The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-07 00:00:00

that he could see no objection to fourteen days being
allowed, after the reports of the Board of Trade had
been made, for parties to determine whether they
would proceed with the Bills or not.
Lord HowicK did not think fourteen days suffi-
cient, and he also thought that where there were two
competing lines reported, both reports ought to be
submitted to a committee, and those which bad been
unfavourably reported should have precedence of the
S oth

kers.
After a few words from Mr. Hopcsozi an.! Sir G
GREY, Sir R. PEEL explained that the proposal he
should make was, that parties might present their peti-
tions whenever they pleased, but they should not be
obliged to do so until fourteen days after the making
the report. It was the intention of the Board of
Trade to present the reports in classes, and next
week he would propose to take the Kentish lines. It
was never contemplated that the board should fetter

;he control of Parliament.
Colonel SUITUORP asked whether any of the gen-
Jemen composing the Commission were connected

with railways.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET was unable to answer
the question.
Mr. `VARLET complained of the delays caused by
the conduct of barristers before Committees, and
urged on the Government the necessity of providing
some remedy. He a!so suggested the propriety of
the discussion before the Board of Trade being con-

ducted with open doors.
Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE defended the conduct of
the Board of Trade, and contended that practically
the experiment had worked well.
After a few words from s Ane other Hon. Mem-
bers, leave was given to bring in the Bills.
Mr. WALLACE postponed his motion on the sub-
ject of the Scotch Sheriffs' Court Small Debt Act.
Various returns were then ordered to be made on
the motions of different Hon. Members.
On the motion that the answer of her Most Gracious
MAJESTY, to the address of the House of Commons,

be read,
Mr. COBDEN called the attention of the House to
the omission of all allusion to the subject of agricul-
tural distress in the speech from the Throne, and
urged the agricultural Members to join him in caning,
fur a Sehct Committee on the subject.
Mr. MILES did not think the farmers were much

inclined to trouble the House with a recital of their
grievances. He was sorry to say that, generally
speaking, the farmers did not trust much to the
House of Commons for an alleviation of their con-
dition.

--------
Mr. M. GIBSON urged the necessity of inquiry,
and asked Sir R. PEEL if he had given any assurance
that he would not meddle with the existing corn-law.
Mr. BANKES thought some allusion ought to have
been made to the subject in the speech, but would
not vote for a Committee.
Mr. BRIGHT accused the landlords of being hollow
in the professions which they made of commiseration
for the distress existing in the country, inasmuch as
that distress was attributable to their own legislative
measures.
Mr. S. O'BRIEN defended the conduct of the land-
, lords, and said that, so far from opposing the motion
for a Committee, he would himself be willing to serve

upon it.
Mr. VILLIERS denied that any of the charges
brought against the landlords by Mr. BRIGHT had
been answered.
Sir It. PEEL deprecated the discussion of such a
subject without notice. He had been asked by the.
Hon. Member for Manchester whether he had given
any assurance to any one that no further alteration
should be made in the corn-laws. He did not think
the Right Honourable Gentleman had any right to
put such a question to him without giving
him notice. He had given no assurance incon-
sistent with the declarations which he had already
made in the Home. As to what had been said of
agricultural distress, he regretted it must be admitted
there was considerable distress in some parts of the
country, and he felt sincere sympathy with the suf-
ferers. But he did not believe that it could be as-
serted that there was general agricultural distress.
He thought that the restoration of protection (as it
had been) would be impostible ; and he thought that
if it were possible, it would not be a remedy for
1
; agricultural distress, which arose from causes which
the Legislature could not control.
After a ft,w words from Mr. BRIGIST, Lord J.
MANNERS, and Mr. BROTHERTON, the motion was
agreed to, and the House adjourned at a Quarter be-
fore Nine.

---
We think Lord HowicK. is entitled to the thanks
of the public for the able manner in which he has
brought under the notice of the House of Commons
some of the inconveniences and hardships that may
result to parties legitimately interested in schemes
for the construction of new railroads, if the Stand-
ing Orders with regard to the presentation of peti-
tions for leave to bring in the necessary Bills to give
effect to such schemes, be allowed to remain in
their present shape. His Lordship shewed very
clearly, that after the new Committee of
the Board of Trade have decided on reporting against
a particular Bill, the parties are not allowed, at pre •
sent, anything like an adequate period for making up
their minds on the grave question whether or not it
can be worth their while, whatever the merits of
their scheme of railway, to attempt to carry it through
Parliament in the face of an adverse reFort from the
Board of Trade's Committee. This dilemma, which
it now appears is so probable, is the very re-
sult that we anticipated in the several arti-
cles published lately in The Sun, in which
we have expressed our serious apprehensions
as to the prejudicial working of the large discre-
tion, and too invidious influence on all such clues-
\
I tions that have been devolved on this Committee.
In some respects the anomalous indirect authority
of the official body we speak of is really greater,
i at present, than that of a Parliamentary Committee.
____

We have received Madrid journals of the 29th ult,
The Chamber of Deputies was engaged in discussing
the Bill for the abolition of the slave trade, and
after some progress, adjourned till the 31st. General
PRIM, who had been restored to liberty, was expected
to arrive from Cadiz in a few days; and it was said

the General SERRANO, who had been exiled from the
capital, had been sent for, and that an important
command was to be conferred upon him. General
CONcUA had also been ordered to come t 3 Aladrid,
and re-organise the cavalry on a new plan,'after which
he was to resume the command of the Basque I'ro-

vinces.
The Three per Cents. closed at 32+ for cash,
and 324 at 60 days, and the Five per Cents. at 23
.1-16 at 60 days.

The Paris papers are chiefly occupied with the
appointment of M. DE SALVANDY to the Department
of Public Instruction, and the dismissal of the two
Members to which we adverted yesterday. M.
TRIERS'S journal is highly indignant at these steps
taken by the Ministry, though, strsnge to say, it re-
gards them as omens of their speedy downfal. Were
the writer sincere, he would be the last man in the
world to blame M. Guizor for a line of policy which
roust be so gratifying to the leader of the Opposition.
The Constitutionnel regards the subject, however,
iu such a serious light, that it devotes two columns to
abuse of the Ministry, and concludes the article in
these words :—" The fury of the Cabinet against the
dissentient Conservative-; produced yesterday a deep
irritation a 1 the Chamber. 111. Duours DE LRUYS
was surrounded by Deputies protesting against his
disgrace. The Ministers were publicly questioned as
to their intention of dismissing M. Duets, the Pro-
cureur- General at the Court of Cassation, and whether
they would carry to its extreme lengths their ex-
treme political extravrgance. Remarks were made
on the strange contrast of this violence with the pro-
found epee, aelam France, which reigns in with the
public
and with the remarkable moderation
of the Opposition. It is no longer against the Left
or the Left Centre only that war is proclaimed ; it is
againstmeasur
et moderatehoeftt,e ot
Ministerse s. It
w
strangelyas Conservatives,also remarked
who maintain the
liberty of their v
that this
still more
entry of M. DE SALVANDY, and renderedinaugurated
ridiculous, more intolerable, the position
of the new
ministry of Public Instruction. Lastyear m
SALVANDY had also been dismissed fur a vote •
had complained of it loudly—had filled the two
e
Chambers with the noise of his disgrace—and behold,
the very day that he becomes Minister, two func-
tionaries of the diplornati,; older are severely visited!
The Mont' teur, in fact, informs us that Count DE ST.