Star.
London, England, 1831-03-25 00:00:00

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EMI GREY pawned email petitions for Reform in Parliament,
and strppesdng dm measure °lnform in the other house; one of Mese
WAS from the county of Nottingham.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE impugned the respectability of the
panics who signed the petition ; be um pomaded it was not the peti-
tion of a county meeting.
Earl GREY . without spealdng to every name which was affixed to
the petition said, that it was signed by many of the 'resident gentry in
the county of Nottingham.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE was sorry fcr that circumstance ; be
was certain that the great body of the yeomanry of Nouinghamshite
were opposed to the measure of Reform.
Earl GREY.—That will be the best tried and known at the next
several election. (A laugh.)
Petitions for Reform and for a commutation of tithes were presented
XLord KING, Lord SUFFIELD, and Lord CALIDOEFE, after which
Jr Lordships Adjourned at a Quarter to Seven o'clock.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, 314tacu 24.
Mr. HOWARD presented a petition from the county of Wicklow,
against the system of agitation in Ireland for the repeal of the Union.
He was so convinced of the necessity of suppressing it, that he was
ready to support ministers in an extension of the duration of the law
its the prevention of illegal rosociations in Ireland.
Sir JAMES SCA RLETT presented a petition front Melton, ap.
roving of the plan of Reform proposed by ministers. He was sorry
he could not agree with his constituents in their approbation of the
bill, but be was ready to resign the trust they had committed to his
hands.

stand for next Tuesday.—

Mr. HUNT approved of what was said by the honourable and learned
gentleman, that he was ready to resign his seat, as he could not agree
with his consituents. It was what every member ought to do. No mem-
ber should vote against the opinion of those who sent him to that house.
(Hear, hear.) He was happy to live to see the day when there was not
a man in that house bold enough to deny that Reform was necessary.
He never found any, even amongst the humblest classes in this country
who desired a republic; they were all sadsfied with a House of Com-
mons freely chosen by the people.
D Mr. G. AWSON said, he had with his own ears heard the hon-
ourable member say that he preferred a Republic to any other form of
Government. Now that the extensive plan of Reform proposed by
Ministers was known, and went so much farther than even the hon-
ourable gentleman could have hoped, he thought proper to forget
his former declaration; but he (Mr. Dawson) well recollected having
heard the honourable member for Middlesex suggest to the honour-
able member for Preston not to proceed in expressing his preference
of a Republic.
Mr. HINT positively denied that hi had ever :expressed himself in
preference of a Republic to the British Constitution. He had only said
that if the people of England were driven to a revolution for the reco-
very of their rights, they would then probably prefer a Republic and
cheap Government, as in that case he should do. He called upon the
honourable member for Middlesex, to say whether he had ever heard
him express his preference of a Republic, or suggested to him not to
proceed, when he was addressing the house.
Mr. HUME said, that being appealed to he must say that the hon.
member below (Mr. Dawson) must be mistaken; be had never heard
the honourable member for Preston express his opinion in preference of
a Republic to the British Constitution, and had never given him any
suggestion not to proceed in any manlier in which he thought proper to
address the house.

Lord STANLEY moved the order of the day for the third reading
of the Preston and Wigan Railway Bill.
The SPEAKER said, the difficulty on which the third reading was
adjourned arose from a clause in the conclusion of the bill. The stand-
ing orders required that all such bills should contain a clause rendering
all the original subsctibers liable to the full amount of their subscrip-
tions. The bill contained such a clause in its commencement : but
towards its conclusion it contained a clause by which a subscriber who
sold and transferred his share should for ever after be released from
any liability respecting it. That clause was a complete repeal of the
former.

Mr. HUME and Mr. LITTLETON expressed their disapproba-
tion of any provisions in such acts that should impede the transfer of
shares in such companies.
Mr. CHARLES DUNDAS suggested, that the liability of the
original subscribers should continue till the completion of the under-
taking, after which they should be enabled to transfer their shares with-
lout being longer subject to any liability.
After sonic further conversation, it was agreed that the latter clause
in the Bill should be struck out, and the Bill was then read a third time
and passed.
Captain M AITLAND presented a petition from the county of Ber-
wick, against the bill of reform brought in. by ministers.
31r.KEN HEDY said, but 33 persons attended the meeting, and the
petition was signed by no more than 40 or SO persons. A petition was
to be presented from Edinburgh against the bill of reform proposed by
about SOO persons, at a meeting, from which all r.formers were ex-
cluded, some of whom also signed the present petition from Bernick.
Lord E. SOMERSET presented a petition from the county of
Gloucester In favour of the bill of reform brought in by ministers. He
had felt it his duty to vote against the bill, and was sorry he could not
agree with his constituents.
Sir W. GUISE supported the petitioners, and would continue to
support the bill. The whole country owed a debt of gratitude to the
ministers for its introduction.

Mr. CRIPPS said, he thought there were some things In the bill
which he could not support, but he bad voted for the second reading of
the bill because some reform was called for, and must take place.
Sir E. ..U431 DEN said, that if the honourable gentleman had at..
tended to the concluding speech of the noble lord who brought in
the bill, be would not have voted for the second reading, u the noble
lord distinctly stated that be would not consent to any alteration in
the bill.

Colonel DAVIES said he must contradict the learned gentleman on
the point of fact. The noble lord only said he would not consent to any
change of the principle of the bill, nor any essential change in its de-
tails.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. WY NN said he bad voted for the second reading of the bill
with the intention of proposing considerable alterations in the ahrimittee.
If the noble lord who introduced the bill would not consent to altera-
tions, that was not to bind the house.
Sir J. WROTTESLEY would rather see the bill abandoned al-
together than see any of the rotten boroughs it proposed to cut off
taken out of its operation. The whole country looked with exultation
to the bilL.--(Hear.)
Mr. GORDON hoped the bill would he so amended in the committee
as to give general satisfaction to the country. He was for twenty years
a reformer, and gave credit to his Majesty's ministers for bringiog in
such an excellent bill.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BENETT said, all Reformers, and the whole people, were sa-
tisfied with the bill as it stood, and If any important alteration were
made, the people might turn round and say, we must have the whole
bill ; and it were better grant it now freely, than have it forced on them
with many additions which !hey would not choose, and which might be
avoided.