The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-25 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The followingbills;;;;ad-as;COnd time :—Broms-
grove and Droitwich Water, North Eastern llailway
(Gilling, Helmsley, and Pickering), North Eastern
Railway (Leeds and Wetherby Branch), Hull, Horness,
and North-Eastern Railway, Dublin Ports Act Amend-
ment, Dublin Ports Dock, Leicester Cattle Market, Sz.c.
The Limerick and Castle Connell Railway, Brean Down
Dock, Cork Harbour, United General Gas Company (Dub-
lin), South Essex Railway, and Imperial Gas Company Bills
were severally read a third time and passed.
WEST MIDDLESEX WATER BILL.
Lord REDESDALE moved that the house should go
into committee on this bill.
Earl GREY thought that some explanation should be
given by the Government as to what were their intentions
as to taking some definite course in reference to private
bills of this description, so as to introduce some system of
municipal reform. He thought the Government were
neglecting their duty in not paying more attention to bills
like the present.
Earl GRANVILLE said that the subject of this bill did
not in his opinion raise any question of municipal re-
form. No doubt it was desirable that there should be more
united action in respect to dealing with this subject, but
at the same time it was a question that was attended
with great difficulty. He reminded the noble earl (Grey)
that there was no authority given in the bill to empower
the company to divert or abstract a quantity of water from
the Thames so as to affect injuriously the supply of the
river water to the metropolis.
The Earl of DERBY was understood to object to the
principle of the bill.
Lord TAUNTON considered that this bill tended to the
obtaining of better terms from the corporation of the City
of London. He thought also that justice would not be
done in regard to these subjects unless the public forced
them on the attention of Parliament. He contended that
it was a disgrace to the country the manner in which
municipal matters were sometimes managed, by which an
unnecessary expenditure was incurred, and the interests
of the public were-grossly neglected.

The Earl of CARNARVON cited statistics to show the
considerable increase that had taken place in the con-
sumption of water during the last twenty years. Ile
agreed with the bill, but considered that the subject should
receive the careful attention of Parliament.

The bill then passed through committee.
QUALIFICATION FOR OFFICES ABOLITION
BILL.
Lord HOUGHTON, in moving the second reading of
this bill, said that the subject had been frequently before
their lordships. The object of the bill was to relieve a
very large number of persons from making declara-
tions on their acceptance of office, which were
unnecessary, and in some cases offensive to the feelings of
a large portion of the community. There was no doubt that
the bill was affected by the measure which came up from
the other house, and which was read a second time yes-
terday by their lordships, with a view to relieve members
of Parliament from the imposition of certain oaths on taking
their seats. He did not see why the same relief should not
be extended to the class to which the present bill referred.
There was nothing in the bill to alarm their lordships,
and he believed that the principle of the bill had the ap-
proval of the majority of the reasoning and respectable
portion of the people of the country. From returns to
Parliament it appeared that in Manchester alone, and else-
where, there were some thousands of persons who did not
subscribe to the declaration, and the consequence was that
the Indemnity Act had to be passed. He considered, however,
that a general form of declaration should be required on
the part of mayors and other officials, pledging their
loyalty to the Crown.
The Earl of DERBY offered no opposition to the bill,
more particularly after the bill relative to Parliamentary
oaths.

Lord HOUGHTON then moved the second reading o
the Qualification for Offices Bill, which he described as
being a corollary of the Parliamentary Oaths Bill.
Lord DEBBY, having explained that his former opposi-
tion to the bill proceeded rather from a conviction that the
measure was intended as an attack upon the Church than
from any value he attached to the declarations sought to
be abolished, stated that, as one uniform oath had now
been agreed upon to be taken by all members of Parlia-
ment, he thought municipal officers should be placed in a
similar position, and therefore he should not oppose the

motion.
After a few remarks from Lords TAUNTON and ROMILLY,
the bill was read a second time, Lord GRANVILLE express-
ing an opinion that the subject of uniformity of oaths might
advantageously be further inquired into.
The East Indian Military, ic., Funds Transfer Bill was
read a third time and passed.
The Public Offices (Site) Bill was read a second time.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER, took the chair at four o'clock.
THE REFORM BILL.
The Sheriffs of London presented a petition in favour
of the Government Reform Bill.