The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-11 00:00:00

_

LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1445.

The House of Commons met at Four.

Mr. Hu'rr presented a petition from the Legislative
Council of New South Wales, praying that the colony
might be placed upon the same footing as Canada, with
regard to the importation of corn into this country, and
that the same protection might be extended to colonial
wool that was enjoyed by British. _ _

Mr. AUME gave notice, for Thursday week, of a mo-
tion on the subject of ,the recal of Lord ELLENBOROUCH.

In answer to Sir C. NAPIER,

Sir R. PEEL said that there had been no change in
Members of the Government in consequence of the divi
sion on the Maynooth question, and that he considered
it a Government, and not an open question, and would
do everything in his power to promote its success.
Mr. WARD stated that understanding the motion of
which he had given notice was intended to be made a
rallying point of those who were opposed to the addi-
tional grant to Maynooth, he should not bring it for-
ward to-morrow, but postpone it to some other period, in
order to get an intelligent expression of the opinion of
the House upon it.
Mr. CHRISTIE then rose to make the motion of
which he had given notice—" That an humble address
be presented to her MAJESTY, praying that she will be
graciously pleased to appoint a Commission, to inquire
into and report upon all matters relating to the privi-
leges, revenues, trusts, and to the state of education,
learning, and religion, in the Universities of Oxford and
Cambridge, and the colleges of those Universities." The
Hon. Gentleman supported his motion in a speech, de-
monstrating the short-comings of the English Univer-
sities in the promotion of literature, science, and phi.
losophy.
Mr. EWART supported the motion.
Mr. A. HOPE opposed it, and made sundry allusions
to Punch in the course of his speech.
Mr. HOME considered that the arguments of his Hon.
Friend who had introduced this motion had not been
answered on the other side. Certainly not by the
Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down, who might
consider himself lucky if (luring the next fortnight he
should escape appearing in the columns of Punch.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER opposed the
motion as uncalled for.

Lord PALMERSTON spoke in support of the motion.
After which the House divided, and the proposition
of Mr. CURTEIS was negatived by a majority of 61.
Several returns moved for by Mr. Hump. were agreed
to, and the Howe adjourned at Twelve o'clock.

It was understood at the Anti-Corn-law meeting, held
in Covent-garden Theatre on Wednesday, that no other
meetings would be held in that place till the close of the
Great Bazaar, which will be opened in the course of
next month. This League has now been in existence for
nearly seven years, and we trust that long before other
seven years have elapsed its labours will be accomplished,
and a complete victory obtained not only over agricul-
tural monopolists, but monopolists of every class in society-
The advocates for the maintenance of the sliding scale'
and the heavy tax on the staff of life, advert with com-
placency to the little noise made by the League—to the
less frequent meetings and the very small effect which
they have produced on Sir ROBERT PEEL and the
House of Commons, for, say they, notwithstanding the
thousands and tens of thousands collected, the vast dis-
play of patriotism and liberality made by so many
individuals and the country excursions of paid lecturers,
the Corn Bill remains, and will remain unaltered. We
will not enter on that point. Our opinions are very
different,and time, a very short time, too, will show whe-
ther these men prophecy truly ; but, looking at the effects
produced already by this powerful body, what rational
being can believe that, while monopoly is on the wane
in all other directions, it is to remain fixed
and immutable only•as regards corn ? During the
existence of the League the most unexpected commer-
cial changes have taken place. Many agricultural pro-
ductions, which were formerly prohibited or paid an
enormous duty, are now admitted at comparatively mo-
derate charges. The landowners have been as-
sailed by the Minister on every point: he has al-
tered the corn duties, and though that alteration
was not very material, it caused the resignation of the
only farmers' friend in the Cabinet. He has reduced
the Customs' duty on cattle, on beef, and hams, and
many other necessaries of life; and are we to infer that
he is to stop here, and not carry into operation the
great principle of free-trade—purchasing in the
cheapest, and selling in the dearest market—
which he unequivocally professed in his place
in Parliament? These changes could not have taken
place, but for the pressure from without, and that pres-
sure owes more to the League than to all the writers on
political economy, to the cries of the poor, or to
any other circumstance whatever. If the League
had done no other good than open the eyes of
the farmer, they would deserve immortal honour.
They have done that and something more. They
have taught that class their true interests, and
convinced many that their only hope of safety rests
with themselves—that they must obtain leases, under-
take agricultural improvements, and put down competi-
tion, not by Acts of Parliament, but by energy, industry,
perseverance, and new inventions. But the League
has not confined its labours to corn—its princi-
ples apply to all commodities; and this very session,
during which the duty on four hundred foreign articles
of production has been abolished, furnishes the most con-
vincing proof that their labours have been crowned by a
great victory. They have only to pursue the same path
for a few years more—to urge on the willing Minister
to further reforms, to enlighten landlords as they have
enlightened tenants, and to keep their irrefragable prin-
ciples before the public mind, in order to consummate
their benevolent and noble rrposes.
Mr. NIACKINNoN brought forward on Tuesday evening
last the proposition, of which he had given notice, for a
declaratory resolution on, the part of the House of
Commons, affirming the report of the Commissioners on
the Health of Large Towns, condemning and denouncing
the practice of interring the dead within churchyards
and other such mural precincts. The simple object of
this motion was, by the moral influence attaching to such
a declaration of opinion, effectually to discourage the
practice of burying the dead within localities densely oc-
cupied by the living. We should blush for the Legisla-
ture that could repudiate a suggestion so consonant to all
the moral and religious associations under which a
Christian community regard the disposal of their mortal
remains who have been called from among them ; so
essential to the decency and decorum with which sur-
viving kindred desire to see the dust of their deceased
connexions undesecrated in the earth to which it has
been solemnly committed; and, above all, so imperatively
demanded by a just regard to the health and comfort of
large communities. This motion, however, was lost by
161 votes against 78. It is gratifying, on the other
hand, that, notwithstanding the uncompromising oppo-
sition of Sir JAMES GRAHAM, and other leaders of the
majority in question, a second division affirmed, by a
considerable majority, the substantial object of Mr.
MAciciNNoN'S appeal, by carrying Mr. Tilo3LkS DUN-
CO3IBE'S amendment, to the effect that—" The practice
of interments in the precincts of the metropolis, and in
large towns, is injurious to the health of the population,
and demands the serious attention of Parliament."
It is not necessary that we should carry our readers
again with us over that revolting field of strange and
terrible details, connected with the weekly, daily, hourly
treatment of the dead that we have, on several occasions,
found it our duty to explore. In noticing the reports of
Mr. CHADWICK, Dr. SOUTHWOOD SMITH, and others,
to whom the public are indebted for their courageous
exposure of these polluting enormities (occurring at our
own doors, before oar own eyes, under our own feet,
within the most busy quarters of this vast capital), we
have felt all the difficulty of discharging a hideous duty.
,r;itnioantileof system
rtvi
living
But it was necessary to demonstrate how the further
ttoolethraet
wiohnoolefsathleisexatbi .was instrumental
(t)anl
evidence not to he impeached we showed that the r l-
ing exhalations of our crowded Golgothas were ee
decimat-
ing families and individuals, and infecting whold•tricts with malignant fever and fatal contagion. That,
all human sympathies and affections were s- at'
dalieed by the outrages and mutilations committed"ol
the dead, in order to suit the purposes of avaricious
landlords, landlorde; greedy parsons, and reckless sextons, the in-
habitants of the vicinity in which such practices were
and are commonly perpetrated were more or less affected
by strange and noisome diseases, manifesting themselves
in types of aggravated intensity and under hitherto un-
recorded forms. The three plague spots in this desecrated
region of interments which we more particularly de•
nounced to the notice and supervision of the authorities
namely, Enon Chapel, and the churchyards and burial-
grounds of St. Clement's Danes and St. Ann's, Soho,
were on Tuesday evening thesubjects of emphatic denun-
ciation in the House of Commons. We may now hope,
therefore, that the Legislature is beginning to feel itself
pledged by the reports of the Health of Towns Commis.