The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-10 00:00:00

There was not one of these of an important character, and they

are explained in the annexed statement.
For every house, garden, and field, cut by the proposed rai►way
notices were duly served on the owners, lessees, or occupiers, and
the same were entered in the books of reference.

Every dwelling-house in Tullamore, l'hilipstown, llobertstown•
and Clara, within ten yards of the line of railway (beyond which
deviation the Company were restricted at those places from exer.
cising any compulsory power under the provisions of their Bili):was
numbered, and eularged plans were given of the same, and notice*
uly served on the owners, lessees, and occupiers thereof.
The railway, as laid down in the plans, could not in any way ob.
struct the navigation of the canal, and no such allegation was
brought before the Sub. Committee.

The petition of John Ennis and others was proceeded with on
the first day of the sitting of the Committee, but no allegation a
non-compliance with standing orders contained therein was sua.
tallied, and it was afterward► withdrawn.
These were the only petitions that were proceeded with
the Sub-Committee.

The Secretary of the Grand Canal Company, who was the peti-
tioner, prepared an agreement for the protection of the Canal Com-
pany, which was at once acceded to by the Railway Company
without alteration.

The petitioner violated this agreement, at the moment of going
into Committee, and having taken the Railway Company by sur.
prise, proceeded with the petition.

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.-CIIATIIAM, MAT
This morning a detachment of the Ilth regiment, consisting of
three sergeants, three corporals, and 43 rank and file, with six
women and two children, with one private of the 58th, and one
woman, under the command of Captain Conron, with Paym►ater
Timbrell of the sSth, marched from this garrison en route for
Deptford, as a convict guard, where they embark on board the
transport David Malcolm, to proceed with convicts for Norfolk
Island. Yesterday the tour companies of the depot of the 3d
Buffs, which has been doing duty at Sheerness for some time, ar.
rived at Chatham by the Victoria steamer, Captain Giles, and
joined their head-quarters, recently arrived from India. The depot
consisted of 140 men, with the following officers : Captain Kelly.
Lieutenant Chamberlain, Lieutenant Green, and Lieutenant Syms.,
This day a detachment of the 11th regiment arrived by the Victor.
ria steam.vessel, consisting of three sergeants, and 132 rank and
tile, under the command of Major Bloomfield, Captain Tobin.
Lieutenant Parker, and Ensign Crook, the above having been re—
lieved by a detachment of the 96th from Dover..

THE IJUKE OF SUSSEX STEAMER.—The baggage
and effects of the passengers who were on board this vessel at the
time of her being wrecked close to the port of Boulogne, have bees.
saved, and, amounting to about 50 packages, have been broughS
by tho City of Boulogne steamer from Boulogne, which arrived
at London.bridge wharf on Thursday evening.
The Auction Duties Repeal Bill received the ropil
assent on Thursday, and no duty is to be paid on any 9,l,lwhit
took glace since the ett Qt April lat.

IMPERIAL PA RM.-4131M,-, T.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 9.
The SPEAs ER. took the Chair at the usual hour.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. F. MactizNzi x took tha oaths and his seat on hick
re-eltetion for Peeble,hhT.
The London and Brighton Railway Extension Bill was read
second time.
The Boddam Harbour Bill and Stoke-on-Trent Market
Bill were read a third ti ..o and passed.
The Guildford Junction Railway Bill was read a second

RAILWAY COMMITTEE.
Mr. GISBORNE moved, " That in all cases in which the
Members of a Committee on a railway Bill, or group of
Bills, shall be reduced to four, the proceedings on such Bill or
'group of Bills shall be suspended until the Committee of Se-
lection shall have discharged one of the said four Members
from further attendance on the said Committee." In doing
this he should merely state to the House, that from his own
experience great inconvenience had been suffered by the diffi-
culty of coming to a decision in the Railway Committees which
were now sitting. In the Committee of which he was a mem-
ber, there were projects submitted which involved the ex-
penditure of 8,000,000/., and he thought that was too great a
sum for three gentlement to decide upon. He certainly saw great
difficulty in adjusting the matter, but he bmieved that it would
be advisable to return to the plan of the Election Committees.
By a resolution of the House, passed on the 26th larch, 136.
it was agreed that the Chairmen of Select Committees should
have double votes, but as in a Committee of four only, this
would not answer the purpose, he should propose that the
Committee in such cases should be reduced to three. This
eourse, be was aware, was a very exceptionable
course ; but still it was, under the circumstances,
be thought, the best that could be devised. He
did think that the House ought to be careful how it inter-
fered with the influence of the Chairman, or with his votes.
Let the House remember that the Chairmen of Committees
were not appinted by those Committees, but by a Committee
of this House, which feet alone showed the importance the
House attached to that office. He had brought forward this
question with no other object in view than those he had stated ;
but he did not mean to say that it was the best remedy that
could be proposed; but he had, at least, the satisfaction of
knowing that he had called the attention of the House to it,
and with these observations he begged to propose the motion of
which he had given notice.
Lord G. SOMERSET said he was not by any means pre-
pared to contend that it was nct a misfortune that the business
of the House could not be reduced to a smaller amount ; but
in the present state of the public business he was bound to
admit that this question was one of a very serious character.
He did not recollect whether the Hon. Member opposite was
present when the subject of the Chairman's vote was discussed ;
but amongst those who were present there appeared to be but
one opinion, and that was that each Committee should be com-
posed of five Members, and also that the Chairman of each
Committee should have a double vote when a necessity should
arise for a caring vote. But what was the remedy proposed
by the Hon. Member ? It WAS this, that when a Committee
cbil happen to consist of only four Members, the proceedings of
that Committee should stop until the Members had been
reduced to three. Now he (Lord Granville Somerset) did
think that such a course would be extremely inconvenient.
He did not propose that three should be an absolute quorum.
Now, if they took one member off, and the Committee should
be reduced to two, that would be, in point of fact, giving the
deci: ion to the Chairman. In cases where property to the
amount of several millions was concerned, that
would not certainly be right or judicious. How-
ever talented and honourable the Chairman of a
Committee might be, what respect, be should like to know,
would the House be inclined to pay to the decision of one gen-
tikinan ? Besides, it was asking a gentleman to take upon him-
self such a responsibility as they had no right to ask
from him. It was exposing him to all sorts of mis-
representations, and if he were chairman of a committee,
he should hesitate long before he ventured under such circum-
stances to come to a iecision. The House ought not to place any
Hon. Gentleman in such a position, and he considered that it
would be most unfortunate if the House were to adopt the pto-
po;•ition of the Hon. Gentleman.
Mr. LA BOCCHERE agreed with the Noble Lord who
had just sat down in opposing the motion of his Honour-
able Friend. At the same time, he thought that the House
ought to he much obliged to his Honourable Friend for
having brought forward the subject. The case to which his
Ben. Friend had referred was not a mere speculative one.
It actually occurred; and one of the most important of the
Railway Committees had been reduced to four Mem-
bers. Now, what was the course which, under such cir-
eumstances, the House ought to pursue ? He thought that
the Chairman ought to be deprived of the power of voting.
He did not think that a Committee should be left in such a
state as that it might be possible that a question involving mil-
lions of property should be decided by two members of the Com-
mittee, in opposition to the opinion of the Chairman. He
was decidedly of opinion that the best course which they
cools' adopt would be to allow the Chairman to have a
double' vote on such occasions.
MroWARBURTON thought that the very best plan pro-
posed was allowing the double vote to the chairman, but he
shenlei support the tertium quid, as the determination of the
Committee was not final. He did not think that the chair-
man shoit:d be deprived of that influence which he would pos-
sess en other eceasions.
Mr. G. VERNON ventured to say, that in no other as-
sembly was there such a practice as that at present followed
in Railway Committees.
Mr. WARD thought that whichever of the propositions were
carried, some means should be devised for rescuing the Chair-
man of a Committee from the position in which he would be
placed in those circumstances, if liable to such accidents. Ile
did not see why the Chairman should be prevented from ex-
pressing his opinion because two gentlemen expressed their
opinions before.
Sir G. GREY said he would propose an amendment to the
sea t ion of hi■ Hon. Friend—that upon all questions before
Railway Committees, on which there waifs difference of op-
slion. those questions should be decided by the majority of
voices; bat where the members on the Committee were even,
that ►he Chairman should have two voices, or a casting voice.
Mr. F. SHAW seconded the amendment. He entirely con-
curred with the Hon. Gentleman opposite. Under all the cir-
cumstances, he believed that the best way to meet the difficulty
of this question was to give a double vote to the Chairman.
Any other mode would only lead to irregularity and confusion.
Mr. GISBORNE conceived that tho-e fion. Gentlemen
who had done him the honour to attend to his few remarks
would not be surprised at his proposing to withdraw the mo-
tion which he had submitted, in deference to the strong opinion
expressed on both sides of the House.
Mr. BROTHERTON thought that the analogy proposed
by the amendment was in accordance with the analogy of the
House, and he should, therefore, support it.
Mr. GRANVILLE VERNON said at the cuarter sessions
it was the custom for the Chairman to be deprive'd of his casting
vote when there were only three beside himself, but when the
numbers were equal the Chairman retained his casting vote,
and be thought this plan ought to be adopted in the Select
Committees.

Lord-EBRINGTON said, that in the Committee on the
affa'rs df New Zealand, of which he was a member, this prin-
ciple had been adopted, and Lord Stanley had so arranged
that there should always be a majority of one.
Lord H. VANE said that as the opinion had been so
strongly expressed on both sides of the House, he hoped the
Noble Lard would accede to the request which bad baen so
strongly expressed.
After a few words from Lord G. SOMERSET, the
motion was agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. GREENE the Gravesend and Ro-
chester Railway Bill was read a second time, and ordered to
be committed.
Mr. LANGSTON brought up the report of the Great
Grimsby and Sheffi«ld Junction Railway Bill.
Mr. FOX MAULE presented a petition from Perth in
favour of the Edinburgh and Northern Railway Bill.
The Great North of England Railway (Clarence and Hartle-
pool Junction) Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be
committed.