The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-07 00:00:00

LIAMENT.

The Earl of SHREWSBURY asked her Majesty's Go-
vernment if, in completing the approaches to the two
Houses of Parliament, it was proposed to make any,pro-
vision for the shelter of the horses and carriages of the
members of the two houses ?

Earl GRANVILLE said that temporary shelter would
be afforded for horses and car.iages, and when tho law
courts were removed other arrangements would be made
for effecting the object of the noble lord.
The house then adjoulnred.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.

The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
LONDON (CITY) CORPORATION GAS BILL.

On the motion for the second reading of this bill,

Mr. CRAWFORD said that after the second read-
ing he should move that the bill be then com-
mitted to a select committee of twelve members,
of whom five shall be nominated by the committee of se-
lection, and that it be an instruction to the committee to
inquire into the operation and results of the Metropolis
Gas Act, 1860, in order to ascertain whether they have
divided more than 10 per cent., as settled by that
Act. The honourable gentleman then stated the ob-
jectionable manner in which the City of London
had been supplied w ith gas, and that all complaints were
useless. The corporation had determined to take the
matter
.into their hands, and the present application to
Parliament was the result. Many of the great
companies made considerable profits, and had divided
more than the maximum allowed by the act ; therefore the
public had been precluded from all reduction of the price of
the article. He could not:see why the gas companies should
object to the committee, provided they had not
.divided
more than 10 per cent. profit as allowed by the act. if
they had divided more than that sum they had, in
point of fact, charged the public more than they had a right
to do, because the act expressly laid it down distinctly
that after that percentage had been paid all surplus
should go in reduction of the price to be charged for the
article to the consumer. The Corporation of London feel-
ing that the grievance had be some unbearable—that the
acle supplied was of the commonest description, wh4lst
the price charged was much higher than the companies
had a right to charge—had thought it right to come for-
ward and ask Parliament for powers to deal with such an
oppressive monopoly.

Viscount CRANBOURNE thought the house had agreed
to cm tain proposals with respect to the existing companies,
and therefore it would be a breach of faith for Parliament to
sanction this bill. Ho was byno means satisfied about the
quantity of the supplied to the consumer. Yet he
could not consent to the bill, which would only disturb,
s thout improv;ng, the matter complained of.
Mr. ADAIR strenuously opposed the bill being read a
second time.

Alderman LAWRENCE supported the second reading.
He said the great gas companies seemed to be afraid
of going before a committee, or else they would not object
so strenuously to the bi'l going before a committee. The
gas companies supplied a pure article to the House of
Commons, whilst that supplied to the general consumer
was of a greatly inferior quality. The groat gas com-
panies might depand that demands would continue to be
made to Parliament until the present monopoly was
broken up.

Sir G. GREY thought there would be no breach of
faith in reading the bi'l a second time, and he thought
the best course to adopt was to allow the bill to go beforo
a commi:,ee as proposed.

Mr. ROEBUCK said, from the appearance of the house,
it was quite clear it had been packed for the occasion.
(Hear, hear.) And by whom had it been packed ?
Why, by the gas companies. (Hear, hear.)
They had taken membez s by the button and asked them to
vote, and, such being the case, he asked the house
if it was consisent w;th its own honour that
they should allow such a proceeding ? He asked
the house, therefore, to study its honour before they con-
sidered the propriety of extending the existence of a very
intolerable monopoly.

Mr. CRAUFURD opposed the second reading of_ the
bill. (Divide.)
Mr. AYRTON rose amidst loud cries of " Divide," and
said he should suppot t the proposition, because he was cer-
tain without some parties possessed of large funds appeared
before the committee little good would be dono. Tho
City of London wanted to combat the gas companies, they
said, in the benefit of the public generally, as it was the
first time they had ever passed from gastronomy to gas.
(Loud laughter.) He hoped the house would give them
the opportunity of spending this money usefully, and agree
to the second reading of the bill. (Loud laughter.)
The house then divided, when there appeared—
For the second reading
Against it
Major ity

The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be
refei fad to the committee as proposed by the hon. member
for tho City of London.
MID-LONDON RAILWAY BILL.

On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Earl GROSVENORebjected to the pyoponal, and moved
as an amimdment that the bill be read a second time that
day six months. He said it p2.s..;sd through the metropolis
for about three miles, all of which ground was now covered
with houses, it would cross Bond-street and Hanover-
square, and it was posseszed of capital to the amount
of £3,000,000, but he thought that there were certain
lines yet to be completed before they could judge of the
advisability of Parliament giving its assent to the billnow
under discussion.

Lord STANLEY said until the inner circle of railway,
which had already received the sanction of Parliament,
had been constructed it would be impossible to a r,:ve at
the conclusion that the pre ;ant railway WAS required.
The Mid-London Railway would interfere greatl4, with
private property and trade, and'creato the great4st
incon-
venience. He thought at present it would not be advisable
to sanction the second raading of this bill.
Mr. T. CHAMBERS supported
the
bill because the
lino of railway was much required, and because the pro-
cnsation to all those
meters proposed very liberal comp
disturbed iu their homes by its cons ,t_ uction .
The amendment of the noble oarl was agreed to, and
the bill was rejected without a division.
Ou the motion of Mr. BRAND, a now writ was ordered
for the election of a member for the county of Kerry, in
the room of Colonel H. Herbert, deceased.
Mr. CHAMBERS obtained leave to bring in a bill to
legalise marriage with a deceased wife's sister.
Leave was given to Mr. COLVILLE to introduce a bill to
prevent clerks to justices in counties conducting the pro-
secution of any offender committed for trial by the justices
for whom he is acting as clerk.

Mr. IJIBBERT asked leave to bring in a bill to permit
capital punishment to be carried out, under certain regu-
lations, within the interior of prisons. These regulations
were that the punishment of death should be inflicted only
in the presence of the high sheriff, the gaol authorities,
and the representatives of the public press, and that a
coroner's inque3t should be subsequently held on the body.
Sir G. GREY did not oppose the introduction o,f. the
bill, but stated that a measure was in "reparation by the
Under Secretary of State embodying the principal recom-
mendations of the Royal Commissioners on capital punish-
ment.

Mr. GILPIN regarded all measures of this partial cha-
racter as concessions to public opinion. What was really