The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-14 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—LAST EVENING.
The LORD eaa,NcELLon took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock,

PETITION.
Lord KIMBERLEY presented a petition from the
Custom-house officers of 'the port of London in favour of
the bill for the admission of Customs and revenue officers
to the privileges of the franchise.
Lord REDESDALE gave notice that on Thursday
next he should move for a copy of her Majesty's Corona-
tion Oath.

INCREASE OF RATES ON RAILWAYS.
Lord TAUNTON moved to resolve that no railway bill
that proposed to increase rates should be read a second
time until a special report from the Board of Trade should
have been laid upon the table.
Lord CAMOYS said that after the reception that the
propositlau for an increase of rates had received, and
the expression of opinion on the part of their lordships'
house, he thought that the present bill was uncalled for.
He considered that the committees of the house were
quite as competent to deal with the matter as the Beard of
Trade.

Lord ItEDESDALE considered that it was impDssible
to overrate the importance of this question. He must say
that he did not approve of the reference of the noble lord
to the Board of Trade. He thought that the railways had
no right to ask for an increase of rates. There was a con-
tract between the railway company and the public, and if
for some concessions they reduced their faros, they ought
to be compelled to maintain them at the rate they had re-
duced them to. He objected to the Board of Trade
because the railway interest had great weight with it, and
any favourable report as to railways issuing from it would
have in the house the Government in favour of it. He
should propose that a certain number of the Standing
Orders Committee should be appointed to investigate
into the matter. It should consist of the chairman of com-
mittees and two members.

The Marquis of SALISBURY said that the noble lord
appeared to have laid down—first, that any increase in the
railway fares must bo wrong; and secondly, that any person
speaking in favour of the railway companies, must be cor-
rupt. They had this in the observation as to the Board of
Trade, than whom a more pure body under the Govern-
ment he thought did not exist. He believed that a too rigid
exercise of repression had been carried on against railway
companies, and he would assert that this was the cause of
half the evils that arose. It was to the interest of the
public to exercise a generous legislation towards railway
companies. He earnestly hopod that the house would
never consent to such measures as the noble lord would
carry out.
Earl GRANVILLE quite agreed with the noble
marquis that they should not adopt the proposition of the
noble Chairman of Committees. He would suppose that a
railway showed that it could nct work at the rates it was
charging, and if these circumstances came before the
Board of Trade they could act upon them. Ho trusted,
therefore, that they would adopt the proposal of his noble
friend.

The Duke of CLEVELAND, who, while allowing the
impossibility of drawing a hard and fast line, was opposed
generally to an increase of fares, but believed that the pre-
sent motion might meet the difficulties of the case.
Lord CLANRICARDE urged the right and need of the
public to protection, and the expediency of putting its in-
terests under the care of the Minister of Trade.
The Duke of RICHMOND repudiated what, in fact, were
charges of dishonesty against the Board of Trade, and
which should not have been made unless the accuser was
prepared to substantiate them. Ito was favourable to the
motion.

Lord FIOLIGHTON held that the freer railway com-
panies were left to adopt means for remunerating them-
selves the better would it be for the public, which would
lose in accommodation and safety more than it would gain
pecuniarily by compulsory lowness of faros.
Lord FORTESCUE considered that Lord Taunton's
plan might afford that protection to the public interests
which at present was left to tho accident of those interests
happening to coincide with the private interests of the
opponents of the bill, usually some rival company
Lord REDESDALE having explained that he had not
accused the Board of Trade of corruption, but only of a
susceptibility to bias from a railway influence which did
exist there,
The motion was put and carried.

Lord ABINGEE moved the second reading of the Re-
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Lord KIMBERLEY moved the second reading of the
Burials (Ireland) Bill.
The Archbishop of ARMAGH Was not opposed to the
principle of the principle of the bill ; but he moved an
amendment that it should be referred to a select committee
on the ground that it did not discriminate between dif-
ferent kinds of churchyards, and had defects—eg., con-
taining no provision for due notice to the incumbent,
which would b 3 productive of as much inconvenience to
the Roman Catholics and Dissenters as to Churchmen.

Lord WESTMEATII hold the same view, but after
remarks by Lords Granville, Lyttelton, and Malmesbury,
to the effect that they saw no reason for a reference to a
select committee, the Archbishop of Armagh withdrew
his amendment.

The Compulsory Church Rates Abolition Bill (Amend-
ments) was read a third i,ime and passed, after some ob-
servations by the Bishop of London and Lord Derby, pro-
tests by the Bishop of Glocester, who declared that he
preferred total abolition, and by Lord Lyttelton, and a
brief defence of the principle of the amended bill by the
Lord Chancellor.

Several other bills were advanced a stage, and the house
adjourned at nine o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock.
REVENUE OFFICERS' DISABILITY BILL.

Mr D. GRIFFITH asked the Secretary to the Trea-
sury whether the authorities:of the Post-office were not
unanimous in approving and supporting the bill for the
removal of the revenue officers' disability ?

Mr. BOOTH said he had no knowledge on the subject,
but he did not think that anything had been received at
the Treasury which would warrant them in coming to
that conclusion.