The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-09 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 8.

The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four
o'Clock.

Mr. BUSFEILD presented a petition from Malton
against the Scarborough Railway BilL
Colonel WYNDHAM presented a petition from Bed-
font against the Shoreham and Chichester Railway Bill.
Sir CHARLES BURRELL presented similar peti-
tions from different parts of Sussex.
ATHLONE ELECTION.
Mr. Chalmers, the Clerk of the Election Committees,
brought up the evidence taken before the Athlone Elec-
tion Committee.

Mr. C. ROUND brought in the Northern and
Eastern Railway Bill, which was read a first, and ordered
to be read a second time on Monday.
Sir JOHN YARDE BULLER presented a petition
from persons residing on the Beach of Dawlish, stating
that their property would be injured by the South De►on
Railway Bill, and praying that it might not pass into a
law.

Mr. KEMBLE presented a petition from the Rev.
Wm. Paine, against the Guildford Junction Railway Bill.
Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS presented a petition from
the Mayor and Town Council of Liverpool, against the
Birkenhead Improvement Bill.
Sir WILLIAM HEATHCOTE presented a petition
from Winchester, in favour of the railway from Basing-
stoke to Newbury.
On the motion of Sir W. HEATHCOTE, the Newbury
and Basingstoke Railway Bill was read a second time.
SHEFFIELD, ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, AND

MANCHESTER RAILWAY.
Mr. WILSON PATTEN moved the second reading
of this Bill.

Mr. ESTCOURT would just mention that there
were two Bills before the House, and that an application
had been made to the Committee of Selection to appoint
the Committee on one of those Bills. Upon that appli-
cation being made he immediately sent to the agent
for the other Bill, to know if he was ready. His reply
was, that he should not be ready for some time--the
consequence was, that a great hardship was inflicted upon
the parties who were ready at once to go before the
Committee.

Mr. GLADSTONE said, that if parties, for the pur-
pose of creating delay, should be found to take advan-
tage of the rule of that House, which provided that
Bills for competing railway lines should be referred to
the same Committee, he thought some measure ought
to be adopted to prevent such a course being taken.
After a short discussion, the Bill was read a second
time.

NEWPORT DOCKS BILL.
Mr. BLEWITT brought in the Newport Docks Bill,
which was read a first time.

COMMITTEES ON RAILWAY BILLS.
Mr. HINDLEY rose to move the following resolu-
tion •—" That any Member, whose constituents are locally
interested in any competing lines of railway, maybe
permitted to sit upon the Committee appointed. to decide
upon their respective merits, though without being
allowed to vote upon any question arising thereon."
The House, by the resolution to which they had come
the other evening, on the subject of the constitution
of Committees on Railway Bills, had, in fact, given up the
representation of their constituents altogether. Ile ad-
mitted that it was perfectly right that the Members who
had a personal interest in private Bills should be ex-
cluded from the Committees ; but with regard to the
representatives of local interests, their case rested upon
a very different footing. To whom would the country
look for the defence of their local interests, ex-
cept to their respective representatives ? The House
had stultified itself by the resolutions it had come to
on that subject. Did they mean to say that a Member
who represented local interests, had not sufficient know-

ledge or public spirit to give an honest vote ? The real
secret was that certain lion. Members' had not the moral
courage, while they saw two parties among their con-
stituents, to offend either of the parties, and therefore
they were exceedingly glad to shirk their duty.
The presence of the local Member on a Committee would
tend to check some of the back-stairs influence that now
prevailed, and that Member would act under the control
of public opinion. He thought they had departed from
the open English principle in the resolution they had
adopted. If the constituents did not approve of his
conduct they had the remedy in their own hands.
He thought it would be right that the local interest of par-
ticular places should be consulted in such matters, and
that Committees should not be deprived of the advan-
tages of hearing the arguments of those well acquainted
with the details of the matter.

Mr. P. BORTHWICK having seconded the motion,
Mr. GLADSTONE said he thonghohe resolution now
introduced by the Hon Gentleman was superfluous. He
thought the grounds taken in support of his position by the
Hon. Gentleman opposite were quite useless, and he would
even say almost invidious; for in Committees, upon any
other subject, no such powers were ever called for. If
such a power was allowed to exist in the present instance,
a great deal of ineonvenienee would arise, because a
great 'many of those gentlemen who now proposed
to have the right of attending those Committees
would be actuated by different and diScordant interests.
He trusted that the House would feel no hesitation in
negativing the motion.
Mr. W. PATTEN was extremely glad to hear
what had fallen from his Right Honourable
Friend. There had been a great difference of
opinion in Committees as to whether Members
were to be allowed to attend and represent the inte-
rests of their constituents. He thought that if it had
been known at the time when themeasure was introduced
that Members would have the power of stating the case
of their constituents who were not able to appear by
counsel, many who supported the measure would have
voted against it on that express round.
Mr. LAIIO UCHERE agreed in substance with what
had fallen -front the Right Hon. Gentleman. He was
so !aware however, that any Member. of Parliament bad
a right to address the Committee on behalf of his con-
stituents. His impression had hitherto been that the
right extended only to attending the Committee, and
there was the greatest risk of inconvenience through
protracting the proceedings of the Committee unneces-
sarily, if any other principle were adopted. Perhaps
_ the
Speaker would be good enough to state to the House
what was the practice of Parliament in reference to this
matter.

Mr. GLADSTONE said he had not meant to state
that any Member had an absolute right to address the
Committee; all he had meant to say was, that practically
no objection was felt to the making of a statement.
The SPEAKER wished to observe, in reply to the
question of the Right Hon. Gentleman, that no Member
who was not a Member of the Committee had any right
to interfere with the proceedings. He, had no right to
examine witnesses though he might be present in the room.
Dr. BOWRING said that regulation which prevented
Members from interfering with the proceedings of Select
Committees on Railroads, upon which they were
not appointed, had given great satisfaction, and he
thought it was desirable to extend the rule to all other
Select Committees as well as Railway Committees.
After a few words from Mr. H. HINDE,

Mr. HINDLEY withdrew his motion, observing that
if any measure affecting the interests of his constituents
were referred to a Select Committee, he should apply
to that Committee, as a matter of courtesy, to twelve
his suggestions.
The Newbury and Great Western Railway Bill was
read a second time, and ordered to be committed.

Mr. R. PALMER presented a petition from the
landowners on the line, against the Newbury and Great
Western Railway Bill.
The Slamannan Junction Railway Bill was read a
second time, and ordered to be committed. - -
NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.
Mr. MACAULAY presented 4 petition in favour of
the North British Railway, Bill, which-was read a second
time, and ordered to be committed.
NOTICES OF MOTION.- ATHLONE ELECTION.
Mr. W. O. STANLEY gave notice that when the.
Committee on the Athlone election presented their
Report, he should move for a Select Committee to in-
quire into the whole circumstancesittanding the election
for that borough.