The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-20 00:00:00

TrIAIViES CONSERVANCY BILL.

Lord ST. LEONARDS moved the second reading of
thi. bill. Th.. olject of the hill was to settle the dis-
puted rights of the Crown to the soil between high and
low uater mark. The B3ard of Conservancy, to be ap-
pointed by the bill, would be invested with the rights of the
Crown as well as those of the City. The Corporation
bad expended upwards of 50,0001. in the irnprovemtut
of the river Thames, and had not received the slightest
coropimsation.

Thin Duke cf NEWCASTLE ohkc'ed to the recnrid
read'atg of the bill, on the ground that the Board of COD-
vervancy were utterly incompetent to discharge the
iwljortaut duties that were to be entrusted to them. He
aeked again of their lordships who had been down the
ri ter
,as far as Blackmail, to reflect upon the
state of the river between that place and London bridge.
He wished to know whether it was to be allowed to de-
generate into a filthy sewer, for, if it was so, it was
greatly to be feared tbat, during the hot weather, if
aranething was not done to improve the river, a
frightful plague might be occasioned by the
effluvium that arose at low water. The first
step towards the improvement of the river was to em•
bank it, as that was the only way to effect any lasting
Improvement. In the hill there was no general plan
laid down for the eff,ctual discharge of the duties that
were to be conferred upon them, and they woull therefore
become wholly irresponsitle. (Hear.) He was sorry the
Government should not oppose the bill after the Board
of Trade bad reported against the bill. (Hear, hear )
This bill was considered to be a private bill, but it
nevortherless was one of the greatest importance, and
he called upon their lordships, if they valued the health
of the metropolis, to reject it, and with this view he
moved that,the bill be read a second time that day three
months.

L and CAMPBELL said he had not had time fully to
consider the bill, but he believed the right of the City to
the right of the soil between high and low water mark
was open to much suspicion. _ _

Earl GRANVILLE. said by the Paisting law the
Corporation was undoubtedly the sole conservator of
the river Throe's. The bill was merely one of cotnprc-
time hi regard to the rights of the Crown, and as far as
he could see be thought the arrangement a fair one.
After a few words from the Duke of NEWCASTLE and
Lord ST. LEOZIARDS, their lordships divided, when there
appeared—

For the second reading of the bill
Against it

... 44

Mai .)T ity
[LEFT SITTING.]

~ -39

HOUSE OF COIVINIONS—(I'his Evening.)
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The Lords' amendments to the following bilh were
considered, and agreed to :—Brighton Ferry Docks; Glas-
gow City and Suburban Gas ; Scottish Central Railway ;
Stamford and Essendine Railway ; and Victoria (Lon-
don) Docks'.
Ley's Divorce Bill, and Smith's Divorce Bill were
read a third time and passed.
The Edinburgh, Canongate, and Montrose Annuity
Tex Abolition Bill was read a second time.
SHEPHERD'S DISABILITIES RE NIOVAL BILL.
On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Mr. FITZ ROY, chairman of the committee for private
bills called the attention of the house to the circum-
stances connected with the bid, and asked their
advice for his future guidance It appeared
that Mr. Shepherd took orders in America,
and officiated there as a Protestant clergyman for some
time. Finding his health impaired by the climate, be
returned to England, and on its re-establish-
ment he went back to America. He c ntinued
there till he found a second time that the climate of
America would not agree with his health, and he
bad again to return to England. His health was
now
be removedire-established, and he now asked by this bill to
removed of Ills disability so as to hold preferment
within her Majesty's dominiOns. There were two acts
In existence which prevented his holdieg preferment
in the Church of England, viz. the 26th Geo. 111., and
an act passed in 1810. Since 1843 there had been four
similar applicatione, atid he (Mr. Fitzroy) wished to
know if the house would consent to the law being put
aside in this way, or whether it would alter the general
law in reference to this subject?
After a discussion, in which Mr. Foster, Mr B the
Estcourt, and Mr. Kinnaird took part a
Col. W. PATTEN urged that the house ought not to
make an exception in Mr. Shepherd's case, but rather
alter the general rule.
Mr. GLADSTONE thought this a matter for general
legi,l,tion. It was hard that a Protestant Episeu-
pal clergyrn:n of America shotild be under a statutory
disqualification ;
whilst "Jumpers," " Shaken," and
even " Mormons" might, if they came to this Country
and conformed to the Episcopal Church, be ordained and
admitted into the Church. He also referred to the
anomalies relative to the validity of ordination in con-
nection with the Romish Church, and said be thought
it was high time to alter the general law on this ques-
tion.

Sir G. GREY considered it was hi ;It time to get rid
of not only the anomalies, but the absurdities connected
with the validity of ordination. He thought the house
ought to pass the present bill.
After some remarks from Mr. ROEBUCK,
The bill was read a second time.
FALKIRK BURGHS.
Sir J. PAKINGTON brought up the report of the
committee to inquire into the validity of the return of
Mr. J. Merry for Falkirk burghs.
,Tae committee were
of opinion that the election was void on the ground of
bribery and treating through Mr. Metry's agents, hut
without hie knowledge or consent. The committee further
reported Mr. Merry's election expenses were returned at
2,436 i., that the election auditor only allowed 1,611/.,