The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-28 00:00:00

131PERIAL PARLIAMENT

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

PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following were read a second time :—Huddersfield
mater, Manchester Improvement, Frome Gas, Bryclough,
...71avir, and Rochdale Roads ; Stafford, Church-bridge, &e.,o46°ads ; Butterton Moor End Road ; Wrexham, Mold, and
°/inah's Quay Railway (additional capital), and Drayton
Junction Railway Bills.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
1,
~agliarn Harbour, Metropolis Sewage and Essex Redma-
n', Ridvrelly and Burry Port Railway and Burry Port
Amalgamation, Derwent and Shotley bridge Road, West
xiddlesex Water, and Dublin Corporation Water (with
alnendments).

THE IRISH CHURCH.
The Earl of BELMORE presented a petition from Tip-
!)4".817 against the disendowment of the Established Church
na Ireland.

SHEFFIELD WATER BILL.
The standing order of the house, No. 179. sec. 1, having
been considered and dispensed with, this bill was put
through its several stages and passed.

PUBLIC OFFICES (SITE) BILL.
.04 the motion of Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY this
141 Passed through committee.
Their lordships then adjourned.

ROUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and passed :
'Ellesmere and Glyn Valley ; Hoylake Railway ; Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire Railway ; Uxbridge and Rickmans-
worth Railway ; Winchcomb and Midland Railway ; and
Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay Railway (Ex-
tensions).

ELECTORAL STATISTICS.
Mr. DISRAELI presented a petition from Rochdale
Impugning the accuracy of the electoral statistics, and
74ting that instead of 58, the working men affected by
these returns amount to 22G. The petitioners prayed for
Inquiry.

THE CATTLE PLAGUE.
1.,.11r• H. LEWIS asked the Secretary of State for the
'°lllB Department whether he had received information
that the provinces of Friesland and Groningen were en-
tilt** free from the Rinderpest ; and, if so, whether it was
4,148 intention to take steps to modify the existing restric-
"Ma on the importation of cattle and sheep from those
Proyieee,
Sir G. GREY said that representations had been made
to the Privy Council that the cattle plague had greatly
decreased in the places referred to, and asking that the
atria regulations with respect to importation might be
relaxed ; but before any step was taken it would be right
to Make inquiry whether the places from which cattle
kiglit be brought were also free from disease.
MIXED MARRIAGES.
Mr. DA WSON asked the hon. and learned member for
"lie° whether in the Marriages (Ireland) (No. 2) Bill to be
lead a second time upon Tuesday, Ist May, any provision
Vas contained which would legalise the celebration of
marriage between two Protestants by a cleromaß of the
"'"'lnall Catholic Church ?
Sergeant ARMSTRONG said the bill did not interfere
'with the law as it existed with respect to marriages of two
Protestants by a Roman Catholic.
THE REFORM BILL—THE ADJOURNED DEBATE.
The adjourned debate on the second reading of the Re-
4arna Bill was resumed this evening by
"Viscount CRANBOITRNE who commenced his observa-
tions by condemning the speech delivered by the Chan-
°eller of the Exchequer at Liverpool, and denied that
It Was fair to impute to members of his side
°Pillions in aversion to the working classes. Ho was quite
aware when the Ministry had nothing to say in favour of
the bill it was very easy to shower dirt over its supporters,
and this course had been most unscrupulously adopted.
Ifs felt they had heard in that house two much about the
Working man, as if he was different from other persons,
and he could not understand how their nature, for better
nr worse, should be considered better than others.
Ile said their nature, not their temptations, and the
election committee that had been sitting proved that the
possession of the franchise was looked upon by many as a
saleable commodity, and to give this power to persons
'Who might be tempted was scarcely wise or prudent.
14 did not say that the rich were free from
;lees, because they were not, but the temptation to the
'tumbler possessor of the franchise was far more dangerous,
because the offer of a bribe of £2O or £3O was a circum-
stance which it would be scarcely possible for many of the
humble class to withstand. Various party tactics had taken
Place during the progress of the discussion, but he believed
ghat the last move of the Government was to announce
Ilraul the mouth of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that
/they would proceed with the Distribution of Seats Bill
l'aripassu with the Rofcrm Bill. He did not think that
Such an announcement would answer much, because it
11.118 decidedly opposed to the announcement he had made
hi introducing the bill. But, be the matter what it may,
he did not like to see unnecessary humiliation, and if the
lebancellor of the Exchequer did take this course it would
a Piece of useless humiliation. It was painful
nt
'MY time to see a man eat dirt, but when any one did so
j„B.VesslY it was most pitiable ; and if the move he had al-
,-Zued to was to be played, he warned the right honour-
Lyle gentleman it would fail, because he would
te-,t "env) one additional vote by such a party
hi,-,va• The Government said they would take the
fer the redistribution of seats pari passu, which pari
-Pease the Reform Bill would meet one after the other, but
Ithat they on his side of the house wanted was, that they
ll4uld proceed with the two matters at the same time,
Fad
4 Fin the same bill. (Hear.) Until you know out of which
_ the conitituencies you were going to take the persons
I°vrhoin the franchise was granted hcw was the house to
W Whether they were fit for the privilege or not. He
711 d not agree at all in the arguments of the hon. mem-
:7 for Westminster, because he never attempted to
'hove that the bill as it now stood would not give a pre-
tliclerance to the working classes. The very stone of all
eeetl.lll Was preponderance to none, and yet this had been
flyth neglected by the non. member. It had been said
thleLt his Party were not the proper persons to arrange
f„ I'e-distribution of seats, because they were not
hera Position to grapple with the question—[Mr. BRIGHT
1,6 interrupted the noble lord with the observation,
the °ll might destroy it"]—that might be the opinion of
ft`fn• member for Birmingham, but this he knew, that
th_ was left to the hon. member who had interrupted him,
only result would be that democratic power would be the
117,lbing left in the country. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
it; aueuld like to know upon what ground the bill was
fot,e.:l through the house ; he denied there was a necessity
tVbut he was told that it was urged on solely on
es—that the house was pledged to reform. (Hear.)
weedere was
the pledge? What was the pledge ? The
had ge' " far as he could collect, was simply the subject
the bean mentioned in two or three Queen's speeches, but
ti,4_ Chancellor of the Exchequer, he thought,l was not
tiZetly the
, Person to be bound by what was set down in
2t4‘‘eele:li.
tshpeeeches. The house was told that if they passed
would hear no more about Reform for the next
auer 30 years, but the Reform Bill of 1832 was stated to be
„ 4"1 Measure, and the present bill would be about as final
.that was. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He knew the
illion of the hon. member for Westminster on property
tha t landlords, the latter of whom he had written
the
"they might be discarded at any time. In
'4l wherever you go you find concealment.
thee „ Chancellor of the Exchequer would not tell
Ithouse where the first blood was to come from,
the hon. member for Westminster would not tell them
What sort of measures the new Parliament would pass.
i'va for one desired to know what he was going to vote for
4131.6 he voted. (Hear, hear.) He was not going to
tCanlliate in reform, and the house, in his opinion, had
offe,entwage to vote honestly. The Government was
1,,e7 n 8 an indignity to the house in the course they
do:
nePursuing. They were attempting to break and bond
44,11 independence of Parliament, and, therefore, their
their' duty to their country was to resist it to the utmost of
Pnwer• (Hear hear and cheers )
-spt. Gyt 7 • .
exptes OSVENORsupported the bill in a lively speech,
bee, sing" his preference for a complete measure, if it had
their Possible to carry it, and rallying the Opposition on
nsensibility to the sound arguments which bad been
advancedmr in favour of the extension of the suffrage.
teuiti JOHNSTONE maintained that no reform bill
except by a tacit understanding between
tttele,sab7le:r(l;ifed
both parties. A Government which desired
top,tinPlieh this task must not only conciliate as much
to as Possible on its own side, but must be careful not
irritate it
Rene , 8 opponents, and both conditions Mr. Glad-
be " had failed to fulfil. No Reform Bill, he argued, could
ds:eadtis.,fantory to any side of the house which was not pr01e...,
le..., 11l its integrity, and he warned the Government that
ler,°rtina as they threw themselves into the arms of
itt: "gilt theyof would sever themselves from the real feel-
count
rY-
PoQed . "ONOGHUE supported the bill in a speech com-
et e;.? the main of abstract disquisitions on thebestform
lkto tnntent, the true character of a representative sys-
• ' aad the
lit that necessary attributes of a Reform Bill, conclud-
tefor_ . the extension of the franchise was the essence of
to in
g' that the form of this bill was the best calculated
thiepsilarre success, and that the opposition of the Conserve-
ettee„ tY was prompted by a dislike to the principle of an
t, 'len of the suffrage. Ho admitted that the great body
eita'de.taerristocracy wore not hostile to the bill, and, after re-
Feat_ ; 0 the house that the Irish Liberals had loyally as-
, an
their
lay English brethren in every struggle, concluded
iievdern est profession of faith in the Government.
discussion was continued by Mr. A. GRANT, who
beau" favour of a bill which would include a redistri-
tiltiielltßoTf ats aild. a rectification of boundaries ;by Mr.
eese Y.,C, maintained that working men did not pos-
hill „ heia
air share of electoral power, and supported the
the _ st calculated in form and intent to do justice to
hiblil elfnfranchieed class • by Sir M. BeAeir, whoguarding
fore;
c'o_against being su'pposed to be opposed to all re-
ttenill9d the bill as tending to swamp the agricul-