The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-09 00:00:00

session there had been a very great economy of public
time. He was afraid that the first part of the session
would be occupied in bringing forward the grievances
which were supposed to have -accumulated during the
recess. They could not expect that in the early part of
the session the details of legislation would occupy seri-
ous and continuous attention ; but still he did think
that by a prevalent feeling on the part of the Members
of that House, and the concurrence of political parties,
they might enable Parliament to separate at an earlier
period. He was sure that no parties could have a greater
interest in shortening the duration of the session than the
Government ; for it was almost impossible for them, as
the Noble Lord must be aware, properly to attend to their
executive duties, and to sit in Parliament for six or
seven months in the year and for eight or nine hours a
day. The attendance of a Minister there was unavoid-
able. If he were absent, it was perhaps supposed that
he was enjoying his ease, when in fact be was attending
to his official duties, for the neglect of which he would be
responsible. He was rather sorry to hear the vague in-
timations of the Noble Lord with respect to measures
for improving the condition of the labouring claSses. In
the importance of that subject he entirely concurred.
He could not conceive anything more important than that
those to whose labours they were so much indebted, and
who constituted, in fact, the stamina of the country,
should be in the condition in which they could desire to
see them. He should listen attentively to any proposal
which might be made for ameliorating their condition,
but he did not wish to encourage the expectation that a
Committee of the whole House could enable the labourer
to obtain a fair day's wages for a fair day's
work. With respect to the Noble Lord's encourage-
ment to the agricultural interest to expect some
reduction of the malt tax, and also some reduction in
the amount of the county expenditure. The Noble
Lord seemed to admit that those were burdens which
pressed upon agriculture, and, therefore, that there ought
to be protection to agriculture.
Lord J. RUSSELL said he had always stated that.
Sir R. PEEL was very glad to hear it, and he was
glad that the Noble Lord came down to the House at the
close of the session to give an assurance to the agricul-
turists that he did not wish to deprive them of protec-
tion. Ile did not -wish, however, to purchase the good-
will of the agriculturists by giving any assurance with
respect to the malt-tax.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble
Lord said he did not intend to take a review of the
legislative measures of the session, and he (Sir
Robert Peel) had not the slightest doubt that
he did not take that course, because he thought on
general principles such a course objectionable. But al-
though the Noble Lord had not taken that course, he
ventured to say that there never was a session in which
there had been more important and more efficient
legislation than in the present one. It was trite
that the Ecclesiastical Courts' Bill had been
postponed, because it was stated by its op-
ponents, that they were determined it should
not pass into law. But with respect to the general
measures of legislation he reaffirmed that their never was
a session in which the Government had been more suc-
cessful in passing measures of importance to tne well-
being of the country. He must at the same time admit
that in many of those measures her Majesty's Govern-
ment had received a cordial support uninfluenced by any
party feeling from Gentlemen on the other side. Well
now, as the Noble Lord would not he (Sir R. Peel)
would just take a review of the measures which had been
passed during the present session.
Mr. HAWES—Not the dates of the Bills.
Sir R. PEEL thougnt that would be rather an un-
interesting subject, though he was glad that the Hon.
Gentleman, who attended so sedulously to his duties,
had laid the foundation of so much agreeable
amusement during the vacation.—(Loud laughter.)
Now, in the first place, he would refer to
the Poor-law Bill. Though the temper and
ability of his Right Hon. Friend that Bill had been passed
with the concurrence of those who were at first inclined
to oppose it. An important measure had been paised,
regulating the hours of labour in four branches of the fac-
tories. With respect to financial matters it could not
be said that the Ministry had not done all that could be
done ; 2,500,0001. had been saved to the country an-
nually, by the reduction of the Three-and-a-Half per
Cents. That was an honourable and permanent saving.
Then with respect to the currency, it was to be hoped
that they had placed it upon a safe and judicious footing
The Bank Charter Bill had been also passed without any
opposition, and the future regulation of joint-stock banks
had also been placed upon a sound foundation; added to
this, the law had been awended with respect
to insolvent debtors, and a final blow had also
been struck against the imprisonment for debt.
The Government had also passed the Dissenters Chapels
Bill, which would put an end to endless litigation. A
Bill haeLbeen introduced also for the purpose of placing
upon a proper foundation Presbyterian marriages in
Ireland. They had also passed a Bill with respect to
Charitable Donations and Bequests, which he had very
little doubt would be productive of the best results.
These measures, although of less importance, still added
to the aggregate amount of legislation. Then there had
been two very important Bills passed, applying the prin-
ciple of prescription to the property of the Duchy of
Cornwall, thus settling questions which had been the
subject of litigation for many years, giving the
Duchy tenants a more permanent interest in their hold-
ings, and promoting, he firmly believed, the permanent
interest of the Duchy itself. Another very im-
portant Bill was that for regulating the con-
struction of buildings in the metropolis. He thought
he had now said enough to show that
the statement with which he set out, was correct—that
there had never been a session more remarkable for
its amount of useful and beneficial legislation placed
upon record. If, therefore, the Noble Lord had been
disposed to imitate the example of others, and give a re-
view of the session, he would have been able to have
give a much more satisfactory account than others had
been able to give of former sessions. The Right Hon.
Gentleman opposite had made a reference to some recent
proceedings in Ireland. Now he (Sir Robert Peel)
would not be provoked into entering upon any dis-
cussion of that subject.— (Hear, hear.) The only
part of the Noble Lord's speech that took the character
of an attack upon the Government, was that in which
he made a reference to these proceedings. He stated that
the Government had given no notice of their intention to
prohibit proceedings which they thoughtdangerous to the
public peace; at length the Government did vindicate the
law, and charged the parties engaged in them with a
conspiracy—the oats from which the evidence of that
conspiracy were to be gathered extending over a period
of several months.

rLEFT SPEAKING.]

IMPER/AL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, August 8.
POOR-LAW BILL.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE moved the third reading of
the Poor-law Amendment Bill.
Lord TEYNHAM moved the insertion of a clause, as
an amendment, giving the poor-law guardians, in some
cases, a dispensing power to order out-door relief to the
mother of a bastard child. He supported the amend-
ment on the ground that it would prevent the subjects
of the relief being contaminated by the intercourse with
the inmates of the workhouse.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE objected to the insertion of
the amendment, on the ground that it was a further in-
vasion of the principle that no person should have re-
lief out of the workhouse. He saw no reason why the
mother of a bastard child should be made an exemption.
The amendment was negatived without a division.
Lord TEYNHAM proposed a clause to the effect that
where a married pauper went to a distant part of the
country to obtain work, it might be lawful for the board
of guardians to give relief to his family during his
absence. He thought it but fair that while a
poor man did all that lay in his power to obtain
work, rather than go into the workhouse, that his family
should get relief while he was away for this laudable
object. He did not know on what grounds the clause
could be opposed.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE opposed the clause. If a
man was honest and trustworthy he would have no diffi-
culty in getting work in his own parish.
The clause was negatived without a division, and
the Bill passed.
DUCHY OF CORNWALL ASSESSIONABLE