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

BUSINESS OE THE SESSION.
Sir ROBERT PEEL then rose, and said,—Sir, I
think, perhaps, it will be the most convenient course to
the House generally, if, on moving the order of the day,
I fulfil the promiie made on a former occasion, and
inform the House what course the Government
means to pursue with regard to those legislative
measures of great importance, which, considering the
advanced period of the session, and the great mass of
business yet before the House, must be proceeded with.
But before I allude to the Bills already under the consi-
deration of the House, I shall just answer a question
put to me a few days ago, in respect to
those measures which are connected with railway
legislation. On the part of the Government, I may say
that they have availed themselves of the experience of
the Committees on Railway Bills, with respect to that
department of the Government by which those Bills are
first considered, namely, the Board of Trade, and in
the early part of next session we shall ask the
House to adopt such proceeding as may be neces-
sary for the furtherance of the business of the
country. In the course of this session, it shall either be
my duty or that of my Noble Friend the President of the
Board of Trade, to lay on the table of the House a
minute of the Board of Trade, suggesting an alteration
in the functions of that Board, the general purport of
which will be to change in some degree its constitutional
duties. That Board will still require that all Bills connected
with the subject of railways be laid before them, and
they wili require the report to Pariiament whether any
peculiar public injuries will necessarily be inflicted by
the passing of such Bills, but the Board of Trade will be
relieved from the duty of deciding on them.—(Cheers.)
They can offer no opinion or suggestion on the respec-
tive merits of any line which can in the slightest degree
alter the decision of the House. As lam speaking on
the subject of railways, I will but just refer
to an address presented to the Crown, and it
may be convenient to state at once, that in conse-
quence of that address three gentlemen have been ap-
pointed for the purpose of considering and assisting the
judgment of the Board of Trade, care being, however,
taken that in all public projects they shall come to no
final decision. Those gentlemen are Sir Frderick Smith,
Professor Barber, and Professor Airey, and their con-
duct and scientific abilitirs are such, that I think the
House can find no fault with their appointment. The
business yet before the House, and the bills still likely to
be brought in from the other House, is yet so great that
it may be a great advantage if a positive announcement
is made by Government of those measures which they
intend to adopt. With respect to those I will instance
the more prominent measures, and confine myself, there-
fore, to the greater and more important of them. In the
first plaee, with respect to the Irish Colleges Bill, this
is one of those which we intend to proceed with.
This is a Bill of great importance, from the nature of the
subject. We intend to give precedence to the Irish Col-
leges Bill, and we shall attempt to get through this Bill
before we take any steps with regard to
other measures. There is no necessity for
any further delay in regard to this measure,
and .ve believe it is better to proceed consecutively with
one Bill to its conclusion, than to delay its progress for
the sake of attempting to forward other measures. That
Bill stands for consideration after the question of privi-
lege to-night. I believe that the Hon. Member for
Ripon has a notice of motion for an amendment to be
proposed on the bringing up the report on the Irish Col-
leges Bill. If it would be inconvenient for him to post-
pone his motion, or if he would particularly wish to pro-
pose his amendment on the bringing up of the report,
due opportunity will be afforded him for so doing ;
but if it would be equally convenient to him, I
would suggest that he should postpone his motion
until the third reading. If he wishes to propose his
amendment on the bringing up of the report, then he
would propose that the report should be brought up on
Thursday, and that the third reading should be fixed for
the following Monday. If he consents to postpone
his motion until the third reading, then I would
propose that the report should be received to-morrow
or Wednesday, and that the third reading should be
fixed for Thursday. There is another Bill which it is
important should pass. The general principle of which
has been admitted by the House, which has undergone
considerable discussion, and which has received
the sanction of most of the Members canuected
with Scotland, which I do not anticipate
much difficulty in passing, I mean, the Poor-law Amend-
ment (Scotland) Bill. There is another Bill which I
have reluctantly hitherto postponed for the purpose of
forwarding the Maynooth Bill and the Irish Colleges
Bill, and which I intend to proceed with as speedily as
possible, I mean the Bill for relieving the Jews from
their civil disabilities.--(Great cheering.) I will
fix some day in the following week for the further pro-
ceeding with the Bill. There are many other most im-
portant Bills for consideration, but I hope the House
will not consider that it is the fault of her Majesty's
Government that more progress has not been made in
these measures. They must have been aware of what
the occuilktions of the House have been. Ido not
by way of complaint, but the House must be
say this
aware that we have omitted na Opportunity of forward-
ing these important measures. There are many Bills
also which must be continued. There is, fur instance,
the Bills :of Exchange Bill, a measure for continuing
the law making a modification in the usury laws.
It is of the utmost importance that this Bill should be
continued. There are also several Mils of which my
Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home
Department has . charge Bills respecting which
there is not likely to arise any discussion,
which are merely for the renewal of laws
which will expire at the end of the year.
One of these bills is to contain the laws relating to the
rating of stock ; another i, the Turnpike Trusts
Bill.. There is also another bill which it is
necessary should be passed for continuing the laws
regulating the removal of the Irish and Scotch
poor.. 'Phis measure will be the more necessary
if my Right Honourable. Friend would, as he pro-
poses to do, relinquish for this session his
Bill for regulating the law of
pa orhial -settlement.
In addition to those, there are several other Bills in
respect to which it will make no material difference to
the public to postpone the consideration of them; for
instance, there is the valuation of Lands Bill, the
Criminal Lunatics Bill, of which latter a good deal
has already been heard in this House; then there
are, besides, the Public Works Bill, which in
some measure applies to Ireland ; the Drainage Bill,
which also in some degree affects parts of Ireland; and,
lastly, there is- the J.)it Stock Company's Bill which,