The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-05-04 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MoNvAy,

The Commons was summoned to the Housecf Lords to
hear the royal assent given by commission to a number of
public and private bills.
Sir Fitzroy Kelly, the Solicitor-General, took the oaths
and his seat for the eastern division of the county of Suf-
folk, in the place of Lord Rendlesham, deceased ; and
Mr. Carter took the oaths and his seat for the borough
of Tavistock, in the place of Mr. Trelawney. A new writ
was ordered for the borough of Harwich, in the room of
Sir Fitzroy Kelly, who, since his election, had been re-
turned for East Suffolk.

In reply to a question from Sir A. COCKBURN,
Sir J. PAKINGTON stated that there was no intention
of removing the port of departure for the West India and
other packets from Southampton to Plymouth.
In answer to a question from Major-General Reid,
Major BERESFORD said that her Majesty's Govern-
ment had no psesent intention of increasing the number of
regular troops now serving in Great Britain and Ireland.
SirJ. PAKINGTON moved for leave to bring in abilltogive
a representativeconstitntion to thecolony of New Zealand.
The peculiar geographical and other circumstances of New
Zealand made it impossible to give it a constitution exactly
similar to that of other colonies. The proposal was to
establish councils for the management of local matters,
and a central legislature for the disposal of general and
larger questions. Of the members of this central council
part would be nominated by the crown ;. but the majority
by the European and native population who possessed
the necessary franchise, namely, the ownership of a
freehold worth £5O, or the occupation of a house in a
town worth £lO, or in a county worth £s' a year.
After remarks from Sir R. Inglis, Mr. Gladstone, Mr.
Hume, Sir W. Molesworth, Lord J. Russell, and other
members, gerterally in approbation of the proposal, the
motion was agreed to.

THE MILITIA BILL.
Upon the motion for going into committee upon this
bill, Mr. COBDEN strenuously opposed the measure, de-
claring that in the majority in favour of its second read-
ing there was scarcely one representative of any large
town. He moved, as an amendment, for the production
of certain returns &hewing the effective naval force of the
country ; and that until this information was given, the
consideration of the bill in committee should be post-
poned.
Mr. ANDERSON opposed the motion, contending that
it was only available' for purposes of delay, and would,
if agreed to, be highly detrimental to the interests, of the
naval service.

Mr. CORRY opposed the motion, and was briefly replied
to by Mr. CARTER.
CAPTAIN BOLDER°, charged the supporters of the
amendment with endeavouring to impede the business of
the House.

Mr. BRIGHT denounced the militia system at being
hostile to industry and injurious to freedom, and sup-
ported the amendment, which sought to place before the
house and country the existing means of defence.
Mr. WHITESIDE, on the other hand, defended the
militia as a defensive and protective force—intended not
to provoke war but to maintain peace.
Mr. MACGREGOR moved the adjournment of the de,
bate.—Upon a division the motion was negatived by 291
to 68; but being renewed, was agreed to.
Adjourned at one o'clock.