The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-10 00:00:00

PRID AY EVENING, MAY lO, IMO.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 9.

POLICE IMPROVEMENT (SCOTLAND) BILL.
On the m,:tion that the House Should go into Com-
mittee on this Bill,

Mr. HUME said, having been informed that all the
material objections to this Bill coming Irom Scotland
bad been removed, he did not intend to oppose any ob-
stacle whatever to the Bill.

In answer to a question from Mr. COWAN,
The LORD ADVOCATE said it was not his inten-
ion to go on with the Public Health Bill to-night.

The Rouse then went into Committee.

Clauses 1,2, 3,4, 5, were agreed to without dis-
cussion.

Clauses from 6 to 62 were then agreed to with some
verbal amendments.

Clauses from E 3 to 93 iaclusive were agreed to with-
out any amendtnent.

The remaining clauses haring been agreed to,
Mr. ANSTEY congratulated the Committee on
baying gone through so speedily a Bill containing 370
clauses; and contrasted the proceedings with the ob-
jection made yesterday to the Irish. Fi,heries Bi►l, in-
troduced by himself, and which contained only 150
clauses.

Mr. HUME remarked, that if every Bill was as well
considered before being brought in as this was, there
would be but little objection to it.—([tear.)
Mr. CHARTERIS asked the Lord Advoc ate when he
(At 3
llintended issuing his invitations for a Blackwell dinner
to celebrate the business-like harmony cf the even-
iogl ? laugh.)
Inanswer r. HUME,
Mr. F. MAULE said an early day would te fixed
for the report. After that stage the Bill would be re-
printed and circulated in Scotland before the third
reading.
Mr. HUME suggested that the report should be re-
ceived immediately, as the Scotch Members were de-
sirous of sending the Bill to their constitueats without
delay.
The House then resumed; and went into Committee
on the

COURT OF SESSION (SCOTLAND) BILL.
The various clauses were agreed to after some verbal
amendments, New clauses were added, and the Bill
was ordered to be reported, with amendments.
The House having resumed,
The CHAIRMAN reported progress, and the Bill, as
amended, was ordered to be printed.
The report was ordered to be received (as we under-
stood) on the sth of June.
PUBLIC HEALTH (SCOTLAND) BILL.
The Committee on this Bill was postponed.
RAILWAYS ABANDONMENT BILL.

On the motion for going into Committee on this Bill,
Mr. SCULLY said he wished to make a few observa-
tions on a measure which he conceived so important to
a large number of individuals before the Speaker left
the chair. That Bill was intended to benefit the share.
holders of any railway who might be anxious to wind
up the affairs of their respective companies; and it was
founded upon the recommemdations contained in the
report of the Commissioners, as well as the Audit Bill
of last year. Now if he drew the attention of the House
to that report for a short time, he thought he should
be able to advance good reasons fur agreeing to the
clauses of which be had given notice.
Mr. LABOUCHERE suggested that it might he more
regular for the Hon. Member to adoress himself to the
subject when they had gone into Committee, and when
the other clauses were inserted.

Mr. SCULLY thought the question involved was et se
much importance, and as he feared he might not receive
so much attention after they had gone into Committee,
he would trespass only for a few minutes upon the
patience of the House while he stated his general opinion
of the Bill in question, reserving his objections to the
details for the Committee. In the Commissioner's re-
port it had bee❑ stated that Bills for the formation of
12,000 miles of railway had been passed, of which

. -
7,000 were still unfinished, and that more than 4,000.
of the same were likely never to be completed.
No less than 60,000,0001. of money were involved
in the operation of that Bid. There were many cases in
which proprietors had paid up their calls, but who dif-
fered from the directors as to the propriety of going on
with the undertaking, and it was but fair to give them
the power of voting for the abandonment of the line, if
not for its continuance. In the latter case the Railway
Commissioners might have a veto. The Bill had detects
in detail, to which he would refer in Committee. It was
of great importance, however, to give increased facilities
to shareholders to wind up the accounts of a company;
and though the preamble of the present Bill proposed to
do that, be contended that it would not bear out its
avowed object. There was a railway company with
which he was acquainted on which the direaors, by way
of evading the efftct of that Bill, had made a further call
upon the shareholders, although they had already paid
up 101. on their shares, and notwithstanding that it was
tour 3 ears in existence not a mile had yet been made.
W hat he chiefly wished to effect by the clauses and
amendments of which he had given notice was, to give
the shareholders full powers to wind up the affairs of a
company when they thought it better not to go on with
the undertaking.
The House then went into Committee.
Clauses up to 5 were agreed to after some discussion,
in which only Mr. SCULLY and the SOLICITOR-GENERAL
took part.

Mr. SCULLY proposed an addition, of which he had
given notice, enabling the shareholders to call a meeting
in case the directors refused to do so, ou a requisition
being presented to them.
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL suggested that a pro-
viso to that effect cuuld be more conveniently added after
clause 3.
Mr. SCULLY s3reed to the suggtition made, and she
clause was agreed to.
Clauses 6,7, 8, and 9 were also severally agreed to.
Clause 10 having been put,
Major BERESFORD said that he thought the clause
a very objectionable one, for it would give the Commis-
sioners a power of reversing, on the representation of a
few individuals, the decision of a meeting of shareholders.
The SOLICITOR•GENERAL said the clause had
net been originally in the Bill; but it appeared to him
that they might safely vest the proposed discretion in
the Commissioners.

Major BERESFORD said he could see no necessity
fur granting to the Commissioners such very extraordi-
nary powers.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said it should be remembered
that the Bill proceeded on the principle of leaving a
large discretion to the Commissioners. He could not
think that there was any danger to be apprehended
from the clause.

Mr. DISRAELI said, it appeared to him that the
clause was one of a most arbitrary character. If they
were willing to grant such an extraordinary power to
the Commissioners they might as well pass an Act at
once leaving the whole question absolutely at the dis-
posal of those gentlemen. In case the House should go
to a division on the clause, he should certainly vote
against it.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the clause bad been framed
for the purpose of dealing with the case of a packed
meeting ; but,he had no objection so to amend it that
the Commissioners should merely have the power of or-
dering the convening of another meeting.
Major BERESFORD said, he should be perfectly
satisfied with that amendment.
The clause was then. agreed to (as we understood),
with the understanding that it should be amended ou
the bringing up the report.
Clauses up to 19 inclusive were also ordered to stand
part of the Bill.

Clause 20 was agreed to, after having been amended.
Clauses 21 and 22 were agreed to.
Clause 23 was amended, and then adopted.
Clauses up to 27 inch .:ive were agreed to.
Clause 28 having been pet,
Mr. COWAN said he wished to know whether the
Bill was to extend to Scotland ?
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he was afraid
the machinery of tho Scottish Courts would not tally
with the provisions of the Bill. But he should consult
his Hon. and Learned Friend the Lord-Advocate upon
the subject.

Mr. CULLY objected to the provision for extending
the operation of the Bill to suits which had been com-
menced since the 11th of February. That would give
the measure retrospective effect.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that on the 11th of
February it was well known that such a Bill would be
introduced in the course of the session.
Major BERESFORD moved that " the Ist day of
May" be substituted fur " the 11th day of February,"
as the date of the commencement of the Act.

MTAlfrlte.e6rrecamusastliinnyoLittg c, onversatioath; amendment was nega-
tived without a division.
clausesTtuoved twereo a thendd
a agreedclause, h
t to.
e object of
which was to empower shareholders in any company
disputing the validity
of any calls, or who should be in
arrear of calls or capital, to vote for the abandonment,
or partial abandonment, of the scheme, or for the wind-
ing up of the company ; but at the same time to be pre-
cluded from voting in favour of its continuation, or fur
the prosecution of any of its works. Also a clause
giving power to the Commissioners of Railways in their
discretion to require or attach, as one of the conditions
to their assent to any such abandonment or wind-
ing-up, the payments of any calls made within three
months before any requisitions for a meeting, or
within such time as to such Commissioners should seem
meet. He thought it important that the directors of
railway schemes should be compellable to hold meet-
ings to discuss matters where a majority of the share-
holders called for them, and it was but fair that those
parties, who all'through bad found fault with their pro-
ceedings, should have a voice at such meetings. At the
same time he
:provided that they should have no power
of voting for the continuation of any expenditure. By
his second:clause he proposed to give the Railway Com-
missioners a veto awl the power of compelling these
shareholders to pay up a certain portion of their arrears.
It appeared to him that the Bill without some such provi-
sions would be perfectly useless for the objects which it,
promoters professed to have in view, anti he therefore
begged to propose the two clauses for the adoption of the
Committee.
Mr. LABOUCHERE could not consent to the in-
troduction of clauses which involved the novel principle
of giving those who formed no part of the constituency
of a company power to vote for the abandonment of a
railway project. He hoped, therefore, that the Hon.
Member would not persist in his motion.
After a short conversation the clauses were withdrawn.
The Bill passed through Committee, and the report
was ordered to be brought up on Monday.
ELECTIONS (IRELAND) BILL.

The House then went into Committee on this Bill.
On clause 1 being proposed,
Mr. M. O'CONNELL rose to bring forward the amend-
ment of which he had given notice—at the end of the
clause, page 2, to insert 'the words, " And that at all
such elections in future the votes be taken by way of
ballot," He said he thought that every person who had

directed his attention to the mode in which elections in
Ireland bad been conducted must come to the conclusion
that intimidation was to a great extent practised in that
country. When they were going to extend the fran-
chise of Ireland, they ought also to give to the poor
voters the protection of the tallot in this Bill, which it
was intended was to proceed pari passe with the other
measure. Although they had not many cases of
bribery at elections in Ireland, it was admitted on
all bands that intimidation was practised most
extensively. The chief argument used against
the principle of the ballot was, that it was
unmanly, cowardly, and unworthy of the character
of a free people. However well that argument might
apply to this country, in which the people had fur so
many years free institutions, and were remarkable for
their sturdiness of character, it was utterly inapplicable
to Ireland, in which the people had no such vested rights.
For centuries the Irish population was deprived of any
description of franchise. 'The franchise was confined to
one particular sect. Concomitant with the admission of
Roman Catholics to Parhament was the further limita-
tion of the franchise in Ireland. How different was the
Reform Bill given to Ireland to that which they gave to
England. The present Judge Crampton, when Solicitor-
General, designated the Irish Reform Bill as essentially
conservative, for in every point it possibly could it re-
stricted the rights of the voter, and placed him com-
pletely under the power of his political opponents.
While the legislation in respect to England was calcu-
lated to encourage all the virtues of freemen, their legis-

lation in respect-to Ireland tended to develop all the
vises of the slave. The question with the Irishman was
one between his purse and his conscience. If he voted
with his landlord, he was disgraced with his neigh-
bours—

Mr. BERNAL here interposed. lie said be was very
unwilling to interrupt the Hon. Member, but he was
clearly of opinion that the Hon. Gentleman was about to
make a motion that could not be said to come within the
scope er title of the Bill. The Bill was one to facilitate
the progress of elections in Ireland, by creating addi-
tional polling-places in that country. The question, then,
which the Hon. Gentleman was proceeding to discuss
was that of taking the votes by ballot, which certainly
was not within the scope of Parliament then to enter-
tain.

Mr. M. O'CONNELL would, of course, submit to the

opinion of the Chair. lie was, however, but taking that
course which he was informed was the better and more
convenient one to take—the sense of the House upon
this question. lie wished that be had been informed of
his mistuke sooner.
Mr. BERNAL said that the Hon. Gentleman must be
aware that he had bad no communication with him (the
Chairman) on the sulject.
Mr. M. O'CONNELL.—I did not refer to you, Sir,
at all.

Mr. AGLIONBY had no doubt whatever of the cor-
rectness of the view taken by Mr. Bernal. Ho would
vote with the Hon. Gentleman upon this question when-
ever
it was brought forward. He would suggest to the
Hon. Gentleman the propriety of moving his question in
the shape of a separate clause on the third reading of
the Bill, and then it would be competent for him also to
move to change the title of the Bill, so as to make it a
Bill to shorten the duration of elections and to take the
votes by ballot.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. F. O'CONNOR concurred in the views expressed
by the lion. Member for Ctsckermouth.
Mr. HUME hoped that the Hon. Member would take
the course suggested by his Hon. Friend, and give
ample notice ot his intention to bring forward the
question, when the House would be fully prepared to
discuss it. He thought that the time was come to pro-
tect the people of Ireland—(Hear)—and he hoped that
the House would take into consideration the peculiar
circumstances of that country.
Mr. H. BERKELEY thanked the Hon. Member for
Tralee for bringing forward_this motion. He thought it
would be a disgrace if some of the Irish Members were
not found, upon a question of this description, to main-
tain the electoral rights of the people. He trusted that
the Hon. Member would persist in his intention to bring
forward this question at the first opportunity.
The O'GORMAN MAHON hoped that the Hon. Me-
mber would take the course suggested, and give the Irish
Members an opportunity of rallying upon this subject.
He had no doubt but that the Irish Members would be
found prepared to do their duty to their country upon
this point at all events.
Mr. M. O'CONNELL admitted that he did not con-
sult with Mr. Bernal on the subject. He could not help
expressing his regret that the view taken by the Hon.
Chairman had not been expressed before he (Mr. M.
O'Connell) had proceeded so far with his motion. The
Government, however, must have been fully aware ot
the motion he was about to bring forward, as he had
placed it on the books of the House, and had been for
several evenings in the House watching the progress of
this Bill. He thought there was not much courtesy ex-
tended towards him in meeting him by a special demurrer
of this kind.
Mr. BERNAL said if the Hon. Member applied his
observations to him, he could only iay that he was not
for a long time aware of the scope of his speech when
bringing forward his amendment. He bad so many
things before him he felt he might readily be excused
for not interrupting the Hon. Member sooner.—(Hear.)
The question then being put that clause 1 stand part
of the Bill,
Mr. GROGAN complained of the want of certainty
as to the hour the poll was to commence on the second
day of the election.
Mr. KEOGH said that the omission in the Bill was a
strange one, fur though it mentioned the hour at which
the polling was to commence and to continue on the
first day of the election, it did not state the hour at
which it was to commence on the second day. The
English littoral Bill was particular on this subject.
After a brisk discussion,
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL consented to insert
words to meet the objections urged against the clause.
The clause was then agreed to, as was also clause 2.
Clauses 3 to 18 were agreed to.
In clause 19 it was regulated that the expense of fit-
ting up booths in a borough should be 31. if in a building,
and not to exceed 5/. it the booth were not in a public
building.
Clauses 20 and 21 were agreed to.
On clause 22, relating to the number of polling-places
in counties,

Major BLACKALL moved the omission of the words,

" but nut so as to divide any barony or half barony," his
object being to prevent voters having a❑ unnecessarily
long distance to go to the poll.
Sir W. SOMERVILLE said the amendment, if agreed
to, would altogether alter the system of county division,
on which the 13111 was founded, and it would be then ne-
cessary to re-commit the Bill.
The Committee divided, when there appeared—
For the amendment • 44
Against it ... 157
Majority ... ...-113
Lord NAAS mould that clause 22 be omitted, with a
view of substituting for it the corresponding clause in
the English Act, relating to the alteration or addi-
tion of polling-places.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD agreed with the motion of the
Noble Lord, and should most certainly ♦ote for it.
Sir G. GREY suggested that it would be better to
omit the clause for the present, to introduce another
hereafter.
The clause was then struck out of the Bill.
Clauses 23 to 26 were then agreed to.
The schedules IN ors next taken, and agreed to, with
some amendments.
The remaining clauses of the Bill were agreed to,
and the House resumed. To be reported to-morrow
(Friday).
BENEFICES IN PLURALITY BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
FACTORIES BILL.

On the motion for postponing the order of the day for
the committal of the Factories Bill.
Lord J. MANNERS rose and said—As it had been
proposed that this order of the day shall be adjourned I
think I should state what is the course which I shall feel
it to be my duty to pursue. Ido not now propose to
make any comments on the present position of the Bill ;
but I agree with my Noble Friend (Lord Ashley), who
has hitherto been in charge of the Factories Bill, and who
has announced his opinion publicly, althout,h up to this
moment not in this House—(Hear)—that the frame-
work of the Bill proposed by her Majesty's Ministers is
more likely to produce a toneficial result than the frame-
work of the Bill which we have introduced into this
House.—(Hear, hear.) So far I agree with my Noble
Friend, and am, therefore, prepared to accept the
machinery of the Government measure. But be-
yond that my concurrence with my Noble Friend cannot
extend; and upon the bringing up ct the report I shall
move that " half-past five " be substituted for " six " in
the evening, which will make the Bill of the Government
an effective ten hours Bill.—(Cheers.) I will say no
more now upon this subject than that I conceive that
both the honour of this House and the rights of the
working people are concerned in passing an effective ten
hours Bill.—(Cheers.)
Mr. AGLIONBY suggested that the Bill might be
passed through Committee that night; then the Noble
Lord's amendment and the discussion thereon could be
taken upon the report.
Sir G. GREY said that the Bill was not under his
charge, but under that of the Noble Lord the Member
for Bath (Lord Ashley), who had left the House; and
before doing so had given directions that the order of
the day should bo postponed until Monday. In that
Noble Lord's absence, therefore, he (Sir G. Grey) could
not undertake to assent to the reading of the order of
the day.
Postponed till Monday.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES BILL.
On the motion of Sir J. DUCKWORTH, the Weights
and Measures Bill was read a second time.

lONIAN ISLANDS.
Mr. ANSTEY moved fur copiea of the address re-
cently presented to the Lord High Commissioner of the
lonian Islands by the Legislative Assembly of that con,
federation, and a his Excellency's reply thereto. And
alio of any correspondence wi.h her Majesty's Govkrn-
ment ou thohe subjfwts.—Agreed to.
SUNDAY FAIRS.
Sir G. GREY obtained leave to bring in a Bill to re.
peal an exception in an Act of the 27th of Edward VI.
as to Sunday fauns. The Bill was rendered necessary
in cons* (petite of the disorders that occurred in the
no; th of Englund during the hiring iu harvest times on
Sundays.
MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS IN THE EAST