The Sun.
London, England, 1835-08-14 00:00:00

SLAVE-OWNERS' COMPENSATION BILL.

On the Report of this Bill being brought up,
Mr. POTTER opposed the clause relating to the payment
of the interest on the promised compensation accruing since
the Ist of August, 1834. He could see no authority in the
Emancipation Act to call upon the people of England to pay
this money. He saw nothing about interest in that Act.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER justified
the clause. The Emancipation Act took away the property
of the slave-owners, and also imposed certain irksome obliga-
tions upon them in respect to their apprentices, thereby caus-
ing damage to their property from a certain date, namely, the
Ist of August, 1834, and he thought that the equivalent voted
by way of eompensation to the slave-owners for that loss should
also commence from that date. If this were not agreed to he
could not see any other legitimate period from which the pay-
ment of interest should commence. If it even depended upon
the raising of the loan it might be put off indefinitely. He
could assure the Hon. Member that the course proposed was
strictly in accordance with the intentions explained to the
House by Lord Althorp.
Sir I'. FREMANTLE spoke in favour of the vote—the
faith of the Government was pledged to it.
Major BEA UC LE RK said that the sum of 800,0001. in-
terest on the debt was not included in the original Bill. When
Lord Althorp spoke of this debt of twenty millions he did not
refer to the interest, and, therefore, there was no understand-
ing that it should be paid.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER quoted
the words of Lord Althorp, to show that the interest on the
twenty millions was to be included in the charge on the coun-
try, and that the House was bound to provide for it.
Sir C. DALBI A C spoke in favour of the grant.
Mr. O'CONNELL said, though he voted against the ori-
ginal grant, he felt bound, under all the circumstances, to vote
for the proposed grant. The House voted the money, and
the interest should be paid.
Mr. POTTER then withdrew his motion, and the Bill was
read a third time.

IRISH CORPORATIONS BILL.

The House then went into Committee on this Bill.

The five first clauses having been agreed to without much
opposition, the sixth clause was put, when
Mr. CALLAGHAN rose to propose an amendment, to
the effect that the franchise for electors for municipal officers
and Members of Parliament should be coextensive. Those,
he said, who, by the provisions of the Referm Bill, had the
power of voting for Members of Parliament should also have
the power of voting for the municipal officers. The great
principle of the Reform 13i11 should be acted on. By the
new constitution of the borough of Cork 45,000 acres were
included within the range of the borough, and yet those who
possessed property within that district, if they had not houses
in it, would be precluded from a vote. Really the possession
of property within the limits of a borough should be fixed as
the qualification of the franchise.
Mr. PERRIN said the franchise qualification was limited
by the Bill 4) the 101. qualification, and to go beyond that
would be to create endless confusion.

Mr. O'CONNELL—The Irish Attorney- General gene-
rally gave satisfactory reasons for his opinions. He failed to
do so now. Why ? Because he had no good reasons to
advance. In England and Scotland the municipal and re-
form franchises were co-existent. In Ireland it was not so.
There the municipal franchise was less extensive than the
legislative If a man possessed a 101. house be was entitled
by the Reform Bill to vote for a Member; but, by.the present
Bill, if he possessed 400/. worth of property within the limits
of the borough, he could not vote if he had not-a house. Now,
those who were included within the range of the borough, and
had no houses, paid three to one of the taxes. They paid also
the tolls; in fact, they were subject to all the taxes by the
Grand Jury, were the chief contributors to the rates of the.
borough, and it was highly unfair to saddle them with the ex-,
penses when they were cheated of their vote. He hoped the
amendment would be withdrawn, for it was a foolish and mis-
chievous one.

Mr. W. Roche, Dr. Baldwin, Mr. Wyse, and Mr. War-
burton, spoke against the amendment.

Lord MORVETH hoped the Hon. Member (Mr. Calla-
ghan) would withdraw his amendment, in order to give Go-
vernment an opportunity of reconsidering their motion.—
( Cheers from the Government benches, and laughter from the
Opposition.)
Mr. CALLAGHAN said be would avail himself of the
suggestion of the Noble Lord, and withdraw his amendment.

The other clauses, as well as the preamble, were agreed to,
and the Report was ordered to he brought up to-morrow.
PEACE PRESERVATION (IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion for going into Committee on the Peace Pre-
servation (Ireland) Bill,
Mr. S. CRAWFORD contended that the best mode of
ensuring the peace of Ireland was to adopt a system of Poor
Laws for that country. Provision for the people was the only
way by which the peace could be preserved. The Honourable
Gentleman, in support of his opinion, quoted the state of Eng-
land before a provision had been made for the poor, and in-
sisted that some such measure should be adopted for Ireland.
That country was never more quiet than at present ; and, in-
stead of coercive measures, they should adopt some course to
relieve the distress which existed in that country.
After a few words from Lord MORPETII, which we could not
catch, •
Mr. S. O'BRIEN said he did not think the measure called
for. It should at least be confined in its operation to two, in-
stead of five, years.
Mr. O'CONNELL was of opinion that the Bill would be
found useful for the purpose of preventing disturbances.
The Bill was then committed, and clauses up to 15 passed.
On the 16th clause being proposed,
Mr. L. O'BRIEN moved that the period of the operation
of the Act be reduced from five to two years.
The House divided, when there appeared—
For the original clause
Against it •
Majority against it

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The remaining- clauses were then agreed to, the Committee
reported progress, and the Report was ordered to be brought
up to-morrow.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and
the House adjourned at One o'clock.