The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-22 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—THIS EVENING.
The LORD CnAxcELLon took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

PETITIONS.

Lord LIFFORD laid a petition on the table from the
Presbyterian minister of the congregation of Conroy, in
Donegal, and also a petition from the see of Waterford.
ADDRESS OF CONGRATULATION.

Tho Earl of DERBY, in moving an address of congratu-
lation, said that all thus() who had the pleasure of know-
ing her Majesty knew the deep interest which her Ma-
jesty took in every member of her family, and also the
deep interest which the whole of the people of her
Majesty's dominions felt in any event affecting the
Royal family. Iler Majesty, during the ma'ty years
which she had been Sovereign overthis realm, had exacted
from every one the greatest. admiration for her private
virtues, and her public discharge of the duties
of her exalted position. In the present instance
the subject. of congratulation to her Majesty
eras peculiarly interesting. It was the confinement of the
Princess of Wales, and the birth of an infant princess.
(Hear, hear.) The Princess of Wales, ever since she set
foot upon the shores of England, had commanded the
sympathy and affection of the entire nation. (Hear,
hear.) It was, therefore, his most pleasing duty to
move "An humble address of congratulation to her Ma-
jesty on the birth of an infant Princess." (Hear, hear.)
Lord RUSSELL entirely coincided with the expres-
sions of sympathy that had just fallen from the noble
earl.

^T
The address of congratulation was then carried nem.
con.

TAE TENURE OF LAND IN IBELAND.

The llarquis of CLANRIOARDEn;;;TiIi;;econd
reading of a bill relative to the tenure of land in Ireland.
Ho said that, in spite of the agitation that was goiing
on there, and the rumours of further violence that
night, he apprehended that the landlords and tenants
of Ireland had always been on friendly terms.
the tenure of land as it now stood was most unjust,
and it was not • to bo wondered at that, while such ab-
surd theories existed in that country, there should
be rebellions and outbreaks. There was, ho (the noble
marquis) was convinced, not a single landlord in
Ireland who would not be pleased to see the settle-
ment of this question. He had read a letter in which
it had been stated that if it were not for the British
soldiery the holders of land in Ireland would be utterly
exterminated. A calumny more utterly untrue, more
basely unfounded, he had never read. It was not tho
British soldiers that protected the landlords, nor, if they
wore determined to do so, it would not be the British who
would prevent thew. It appeared, from the suggestions
that had been made by many learned and eminent men,
that they rather vvisEed to go back to the feudal system
than to take advantage of the benefits conferred by the in
crease of capital. It had been stated that the tenant had
neglected his land and ruined his landlord's farm. He had
never heard any landlord, great or small, express any
opinion adverse to the tenant having compensation for
any improvement which he might have made to his farm
during his occupation of it. The bad tenants in Ire-
land would be the very persons who would be allowed
to hold no farm there if they were recognised
to be bad, and were the class that would be equally
rejected in England. This bill would tend to sim-
plify and to settle the question of land in Ire-
land. It was not original, but had been drawn up
upon the provisions of a bill which had been proposed
during the Government of the noble lord sitting above him,
and during that former Government of the noble earl some of
the most useful bills had been past. There was the Fran-
chise Bill and several others. On that occasion be brought
in the bill that was mow under discussion, and now he en-
treated their lordships to leave a free dealing between
man and man on the question of the tenure of land in
Ireland. (Hear, hear.)
LLEFT SITTING. 1

lIOUSE OF COMMONS—THIS EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
NEW WRIT.
On the motion of Colonel TAYLOR, a new writ was
ordered to be issuel for the election of a member, in the
room of the Hon. W. buncombe, elevated to the House
of Peers.

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
Mr. W. FORSTER asked the Secretary to the Treasury
whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Govern-
ment to bring in a bill for placing the telegraph lines in
the kingdom under the superintendence of the State.
Mr. HUNT said the matter was now under considera-
tion, but he could not state that any determination had
yet been arrived at.
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Mr. BAXTER asked the Secretary to the Treasury if
he would lay before the house the recent correspon-
dence between the Postmasters-General of Great Britain
and the United States, with reference to the postal
service between the two countries ; and whether
in making the now arrangements consequent on the ter-
mination of the Cunard contract, care would be taken to
give the public the benefit of the great competition now
existing between the various steamship companies having
vessels on the North Atlantic.
Mr. HUNT said there would be no objection to the pro-
duction of the correspondence, and with respect to the
latter part of the question care had been taken that the
public should have the benefit of open competition.
TIIE POOR AT HOLYHEAD. _ _

- -
Mr. OWEN STANLEY asked the President of the
Poor Law Board if he had taken into his consideration the
petition from the parish of Holyhead, lately presented
to the House, together with any special report from
the Poor Law inspector of the district, Mr. Dayle,
urging the nee3ssity of immediate legislative inter-
ference, to enforce upon the Guardians of the Ilolyhead
Union the building a workhouse and hospital for
the sick poor, and giving means for instruction to orphan
and pauper children in the union ; and if he would be
prepared to bring in a bill to enforce the same; and, if he
would lay upon the table of the house any report or
papers relating to the subject.
Mr. HARDY said soon after he went to the
Poor Law Board his attention had been called to
the dreadful and disgusting matters which had taken

place ut Holyhead and 'Le had determined that
it should be the fault of Parliament and not his if the evil
was not ran:imbed. He recommended hon. members to
road the petition, which disclosed a state of affairs of the
most horrible description. He proposed to bring in a bill
without the least delay. At present the poor law board
had power to call for the alterations of workhouses, but
there was no power to compel the guardians to build a
workhouse. He should have great pleasure in laying Mr.
Douglas's report on the table.
STEEhING AND SAILING RULES. _

Mr. 110LtAND aTtskedtheii;;;le;d;fthe Admiralty
whether the attention of the Government had been called
to the existing steering and sailing rules, and whether it
was intended to cause any inquiry to be made as to their
efficiency with a view to prevent disasters arising from
collisions at sea.

Sir J. PAKINGTON said the subject was one of great
interest, but he thought it might be that many of the acci-
dents might be attributed to the neglect of existing rules
rather than to any defects in them. Ile, however, intended
to propose to the Board of Trade and the Trinity House to
see if it was not possible to render the existing rules more
simple.

_ - -
motive for so doing was his disinclination to a transfer of
political power to a mere numerical majority. He main-
tained that a reduction of the borough franchise would be
but a step towards househord suffrage, and, admitting that
some extension of the franchise must take place, he sug-
gested either a system of plurality of votes, or a varietypf,
qualifications for different places, either of which plan s
would, in his opinion, prevent the danger of intrusting all
power to a single class.

Lord GREY suggested the inexpediency of passing any-
resolution upon the subject in that house at the present
moment, but agreed that the question whether the qualifi-
cations of electors for boroughs might not be varied accord-
ing to circumstances was deserving of consideration. Ad-
verting to the resolutions about to be submitted to the
House of Commons, ho expressed a, hope that, before being
embodied in the shape of a bill, the resolutions as agroed
to by that house might be considered by the House of
Lords, a courso which ho regarded as more likely to lead
to the passing of a satisfactory measure then if, the reso-
lutions beiug reduced into till form of a bill, the subject
were brought under their consideration at so late a period
as to prevent due attention being given to it, and possibly
to interfere with the chance of passing any measure at all
dnriug the present session.

-
Lord I) ERB). concurred in thinking the proposed Reso-
lution was inexpedient, and while objecting to discuss the
details of a measure not yet submitted to Parliament, took
exception to the view of Lord Stratheden, that the new
Reform Bill must necessarily transfer political power to a
numerical majority. The bill spoken of in the Royal
Speech was one that should not unduly disturb the balance
of political power. With respect to Lord Grey's sugges-
tion ho declined to make any specific statement, but it cer-
tainly deserved the consideration of the Government. His
own desire was to pass the bill through the other house as
quickly as possible, and he feared that the course proposed
by Lord Grey would rather tend to delay. At present no
opposition of a threatening character had been manifested,
and it would be a happy circumstance if both sides of this
and the other house should unite calmly and impartially to
consider, and finally to pass, a measure that should prove
a satisfactory settlement of this important question.
Lord RUSSELL thought the Government should be left
to take their own course in the matter. He cared little for
the mode of procedure, and only desire.' that some definite
'propositions might be made upon which Parliament could
pronounce a decided opinion.
After some remarks from Lord REDESDALE, who thought
the subject was one entirely for initiation by the House of
Commons, and from Lord GRANVILLE, who expressed his
conviction that the House of Lords would even at a late
period of the session be prepared to give full consideration
to so important a measure,
Lord STRATHEDEN withdrew his motion.
THE BIRTH OF A PRINCESS.

The Earl of DERBY said—My lords, I beg to give
notico that I shall move to-morrow evening that a humble
address of congratulation be presented to her Majesty on
the birth of the infant Princess.

Their lordships adjourned at 20 minutes to 8 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAsT EVENING.

The second reading of the Metropolitan Poor Bill of the
Government having bun moved by Mr. Hardy, Lord
Enfield, whilst suggesting certain modifications in a
few points of detail, gave the measure a general and cordial
support. A long debate ensued, the chief part in which
was borne by members representing the metropolis. With
the exception of Mr. T. Chambers they addressed their
criticisms to minor matters, and left the object and main
principle of the scheme unimpugned. Mr. Chambers,
however, denounced it as a measure of centralisation,
which armed the Poor-law Board with powers that ought
to be exorcised by the boards of guardians. In reply to
the laudatory remarks of the hon. member for Marylebone
on those bodies, Mr. C. Villiers (late President of tho Poor-
law Board) pronounced the boards of guardians incompe-
tent to superintend medical establishments, and declaring
that the sick poor had a right to be treated as well as the
patients in hospitals supported by voluntary contributions
said he could nut comprehend why the guardians or their
nominees should be placed at the head of the proposed new
asylums. He also discussed the provisions of the bill with
►ouch minuteness, and entreated Mr. Hardy not to be
alarmed by the terrible word " centralisation" into with-
drawing any portion of his plan which vested additional
powers in the Poor-law Board. A reply from Mr. Hardy
followed, in which the right hon. gentleman reviewed the
few objections adduced by some of the speakers to the
means by which he proposed to carry out the object of
the bill, which was thereupon read a second time without
division.

The Shipping Local Dues Bill was also read a second

The house then went into committee, and agreed to a
resolution providing for the expenses of witnesses exa-
mined below the commissioners appointed to inquire into
trades' unions.

The following bills wore subsequently read a second

time :—Land Tax Commissioners' Names Bill; Sugar
Duties Bill ; and Duty on Dogs Bill.
On the motif's!' of Mr: WATKIN, the Railway Deben-
ture-holders Bill was read second time, and at the sugges-
tion of the President of the Board of Trade referred to a
select committee.

Mr. HUBBARD obtained leave to bring in a bill .for

the amendment of the law of church rates ; and on the
motion of Lord J. MANNERS leave was given to bring
in a bill for further continuing and appropriating the Lon-
don coal and wine duties.

The remaining business was of a merely formal charac-
ter, and the house adjourned at 25 minutes past 11 o'clock.

DEPARTURE OF GARIBALDI FROM

CAPRERA.

FLORENCE, Feb. 22.
Garibaldi disembarked at Leghorn yesterday

from Caprera and has arrived in this city to-day.

LONDON GAZETTE—This Evening.

DOWNING:STREET, FEB. 20.

The Queen has been pleased to appoint Robert William
Keate, Esq., late Governor and Commander-in-Chief of
the Island of Trinidad and its dependencies, to be Lieuto-
uaut-Governor of the colony of Natal.