprehended not. But before
Mr. M'Dermo t could leave he must provide a substi-
tute. That would cost him a large sum of money, and
would be involving him in a penalty which probably he
could not afford, even if he were proved innocent. The
Government ought to forbid him to go on circuit, and
provide him with a substitute if they thought he ought
not to further attend to his duties for the present. In •
dependent of that, Mr. M'Dermott had had no regular
and official notice ef the charges. He bad only received
a letter from the noble earl the Vice-President of the
Board of Trade, and the charges in the shape in which
they were to be br,,ught forward were only made known
that morning. Most of Mr.M‘Dermott's witnesses were
legal gentlemen, who would be on circuit at the time of
the proposed ie quiry, and to take them away from their
practice et such a time would greatly increase the ex-
penses. He (Lord Clanricarde) thought that under the
circumstances the prayer of the petition for delay should
be granted. He doubted if there was time now to serve
the notices and get the witnesses over by the time pro-
posed.
Lord CAMPBELL said the charges should be brought
for e ard at the time specified; and if, after that, Mr.
M `Derma wished for time to prepare his defence, it
would, as a matter of course, be granted to him. (Hear.)
The Eirl of WICKLOW considered the charges
should not be brought for ward in a hurried manner, and
at a time when there would be difficulty in Mr. M`Der-

motes procuring the attendance of material witnesses.
He thought it a case for delAy.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said he considered Mr.
M'Dermott had had ample time for meeting the charges,
or he would not have pressed the inquiry taking place
at the time proposed. He thought the suggestion of the
noble lord.(Lord Campbell) would meet the emergencies
of the case.

Lord CLANRICARDE said that with that under.
standing he would withdraw the motion.
Lord CRAN WORTH said the course now about to be
taken was in conformity with a somew bat analogous
case, viz., the bill of pains and penalties preferred
against Queen Caroline. The charges were in that case
made, and time was afterwards given to meet them.
Lord BROUGHAM hoped infinitely better cases
than that of Queen Caroline would be relied on. No one
could liok back upon those proceedings without feeling
that something approaching, if not to remorse, at least
of shame attached to them.
The subject then dropped.
THE EN,:ILISH ENGINEERS AND THE
Lora C CAGLIARI.
LA.NRICAR DE asked her Majesty's Govern-
...in tolay on the table of the house the communica-
tions that
Imola
ion
th
th ehAd
,13 vassed between her Majesty's Govern-
tive
eernments of NAplea and Sardinia rela-
e
enon,trv,
and
th:reensation to be paid to the English
f the Cagliaii and her
crew to the SardiniansttZation
The Marquis of SALISIMT.
noble earl the Foreign B,cretar , in the absence of the
copse 1 the correspond-
,encv was not yet completad,a,,d,tclu's
r,quence,
it would
be inconvenient to accede to
f tihne naoibeiwe
lie expected is wquid be e
cotoigno uric concluded ed'
lay
lord..
thecom
days., when there would be no obj
ratifications referred to on the table of their lordships'
house,
Their lordships adjourned at 20 minutes to 7 o'clock,

IiOUSE OF COMMONS. —(YEsTERDA-r)
The SPEAKER took the chair at twelve o'clock.
• THE MEMBER FOR, GREENWICH.
Mr. FITZROY moved that the adjudication of
bankruptcy rgaiost Mr. John Townsend be read by the
Clerk.—Agreed to.
Sir D. LE MAROHANT (the Chief Clerk) then read
the record of adjudication, dated 29th March.