The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-06 00:00:00

NEW WRIT.

On the motion of Mr. T HORNELY a new writ was ordered
for the borough of Birmingham, in the room of Joshua Schole•
field, Ell:, deceased.
POOR-LAW.—COMMITTEE.
Sir J. GRAHAM moved the order of the day for the House
resolving itself into a Committee of the whole House upon the
Poor-law Amendment Bill. The order having been read by
the Clerk,
Mr. HAWES claimed to take advantage of that opportunity
to present a petition from the rated inhabitants of St. Mary's,
Lambeth, agreed at a meeting in vestry assembled, praying
that the Poor-law Amendment Bill may not pass into a law,
and that all plurality of voting may be abolished.
Mr. JOHN FIELDEN said he would also take advantage
of the opportunity to present a petition for the repeal of the
poor-law from the Board •of Guardians of the Todmorden
union—the union in which he himself resided. They stated
that the poor-law was brought first into operation in that dis-
trict at the point of the bayonet—that it could not be intro-
duced even until the presence of the soldiery bad
been obtained.—(Hear, hear.) It had been said,
most wickedly and most untruly, that he (Mr. Fielden) had
been instrumental in stiring up dissatisfaction against the Bill,
and encouraging riots to oppose it; but every one who knew
him, knew that he had never taken part in or approved of any
illegal conduct in his life—( Hear, hear)—and that he had no
more to do with those riots than any other Hon. Gentleman in
that House. It was right the House should know that some
of the guardians who signed this petition had originally been in
favour of this new poor-law, and were anxious to have it intro-
duced into the district ; but since they had had practical expe-
rience of its operation, they had become thoroughly disgusted
with it, and now petitioned most earnestly for its repeal. On
the motion of the Hon. Member the petition was then read at
length by the Clerk at the table.

Sir JOHN WALSH presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of St. Pancras against the 58th clause of the Bill, re-
latiag to parishes now managed under Hobhouse's Act.
On the reading of the order off' the day for the Committee
on the Puor-law Amendment Act,

Mr. BORTH WICK jumped tip suddenly, and said " Mr.
Speaker," and then as suddenly sat down amidst shouts of
laughter, which were continued during a discussion carried on
between the Hon. Member and Col. z.•ibthorp.
In the meantime the Speaker left the chair, and the House
went into Committee, Mr. GREENE in the Chair,:

On the question that clause 1 stand part of the bill,
Colonel SIBTIIORIS rose to move his amendment to the
effect that the office and powers of the Poor-law Commissioners
be abolished.

After a discussion, much interrupted by bursts of laughter,
the Gallant Colonel was informed by the Chairman. that he
could not bring his motion on on the present question.
Mr. BORTHWICK, who rose amidst renewed laughter,
said he supposed at least that he was entitled, upon this ques-
tion, to show why clause I should not stand part of the Bal.—
( Hear, hear.) He expressed a hope that, his Hon. and
Gallant Friend would persevere in his motion, as he would
never have a better opportunity of doing so. The real mean-
ing of the proposal which had been made by the Right Hon.
Gentleman to his (Mr. Borthwick's) Hon. and Gallant Friend,
to postpone this moths'', was that it should be abandoned. There
had been too much postponement with regard to that question
already.
Mr. TATTON EGERTON said in his opinion the Hon.
and Gallant Member for Lincoln (Colonel Sibthorp) was too
late to bring forward the amendment of which he had given
notice. He should have moved his resolution on the order of
the day being read for going into Committee. He (Mr. Eger-
ton) was as great an opponent as any in that House of many of
the provisions of the Poor-law, but after the division of last
night he thought the best thing they could now do was, to
exert their best efforts to modify the various harsh clauses of
the Bill in Committee.

Colonel SIBTHORP said he was in the hands of the Chair-
man, and whatever that worthy and excellent gentleman told
him to do, he ahould do.—( Laughter. )
The Chairman of the Committee said the only thing now
competent to the Hon. and Gallant Officer to do was, to ne-
gative the clause.
Clause 1 was then agreed to amidst great laughter.

On clause 2 being proposed,
Mr. FER RAND said he felt bound to express his opinion
that his Hon. and Gallant Friend (Colonel Sibthorp) had not
been fairly used, either by the House or the Government. He
(Mr. Ferranti) had distinctly put the question to the Right
Hon. Baronet ( Sir James Graham) last night, whether his
Hon. and Gallant Friend could put his amendment that night,
and the answer made by the Right Hon. Baronet was, that he
could do so. It appeared to him (Mr. Ferrand) that his Hon.
and Gallant Friend had been regularly done.—( Great laugh-
ter.) lie was satisfied that throughout the whole House
there an intention not to give a fair hearing to the opponents
of the Bill, and he should, therefore, advise his Hon. and Gal-
lant Friend riot to waste his time in bringing forward a mo-
tion which would not be listened to, but leave it to the coun-
try to decide upon the conduct both of that House and of the
Government.
Sir J. GRAHAM said he would assure his Hon. and Gal-
lant Friend (Colonel Sibthorp) he had no intention or desire
whatever to hinder him bringing forward his motion; and
whenever the opportunity presented 'itself for him to do so,
every attention should be given by him to his Hon. Friend's
arguments and opinions.
Col. SIBTHORP said the Right Hon. Gentleman had not
treated him with common candour—he had almost said with
common decency. —(Laughter. ) The Gallant Colonel then,
raising his voice to its highest pitch, and stretching forth his
arm, said " I have often before declared I had confidence in
this Government; but I now declare I can never have con-
fidence more."—( Shouts of laughter. )
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE suggested that the time allowed to
unhappy females to name the father of the child—namely, six
months—was hardly long enough. He strongly urged on the