The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-20 00:00:00

:31 PE idAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.

The Charterhouse Hospital Estate Bill was read a
third time.

Mr. SHAW presented a petition from the Bishop
and Clergy of the Diocese of Elfin, in Ireland, com-
plaining of oppressive grievances in regard to their
temporalities ' • also from several parishes in the
diocese of Tuam, complaining of the present system
of national education in Ireland.

An How. MEMBER presented a petition from the
tanners and manufacturers of leather in the town of
Colraine, in Ireland, praying the House not to pass
that part of the tariff which affects their trade.
_ _

Mi. MURPHY presented a petition from certain
millers and millowners of Cork, complaining of the
importation of foreign flour.
Mr. ALEXANDER CAMPBELL presented a
petition from Glasgow, signed by 14,300 inhabitants,
praying for the abolition of Church patronage.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from a
gentleman of the name of Price, residing in Essex,
praying that a clause might be introduced into the
Railways Bill for the protection of property adjacent
to railways.

Mr. LIDDELL presented a petition from a place
in Durham signed by 144 rate-payers, against the
New Poor-law Bill.

Lord ELIOT presented a petition from the Dublin
General Dispensary, praying for a system of medical
charities in Ireland.

Mr. CHUTE presented a petition from West-
meath, praying for a revision of the Grand Jury Laws
in Ireland.

Lord SANDON presented a petition from Liver-
pool, praying for inquiry into the system of education
adopted in the College of Maynooth.
NOTICES OF MOTION.

Mr. WALLACE gave notice of his intention to
substitute the following resolutions for the motion in
the notice which stands for the 23d of June, with re-
spect to the distressed condition of the working
classes :

" Resolved, I.—That the trade and manufactures of
this country are labouring under great embarrassment
and difficulties.

" 2.—That the industrious classes are also suffering
many privations, and severe distress.

"a. That this state of things has been gradually ad-
vancing for several years past, and is now extending in
a most alarming degree.
"4. That the alterations made in the Corn-laws,
and in the Duties on Imports and Exports, coupled as
these laws have been with an Ineome tax, to add nearly
Four Millions of taxation to this already heavily bur-
dened country, cannot be expected to afford that relief,
which the continually declining state of trade, and the
distressed condition of the people so urgently require.
" 5. That, therefore, the welfare of her Majesty's
faithful people, and the future peace and security of the
country imperativety demand that effectual measures
shall immediately be taken to rescue the working classes
from the privations and sufferings they have so long
borne, with a degree of patience and fortitude, which spe-
cially entitles them to the affectionate sympathy of their
Sovereign, and to the respect, commiseration, and assist-
ance of this House."

griecial Commission and the commencement of
the General Commission of gaol delivery ? He
would also ask why the General Commission
could not commence its labours with the
county of Tipperary, instead of commencing at the
other end of the circuit, by which means the great
expense of this special commission would have been
saved, and this great job would have been prevented.
At the same time he felt bound to state, that he ac-
quitted the Noble 'Lord of all participation in that
job, the whole affair having, as he believed, been con-
cocted behind the Noble Lord's back.
Lord ELIOT said that the date of the Special
Commision was the 10th June and that it would be
opened on the 28th June. The general Commission
was dated the 9th of June ; but it would not be
opened at Tipperary until the 28th of July,—one
Calendar month after the opening of the Special
Commission. The Judges who would preside
over the Special Commission were the two
Chief Justices, and the prosecutions would be
conducted on the part of the Crown, by . the
Attorney-General, Sergeant Greene, and Mr. Scott.
He was not able to state what the exact expense would
be, but the expense of the last Special Commission in
1839 was 3,0631. Great inconvenience would have
arisen from any alteration having been made in the
usual manner of going the circuit, inasmuch as the
time for holding the Sessions was in general regulated
thereby; butl he did not rest the defence of the !flea-
sure on those grounds. It was deemed necessary by
the Lord Chancellor and the Law Officers of the Crown
to issue this Special Commission, in order to impress
upon the minds of the people of the country the
necessity of obedience to the laws ; and if it should
realize what was expected from it, the expense would
have been well incurred. He was willing to take his
share of the responsibility, and felt that it was
exceedingly improper to impute the mean and paltry
motives to the Attorney-General for Ireland, which
had been imputed to that officer.
Sir H. W. BARRON had not imputed any mean
or paltry motives to—
Mr. F. SHAW rose to order. The Hon. Baronet
having asked his question, had no right to say anything
further which would be likely to give rise to angry
discussion, or to raise angry feelings.
Lord ELIOT had not alluded in what he had said
to anything that had fallen from the Hon. Baronet,
but motives had been attributed to the Attorney-
General elsewhere, and by other parties.
Sir H. W. BARRON was satisfied with the Noble
Lord's explanation.
In reply to a question from Sir W. SOMERVILLE,
Lord ELIOT said it was not the intention of the
Government to introduce any measure in the course
of the present session with respect to the present sys-
tem of pawnbroking.
Mr. ROEBUCK gave notice that he would, to-
morrow, move that Mr. Redhead York and Mr.
Mackenzie be added to the Committee on compromise.
Sir F. BURDETT said he would, on an early
day, call the attention of the House to the invention
of Captain Warner.
GOLD COINAGE.

Mr. C. BULLER said he rose for the purpose of
bringing under the consideration of the House the
gold coinage of the country. He believed he was quite
in order in doing so before the reading of the Order of
the Day. He thought it was a matter which
ought to be discussed as much as possible without
party feelings. He had no intention of criminating
the Government, but he felt that it was his duty, in
conformity with his opinions upon the subject, to
state that he highly disapproved of the conduct which
they had pursued in reference to this matter, and to
give the grounds upon which he thought that their
conduct was improper. No one would be more de-
lighted than himself,.if the Government would take
steps for tranquillising the confusion which had
ot:curred. He thought the House would agree with
him, that this was a matter of deep moment to the
whole community, and, above all, of deep moment to
the poorest classes of the community. The Hon.
Member for Essex talked the other day about the
poor not being willing to take gold. The fact was,
that the gold coinage of the country was chiefly re-
quired for small daily payments. In this metropolis
the vast proportion of the workmen received more
than 20s. per week, which they were paid in gold ;
others, who received above half a sovereign, were
paid in the same manner, whilst the pay-
ments of the rich were principally made in
bank notes, or by cheques upon. their bankers.
What was it that he complained of in the conduct of
the Government ? What was the nature of their
proclamation ? On the 3d of June her Majesty's Go-
vernment, without any notice—without any prepara •
tion of the public mind, issued a proclamation.
warning the public that there were great quantities of
light gold coin in circulation, calling upon the officers
of the Government to enforce the law respecting the
defacing of the coin, and also calling upon her Ma-
jesty's subjects to do the same. No statement was
made in that proclamation of what the law was re-
specting the cutting and defacing of
.coin. The man
who kept a tripe shop—(Laughter)—in White-
chapel, or a baker's shop in Tothill-street, was left
to consider for himself what that law was. When
he pointed out to the House that such persons
might thus have been led into a violation of
the law, by which they and not the persons
who had injured the coin would suffer, doubts
must arise as to the propriety of issuing the procla-
mation. What was the effect of the proclamation ?
It was to discredit the whole of the gold coin of
tne realm. That was, nobody hereafter would safely
take those coins, as they had done for the last
twenty-five years, merely by number. Supposing
the impress was defaced, and every one was obliged to
take the coin by weight, the effect would be, that
the coin would be paid in large sums into the Bank
of England, and thus would be driven out of circula-
tion the gold coin of the reigns of George IV. and
William IV. He wished to impress upon the House
that this step on the part of the Government was no-
thing less than the calling in of all the gold
coin of the reigns of George IV. and William IV.
The loss of the depreciation of the coin fell on the
hclders of the coin on the 3rd June, when the procla-
mation was made. This loss fell on the retail trades-
men, and a great many of the working classes. He
wished to state that, in his opinion, upon general
principles, that it was unjust, for the loss should fall
on the accidental holders of the coin. What was the
cause of the deficiency in the coin ? Although
many persons said that holes had been made in
the sovereigns, yet the real cause was the wear and
tear of the coin during twenty-five years or
twenty years' circulation. Well, he said that
it was monstrous that the loss should fall on the
holders. It was not the fault of the holder in June,
that these sovereigns had been in circulation twenty-
five years. He did not know of the mischief which
had been going on for twenty-five years, and,
therefore, it was unjust that the punishment
should fall on him. Now he would ask
what was the good of this ? Was it to deter the per-
son who really played tricks with coin by plugging
it ? Why the person who played tricxs with the coin
always took care that the coin should as soon as pos-
sible go out of his possession. He was a person
certain not to hold the coin. He was the first per-
son who damaged the coin, and of course he got rid
of it in order not to be discovered, so that the loss
fell entirely upon the innocent person, and the loss
had not the effect of deterring persons from the com-
mission of the offence. This loss was very heavy to the
individual holder, while it could easily be borne by
the public What was the whole amount of the loss ?
The Chancellor of the Exchequer averaged the
loss at 3d. per sovereign, or 1I per cent., as the
general depreciation of the sovereign. It was
ENGLISH REGISTRATION. supposed the amount of deteriorated gold in
Sir J. GRAHAM said, that as the registration for the country amounted to about six millions, and at
England commenced this day under the existing law, the rate of depreciation stated by the Chancellor of
it was the opinion of the Government that it would the Exchequer the total loss would amount to no
be inexpedient to interfere with the registration under more than about 90,0001. Now it appeared to him,
the law as it stood. He had, therefore, to state, for that upon every ground of justice and expediency that
the information of the House, that though leave to loss should not be borne by the accidental holder of the
bring in a Bill on the English Registratien would be coin. Such a coin was opposed to every former prece-
moved for this session, yet it was not with any inten- dent in our history. A distinction had always been made
tion to press it. But as it must be passed before the by the Governments of this country between a de-
next 20th of June, in order to affect the registration preciation of coin caused by wear and tear, and a de-
of next year, it would be laid on the table this session, predation caused by illegal practices. In all cases,
and be passed in the early part of the next. parties were not allowed to suffer because they hap-
IRISH REGISTRATION. pened to be in possession of coin which was deterio-
Lord J. RUSSELL asked the Right Honourable I rated by reasonable wear. A statute of the 19th of
Baronet whether there was any intention on the part Henry VII., contained a provision to that effect. a
of the Government to press the Irish Registration Bill
zsiambeiltahr; waseannadcttmheenstame
principlepassed
been 29th
recognised of i
this Session ?
Sir R. PEEL said the Government had no inten- in various succeeding reigns. In the year 1776, the
tion of pressing the Irish Registration Bill. this Ses- depreciated gold coin was called in ; a provision was
sion ; but he was not prepared to state whether or then passed that allowance should be made for reason-
not it would be laid on the table. able' wear ; and it was a remarkable fact, that the
Mr. C. WOOD was addressing some observations allowance made amounted nearly to the extent of
to the House on the subject, when he was interrupted I depreciation in the coin of the present day, as stated
by the Speaker as being out of order. by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The
Mr. MILNER GIBSON wished to know if it was allowance made was one-and-a-half grains in
the intention of the Right Hon. Gentleman to intro- every 130, which made about one-tenth per cent.
duce a clause into the English Registration Act doing I hat was somewhat between the two of the present
away with the disqualification consequent upon a depreciation. Now, he must say, that when her Ma-
change of residence. He had received so many corn- jesty's Government issued its exhortations to the
plaints from Gentlemen of Conservative principles, as revenue officers and others to cut and deface every
well as from Gentlemen of Liberal opinions, of the coin which they found to be deficient in weight, the
miscarriage of the Bill on that subject that he hoped proclamation ought to have told them that they did it
the Right Hon. Baronet would introduce some clause i at their peril, and that if they made any mis-
into his Bill to remedy this inconvenience. take, and cut and defaced coin that was not
Sir JAMES GRAHAM would, when he asked deficient they should have to compensate the owner.
permission to introduce- his Bill, state to the House In the Act of 1832 it was expressly enacted that if
what measure would any person should cut, deface, or destroy coin that
be
was deficient only on account of reasonable wear.
. (tAhe la purgovhi.s)ions of the intended
TIPPERARY SPECIAL COMMISSION. But what was most important from the whole
having understood that the history of this country, since the revolution,
N
for Ireland, was now in a was, that whenever the old coin was called
oSbilre Lord,H W.
theß SecretaryAßßN
condition to answer, the questions which he (Sir I in, the deficiency was borne by the public,
H. W. Barron) had put to him the other evening, and not by the holder. He had not been able
relating to the Tipperary Special Commission, he to find any thing to the contrary, and he thought that
would now repeat them. He would ask if the Noble the cases which he should produce were perfectly de-
Lord was aware of the probable expense of the cisive as to the principles which had heretofore always
Special Commission for the couuty of Tippera guided the Government since the Revolution. Since
ry ;
if he could state the difference in the dates of the that period, there had been three re-coinages. One