The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-06 00:00:00

PERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, July 5.
Their Lordships mgt at Five o'clock.
PETITIONS. _

Oa the motion of the Bishop of OXFORD, this Bil
passed through Committee.
THE PARLIAMENTARY VOTERS (IRELAND:
BILL.

The House having resolved itself into a Committee
on this Bill,
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved an amend-
ment, that the measure should commence to take effect
on the 9th of August next.
Lord srANLEY opposed the amendment, and pro-
posed that the Bill should not come into operation until
the Ist of June, 1351. In his opinion it was quite pos-
sible, considering the various stages through which the
Bill would yet have to pass, that it might not receive
the Royal assent before the period fixed by the Noble
Marquis for its being carried into effect. But even
thoueli it should be passed by the 2d or the 3d of
August, it would in that case be impossible for the
clerks of the peace in Ireland to make out those lists,
and to effect those other arrangements which they
would be required to effect before:the 9th of that month,
if the proposal of the Noble Marquis was adopted.
The Noble Marquis further prop )sed that the re-
gistration under the Bill should take place this
year between the 29th of November and the end
of December. Bat that would be a most inconvenient
period to adopt f)r the pup use, as the days would then
be nearly the shortest, and the weather nearly the se-
verest in the year. He had further to observe that after
the passing of the measure some technical objection
might be successfully urged against carrying it into
operation ; and in that case it would be found extremely I
advantageous that they should not have caused it to
come into effect until after Parliament should have again
assembled, and should be enabled to remove any such
technical objection. He had another reason to advance
against the propo-al of the Noble Marquis. According
to that proposal the registration under the Bill would
not be completed until the month of January, and the
parties registered would be entitled to vote in the month
of February following. But the re-registry would com-
mence on the first of June;_
_so thatetbe.re_woutd be only
lay in p s;sing that Bill would be a consideration of suffi-
cient import ince, nor was it necessary that it should
come into operation on the Ist of June, 1851. He ob-
jected to the insertion of the words "20th of July," and
proposed that other words should be substituted.
The Marq iis of LANSDOWNE thought any altera-
tion like that proposed by the Noble Lord ought to be
proposed at the last stage of the Bill. Parliament had
already during two sessions determined on enlarging the
constituency of Ireland, and the effect of the Noble
Lord's proposition would be to postpone the passing of a
measure on that subject for another year.
Lord MONTEAGLE and the Earl of WICKLOW
were understood to support Lord Stanley's proposition.
Earl GREY said the proposition of the Noble Lord
opposite, if adopted, would have the effect of preventing
the new franchise and the new registration from coming
into operation until the end of the next session of Par-
liament. The Crown was armed with a certain power—
namely, that of dissolving Parliament. The Noble
Lord's proposition would even interfere with that, be-
cause in case of a dissolution between the periods re-
ferred to, the new Parliament was to be elected by a
body of electors which had been already condemned.
Lord STANLEY b:iefly explained, and asked the
Noble Marquis to postpone that question. As for his
alteration he could not postpone it until the last stage,
for all the dates depended upon it. He had a strong ob-
jection to the inconvenient time at which it was pro-
posed the registrations should take place. He said he
should be obliged to take the se'sse of the House upon
the question a; to whether the Noble Marquis's words
should be inserted or not.

The &viol Sr. If ANS thought there was a good
dQal of force in the observations which had fallen from
the Noble Lord.

Earl GREY thought the 13il1 might be made to corn-
merv:e on the Ist of June, 1851; but the second regis-
tration need not take place until June, 1352, and thus
they would have a registratio❑ on a proper basis.
Lord NIONTEA.GLE did not see much in the objet.
tion as to the present period of registration; but consi-
dered the last suggestion a fair compromise.
After a long and desultory conversation, in which
many Noble Lords took part, it was understood that
the question was to be postponed for the present for
reconsideration, but without detriment to the progress
of the Bill.

Tho MArglis of LANSDOWNE then proceeded to
propose some verbal amendments in line 35 of the 3d
clause.

The Earl of Sr. GER, VIANS said he had introduced
a 1111 into the other House of Parliament, in which
there was a short clause giving a 51. franchise where a

freehold existed. Ho suggested that example to the
Noble Marquis.
The Earl of ST. GERMANS brought up the clause re-
ferred to and handed it to the Marquis of Lansdowne.
Lord REDESDALE-was understood to support the
principle of a franchise where there was a freehold and
occupation.

The Marquis of L A.NSDOWNE was then understood
to-I%re') to insert the words " shall be of the net annual
value of 51. over and above all charges thereon."
After a conversation in which Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord
Stlnlcy, and other Noble Lords took part,
Lord MONTEAGLE said it was of essential import-
ance to Ireland to increase the number of small proprie
tors; but then they should be in the occupation of the
land.

Lord BEAUMONT suggested a means by which the
manufacture of improper voters could be prevented, by a
slight change in the working of the Bill.
The Earl of WICKLOW had no apprehension that
fictitious votes would be created, because before that

could be done a person would have to make a convey.

once of his property.
Earl GREY said the object of the Noble Baron would

be obtained by leaving out of the clause the words "at a
rent," and substituting tho words " or under lessee."

Tho clause, as so amended, was then agreed to.
On clause 6,
Lord STANLEY said, though he had an amend-
ment to this clause, he, nevertheless, wished to direct
the attention of the Government to a difficulty with
respect to it, which would equally have arisen if the
8/. qualification had been retained. The present clause
did not relate to the borough franchise alone, but to the
mixed franchise of counties and cities, and provided
that any person rated with respect to any lands, tene-
ments, or hereditaments, to the value of 81., should be en-
titled to a vote. By excluding house occupation, a
county franchise would thus he created on a ratin of
81. only. He did not wish to raise the borough franchise
to a 151. rating; but, at the same time, he did not wish
to lower the county franchise to the same amount as
that for boroughs. Another pint required attention.
It was provided in the that in boroughs persons
should be entitled to vote on an 8/. rating, if such per-
sons had paid the p.)or-rates due by them. Now, under
the poor-law, as it at present stood, persons who occupied
a house of the value of 8/. only, were exempted from the
p%ymentlof poor-rates, these being paid by the lessors.
--(Hear.) The result would be a class of voters who
might vote without having paid any rates at all.
The Earl of CARLISLE said there was another
clause which provided that all these 81. occupiers should
eay.kieir own rates.
!ken agreed to.

f; ,:NE'fri• V:?,\, ~ said this clause Would enable per
.._'''..... la"
ilow, fvr Grovels *3 joint °couplers. LW dicl pot
e,..:-.-------1

a s

Lord FOLEY presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of St. George's Hanover square complaining of the
defective state cf the sewerage.
The Marquis of LONDONDERY presented a peti-
tion from Sunderland in favour of the Small Tenants
Rating Bill.
Lord BEAUMONT presented several petitions in
favour of the County Courts Extension Bill; also several
petitions in favour of a real Ten Hours Bill.
The Duke of RICHMOND presented several petitions
complaining of agricultural distress. He hoped the
House of Commons would do their duty to-night, and
repeal the malt-tax, and then the agriculturists would
hare justice done to them; also several petitions against
the relay system.
The Bishop of MANCHESTER presented a petition
against the relay system.
Earl GREY presented several petitions in favour of
the Marriage Act Amendment Bill.
Lord S I'ANLEY presented several petitions in favour
of a real Ten Hoere Bill.
EXHIBITION OF 1851.
Lord CAMPBELL explained, in allusion to what fell
from the Noble Lord last night, that his Hon. Relative
had signed an address in favour of the Exhibition, with-
out any allusion to Hyde-park as the place in which it
was to ba held. He lamented that the trees had bee❑
cut down, and he did not lament it the less because a
new grove was to be planted in lieu of it.
The Earl of GRANVILLE could not draw back from
the statement he made yesterday, which was, that in the
month of April last, two months after Hyde-park had
been fixed upon as the site of the exposition, Mr.
Campbell bad signed an address stating that the pro-
posed exhibition would be most beneficial to the metro-
particularly to the western part of it. He had
also to state that Mr. Justice Cresswell had stated that
he thought that the exposition would be most incon-
venient to himself and his neighbours, but that he had
never given any opinion as to its legality.
Lord CAMPBELL said that his relative had signed
an. address, in which no reference had been made to the
site. Mr. Justice Cresswell's opinion would be best
gathered from the petition to which he had attached his
signature.
The Earl of WICKLOW said that there was a locality
in the neighbourhood of the Regent's-park, near the
railway, admirably adapted as a site for the exhibition.
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH wished to know
what understanding had been come to with Foreign
powers in the event of any malicious injury being done
to the property of foreigners exposed in the exposition.
In Edinburgh some years ago damage was done to
goode, but as no buildings were demolished no damages
could le) recovered. He wished to know if they were to
act on the precedent of D Pacifico ?
The;Marquis of LANSDOWNE had no doubt but
that if, in the case alluded to, the son of the Secretary at
War had joined in the spoliation, compensation would
have been given.
DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES.
Lord BEAUMONT asked if it was true that the ne-
gotiations which had for the object the termination of the
differences between Denmark and the Duchies had been
successful ?
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said he had the sa-
tisfaction of stating that under ttfb mediation of this
country a treaty had been concluded settling all the dif-
ferences existing between Denmark and Prussia.
THE UPTON- CUJI-CEIALVEY MARRIAGES
VALIDITY BILL.
_ _