The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-20 00:00:00

BILL.

Earl DE GREY moved that the house should go into
committee on this bill.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said that the manage-
ment of this fund was by no means an easy task, and its
administration was of great importance to the poor widows
and others who were entitled to claim benefit from the
fund. He thought the present mode of disbursing the
fund should be continued.

After some observations from Lord LYVEDEN and Earl
DE GREY, the bill passed through committee, and was
ordered for third reading.
[LEFT SITTING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Tnis EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS. - -

The following bills were read a third time and passed:—
Buckley Railway (Additional Powers), Columbia (Bethnal
Green) Market and Approaches, London and South
Western Railway (Poole and Bournemouth Junctions),
and Mersey Docks and Harbour Board (Shore Road
Purchase, &c.)
SITTINGS IN THE HOUSE.
Colonel S. KNOX asked whether it was not a breach of
the privileges of members for an officer of the house to
remove the hat of a member after he had placed it on a
seat. The greatest inconvenience arose from such a
curse, and ho wished to know whether the officer of the
house was justified in the course he had adopted.
Mr. HUNT said the course pursued by the officer of the
house was very inconvenient to members who were com-
pelled to attend to commitees.
The SPEAKER &aid that some time ago a standing
order was passed in order to the effect that a seat could
only be secured by attendance at prayers, and an order
had been made rescinding it.
NOTTINGHAM ELECTION COMMITTEE.

Mr. ADAIR brought up the report of the Nottingham
Election Committee. The committee were of opinion that
Sir J. E. Clifton and Mr. S. Morley were not duly elected
to serve in Parliament, and that Sir J. R. Clifton, Mr. S.
Morley, and Mr. Paget were guilty, by their agents, of
bribery ; that the last election was a void election, and that
corrupt practices had existed.

Vie'coiint CRANBOURNE said he wished to put a
question on the subject before the report was brought up.
The orders of the house not allowing this course,
The report was brought up.
Viscount CRANBURNE said he now had to inform the
house that immediately the result of the committee was
known, three sheriffs' officers pounced upon Sir J. Clifton
and hurried him of gaol. He was of opinion that a mem-
ber did not cease to be a member of the house until the
report of the committee was brought up. (Hear, hear.)
He thought a breach of the privileges of the house had
been committed ; and ho therefore moved that the Sheriffs
of Middlesex attend at the bar of the house at 4 o'clock on
Monday to explain their conduct.
Mr. EDWARDS seconded the motion. _ _

Mr. ARYTON thought-the sherriffs ought to be sum-
moned to the bar of the house forthwith.
Mr. ROEBUCK suggested that they should bring Sir J.
Clifton with them (Hear, hear.)
Mr. WATKIN said he thought three must be somee
mis-
take, as he had met Sir J. Clifton some time after th. 9
sion of the committee ; therefore, he could not be
n pri-

son.
eel enggin the
the counsel
lion on the authority of one of
Viecount CRANBURNE said he had
case.
Mr. S. LEFEVRE said
he
eorue time after the decision of
made acedring down Westminster-hall hAaLd Isaid'
Siifr Ts.uCchlifatocnirwelutlikni
the committee.
gloss breach of the privileges of
t t e
n df
eo
dr
but it would be well that the
Parliament had
Id satisfy himse
thea bsurd
sheriffsposition a
If of the whole of the
hon. member shown
stance had takdent,pachetenepaif
place,
.
the house to
A theyPl ad taken Sir R. Clifton into custody.
they std.. i) a
• E DER N said be had not seen Sir R. Clifton
facts, because itiaceouildtsebief,afoprarwtihcuelnarly
Sir E• alone- with a gentleman. (A laugh.)
walking
ongeIIAIsICELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, as it
appeared that Sir It. Clifton had been seen in the posses-
sion of his full personal freedom. (No, no.) He had been
se en walking with a gentleman. (Cries of " A sheriff offi-
cer.") Under all the circumstances the wisest course for
the hon. member to pursue was to withdraw his motion
until a later hour in the evening, when he would have time
to fully inform himself of the facts of the case. He thought
he had only done his duty in bringing the matter under
the notice of the house.
The motion for the attendance of the Sheriffs at the bar
was then postponed.
(Both the Sheriffs of the City of London and Middlesex
were present during the discussion, occupying seats under
the Speaker's gallery.].
THE SUPPLY OF COAL.
Mr. LIDDELL asked the Secretary of State for the

Home Department whether the attention of the Govern-
ment had been directed to the rapid exhaustion of our coal
fields ; whether they were in possession of accurate infor-
mation upon the subject which they were propared to lay
upon the table of the house ; and, if not, whether they
were prepared to direct that further scientific research be
made into this vitally important question ?
Sir G. GREY said the attention of the Government had
been directed to the subject. They were not in posses-
sion of any accurate information on the subject, and he
questioned very much whether any other person had such
accurate information as could be relied on.
EMIGRANT SHIPS.

In reply to Lord BURGHLEY,
Mr. BRUCE said that the sickness on board the Ger-
man emigrant ship Hertha had been thoroughly inquired
Info, and found to be small-pox and diptheria. Sixteen of
the emigrants had diod and been buried at sea one three-
quarter miles from land, while the ship was lying at the
Motherbank. Some others hal been left behind at the
Quarantine Hulk, but that hulk was so anchored that the
inhabitants of Ryde need be under no apprehension of
danger. He could not hold out any hope of changing the
anchorage of the hulk.

FINSBURY Y PARK.
Mr. WC. TORRENS asked the hon. member for Bath
when purchase was likely to be completed, by the Metro-
politan Board of Works, of the 250 acres of land they were
empowered to buy and appropriate for Finsbury-park by
the Act of 1857 ; and whether they bad agreed to sell, for
building purposes, 20 acres out of the 120 acres now pos-
sessed by them, contrary to the intention of the Act re-
ferred to.
Mr. TITE said the land had been purchased, but the
Board of Works had not parted with any portion of it.
POLLUTION OF RIVERS.
Lord R. MONTAGU asked the Vice-President of the
Committee of Council whether the Government had any
intention to introduce a bill to amend the Public Health
Acts ; and whether it would contain any clauses which
dealt with the pollution of rivers, in accordance with the
recent report of the Commissioners.
Mr. BRUCE said he hoped to be able very shortly to in-
troduce a biil to deal with fhe subject. •
THE DANUBIAN PROVINCES.:

In answer to Mr. SANDFORD,
Mr. LAYARD avid the Conference at Paris had not
bro7en up, and therefore it would be obviously impolitic
to place the correspondence on the table of the house.
AGRICULTURAL RETURNS.

Mr. HUNT wished to know when the returns relative to
the county franchise similar to that which had been af-
forded with respect to the borough franchise might be ex-
pected ? If his speech had been correctly reported it
appeared to him that he had hinted to the parochial au-
thorities not to make the returns without remuneration.
Mr. VILLIERS said such was not his intention. Ile never

intended that his observations should be taken in the light
the hon. gentleman had mentioned. The Government
had given remuneration for the statistics with respect to
the borough franchise, and the same course would be pur-
sued with respect to the returns for the counties.
Mr. DISRAELI said the returns relative to the altera-
tion of the county franchise were of the greatest import-
ance if the bill of the Government for the amendment of

the representation of tho people ever went into com-
mittee.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER assured
the right hon. gentleman that no unnecessary delay would
take place.

The adjourned
Mr. LEVISOINT-
TdHE REFORM BILL.
resumed by
phlai
had
e decidednt the great
dllattYyas, who said he could not com-
pliment spit:numpoannutehre
bmyodmeovthinegy
and
respect to the bill ; instead
of meeting it in a Pfairwi
its total rejection. He said
wlyarrfoacecteded to build a
Government had been told
that the course they were pursuingwith respect to the bill
was like that of an architect
defined plan.
He could not see that; he thought it Nvasorli
palace room by room without an
person
who bad built a farm. A careful person would first con-
struct his farm-house, and then he would set about putting
up his farm buildings.
CLEFT SPEAKING.]