The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-11 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, March 10.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the
Woolsack at Five o'clock.
SALE OF SPIRITS ON SUNDAYS.
The Bishop of LONDON presented seventy peti-
tions from various parts of the country, praying the
House to prevent the sale of ardent spirits on the
Lord's-day. The Right Rev. Prelate said, that al-
though he could not go the whole length with the
petitioners, he would observe that the clause intro-
duced into the Metropolitan Police Act, prohibiting
the sale of intoxicating liquors after a certain hour
on Sundays, had had an extraordinary and gratifying
effect in improving public morals, so that there was a
very great diminution in the number of charges at the
police offices on Mondays. A similar clause, intro-
duced into the Liverpool Police Bill at his (the Bishop
of London's) suggestion, had also been attended
with the most happy results in that great town.
This he had upon the authority of one of the magis-
trates, who assured him that the people of Liverpool
could never be sufficiently grateful to their Lordships
for so great an improvement. He thought that the
provision ought to be extended to other large towns,
and that so far their Lordships might comply with the
prayer of the petitioners.
FEMALE PROTECTION.
The RIGHT Rev. PRELATE also presented a petition
from the clergy and other persons in the town of
Uxbridge on the subject which had been brought
under their Lordships' notice last session by a Right
Rev. Prelate, in order to put down those houses which
were used for the seduction of females, and who were
desirous of protecting females from the evils to which
they were exposed.
AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION.
The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a peti-
tion from Basingstoke in favour of agricultural pro-
tection.

IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.
Lord BROUGHAM presented petitions from the
Ayr Stewatry in the county of Kircudbright, and
from another place in Scotland, on the subject of im-
prisonment for del. t, as regulated by the Act of last
session.
The NOBLE LORD also presented a petition
from certain gentlemen, attorneys at Oswestry,
who were entitled to practise in the Courts
of Westminster, and who from their position as
masters extraordinary in Chancery were authorised
to take oaths. The petitioners, their Lordships were
aware, were highly respectable individuals, and from
their peculiar position their experience was highly
valuable. They stated that it was their impression
that if the Act of the Lord-Lieutenant for Sussex
had been acted upon it would greatly have tended to
prevent the commission of perjury, which was fre-
quently occasioned by the necessity for taking so
many oaths in the courts of law and justice.
REMEDY FOR CREDITORS.
The NOBLE LORD also presented a petition from
the city of Bath, praying that after all the necessary
immunity had beets given to the creditor, that ad-
ditional means might be given to the creditor for re-
covering his claims from fraudulent debtors. The
Act of last session touched all the goods but did not in
many instances touch the incomes of debtors.
Creditors could not seize the rents of their
debtors, neither could they touch their salaries.
If therefore a man had a salary of 2001. he might go
to several tradesmen and contract debts of 19/. and up
to 201. each, and then laugh at his creditors. He
(Lord Brougham) would remedy this defect.
OTAHEITE.
The Earl of MINTO said, that in consequence of
the indisposition of his Noble Friend, the First Lord
of the Admiralty, and his consequent kability to ap-
pear in his place, he would postpone the notice of
motion of which he had given notice with respect
to her Majesty's ships Hazard and Basilisk
at the islands of Otaheite from this day
till Friday. He would take that oppor-
tunity of saying, that though he perfectly
agreed with the expressions of the Noble Duke (the
Duke of Wellington) the other evening respecting the
courtesy of the House ; yet he thought the Noble
puke had gone too far in that motion, anl that his
Noble Friend (the Marquis of Normanby) was right
in the course he intended to pursue.
Lord BROUGHAM said the Noble Earl had pro-
fessed to be a great patron of order, and yet he had
began wi'h one of the Most irregular things that
could poss.bly have occurred.
The Earl of MINTO said he would not trouble
their Lordships further than to express his opinion that
a notice was only necessary in cases where opposition
might be expected. In other cases, he thought it was
still left discretionary with the party putting the
question to give notice or not.
The Duke of WELLINGTON admitted the ex-
ception, and the matter dropped.
JEWISH DISABILITIES BILL.
Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition in
favour of the Bill.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, in moving the
second reading of the Bill referred to by the petition
just presented by his Noble Friend—as he did not
anticipate any effective opposition to the measure—he
should confine himself to stating very shortly the
motives and intention of the Bill. The object was to
get rid of the disabilities, some anomalies, some
inconsistencies, and, he might be permitted to say,
some absurdities, which pressed upon •persons pro-
fessing the Jewish persuasion. In order that he
might be fully understood upon the subject, he should
begin by shortly calling. their Lordships' attention to
the position in which persons entertaining the Jewish
religion stood with respect to offices held under the
Crown. There was no objection to these persons
being placed in the commission of the peace for a
county, and many of them at present held theim-
portant and responsible office of county magistrates.
There were recent instances of these appointments to
offices of this description. Sir Moses Montefiore,
who was at present a justice of peace for the Cinque
Ports, and also was a magistrate for Kent, had,
within a shorrperiod, had his name recommended by
the Lord-Lieutenant to be placed in the commission
of the peace for the county of Middlesex. But this
was not a solitary instance. Mr. Salomon, several
years ago, was placed in the commission of the peace
for the county of Sussex, and had since been placed
in the commission of the peace for the county of
Kent. Mr. Lizardi and Mr. Cowen, two other gen-
tlemen of the Jewish persuasion, were also magis-
trates for the county of Sussex, and he had
never heard any complaint made of those
appointment=, nor had he ever heard that any
of these gentlemen had misconducted themselves
in the discharge of their magisterial duties.
On the contrary, he believed that they had
conducted themselves with the greatest propriety.
Nur was it merely to the commission of the peace
they were confined, they held also the office of Deputy-
Lieutenant in different counties. Mr. Salomons was
a Deputy-Lieutenant ; so was also one of the Messrs.
Rothschilds—nay, more, they were so by Parlia-
mentary sanction and authority. They were eligible
to the office of High Sheriff. They were not only
eligible, but they were bound, when appointed, to
discharge the duties; and if they refused to accept
the office, according to the charter of the city of Lon-
don, they were subject to a heavy pecuniary
esalty. That was the position of persons belonging
to the Jewish persuasion with la spect to many high
and pre-eminent offices in this country. They all
knew that the office of sheriff was a stepping-stone
and passport to the office of alderman of the city of
Landon. A person who conducted himself with pro-
priety in the office of sheriff, and discharged the
duties to the satisfaction of the citizens of London, so
as to earn their regard and esteem, thus would have
great influence and effect when the office of alderman
became vacant, and that person appeared and offered
himself as a candidate. When a responsible and
burdensome office was imposed upon any man, which
led to others as the rewards of that labour and re-
sponsibility, and their Lordships compel him to fulfil
the preliminary office, and to discharge the burden-
some duties, while they excluded him from the higher
and lucrative office, which was its usual reward—
(Hear, hear)—nothing could be more unjust than
such a proceeding—nothing mere impolitic and un-
wise than to withhold rewards fur the discharge of
duties in a laborious and responsible office. That
was not only unjust and impolitic, but the manner
in which it was effected was vexatious. A gentle-
man in the office of sheriff gained the esteem and ap-
probation of his fellow-citizens, and was unanimously
elected Alderman. He went to the Mayor and Alder-
men to be admitted. He offered to take the oaths,
but the ansx er was, " there is, in addition to these, a
declaration prescribed by the 9th Geo. IV., which
You will have to take first." That declaration was, that
the person elected would not use the influence, power,
or authority of his office to injure the Protestant re-
ligion or the Protestant Church of this country. All
this the person elected was willing to declare, but he
was told that he must subscribe the declaration in the
true faith of a Christian. That he
could not consci-
entiously subscribe. If it were necessary to exclude
the Jews, let it be done by direct legislation. Here
was an individual, a county magistrate, a deputy -
lieutenant, capable of being elected and bound to
serve the office of the Sheriff of London, educated
in the City, brought up in 'commercial
pursuits, and intimately acquainted with the
trade and local interests of London. Would their
Lords ips pass a Bill to exclude such a man from
the office of Alderman, and if not, they ought not to
do so by the circuitous means now adopted. Per-
haps their Lordships were not acquainted with the
nice distinctions upon this subject. These distinc-
tions were the subject of inquiry in the Court of
Queen's Bench, where a Noble Lord near him de-
cided that it was the duty of the Court of Alder-
men to admit him upon his taking the oaths, leaving
it to himself to sign the declaration when he thought
fit : but if he neglected to do so, he was protected by
the Act of Indemnity. That decision was reversed
by a writ of error, in the Court of Exchequer, which