The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-03 00:00:00

TIIE BANKRUPTCY BILL.

The Duke of RUTLAND presented a petition in favour
of the Bankruptcy Bill. The prayer of the petition was,
that their lordships would be pleased to pass the bill with-
out referring it to a select committee.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that-while he entirely
concurred in the prai er of the petition just presented, he
did not think it was in accordance with the rules of their
lordships' house that any petition could be received, as it
was irregular to specify the particular way in which the
petitioners wished bills to be passed.
Lord CHELMSFORD agreed with the observations of
the noble and learned lord on the woolsack.

The Duke of RUTLAND said if he hhd infringed the
rules of the house he very much regretted it. He would
immediately withdraw the petition.
The Duke of RICHMOND said he had also presented a
petition with a similar prayer, but after what had passed
he wished to withdraw it.

Lord OVERSTONE presented a number of petitions in
favour of the bill, amongst which was one from the
bankers, merchants, and others in the City of London, and
another from Manchester, which differed from the others,
inasmuch as it prayed that the official assignee might be
retained. There was a very strong feeling throughout the
country in opposition to the existing law.
The LORD CHANCELLOR presented a petition from
the Bristol Chamber of Commerce in favour of the bill.
Lord CHELMSFORD prosented petitions from a num-
ber of mercantile and commercial bodies praying for certain
modffications in the bill.

MESSAGE FROM THE CROWN—MARRIAGE OF
THE PRINCESS ALICE.
Earl GRANVILLE brought up a message from the
Crown.

The LORD CHANCELLOR read the Royal Message
to their lordships. Her Majesty communicated to
them her intention to sanction a marriage between
her Royal Highness the Princess Alice and the Prince
Louis of Hesse. The numerous proofs that her Majesty
had received of the loyalty of that house to her person and
family left her no room to doubt the wilihegnesa of their
lordships to make a suitable provision for her daughter,
such as might be suitable to the dignity of the Crown.
Earl GRANVILLE said this was not the time to go
into debate on the subject of her Majesty's message. It
was, ;however, his duty to ask that an address should
be presented to her Majesty on the happy event. They
would have great pleasure in doing so at the present mo-
ment, as he: Majesty had so lately suffered a domestic af-
fliction.

The Earl of DERBY cordially concurred in the motion
of the noble earl. He had no doubt whatever that their
lordships would willingly agree to any provision made by
the House of Commons. He trusted that the marriage
would be productive of the greatest happiness to her
Majesty and her Royal family.
The motion for the address was agreed to.
THE BANKRUPTCY BILL.
On the motion that the house go into committee on this
bill, _ _

The Earl of DERBY moved that the bill be referred to
a select committee. He said he had heard, with some
surprise, that the Government, owing to its powerful
opposition, had been compell:d to agree t 3 the
motion that he intended to make to their lordships. Ile
thought the bill such a complicated one that it could be
much better considered by a small committee. It was full
of technicalities, which could only be understood after the
most careful consideration, and it might be said that the
bill had been fully considered in the House of Commons.
Ho tnought the bill had been so extensively altered in that
house, and as it had been reprinted, it was very necessary
that the bill should be submitted to a select committee in
order to ascertain precisely the nature of the alterations.
He felt great pleasure that the Government• did not intend
to oppose his motion.
Earl GRANVILLE—The reason the Government con-
sented to the bill being referred to a select committee was,
that some of his noble friends not now present were of
opinion that the measure could be best considered in a
select committee. At the same he must say that he thought
their lordships were as able to discuss it in the whole
house, as in a select committee. Nothing could be fairer
than the course the noble earl opposite had pursued with
respect to this bill.
The bill was then referred to a select committee.
THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

In reply to the Earl of CARNARVON,
Earl GRANVILLE said the Government had received
no intelligence from Sir 11. Storks relative to the proclama-
tion of martial law in the islands.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE •OF COMMONS,—(THIS EVENING.)
Mr. MASSEY, in the absence of the Speaker through in
disposition, took the chair at four o'clock.

NEW MEMBER.
Mr. ABERCROMBY took the oaths and his seat on his
election for Banffshire.

PETITIONS.
Several Petitions were presented in favour of the budget,
against the Poor Removal Act, for the better observance
of the Sabbath, against the immediate abolition of church
rates, against the repeal of the paper duty, &c.
. _ _

DRAINAGE OF LAND.
Mr. CLIVE gave notice that on Tuesday next he would
move for leave to bring a bill to facilitate the drainage of
land.

PUBLIC PENSIONS.
Mr. STIRLING gave notice that he would move for a
return of the number of public pensioners, and the amount
and nature of those pensions ; and ho would take that op-
portunity of drawing the attention of the house to the pen-
sion granted to Mr. Close, the Westmoreland poet. (Hear,
hear, and laughter.)
GLOUCESTER AND WAKEFIELD.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department if, in the event of the Election Law
Amendment Bill passing, he intended to apply the 29th
section to the city of Gloucester and the borough of Wake-
field.

Sir G. C. LEWIS said the clause in question was in-
tended to be prospective, and therefore it would not take
a retrospective operation. However, it was competent to
any hon. member to move a clause, giving it that retro -
spective operation, when the bill came into committee.
MARRIAGE OF HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE

PRINCESS ALICE.
Lord PALMERSTON brought up a hermessagfrolayeari
Majesty, announcing the approaching union
;°f her most
Highness the Princess Alice, and exprosalozad make
gracious Majesty's conviction that the bouust_3_.
an adequate provision for hor Royal Highn e"
The Royal Message having been laidn2oarriage which had
Lord PALMERSTON said that the the table,
the house was one that
been announced by her Majesty
to
happiness of her family. He
her Majesty for the
was calculated to promote thoe IlhaPaPnk
approach-
ingbelieved it was their duty todel
and to assure her how
her on the
communication she hadlnwith
deeply they sympathisedi
sincere desire to carry into
event,. and there
mo:osty. There who had the good
effect the wishes of h ' ',roach 11.11 11.
to apt,Princess Alice
fortune to be allowed
'venal knowledge that• her
knew from their_
aethose virtues that have Royal High-
ness so greatly dis-
ness possessed
her illustrious parent. (Hea dis-
tinguishedr, hear.) Her
-Aess the Princess Alic
Royal HID e had the good for-
tuneto have made choic f
e o a prince who is every way
deserving of her selection, and who, he was persuaded,
would be the means of her enjoying that domestic happiness
which had been the good fortune of her most august mother,
and of exhibiting those domestic attainments of which that
mother was a model, and which had secured for her the ad-
miration of the whole British nation. (Hear, hear.) He
thought the house should state to her Majesty the deep inte-
rest they took in everything relating to her domestic affair',
and particularly in the event which was calculated, by
directing her attention to the future, to prevent her duell-
ing too deeply on the loss she has so recently sustained.
(Hear, hear.) He concluded by moving that an address
be presented to her Majesty in reply to her address.
Mr. DISRAELI seconded the motion. He said that
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