The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-25 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 24.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock.
The Spelsey Road Bill was read a third time and
passed.
Mr. GROGAN presented a petition from a company
interested in the Grand Canal Railway complaining of
the standing orders of the Portarlington line.
On the motion of Colonel T. WOOD, the London
Orphan Asylum Bill was read a third time and passed.
LIVERPOOL DOCKS BILL.
On the order of the day being read for the third read-
ing of the Liverpool Docks Bill,
Mr. ESCOTT moved the omission of the following
clause :—" And whereas doubts have been entertained
whether the powers and remedies given to the trustees
for recovering and enforcing payment of the rates and
duties payable to them under and by virtue of the said
recited Acts, are applicable to the recovery of the rates
and duties payable by vessels entering the said port and
not using the docks of the trustees ; and it is expedient
that such doubts should be removed ; be it enacted, that
if the master of any vessel entering the said port, and
not using the docks of the said trustees, shall refuse or
neglect to pay to the saidj trustees the rates payable
in respect of such vessels, it shall be lawful for any
justice of the peace of the counties of Lancaster or
Chester, as the case may require, upon complaint in
writing made before him by the person authorised to de-
mand or receive the said rates, that he had demanded the
same from the said master, and that the same were due and
unpaid, to issue his warrant to take and distrain such
vessel, her tackle, apparel, and furniture, or any part
thereof, and to detain such distress until such rates shall
have been paid ; and in case any of the said rates shall
remain unpaid for the space of three days next after
any distress so made, it shall be lawful for such person
to cause such distress to be appraised by two or more
sworn appraisers, and afterwards to sell the distress, and
therewith to satisfy the rates so unpaid, and all the ex-
penses of keeping, appraising, and selling such distress,
rendering the overplus (if any) to the said mas-
ter upon demand ; and if any dispute shall arise
as to the amount of such rates, or of the
charges occasioned by such distress, it shall be lawful for
the person distraining to detain such distress until the
amount of such rates and the charges of such distress
shall be ascertained and determined by such justice upon
application made to him for that purpose."—lt was re-
ferred to the standing orders of the Committee.
Sir Augustus Clifford appeared at the bar, and sum-
moned the House to the House of Peers to hear the Royal
Assent given to several Bills (for which see Lords'
report).

MAYNOOTH GRANT.
Mr. EMERSON TENNENT presented petitions from
several places in Ireland against the grant to Maynooth.
Mr. HINDLEY presented twelve petitions against the
grant to Maynooth College, from the following places:—
Inhabitants of Boxford, Suffolk; Wyke, York ; Havering
Atte Bower, Essex; Protestant Dissenters, Kingston,
Surrey ; Penegroes Whitechurch, Pembroke ; Ashby-
de-la-Zouch, Loughborough ; Calvanistic Methodists,
Llanywniw, Denbigh ; Talynh, Brecon ; teachers of
Sunday Schools, Castle-yard, Holland-street, Surrey ;
and Frindsbury, Kent.
LONDON AND YORK RAILWAY.
An HoN. A1E3113E13., whose name we could not hear,
presented a petition in favour of the London and York
Railway.
CLYDESDALE JUNCTION RAILWAY BILL.
Mr. HOPE JOHNSTONE presented petitions, nu-
merously signed, from Glasgow, Hamilton, Rutherglen,
Bothwell, and Blantyre, in favour of this measure.
MR. BURKE AND THE MIDLAND RAILWAYS.
The SPEAKER in reply to a question from Lord
G. Somerset, stated that since this matter had been
brought under his notice, he had taken an opportunity
of looking into the rules of the House bearing upon
the subject. He found that some years ago, Mr.
speaker Abercromby framed a number of rules for re-
gulating the practice of Parliamentary agents,
but the only one of any importance was
the second rule, which required that all Par-
liamentary agents before they were permitted
to practice should make a declaration whereby they
agreed to observe all the rules and standing orders of
the House. This rule, however, was not sufficiently
stringent, and he had, therefore, framed a rule making
every Parliamentary agent personally responsible to the
House for the due observance of the standing and ses-
sional orders.
Lord G. SOMERSET said, under those circumstances
be was not inclined to persist in his motion respecting
an act of negligence lately committed by a Parlia-
mentary agent.