The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-01 00:00:00

PRISON DISCIPLINE.

hir. /sIACKINNON gave notice that he would, on
this day fortnight, moire for a Select Committee to in-
quire into the state of discipline in prisons, with a view
of making such improvements in their management as
might be safely adopted.
Mr. Sergeant MURPHY presented two petitions from
the municipality of Cork, complaining of certain parts
of the Municipal Corporations Act for Ireland, and
praying the House to, amend them.
Sir G. CLERK presented a petition from certain pa-
rochial schoolmasters in Worcester, praying for an
alteration of the system under which parochial schools
are conducted.

Mr. HUTT presented a petition from certain parties
engaged in an action in the Court of Exchequer, brought
against them by the corporation of Sunderland. The
petitioners stated that some returns had been made to
that House which were important evidence in the cause,
and they therefore prayed that the officer of the House
might be permitted to produce the said returns on the
trial of the cause. The Hon. Member moved that the
petition be printed with tire Votes of the House, and
gave notice that, tomorrow
of the House be. orer, (1, he should move that the
ordered to comply with the
prayer of the ,petitioners.
-
MANAGEMENT 'OF THE REVENUE.
Mr. HAWES
wished to ask the Noble Lord opposite
when the labours of the Commission. which had been
appointed to inquire into the management of the reve•
nue, were likely to be brought to a close.
Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET said, the inquiry
was progressing. as speedily as possible, but he could
not say how long it would be before- it would be termi-
nated.

ESPARTERO.
Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS said a paragraph id a
newspaper had just caught his eye, in which it was stated
that he had charged General Espartero with want of
personal courage. The courage of that officer was un-
questioned, as it was
unques
Douglas') observations had applied to the corps d'armee.
He had great pleasure, therefore, in availing himself of
of
this opportunitygiving this explanation with respect
to an individual who was absent and in adversity.

that should be introduced in any Railway
RAILWAYS.
Mr. WALLACE wished to know whether any clause
Bill brought
' forward during the present session, would be held to be
binding, as well with respect to the branch and exten-
sion lines as the old lines?
Mr. GLADS TONE said he understood the Hon.
Gentleman to ask, whether a clause that was recom-
mended by the Railway Coulmittee was to be inserted in
all Railway Bills brought before Parliament this ses-
sion, and whether that clause would apply only to junc-
tion lines and extension lines, or in each case to the
entire line ? His answer was, he believed that in all
cases where railways were brought before Parliament by
Bill, in which any new powers were to be given, those
Bills would be brought under the operation of the clause.
He need not now explain what t
would be, but as he understood it, it would apply to the
whole line in each case.
BUILDINGS IN THE METROPOLIS.
he purport of the clause
LerdLINCOLN rose to bring in the Bill of which he
had given notice for regulating the construction of build-
ings, in the metropolis and .its neighbourhood. The
'numerous reports which had been held before the House,
not only from Cbmmissions and local authorities, but from
Committees of Parliament, must have made such
an impression upon Honourable Members that it
vvould be useless for him.to recapitulate the statements
of those reports, or occupy the time of the House by
making extracts from them. In 1840 the lion. Member
for Newark introduced a Bill upon this subject. It was
a measure not only of essential, •.but .of para-
mount importance ; and the first Bill brought
in by a Noble Lord in the other House was read
a second time, but it was not carried through when the
session terminated. In 1841 the Bill was again brought
in, was read a first time, and reached the second reading
in this House, but in consequence 'of the dissolution of
Parliament it made no further progress. In '1842 a
Bill was again introduced, but by the consent of all parties
it was referred to a Committee of the House of .Lords.
The Committee sat the whole of the session, but cane
to no resolution further than to publish the evidence.
By the advice of his Right Hon. Friend the. Secretary
for the Home Department, he (Lord Lincoln) had
Ustdertaken to look into the Bill, and to prepare a mea-
sure on' the subject. For that purpose he had consulted
eminent and experienced builders and carpenters, and,
looking to the number of towns which would be affected
by so general a measure, many of them having already
local Acts for the same objects, he:thought it, was de-
sirable to bring in an Act for the metropolis alone, and
Wait to observe the effect of its Qperation here, before
it should be extended to the rest of the country. With
that view he brought in a new Bill .in 1843 ; but the
pressure of business during the session prevented its
being gone through with. He'diduot regret that, as it
gave him an opportunity of introducing improve-
ments into the measure ; and he 'hinted that in
its present, form it would be likely to be effi-
cient, and productive of great public advantage.
The House was aware that the Act which was at preient
in existence for the purp6se of regulating the buildings
in the 'metropolis had been passed seventy years ago.
In the present extended state of the metropolis it was
obvious -that many of, the provisiohs of that Act must
be inapplicable to the present state of things. He pro-
posed to repeal that Bill altogether,
,and to introduce
separate measure, embodying the provisions of that
Act relating to the prevention of fire. It would be
unnecessary to tremble the House with the technical de-
tails of the Measure, which would be not only uninteresting
would' find that the
thq41411% 6"11°59 details; 40 49 44-piP4 OasAll
trsinpteolslifo4ib4eal:r
peolaltotus4io
1414
ireen i