The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-05 00:00:00

AMERICAN CORN.

Mr. MILES gave notice that he would move for
returns, stating the amount of American corn imported
since the passing of the Act.
FOREIGN SUGAR.

Mr. F. BARING gave notice of his intention to
move for returns of the quantity of foreign sugar im-
ported into the United Kingdom during the- past year.

SCOTCH BANKS.

Mr. MACAULAY gave notice that he would ask
a question of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to-
morrow, relative to the law as affecting Scotch banks.

RAILWAYS.

Mr. WALLACE wished to ask a question of the
Government relative to the accommodation of the
publie on railways; but having understood that the
President of the Board of Trade had resigned his
office within the last few days, he did not know to
whom to address the question. Perhaps the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer would be able to answer the
question.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said, perhaps the Hon. Member would better obtain
the information he required by moving for a specific
return on the subject.
Mr. WALLACE, seeing the Right Hon. Gentle-
man the Member for Newcastle in his place, he would
put the question to him. He wished to know how
many of the railway companies coming within the
provisions of the Act of last session had complied with
the regulations laid down in the sixth clause, as to
having seats and protection from the weather for the
conveyance of third-class passengers ; and also how
many had failed so to comply ?
Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE said that as this ques•
tion bad reference to the provisions of the law rela-
tive to railroads that had passed some months ago,
he would endeavour to answer the question. The
railway companies which now came within the pro-
visions of that Act were quite satisfied with the
charge of one penny per mile for each passenger ;
they had strictly complied with that clause ; the
complaints on the part of the passengers were
very few, and the different companies had
expressed their entire satisfaction with the Act.
He need not trouble the House with reciting the
names of the companies who had complied with the
Act of last session, because they had all complied
with it with the exception of one or two. The
Board of Trade had required, in all ca'es,
seats in third-class carriages, and likewise that
effective protection should be supplied ; and the
Board of Trade considered that such protection
was supplied, as those carriages might be
entirely closed when the weather was severe.
In every case the companies had complied' with
the ie regulations, and the House would be
glad to hear that the result of the Act of
last session had been to afford increased accommridation
to persons of the poorer classes who travelled by rail-
road. He had only that morning received a memo-
randum of a report agreed to at a meeting of the
Grand Junction Railway Company, from a Director,
in which it was said that the writer felt much plea-
sure in stating, that by the Act of last session
the Company, without much injury to their receipts,
were able to afford accommodation to 2,600 poor
persons who could not otheru lie be accommodated,
and who could not afford to pay the price pre.
viously charged. lie would mention also that the
London and Birmingham Company, during the late
quarter, had carried about 48,895 passengers
in third-class carriages, at the rate of a penny per
mile for each person, being about 193,000 persons in
the year more thln the London and Birmingham
Railway carried before the law of last session came
into operation. In previous years the number of
third-class passengers conveyed was 6.5,000, instead
of 193,000, showing that the number of passengers
had nearly trebled.—(liear, hear.)
Mr. WALLACE gave notice that he would avail
himself of the suggestion of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer ; and gave notice that he would move to-
morrow for a return, showing not only what companies
had complied with the regulations prescribed by the
Act of last year, but also those companies who ftirmed
an exception to the rule.
SESSION AL ORDERS.

Mr. YOUNG having mOved,the order of the day
on sessional orders,
Mr. E WART rose to bring forward the motion of
which he had given notice; but
The SPEAKER said that the Hon. Gentleman's
motion had reference rather ,to the standing orders
than to the sessional orders.

Mr. MART said he would then bring forward
an independent motion on the Subject to-morrow. He
did not know whether the Hon. Gentleman, the
Member. for Oxford, intended, as a member of one of
the Committees of the House, t.) bring forward the
subject. If he . did so, he (Mr. Ewart) would co-
operate with him, but if not, he would feel bound
to bring forward the subject in a separate motion to-
morrow.