The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-13 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS A p ril 12.
Their Lordships assembled at Five o'Clock, at which
hour the Lord Chancellor took his seat on the Woolsack.
QEEN'S PRISON BILL.
Bill.
The Earl of QUEEN'S
presented a petition agatlnst this

THE ARIFF.
Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition from the boot
and shoemakers of Monmouth against the proposed re-
duction of the duty on foreign boots and shoes.
CORN-LAWS.
Lord MELBOURNE said that with respect to the
notice which bad been given of a motion to be made on
Monday next for deferring the second reading of the
Corn Importation Bill, he begged to say that if their
Lordships negatived that motion, and should determine
on proceeding with the measure, he should, in the next
stage of the Bill, viz., when the Bill was in Committee,
move the following resolution:—" Thatin the opinion of.
this House a fixed duty on the importation of foreign corn
and flour would be most advantageous to trade, and more
conducive to the general Welfare of all classes of the
people, than a graduated duty varying with the average
prices in this country."
FORGED EXCHEQUER BELLS BILL.
The Duke of WELLINGTON proposed the second
reading of this Bill.
Lord BROUGHAM said the usual protection to wit-
nesses was not inserted in the Bill. His opinion was that
it ought to be inserted, and he wished the assistance
of his Noble and Learned Friend on the Woolsack
to frame a clause in such a way as to give the Com-
missioners power to protect a witness in case he
gave evidence tending in any way to criminate himself.
Lord MONTEAGLE hoped the Noble Duke would
take into consideration the propriety of expunging the Gth
clause in the Bill when it came from the Commons. He did
not think that the public would have confidence in the
measure, if it did not contain a proviso that the evidence
taken before the Commission should be• immediately
published.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said he thought it
would be best to leave the matter to the consideration of
the Treasury. • He would give the Noble Lord an answer
respecting the subject on Thursday, when the Bill would
be committed.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said it would not be ex-
pedient to publish the evidence during the investigation,
but it was quite another question that of publishing it
when the investigation was Concluded.
After a few words from Lord MONTEAGLE, the
Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed
on Thursday.
The other Bills on the table were advanced a stage,
and the House Adjourned to-Thursday next. •

lIOUSE OF COMMONS, April 12.
The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
Mr. C. STANDISH took the oaths and bis seat as Mem-
ber for the Borough of Wigan.
MARYLEBONE IMPROVEMENT BILL.
Mr. M'KINNON presented a petition, signed by
nearly all the inhabitants of the south-side of Oxford-
street, in favour of this Bill.

On the motion of Mr. STRUTT, Mr. B. Wood was
added to the Select Committee on Private._ Business, in
place of Mr. Chalmers.
NATIONAL EDUCATION (IRELAND.)
Mr. FITZROY presented a petition from the county •
Down against the system of National Education in Ire-
land, and in favour of that of the Church Education
Society. Several petitions to the same effect were pre-
sented by Lord BERNARD.

AYNOOTH COLLEGE.
Mr. HARDY presented a petition against the grant to
Maynooth College.

THE TARIFF.
Mr. H. HINDE presented a petition from Newcastle-
upon-Tyne against the proposed duty uponcoal.
Mr. BRODIE presented a petition from Salisbury
against the proposed alteration of the duty. on leather.
Mr. THESSIGER presented a petition from Wood-
stock to the same effect.

Mr. C. BRUCE presented four petitions from the
county of Elgin, against the proposed reduction of duty
on the importation of cattle.
Mr. W. YOUNG presented a similar petition from
Buckingham.

.HARLOW ELECTION.
kr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from Mr.
Richard Gibbons, who was now confined in Newgate for
contempt of the House ; the petitioner expressed sorrow
and contrition for his conduct, and as it_was his (Mr.
Duncombe's) intention to bring this petition under the
consideration of the House to-morrow, he begged leave
to move that it be now printed.
BOLTON AND PRESTON RAILWAY BILL.
This Bill was read a second time.
NEW CROSS ROADS' BILL.
This Bill was also read a second time.
THE TARIFF. •

Sir W. CLAY presented a petition from the shoe-
makers of the Tower Hamlets, complaining of the opera-
tion of the proposed tariff on their trade,

IPSWICH ELECTION.

The following Members were sworn in as the
Committee, to try the merits of the petition, complain-
ing of an undue return for the borough. of Ipswich :
Mr. J. Parker, Mr. G. Darby, Mr. H. M. Tuite, Sir W.
L. Young, Mr. J. Heathcote, Hon. General Lygon,
Pakington, Chairman.
The mums of the Members appointed to try the
Wakefield and Cardigan election petitions were then
called over ; but in consequence of the absence of some
of the lion. Menibers it was agreed that they should be
again called over at five o'clock.
Mr. G. PALMER presented a petition from a place
in Berkshire, complaining (as we understood) of certain
portions of the taritE
Mr. lIALFORD presented a petition from the County
of Leicester, signed by fifty-two farmers and graziers,
stating that the apprehensions excited by the abate-
ment of the protection atfordtd by the Corn-laws,
had been very much increased by the proposed
changes with respect to the importation of
foreign cattle. They prayed that the House would take
the subject into its further consideration, as those
changes would bring inevitable distress and misery upon
large portions of the community.
INCOME TAX—RIGHT OF PETITIONING.

Mr. COWPER, pursuant to notice, rose to present a
petition from Hertford against the income tax. He said
he did hope that, atter the expression of opi-
nion. so explicitly given by the House during
the two debates that had taken place on this
subject, and considering that the Government in the
division upon it had been reduced to within an unit of
defeat—they ,would not oiler any further objection to
the exercise on the present occasion of that which was
the inherent right of Englishmen—the right of petition;
and that they would, not attempt to close the avenues of
that House to the petitions of the people. When he
(Mr. Cowper) wished to represent to this House the opi-
nions of his constituents on this subject, he had no other
moans of doing so than by interfering with and stopping
the further progress of public business. Several Hon.
Members had, no doubt, similar petitions to present, and
if Government desired that the public business should
not be interrupted by petitions, they would allow such
petitions as he now held to be presented. He therefore
trusted that no further opposition would be made; and
he would conclude by moving tkat the petition which he
now presented should be brought up.
Lord FRANCIS EGERTON rose, but was inter-
rupted by
The SPEAKER, who. said that as the House had then
sat one hour, it was his duty to call on those gentlemen
who had been chosen on Election Committees to come
up to the table to be sworn.
_CARDIGAN ELECTION. COMMITTEE.

On the names of the Members chosen to serve on the
Cardigan Election Committee being called over, Mr.
Martin Blake, one of the Members so chosen, did not

nswer to his name.

Mr. O'CONNELL said, that to his knowledge Mr.
Martin Blake was not in England, and therefore it was
useless waiting for him.
The SPEAKER then put the question that Martin
Blake, Esq., having been chosen a Member of the Com-
mittee to try the merits of a petition complaining of an
undue election for the Borough of Cardigan, and not
having attended in his place on the day appointed for
the swearing in of the said Committee within one hour
of the meeting of the House, be taken into the custody
of the,Serjeant-at-Arms.--Agreed to.
WAKEFIELD ELECTION COMMITTEE,
On the names of the Members appointed to serve on -
the Wakefield Election Committee having been: called
over, Mr. G. Bankes did not answer to his name.
The SPEAKER then put the question that George
Bankes, Esq., having been chosen on the Committee
appointed to try the merits of a petition complaining
of an undue election for the borough of Wakefield;' end
having neglected to attend in his place on the day ap-
pointed for the swearing in of the said Committee
within one hour after the meeting of the House, be taken
into custody by the Sergeant-at-Arms.— Agreed to.
INCOME TAX PETITIONS.

Lord FRANCIS EGERTON would not have taken

the liberty of addressing the House on the motion of the
Hon. Member for Hertford—a motion so analogous to
the one on which he had addressed the House last even-
ing—had he not felt that he could not with satisfaction
to himself
.remain content with merely repeating in
silence the vote which he had given last night.
He was sure that the inconvenience of protracting such
discussions as the present must be obvious to Hon. Gen-
tlemen on both sides of the House. He had already ex-
pressed his own opinions with regard to the merits of
the question ; but it was evident that considerable dif-
ference of opinion existed as to the propriety of abro-
gating the practice •uhich bad been established for
so long a period. He thought it highly de-
sirable that the practice should be placed upon
a better footing. . lie had already expressed
' his views, and he would now propose the course
which he thought most calculated to carry them into
practice. He would suggest to the Hon. Member the
expediency of withdrawing his petition for the present,
leaving it to him (Lord F. Egerton) to bring forward the
question in a more substantial shape, on the earliest day
that might be convenient for so doing. He would not now
go into the question how the practice might be best set-
tled, but he would undertake to bring forward the ques-
tion at as early a day as possible.—(Hear, hear.)
Col. SIBTIIORP expressed his regret that he was on
this occasion called upon to vote in opposition to those
with whom be had for so many years acted. He must
support the motion of the Hon. Member for Hertford.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said ho wishedlth
res p toec t stateto
theto
the House what his opinion was w
proposition of the Noble Lord. The House had agreed
by a majority of one not to receive petitions, but lie be-
lieved 221 Members had voted in favour of receiving them.
Therefore it was clear that there was a very strong
opinion in the House in favour of the necessity of re-
ceiving petitions. His Hon. Friend thought it was fi
that petitions of this description should be received, and
thA ,oble Lord had said, that lithe present petition Wert