The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-14 00:00:00

JOINT STOCK BANKS.

London & Westminster. 20
Provincial of Ireland ... 25
Union of Australia
MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, FEB. 12.—We cannot
report any material change in our market to-day; a fair
business has been done at steady prices :—Birmingham and
Gloucester, New Shares, 43A ; Bristol and Exeter, 82 ex new ;
Edinburgh and Glasgow, 641 ; Ditto, New Quarters, 6 ;
Great Southern and Western (Irish) Extension, 7; London
and Brighton, 54 ex div. ; Manchester and Leeds, Quarter
Shares, 14 ; Ditto, Sixteenth Shares, 61% %; Manchester
and Birmingham, 65; Ditto, Quarter Shares, 111, ,• Man-
chester, Bury, and Rossendale, 10% 11% ; Sheffield and
Manchester,lo4 ; South-Eastern, Scrip, 814 pm. ; Birkenhead,
Manchester, and Cheshire Junction, 71%s %; Blackburn,
Burnley, and Accrington, 614 6 ; Bolton,Wigan, and Liverpool,
81/, 714 ; Caledonian, 6%; Cambridge and Lincoln, 3% ;
Churnet Valley, 9 834; Huddersfield and Manchester Rail-
way and Canal, 53/4 %; Leeds and West Riding Junction,
61 ; Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston, 31,E ; London and
Worcester, Oxford and Rugby, 41/8 4 1-16; London and
York, 634 ; Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and Chester Junction, 3';
Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Dudley, &c., 6% ; Trent
Valley, 16% %; West Yorkshire, 4; Bordeaux and Tou-
louse, ; Great Northern of France, (English), 5 13-16.

EARLDOM, OF PANMURE.—A petition of Mr. W.
Maule, praying that her Majesty will be graciously pleased
to adjudge and declare " that he has right to the titles,
honours, and dignities of the Earldom of Panmure, and Lord
Brechin and Navar," was presented by command of her Ma-
jesty on Tuesday to the Rouse of Lords, and it was referred
to the Committee of Pdvileges.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. .
HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 13.
Lord STANLEY having been summoned by writ 14,6
House of Lords, under the title of Lord StanleY,;-
Knowsley, was introduced to-day by Lords Redistlale
and Wharncliffe, and took the oaths and his seat. •
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the W,pol-
.
sack. y
Lord CAMPBELL trusted that their Lordships Would
allow him to introduce two Bills, and lay them on the
table, which he had introduced last session, stud
had received the cordial assent of that House, but
which had been defeated in the House of Commons, in
consequence of some misunderstanding as to their ope-
ration in Scotland. The object of the Bill was, that
where persons who were indebted to parties in this
country left it and resided in foreign parts, process
might be served upon them, judgment obtained
against them, and their property secured for the benefit
of their creditors. Now, since last session, he had
had a communication with the Lord-Advocate of Scot-
land, and he had stated to him that he would not oppose
the Bills. One Bill was with respect to England, arid
the other to Ireland, and with respect to Scotland one
was not necessary.
The LORD CHANCELLOR trusted his Noble
and Learned Friend, before he read the Bill a first time,
would give him an opportunity of seeing the Lord-
Advocate. of Scotland.

Lord CAMPBELL—Certainly.
Leave was then given to bring in the Bills.
EQUALISING THE RATES ON RAILWAYS.
Lord HATHERTON, in presenting a petition from
various parties in the county of Stafford, praying for
an equalisation of the rates charged for passenger traffic
on railways, said that the subject was one that was
well worth the attention of the Noble Earl at the head
of the Board of Trade, and of her Majesty's
Government. It was a subject which had begun to ex-
cite the greatest attention, particularly in the manufac-
turing districts. It might not be generally known to
their Lordships, that there was a loss of 1,200 per cent.
in the rate of carriage for passengers by third-class
trains as compared with goods ; for as ld. per mile was
charged for passengers, and only ld. per ton for
goods, and as it was computed that twelve passengers,
with their luggage, constituted a ton, it followed, there-
fore, that there was a consequent difference of 1,200 per
cent. He allowed that there must be a difference of ex-
pense in the construction of such carriages as were in-
tended to carry passengers, but if they considered
the incidental expenses which attended the
transmission of goods, they would find that the peti-
tioners had good reason to complain of the enormous
difference in the rate of charges. If there was a loss
attending the transmission of goods at the present rates,
the petitioners prayed that such loss should not fall
upon the travelling public. lie had made these observa-
tions for the purpose of calling their Lordships' attention
to the subject.
The Earl of DALIIOUSIE said that, as the Board
of Trade was at present constituted, they could not
enter into the consideration of the question which the
Noble Lord had brought forward. Undoubtedly, the
question was of the utmost importance, and would, no
doubt, be taken into considerstion by the Government.
Beyond that, his Noble Friend would not expect him to
say anything.
OFFICIAL ASSIGNEES.

Lord BROUGHAM moved for a return of the sums of
money which had been lodged in the hands of official
assignees in the Court of Bankruptcy during the two
years ending January, 1845, together with all the sums
at present remaining in their hands.
HEALTH OF TOWNS.

The Marquis of NORMANBY, after presenting a
petition in favour of the Government Medical Reform
Bill, gave notice that in a few days he should present a
petition agreed to at a public meeting, held at Exeter,
Hall, praying the House to take measures for the im-
provement of drainage in large towns.
RAILWAYS AND THE BOARD OF TRADE.
Lord DALHOUSIE said, in pursuan^e of the notice
he had given on a former evening, he rose to bring under
the consideration of their Lordships, the report of the
railway department of the Board of Trade, re-
lative to the South-Western Railway schemes. He
did not intend to go fully into the question then,
but simply to lay before their Lordships a few
statements respecting the constitution of the Rail-
way Board, and the course they had adopted in
arriving at the conclusions to which they had come to
with regard to the South-Western projects. It would be
in the recollection of their Lordships that, in the past
session of Parliament, a Committee was appointed by the
other House, for the purpose of inquiring into their mode
of railway legislation. After a very full review of the sub-
ject, and canvassing the inconvenience and deficiencies
which existed in the prevailing Railway system of legis-
lation, the Committee arrived at the conclusion, that
it was desirable that there should be some Railway
Board in connexion with the Government, who should
have powers to institute preliminary inquiries into the
railway projects which it was intended to ask the
Legislature to sanction by Acts of Parliament. The
report was adopted by the House of Commons,
and in consequence of this adoption alterations
to meet the change were made in the standing order of
both Houses. Arrangements were made to establish a
department for considering the details of these railways,
and the Government, having appointed a Board, consist-
ing of four officers and a president, the details of the
various railway projects were immediately given.
The result of these inquiries were laid before the public
as soon as they were known, but the reasons for the
conclusions of the Board were deferred to
an after period. Those reasons would be
laid before both Houses in a general report.
From %hat was passing out of doors and in another place
since the commencement of the present session, great ap-
prehension had prevailed as to what was the real juris-
diction of the Railway Board, or what was the authority
to be given to its reports. It was stated, that to consti-
tute a Board of this description in connexion with the
executive Government, consisting of five gentlemen con-
nected with the Government, from whom was to issue
a report as to whether a certain railway project
should go on or not—that to give to any
board such authority would be objectionable and
dangerous in the highest degree. But still further if
the reports were to be adopted on the measures of the
Government itself, the effect would be to substitute the
reports of the Board for the enactments of Parlia-
ment itself. Now, if such a thing had been dreamed of
for ono moment—if it had been for an instant imagined
that such authority should be given to the Board, any
objection would be reasonable to the last degree,
and no one would urge them more than himself.
Nothing, however, of the kind had entered the
mind of the Government. They had never supposed
that the report of the Board should be final, and
it was to him a matter of surprise how any
one could have imagined such a state of things. If the
question had arisen out of doors, he should not have
noticed it ; but as it had been raised in the other House
of Parliament,andinasmuch as erroneous impressions had
prevailed on the subject, he thought it necessary, on the
part of Government, to state what the real character of the
reports were. These reports were only to be considered
as aids to Parliament, in order that they might come to
a proper conclusion with respect to which one of
the competing lines was the best and the most
calculated for the benefit of the public.—(Hear.)
They had assumed no such authority. Whatever might
be said or thought of the decisions of the Board of Trade,
would not influence in any way those decisions, or make
the members of it a bit more rigid in examining into the
conflicting claims of rival projectors. But there was
another consideration, and that was the powers given by
Parliament. The Board was on no account to consider the
claims of private interests, which were reserved exclu-
sively for the Houses of Parliament :—thus private
matters were entirely excluded from their decisions.
The reports issued by the Board were never intended to
be of a conclusive character; they were merely intended
to be laid before Parliament, and there to be used as it
in its wisdom might think fit and proper. He had one
or two observations to make, with respect to remarks
which had arisen in the other House regarding their
proceedings. The Board had been termed a secret
tribunal. It had been said that they conducted their
proceedings with closed doors, and that their
ordinary mode of conducting the business of
the Board was out of the ordinary course
of other courts of inquiry. But it should be remem-
bered that that Board was not armed with any autho-
rity of a serious character ; and if they were to hear
counsel, if parties were to be examined and cross-
examined, the grievance to the public would in-
deed be of an enormous character, and the ex-
penses in which parties would be involved would
be a greater burden than any now complained of.
It had been said that if they did not do so, the least
they could do would be to call the parties interested be-
fore them, and to hear what they severally had to urge.
He thought that neither their Lordships nor the public
could be aware of what must necessarily have happened
in such a case, or it never could have been considered
that this was the most effectual method of eliciting the
truth. He would ask any person who knew the
feelings by which rival railway proprietors
were actuated, what would have been the effect
of their calling before them the proprietors of the Cen-
tral London and York Company, and the directors of
the Midland Counties Company, to discuss at length the
merits of their respective schemes? If that experiment
had been tried once, he was convinced that it would have

at that time been abandoned on account of its impracti-
cability. But it had been said that, at least, they might
have heard all that could have been urged by the vari-
ous parties interested. It had been stated out of doors,
and also in another place, that he (Lord Dalhousie)
had distinctly stated that the Board of Trade
would Rot attempt to hear the contradictory
statements of competing parties. It had been imputed
to him that he had said that if the Board of Trade were
to attempt such a thing it would be physically impossible
for them to get through their business. Without im•
puting any intentional misrepresentation to any parties,
he could assure their Lordships that he had made no
such admission. What he had stated was, that having
heard the statements of objections to any lines, it was
impossible that he could receive deputations to state the
same objections a second time, for deputations had
often sought interviews with them for the purpose
of merely repeating and reiterating those objections
which had been previously made. Now, if such a course
of proceeding were admitted they could never get
through their business. They could not grant repeated
personal interviews to all those who requested them.
What he had said was, that it was physically impossible
to receive personal interviews, and deputations a second
time. Persons applied at the outset for second and third
interviews, merely to re-argue the same thing. On that
account the Board was obliged to decline those inter-
views, and thus requested parties to address the Board
in writing, if they had any fresh objections to urge.
Now he would take an instance in support of what had
been stated. There was the case of the London
and York, and to supply that district their
Lordships were aware that there were three
schemes in the field—the Louden and Yak

t~

•
the Direct N'OpttiVn, and the Cambridge and Lincom•
Had the Leilqtri ind York been granted a second ink
.•
vievt, the egt,et, " ties, of course, would have demotic°
the same ence, and thus they slight hey,:
gone on We/ finitum with respect to ele's,
schemes. Se with respect to the Goole scheteed
ace Syston Ind. Peterborough, and Swinton 06(1
Line°l6: Vteeliliordships must be aware that a line he,
to be drawn 'somewhere, and the lice the liloard
drawn was, that but one interview should 11;
grants d ; and thus had said to the parties, if you bed
any fresh' matter to communicate, we are ree
to receive it. Their Lordships would not think that
the'Board lacked information when he informed O
Wog
le'
that having been in existence but six months, they f
receiving at the rate of 9,000 papers a year respecti _
railway schemes. Of documentary evidence, therein
they had abundance. He now came to another dos e,
objections to which he wished to direct their Lordships.
attention. It had been said that the Board Id pot pro
sess the confidence of the public, nor were they en to
to have it. It had been asked by way of cluestiet °ubeeo
which it had been supposed that no answer had
and ee•
given, whether the Board had not a personal and rlad
niary interest in railway matters, and whether theYdeei.
not, by obtaining previous information as to the, ear
sions of the Board which were forthcoming, enable
ste
ties to go to the Stock Exchange and to sPee eee-
there. Now, if that statement had been never
fined to the public journals, he could 0105,
have mentioned it in Parliament; but these rumbaed
affecting the efficiency of the Board itself, 111000
sounded loudly in the ears of Parliament, imptesel.
especially with respect to one member of that mweala
He (Lord Dalhousie) trusted that their LordshiPs time
not consider that he was occupying. t,h.eirta die
with trifles, if he attempted to vineoca-olie
reputation of an able and honest servant of the P f the
Mr. Porter and Mr. Laing, two other Members of
Board, did not possess, and he believed never ha eased
sessed a single share. Mr. O'Brien had once Pesholhe
shares, but he did not now possess any, p 0 railßsy
done so since he had been a member of the ese
Board. He was present when the appointa3elltoilf
offered to Mr. O'Brien, and that gentleman voluntobef
stated that he was in possession of a nrie the
of shares. The interview took place A' talice
26th of July, and on the 6th of August he place
of
measures to get rid of his shares, and on the 2u ch'is
tember he irrevocably parted with every and all 00 the
terest in any railway shares whatever. This °lnd
"-
2d of September. The Board did net :jigs,'
to go into the consideration of thesee°obeli
schemes until the first week in P slag
so that Mr. O'Brien did not possess a seeded
railway share for three months previous to the neritit
of the Board. Then it was said a spirit of my,— 'PI
had been shown by this Board in certain railway - face
allegation he need scarcely notice because on thefotb,
it there was ample evidence of its utter want2tele,."
After one of the Great Western Company's r°`ouatri'
person sent him a paper from the -bich l
in
with a black cross on a paragraph, we
was suggested the whole of the Board of Trauosibfq
wear the ticket or badge of the Great Western rough;
Company.—(Laughter.) A charge had bee a gr:a
against Captain O'Brien, that he had display e het'
partiality for the Dover Company, solely becauwebis
a brother connected with that line. ;lea Of.
not a mere rumour ; it had been clit.,Tfibiele,P;
public prints in the other House of ie. eV'
and it was hardly possible for him to sit still se be
the character of every one of his colleagues tebserd
pugned in this way. But the charge was as su ose tb°
pp
was wholly unfounded in truth. Did they etc°once
oe
the other members of the Board would otidoeterii
partiality, without gain, inducement, or they
whatsoever? Did any person suppose that PO
have ventured to take upon themselves sileu,.;ause ,01
lutely without inducement, and merely "`"„nsr„;
brother of one of their colleagues was the teln'ose to,'o"
a particular company? Could any man °Pro he he
sitting in the chair of that Board, responsible s tbeto
to Parliament for their immediate transactiouue'r or ci;
would be such a fool as to suffer a single me,el,,„utif ielest
Board to evince partiality for this or that rs""jtebe
came before them The charge was ridiculetles,' told •
an absurdity scarcely worth contradiction. soP,he
preposterous to do so in any case, and d9uowe'les of
case like this. Now what were the cireurasta osekoe
case? The South-Eastern Company bad PI also 'ef
comprehensive schemes. Other schemes 11% not sod
proposed, upon the merits of which he w°l,l'
say anything. They were before their L°l.der
no one could doubt their competency to eetilbe euE
In addition to the merits of their schernei flo0e;00
Eastern Company, adopting the view of we enjeetisi
Commons last session, had addressed 11,er°3thele,cioce
to the Board of Trade, in
d to
offered the following advantages, v'z' thres,
the rate of fares over all their old andlit ity;eetli
calculate them upon, not the eightreig-450
Dover, but the seventy-four miles. They -a Oise
to take reduced fares for the second class, .airil,ebiss p)e,"
given double accommodation to the thir the to
sengers. They had also agreed to lay d°wlal to rter
trical telegraph for the whole distance, 1111,0trei,Vg
Parliament for the purpose of obtaining mere'-
minus at Hungerford- bridge; and they for all tjet
that that should be made a central terminus, to do r°•ways; and, in addition to that, they offereu., to ifste
which was a matter of great importance, s 2 00,0
vide the only link of communication round we 005'0r
coast of the country, which link would giveibile
uninterrupted line of accommodation from Isade'der
polis to within eight or nine miles of the 1:695 Oloti
They offered, also, to put their old and new 'i-tber tier
the option of purchase. Such were the Offers so oat
made; and when the Board agreed to the t 1 the
reason could be found for their doing 00..1, r
brother of one of the Committee was a luew„-ceb be
company. It was ridiculous to make ,s:geeSAsse
ments; and, in justice to his 0118101 0
felt bound to make the observations he la 105„,Ill
There was another point to which he Is:ellthiSe.(lo3.self.
direct their Lordships' attention; and he did cnr
on the part of the other Members as „""of 000'
It had been asserted that private informati°'ertaletW
cisions of the Board had been circulated to f,e th,oo,
ties before those decisions were made Puhil 01011
enabling frauds, in the shape of commercial Appoint' gr
to be perpetrated upon the public. On th by ro
far as the general allegation went, he met it
that oi°
neral a denial, and for himself he would siiii.oroallebe/
one occasion had he given the slightest hilt° to el
any person as to what those decisions We ~,bO.OO to
(Cheers)—and as far as the other gentlemen
lola liscl
posed the Board were concerned, he was ilisilliousie)esSil
inform their ships that he or 131
eto
called the Board Lord together, and he(L hadd ttbhe io ore
to them, and those gentlemen had author's other 00
that they were willing, upon oath, or if ilekig, bit
solemn mode could be devised, they were IretlY ti
mode, to say that they had never, either 04. doolloei
directly,giren the slightest information couti'llear, Po,
the probable decisions of the Board.-- isions stet
P
There were two modes of giving those deeottber 001
public ; they must either defer them alti,givet
laid before Parliament, or they Laus'oooleii'betii,;
t
to the public almost in the ~eetili3O
decision. The latter course was open to Objects
was clear that by the former mode, the 011ie ve'el
decisions might accidentally be made Pes of Mt oP
creased a hundred-fold. When the sche,raediffere_l the
peting companies, with the remarks of tale 'par': iris
cers in the department were returned to t'
be (Lord Dalhousie) made a memoranda be Deest-e'elie
the other papers, he circulated through
ro" aneerojeehl
order that each Member should in like acre
their own memorandums. Now, if those Pben, be
any possibility been seen by third partiee,„,lo bat yea
such information might have been obtahleZon beet 01,
alluded to in another place. Every preen, pr. 010
taken that human ingenuity could suggest t 001'
but Members of the Board from having th ielo
papers. They had not even been entrust,loo
nary official messengers. The papers 11'14,0 nth l',1;
a box and locked up with n new lock, ofd hey, etocvii,
had the key. He had "given the box aerd, 0-11°00ar.,
own hands, to another Member of the 13„?e, of the Thef,,
in like manner give it to another Mettlue`
and so on, until it was returned t exeer..l eecl
was no key to that box, With the, his oveu_bers
the master-key, which he wore rouno $ teeivoibi.
The box was never out of the custody.°;" beiv.;
the Board of Trade, and it was PhYs'et• soe
for any one but a member of the Board 0, of the 00 41,
access to it. With respect to the decisionscorae totsiee;
they had all, with one exception, heel The of t
day on which they had been publishe
seeretarfotlisto
had been written at the Board by
Board; the notices for the Gazette ha heenopPfeecl.P_,,ledi:
the Board by the secretary, and had b,eeedu,e of tbevit;.
there. No one could have any WTI 1;e d bee
t be tbe
cisions until after their publication joutes
elm
might be considered that after those GO.
placed in the hands of the editor i_t_uased ; Pou_oect_':
responsibility of the Board of Trade "roes ow pet!
ent those iocm
had taken every precaution to prev use of • do tf•
with the Gazette from an impropert_used et foilthe
ments. The Stock Exchange was elv hods °' pbr
tor until it was so near four o'clock
Mean; hour. into
and the papers were never put into the tit
°TOO%
tally impossible that he could by
.senfoY
re
ance reach the Stock Exchange D that Peoter.ilied
this vindication before their Lordship d been _
_bst,
was aware that it was not necessary. fsorbhoirhte°fsesiltdet7prg
whet na cal° -ede
upon to do so in consequence of
eculaWrs' bad TO
it. But suppose that railway sp
_f Trade,.oo of
upon the decisions of the Board
the inteetti 0 lieeittv,
purchases, it did not follow that
oy
person ot
_rod h
.4
for L. ,ast yearsTe cOOl4
Board had been made public ;
shrewdness, looking at the reports 0" ;
oi a,
boa - t Isn attar °00:i
ing seen the early reports of the
calculate upon the principle on
riu 1. eater
proceed. Many of the Journal Them P_ gr.
calculations of their decisionos.
secure Tar, boot.
which they decided was
/cities of rarlia!sted
advantage to the public.—( review oid be tr,,_alie
Their decisions were open to the they eeotud V;ieci
If those decisions were erroneout
ttu
b the 13°,5rsk, attlieb
as a mass of worthless papers,. hooryoar
had endeavoured to discharge I;7_ responsy°.'_ut ff.
as it was with the most opprersemot, witere o.s tns;sl
by r rithis
nationprineial
had been laid on them
adopte° to the of that the
or fear, and they had
guide—that having a due reside ,:o favour ,untrY
decl(lieve' to the (cilear.) the
lwoheaiclhinateprpeesatsretdheyto shthoeumld
tfo
Ebiie wasotioe
greatest attainable amount 0 e
red that trthe ettibe
Lord BROUGHAM cons! He
engage too, I...ase,
most important subject which Ba
beggedb'out eeci
of Parliament of late years. hewas a _ deepA ia
outset of the few remarks him by 70,0101:0
h
not on'Y t„, 01 barge
aainixdiolislicehonswidTerreateioxntroafcttehde
girroosl7 intereetso'sbselpoo
the question—he bagged leave,.os_es, fro. iv
.e13,.4.
Noble Friend, but also his coil legaj
never D.••• rd th air.00, 107.. r
whatever. Indeed, he had heard 0 o
d 'Dose bow
tion that evening. He had ailer*
being brought against them till Imif 110 COMA% g
finbid—(Laughter)--with

o ever likely to do so, and therefore he was sneaking
disinterestedly. He could not but express surprise at
his Noble Friend saying that the report of the Board
would not influence Parliament. His Noble Friend said,
" We do not act judicially, we do not decide, we are
merely anciliary to Parliament. All we do is to examine
the case, and report upon it to Parliament." Why, this
was true, but supposing he (Lord Brougham) repre-
sented a railway company, and supposing he proceeded
to Parliament, would not the first thing that he would
hear be, " You are throwing away your time,
3'cst have been reported against. What chance
have you of passing your Bill ?" Did any man
bought a farthing's worth of stock in his life, nor was
suppose that the reports were to be waste paper. Why,
ao, they would be followed by both Houses of Parlia-
ment. Government were pledged to the reports, be-
cause a portion of them had sanctioned them. True it
was that that portion of the Board were not in the
Cabinet, but, until the late extraordinary retirement of
a Right lion. Friend of his, one at least had been in the
Cabinet. No, these reports would be taken by Parlia-
,luent. They were not living in Uutopia, where Par-
liament was independent of the Government or the
Government of Parliament.—(Laughter.) It was said
that where the Executive had pronounced an opinion,
and had reported that opinion to Parliament, they were
ht bound by that opinion in their House. This was not
ne sort of world they lived in. But now it was not a
overnment! Well, if it was not a Government, it was
very important member of one—a very important col-
league of one. He should like to have a return, n( xt
Year, showing how many reports of this Board of five
Members, aeiing er President of e oard of
Trade, had notund the
the
been sanctioned by Parß me liant,
athiad "NV many had. His own conviction was—
at the result would be just the same as
the report of the Board of Trade in ninety-
/due cases out of a hundred perhaps in a
hundred caFes out of a hundred—there would be found a
literacoincidence between the decisions of the Board
ions
of
Trade reported now to Parliament, and the decisions
recorded in
the Statute Book. lie said this with very
great confidence, not merely from past experience—not
merely Judging from the probabilities and improbabilities
fr"in the speech of the Noble Lord himself. He
had listened, not only to the first part of that speech, but
to the last ,
I'E—end the whole of the last part, and it
Y4lts a demonstration of the truth of the assertion he had
JUst made.
, The utmost possible precautions were taken,
toattid nis Noble Friend—and most justly and properly,
wc-to prevent the least whisper from getting abroad,
reiereby the result attending the inquiry—the probable
sioft of that inquiry—might be conjectured; first, the
je f '
e,:rterztllwesren.ot entrusted with the executive, and there-
al lock was provided, as well as a special
of secpeeure these papers. The genius of the Bramah
daY—(Laughter)—was put into requisition, that
soere might be a new tablre key for an unopenable
ss•••---(11,euevved laughter.) This box was sent by a
-eecial messenger, at a particular part of the day—at a
quarter- past four just when the Stock Exchange
was shut, to the Gazette office. He was the
only person entrusted with it, and no one human being
could ever form a conjecture what would he the opinion
of the Board. But then why all this secrecy, and why
as this multiplied precaution to prevent the publicity of
the least whisper getting out of the decision of the
hoard? If the decision of the Board was of no conse-
quence, and was not to effect the final result,—if it was
to be considered only as the opinion of five men for the
piPurpose of saving Parliament the trouble of entering so
nutely into the question,—if the Board did that only,
it tit wax ancillary only to Parliament, and not to guide
wbY, he would ask, did they not publish their pro-
of things at Charing-cross.—(Hear, hear.) The reason
o secrecy was this, that the decision of the Board
c't only operated on Parliament, but finally decided
herelvba t railways Bills should be passed and what not. Now
i.rwere three schemes of railways in contemplation be-
e°ll: the Board, and the question was which of the three
which
be successful in the opinion of the Board, and
Vlh • of the two should be condemned. The parties
I before the Board, it examined the case. His
mine Friend at first said that the Board did not GX3-
%it'll evidence; they had no power to examine or call
theeessea, and they informed themselves in the best way
by rheetild• The Board examined the evidence produced
the te parties without calling witnesses. The reports of
leas the rd were published in the Gazette. Now, what
the
,9azriseS It was the official print that gave to
end ItTolle the condemnation of two of the three schemes,
again" approval of the remaining one. They reported
tensest two and in favour of one ; and what was the
SieekcTence ? The decision was whispered upon the
first pro !c halage, and those who had shares in the two
ad,,t pets soil out at a loss, while the last rose in the
woes ito an incalculable extent. Now, it was well to
Mense a what way they could best regulate this im-
press Power for the safety of the public, so as not to
shocllisthe property of individuals. If, for instance,
sharesl", as anyhad done, invest 5,0001. in railway
should' er if he had any connexion who had done so, he
Iteewi naturally enough, feel greatly interested in
Ileeidesi!eil
hey
grounds the Board of Trade had so
lave] in were all aware of the immense capital
1104111 in those railway schemes ; yet here was a
sit Std
the could COUld by a single word depress or altogether
altoost deeprova.ost, flourishing schemes, and raise the
_Wealth, s'ell• Could ruin some and elevate others
Let them and all this by a single report in the GazEtte.
hs .119 t run away with the impression that there
"'at use: unustice in this, but yet where it was possible
thlloahrdieerthelailf,,ht, be injustice, it became their duty to
14; stielsnaious eye the interests of the public. He
Alin
" a Board should consist of some sworn
ter a the Crown, or of some responsible persons
the, "'y accountable to the country for the deci-
iritlvoleed.'sealne to, and for the justice of decisions which
Slshould
enormous amounts of property. Then
Was bee " not be in a position to go, if they so chose,
Was ten ?r• sell on the --Stock Exchange. He ecidedly ofi • Pinion
14,141,41 s , therefore, that that shouldßoard.. consist
esirs, s'44sia high in rank and station—high in political
Old in the Parliament of the country. They
th:f 110atrellsPlsace men too high or too respectable at
moat 14. -11° he would repeat his own conviction that
tolve,_sesselgible would be the sworn advisers of the
itlarcl his knear, hear.) But he (Lord Brougham) must
'1 being to to prevent an unfavourable construe-
ing
Placedthem.arguments must be
seeidstood upon His
11(44 „, °•PPISing gener.allse. or liefelt that, there
sassnew the urore respectable individuals than soms—and
'sate-of the persons sitting as members of that
Cora ° knew Major-General Pasley well, the
ise,3eribes did not know, 'but he took their characters as
Lott subs by Ilia Noble Friend. Ile would just refer
It which which had been alluded to by the Noble
col) Was said that one gentleman named O'Brien
Iv°llltr tfrir!eofe•d with a Railway Company, and that an-
se4 said Brien Was a member of that Board, and it
talllanon"at the first had speculated upon certain in-
the BArercessived of the intended decisions of the Board.
ori,tleeisio-,;''lol3SlE—The imputation was this, that
feet"B Afe "s given by the Board were revealed by one
see. ferns given
his brother. To that he gave a per-
ha "la', an •
kiss din addition he had to observe, that it
Lor surd to Suppose Ike d that it could be done.
asset was
t`guGSIAM had no reason to doubt that
at testted that °eese He understood that it had been
he ,p ti„„ Mr. O'Brien had been a purchaser of stock
He'is'ts $r or about the time, but that was denied, and
chatmad liord)tighani) was in consequence quite satisfied.
shadow
of suspicion could exist against that
siclisestatee slut one advantage might result from the
Co • It might attract the attention of her
are metedy to savernment to the matter. It would not do
teisitilsea of hYe' " Oh, the persons constituting the Board
seilteu deeisis:lol;ir. They would not divulge their in-
Public result us.
The amount of caution used to pre-
k"a at the i of their deliberations being given to the
ke:etbat th e?Pr•per time, proved this, it' it proved no
e information sought to be secured was of a
ki"Lant nature, X• 55
sin of
no re, and capable of being made. a
4ho', "leres rcocanson magnitude to the public. It
be e, absolutely necessary that confidence
• obse
hem -east rveu to prevent malversation, and that
ber entire to
should be placed in the
it 'at! confidence t
11184aelliatio a Board, in order to prevent fraud
'ekes duty ts n among the public. He had thought
tlekregehes -lllake these few observations on a
ordinary
ho excited the public interest in no
erst esesetii_ _
tleei Tery of LANSDOWNE, who was heard at
clons of s'lnctlY, was understood to say that the
tin Elie Board of Trade were never considered
Sses the
4t ine of Commons He thought the Board
Lela eelbe tasculable advantage, as preventing persons
rse:o4llctio/Zillbg in
the which were- never likely to
11•04,!,1anins ,1 y the Imperial Parliament for that
Isereal, he e should be inclined to support it. It
aehe Preiodipeesd, be shown that, however individuals
qsiekles, the favour of their own plans and
alto Os the3' would still be open to reason, and the de-
%V %e .13oltrd of Trade would therefore be emi-
knee bus. s slu destroying all such fallacious schemes
sett lee in'
o'sa: preventing a great waste of capital that
oiseesrd STA,istiSeefully employed.
esiislonse 'wsletY said that as his experience in the
ki souse "of a more recent date than that of the
d Lord (Lord Brougham), perhaps he
Which be alleoaeerne,
to the isz eitortdo
hcadorrfeaeltiena
,misa rehensiOn into
n_lhglsileclutres°•ule
becausenn PP
if allowed to
fle,sted: it might create'an impression exceeds
ete, onse •just tne character of the Government, and
ied
Loit The Noble and Learned Lord had
th tea -e should at had move for a return of all the rail-
ofd Passed the HOUSO of Commons, and for
tte,erventuredßoard of Trade connected with them,
matterbadredto affirm that, in ninety-nine cases out
t , the decision of the House had followed
leta4 eeisree course the opinions of the Board of Trade.
I` w '"Qly liked
,de. 041E1 bein e-y that the opinions of the Legis-
accord with that of the Board of
that, un he could assure
nstatieehrt
the Noble and Learned
14. Wab 1:1° one
leptabeje-tiVters
to
Government upon
touous influence the votes of the
4tlZcl A"oui 1 the lower
find, in thee;na' The Noble and Learned
tethasetah4ever
eallete,c4lfee3,oni
vzoojtigthoen pray of cases, that even
?uovhernment had refrained alto-
o.ccasions, or, when they did
alto-
ho LesenWere found 0 c
its tits ~r_ed Lord
Would certainly assign the claims of
of a just reason why Members should
..,•kretreulaased ca'.2, their own on such subjects without
ed the
the njoevxerpressed opinions of the 'Board of
~,X4,45• or of /
oll'ablt se heroes tlraelit The Board of Trade
%e ms_ light s
e.before themto+ used' , as stated in the most
'e"x"elooliatahtioirn several supporters, without the
eieateighttd, therefore's and cross-examinations of
fore, decision they might come
aiotiesY Of tft-,,v,e,1.Y fai,rlaym en as an evidence of the efli•
Sri eons end"" 130ard
the•. justness of their conch'.
tel certased
th_ aid mat it ,if it were so, it must be
-44 not • Was of great public advantage.
111,04
.I,lji )I,...sultend to assert to their Lordships
LlPOssuse /co ‘rci never exercised any influence
ttZtittltiiaellsedeei°efisesosnane_ ons. All he meant to say
bis by that that Board were not looked
• • ouse ; but surely Noble Lords
lbest -the house would bat stul-

,

tify itself, if it gave no heed to decisions come to after
minute labours and patient investigation. The Noble
Marquis bad justly observed that the decisions of
the Board were eminently calculated to prevent unne-
cessary expenditure on the part of those who supported
these projects. His Noble Friend near him (Lord
Dalhousie) had already stated the grounds on which
*heir decisions were founded. It was very true indeed
that if these decisions, through some inadvertence,
were, if he might use the phrase, to ooze, they
might give rise to fraud and speculation. His
Noble and Learned Friend had spoken of the hardship
to which parties were subjected by a rejection of their
schemes by the Board of Trade; but his Noble and
Learned Friend might not be aware that by a recent
order of the other House an alteration had been made in
the period at which parties might present their petitions,
and, consequently, bring in their Bills. By this alteration
parties would have the full benefit of time to consider how
to make their case more perfect, and to those who might
be induced to withdraw in consequence of the opinion
expressed by the Committee of the Board of Trade, it
would be the means of saving a vast expense both in that
and in the lower House. Really useful schemes would
be enabled, in consequence, to come before the House
without any of that expensive and unprofitable litigation
to which they hod formerly been subjected, while other
parties who were unsuccessful in obtaining a decision in
their favour, might wisely withdraw without burdening
themselves with further unnecessary expenses.
The Marquis of L ANSDOWNE did not know that
the constitution of the Board compelled them to withhold
their reasons for their decisions. It must be quite ob-
vious that they could not have come to their decisions
without some reasons, and it would have been quite as
easy for them to communicate their reasons as it was to
communicate their decisions to the public, and both
might have appeared at the same time. No doubt that
what his Noble Friend had just stated was quite true with
respect to that which had been recently adopted in the
other House of Parliament ; but it had taken place, he
believed, since the discussion which had occurred last
year on the constitution of the Board. No doubt the
effect of the existing management would be to prevent
a large portion of the capital of the country from being
wasted upon useless and hopeless speculation.
The Earl of DALHOUSIE said, that as far as the
Board were concerned, it was quite as easy for them to
have submitted their reasons in detail at the time they
published their decision, as at a future period ; but inas-
much as the existence of the Board depended on a reso-
lution of Parliament which called upon them to make
the report of their reasons to Parliament, they believed
that the course which they had adopted was the pro-
per one.

The subject then dropped, and the House immediately
adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 13.
The SPEAKER took the chair at a Quarter to Four
o'clock.

PRIVATE BILLS.
A nutnber of petitions were presented in favour of
Private Bills.

DUTY ON COALS.

Mr. IT. lIINDE presented a petition from the Cham-
ber of Commerce of Newcastle•npon-Tyne praying for
the repeal of the export duty on coals.
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

Mr. DARBY presented several petitions from various
districts, complaining of the burdens which press on agri-
culturists, and praying fur immediate relief

a) •
EXCISE DUTY ON SOAP.

Mr. MASTEIIMAN presented a petition from the
City of London, signed by upwards of 1,500 persons,
and praying for a revision of the Excise duty on soap.
UNEQUAL TAXATION IN THE SCOTTISH