The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-04 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.
HOUSE OF LORDS, July 3.
Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock.
CORN WALL RAILWAY.
The Earl of St. GERMANS presented a number of
petitions in favour of the Cornwall Railway, which were
referred to the Conitnittee on the Bill.
UNION OF PARISHES IN IRELAND.
The NOBLE EARL also laid on the table a Bill relating
to the union of parishes in Ireland. He said he should
explain its objects on the second reading.
NEW SOUTH WALES.
Lord POLWART presented a petition, signed by the
Speaker and by several of the Members of the Assembly
of New South Wales, complaining of the late alterations
in the law relating to the sale of lands. Also a petition
signed by 4,400 shareholders and merchants of Sydney
and its vicinity, praying the Legislature of this country
to make provision for the better security of land in the
more remote settlements.
GAMING AND WAGER BILL.
Lord WHARNCLIFFE moved the second reading of
this Bill. He said its object was to put a stop
to the qui tam actions which had been brought
against several persons, some of whom were
members of their Lordships' House, and to
amend the law relating to the suppression of common
gambling-houses, and to amend the law relating to
wagers. The present plan, which required that two
householders should sign an information before a house
in which gambling was suspected to be carried on could
be entered would be abolished and placed in the hands
of a superintendent of police, who would have to make a
statement to the Commissioners to that effect, who would
use their discretion as to whether the house should be
entered or not by the police, and that wherever
dice and other implements of gambling were
found, they should be taken as a sufficient
evidence that gambling was carried on, though the per-
sons found in the house might not be actually engaged in
"play ;" and that billiard-rooms, in which gambling was
frequently carried on, should be licensed by the magis-
trates in the same way as other places of entertainment.
With respect to wagers, by the law as it now stood wagers
were recoverable by aw except in certain instances. If
the bet did not exceed 10/. it was a legal wager, but if it
exceeded that amount it was illegal. The Bill proposed
that no bet whatever should be recoverable before any
court of law—putting bets entirely out of the protection
of the law. In cases where money was lost by cheating,
the party guilty of the cheating should be an object of
punishment. These were the chief provisions of the Bill.
After a few words from Lord Campbell, Lord
Brougham, and the Lord Chancellor,
Lord WHARNCLIFFE said that the amendment
suggested by the Noble Lord could be considered when
the Bill was in Committee.
The Bill was then read a second time.
Lord BROUGHAM presented twenty-two petitions
against the Cornwall Railway Bill.
RAILWAY BILLS.
The NOBLE and LEARNED LORD said he would
now embrace the opportunity of calling the at-
tention of the House to the following resolu-
tions of which he had given notice. He was
glad to find that the seven resolutions which bad been
prepared by the Select Committee of the House of Com-
mons were in perfect accordance with the three resolu-
tions which he proposed. He now moved that they be
added to the standing orders.
The first resolution—" That before any road, or
canal, or railway, or dock Bill shall be read a
first time, there be laid on the table of this House
a statement of the length and breadth of the
space which is intended or sought to be taken for the
proposed works, and to give up which the consent of the
owners of the land has not been obtained ; together with
the names of such owners, and the heights above the sur-
face of all proposed works on theground of each owner"—
was then put and carried. The second resolution—" That
a return shall also be presented at the same time of the
names of the owners or occupiers of any houses situated
within three hundred yards of the proposed works, who
shall have before the 31st December preceding the in-
troduction of the Bill into Parliament deposited written
objections to the said railway with the public officer
appointed to receive the plans of the said railway within
the parish or township in which their property is situate,
or if the railway should not be proposed to be carried
through that township, in the one through which
the railway is to pass in the manner objected to
by the above-mentioned parties"—was also carried.
The third resolution—" That where any party or parties
have appeared and contested any such Bills at the bar
or in the Committees of the House, it shall be lawful for
the House or Committees, if in their discretion they shall
think fit, to direct the costs of such party or parties to be
paid by the opposite party promoting the Bill"—was then
proposed.
After some discussion the further consideration of the
resolutions was postponed until to-morrow, when Lord
Brougham said he would bring forward a fourth reso-
lution.
SLAVERY IN BRAZIL.
The Earl of ABERDEEN laid on the table a Bill to
give effect to the convention lately entered into between
this country and Brazil for the suppression of the slave
trade, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read
a second time on Monday.
BANKS (IRELAND).
The Earl of RIPON moved the committal of
this Bill. He said the Bill would place the banking
system of Ireland upon a perfectly satisfactory
footing, and prevent the people of Ireland from being
exposed to over-speculation through an excessive issue
in the currency.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE entertained no ob-
jection to the principle of the Bill. On the contrary, he
thought it was a Bill founded upon good principles, but
he wished to point out a defect in one of its details.
The present five banks in Ireland were permitted to issue
beyond their average circulation only on condition that
they had specie in their coffers to meet the additional
amount. He considered the Hibernian Bank and the
Royal Bank were entitled to the same privileges on the
same security. They were banks which had conferred
the greatest advantage on the community, and he saw
no reason why their circulation should be restricted.
He considered it was a case of great hardship, if not in-
justice, to do so. If the Noble Earl opposite (the Earl of
Ripon) would not introduce a clause to that effect, he
should feel bound to do so himself when the Bill was in
Committee.
Lord MONTEAGLE agreed with the general prin-
ciple of the Bill, but there were one or two of its minor
details which he should be glad to see altered in Com-
mittee. The Bill gave to joint-stock banks, having
thirty or forty provincial branches throughout Ireland,
power to establish a metropolitan circulation ; and, in his
opinion, most unwisely so. He should not, however, make
any attempt to alter the provisions of the Bill in this
respect, but he would advise the great joint-stock bank-
ing companies of the sister kingdom not to participate in
a metropolitan circulation, or they might rely upon it the
experiment would prove an utter failure, and give rise
to the existence of no small distress in Ireland.
The Earl of RIPON spoke a few words in reply, and
their Lordships afterwards went into Committee on the
Bill.

The whole of the clauses were agreed to, and the
Rouse having resumed, the Noble Chairman reported
accordingly.
The Bill was ordered to be read a third time to-
morrow.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY gave notice of his
intention to-morrow to move for certain returns relating
to the South Sea Fisheries.
ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
Lord DENMAN moved the second reading of this Bill,
the object of which was to repeal that part of the crimi-
nal law which makes it imperative on the judge to pass
a particular sentence on convicted criminals.
Lord CAMPBELL highly approved of the three clauses
to which his Noble and Learned Friend referred. He
thought they would be a great improvement on the criminal
law. With respect to one clause he must object to it. If a
man held up his hand, or committed the most trivial of-
fence, a discretionary power existed even for that small
offence to imprison the criminal for three years, either
with solitary confinement or hard labour. He thought
that clause ought to be greatly modified, if not struck
out altogether.
After a few words from the Earl of DEVON,
Lord BROUGHAM thought that the present Bill
was a great improvement on the law. The meaning of
it was not that of a trivial assault, but that of a great
assault, which should receive an adequate amount of
punishment. He thought, however, that the amend-
ments could be introduced in Committee.
A desultory conversation then ensued, in which the
Lord Chancellor, Lord Brougham, Lord Campbell, and
Lord Denman, took part.
The Bill was then read a second time.
The West India Islands Relief Bill was read a third
time and passed.
Several Bills were advanced a stage, and their Lord-
ships adjourned.