The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-26 00:00:00

DEVONPORT HARBOUR.

The Earl o GERMANS rose to move for certai❑
returns relative to the works in Devonport dockyard.
His Lordship stated, that in 1833 it was found necessary
thoroughly to repair the boat-basin at Devonport. In
1835 Mr. Hawker, master shipwright in the dockyard,
laid before the Admiralty a statement of the defie.ei o••
of accommodation then and previously experienced, and
suggested a comprehensive plan for the enlargement of
the basin and the erection of additional docks. His
suggestions were adopted, the works were commenced,
and for ten years they were proceeded with at an ex-
pense of 90,0001. In 1848, however, it was proposed to
abandon this magnificent undertaking, and to substitute
an open basin for the basin planned by Mr. Haakes.
The Admiralty so far entertained this proposition as to
suspend the works, and to send down Mr. Rendell, a
civil engineer of great eminence, to make inquiry and
report. That gentleman, he believed, recommended that
the original plan should be carried into execution; but
the Admiralty were net satisfied with the opinion of
Mr. Rendell, and still suspended the works. They thee
sent down three commissioners, viz, Mr. Walker, Mr.
Cubitt, and Mr. Rendell, who, he untlerst md, pro-
posed a third plan, different from the other two.
That was the state of things at this moment, and
he was anxious that full information should be laid
before their Lordships on the subject. He did not im-
pute any blame t the Adroira'ty in connexion with this
matter; but he wished, by obtaining the papers, to
enable the House to understand the exact nature of the
case. The Noble Earl then moved f,r copies of all the
reports made t) the Admiralty on the subject from 1833
downward.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had endeavoured to
make himself acquainted with this matter by applying
to his Hon. Friend at the head of the Admiralty. Con-
siderable variety of opinion, it appeared, had been ex-
pressed on this question by professional persons, includ-
ing some of the most eminent engineers in the country;
and his Hon. Friend at the head of the Admiralty had
therefore thought it right to refer the mutter to other
professional persons, and persons connected with the
office of the Admiralty, who were to report on the sub-
ject. In those circumstances he hoped the Noble Earl
would consent to withdraw his motion till a complete
view of the subject could be obtained, which would not
be the case unless the report of the parties to whom he
bad referred was laid on the table along with those
moved for by the Noble Earl.
The Eart of ST. GERMANS consented to this ar-
rangement, and withdraw his motion accordingly.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved that the House
do adjourn to Thursday, the 11th of April.
The motion was carried, and their Lordships ad-
journed accordingly.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 25.
The SPEAKER took the Chair a few minutes before
Four.

NEW WRIT.

Mr. TUFNELL moved that a new writ be issued fur
the borough of Tomes, in the room of Lord Sep mour,
who has accepted the office of Chief Commissioner of
Woods and Forests.

The SPEAKER was then summoned to the House of
Lords to hear the Royal Assent given by Commission to
several Bills (for which see Lords' report).
At the time of private business,
Mr. LABOUCHERE moved that in every railway
Bill by which it is proposed to authorise the company to
grant any preference or priority in the payment ot inte-
rests or dividends on any shares or stock, there be in-.
serted a clause providing that the granting of
such preference or priority shall not prejudice
or affect any preference or priority of interest
or dividend which shall have been granted by the
company by or in pursuance of any previous Act; unless
the Committee on the Bill shall report that such provi-
sion ought not to be required, with the reasons on which
their opinion is founded. That no railway company shall
be authorised to alter the terms of any preference or
priority of interest or dividend which snail have been
granted by such company under any previous Act, un
less the Committee on the Bill report that such alteration
ought to be allowed, with the reasons on which their
opinion is founded.
Mr. COWAN seconded the motion.
Colonel SIBTHORP would have wished to have
seen some resolution brought forward to prohibit any
railway company from increasing its fares, as he under-
stood it was the intention of some railway companies
speedily to do.
Mr. LABOUCHERE reminded the Hon. and Gallant
Member that the Commissioners ot Railways had made
a report on the subject, which was now under con-
sideration.

Mr. B. DENISON supported the resolution.
Mr. GLADSTONE merely objected to the power of
granting exceptions being confined to a Committee,
without some manifestations of the opinion of the whole
House on the subject. There were many cases in which
a Committee could not decide without the aid of Par-
liament. He should recommend that the Right Hon.
Gentleman should frame some resolution, which would
give some guide to Committees of the real opinion of
the railway companies themselves on points which were
to be legislated upon.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said the suggestions of the
Right Hon. Gentleman involved questions of such an in-
tricate character that it would be impossible to lay down
any strict or any unvarying rule on the subject.
Lord HARRY VANE thought it would be desirable
to indicate to Committees what course they ought to
pursue; at the same time he agreed with the Right
Hon. Gentleman (Yin Labouchere), that the circum-
stances were so intricate as to make it impossible to ap-
ply one uniform rule.
Mr. LABOUCHERE observed that two Bills had al-
ready passed Committees involving the quostion of pre-
ference, and it was his intention to move that they, as
well as the Bills which were now bk-fore Committees,
should be subject t,, his motion.
The motion was then agreed to.
PETITIONS.

_
Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Worces-
ter in favour of the County Rates and Expenditure Bill.
Mr. G. DUNCAN presented a petition from Dundee,
against the Marriage Affinity Bill; also a petition from
Kilmarnock against Post-office labour on Sundays.
Mr. BROTHERTON presented petitions from Man-
chester and Saliurd against the Rating of Tenements
Bill.

Mr. LUSHINGTON presented a petition from the
ratepayers of Sr. Ann's, Westminster, in vestry assem-
bled, complaining of the inequality of the present land•
tax ; also a petition from the Strand Union praying for
an equalisation of the poor rate ; also petitions trom
mem6ers of trades' unions praying for the establishment
of local boards of trade, and the establishment and sup-
port of home colonies.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM said he had a petition from
two Peers—Lord Cloncarty and Lord Bradford—com-
plaining that one of them being entitled to a seat in the
House of Lords, and the other being an elective Peer of
Irelaad,ithey were both debarred from raking their seats
in the House by the terms of the oath of su-
premacy.—(Hear, hear.) The petition stated
farther that they entertain no doubt of the
supremacy of her Majesty in all matters, ecclesiastical
and civil, but conceiving that the terms t f an Act
lately liaised, entitled the Charitable Donations and Be-
quests Bill, entirely contrarlicted the terms of this oath,
by recognizing a new ecclesiastical supremacy in these
realms, the petitioners, therefore, could no longer
conscientiously subscribe to the terms of this oath, and
they entreated the House to frame such relief as in its
wisdom it might think fit.—(Cheers.)