The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-TUESDAY, MAY 10.

The Preston Waterworks Bill and the Stockport Im-
provement Bill were read a third time and passed.
PLYMOUTH ELECTION.—Mr. AGLIONBY reported from
the Select Committee that Mr. Mare had not been duly
elected, on the ground of bribery, and recommended
further inquiry.
The Exchequer Bills Bill was read a third time and passed.
INSPECTION OF NUNNERIES.—Mr. T. CHAMBERS, in
moving for leave to bring in a bill to facilitate the re-
covery of personal liberty in certain cases, observed that
an impression prevailed that there were classes in this
country, especially females, subjected to personal coercion
and restraint, a wrong which the state of the law was not
adequate to redress; and there were institutions in this
country—namely, monastic establishments—alien to our
legal institutions, and rapidly increasing, which required
the interposition of Parliament, with the view of protect-
ing those who were beyond the reach of the law as it now
existed. He proposed, therefore, that the Secretary of
State for the llome Department should have the power
of appointing one or more persons, where there were
reasonable grounds to infer the exercise of coercion and
restraint towards any female anywhere, to go, in company
with a justice of the peace, to the house, see the party,
ascertain the facts, and, if necessary, put the ordinary
law in force by writ of habeas corpus.—ln the course of
the discussion which ensued, Lord J. RUSSELL opposed
the motion. We lived in a free country, and he did not
believe that our fellow-subjects professing the Romish re-
ligion were so indifferent to political freedom, and so
destitute of the feelings of humanity, that they would
willingly see our laws set at nought, and lend no assist-
ance towards the liberation of their own relations. A
remedy like this, differing from the ordinary law of the
land, could hardly be used without exciting feelings of
great indignation on the part of the Romanists, who
would think their religious institutions unduly interfered
with. lie had no reason to believe that the general law
was not sufficient for the protection of personal liberty,
and with this feeling he must refuse his assent to the in-
troduction of the bill. Upon a division the motion was
carried by 140 to 117, being a majority of 23 against
Ministers.

ADULTERATION OF COFFEE.—In reply to some obser-
vations of Mr. Gregson, relating to the sale of mixtures of
coffee and chicory—Mr. J. WILSON stated the number of
convictions and punishments under the order, to prove
the bona fide intention of the Government to prosecute in
all cases of its infraction, and showed the favourable effect
of the order in increasing the consumption of coffee.
BARNSTAPLE ELE CTION.—A motion byMr.O. STANLEY
for an address for a commission to inquire into corrupt
practices at the late election for the borough of Barn-
staple, was agreed to.
DURHAM ELBCTION.—A motion by Mr. BENTINCK
for a select committee to inquire into the circumstances
under which the petitions against the return of Mr.
Atherton and Mr. Grainger for the city of Durham had
been withdrawn, was after some discussion postponed
until the 31st of May.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11.
The Elections Bill was on the motion of Mr. BUTT
read a second time. _ _

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bCOTCH— SHERIFF COURTS.—Mr. CRAWFORD moved
the second reading of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) (No. 2)
Bill, which after somediscussion was negatived by 186 to 60.
COUNTY RATES.—The House went again into com-
mittee upon the County Rates and Expenditure Bill,
commencing with the 4th clause.
No sensible progress had been made in the discussion,
when the approach of 6 o'clock rendered it necessary
that the Chairman should report progress,—though none
had been really made.
THURSDAY, MAY 12.

Mr. TOLLEMACHE presented petitions from Malpas,
Cheshire. and Hamner, Flintshire, against opening the
Crystal Palace on Sundays.
Mr. MILNER GIBSON presented petitions from associa-
tions of Literary and Mechanics' Institutes in Lanca-
shire and Cheshire, in favour of a repeal of the advertise-
ment duty.
NEWSPAPERS.—In answer to a question, the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated that Government
would postpone the bill to settle legal doubts relative to
newspapers until after the question of the repeal or modi-
fication of the advertisement duty had been settled.
CORRUPTION OF IRISH MEMBERS.—On the question
of going into Committee of Ways and Means, Mr.MAGAN,
referring to a question put to him on a previous occasion,
stated that the names of the Irish members who had
stated that if their party assisted the Whigs to turn out
the late Government the income-tax would not be ex-
tended to Ireland, were Mr. Ffrench and Mr. Maurice
O'Connell.—Mr. FPRENCH explained that, in December
last, a meeting of the Irish members was held to consider
the course to be taken in reference to the Budget. Dis-
satisfaction was expressed at the partial extension of the
income-tax to Ireland, but it was said that if the Whigs
succeeded to office there was no security against their
taking a similar or even a stronger course. Mr. Ffrench
happening to meet Mr. Hayter after leaving the meeting,
he put the question to him, and received for answer, that
Mr. Hayter had spoken to some of the leading Whigs
and believed that it was not their intention to depart
from their former policy o❑ the subject. At a subsequent
meeting Mr. Maurice O'Connell said he was authorised to
state that if the Whig party returned to office, it was not
intended to extend the income-tax to Ireland.—Mr.
O'CONNELL corroborated the leading features of Dlr.
Ffrench's statement. He had been asked by Mr. Hayter
how he was likely to vote on the budget, and he had re-
plied that he had never given a Tory vote and never
would. From what passed between them on that occa-
sion he had certainly understood that the income-tax
would not be extended to Ireland ; but he denied that
his vote had been influenced by that fact.—Mr. HAYTER,
without " charging his memory" with all the particulars,
did not deny the statements that had been made; but he
did deny that he had ever been authorised to state the in-
tentions of the Whig party on the subject, or had stated
anything but his own nersonal opinions.—Sir C. Wool),
who had been alluded to by the preceding speakers,
thought it was very probable that he had said to Mr.
Hayter what he had said in the house, that be was against
extending the income-tax to lreland.—Mr. MAGAN said
that he had considered Mr. Hayter to be the agent of his
party.—Mr. LUCAS said that the meeting had understood
the communication had come in an authorised form
from a leading member of the Whig party ; that there
had been a distinct understanding on the subject ; and
that the communication had influenced his vote, as he
believed it had those of other Irish members.—Mr. Bow-
vEß had not, individually, understood the communica-
tion as coming from authority.—Col. GREVILLE had
understood the communication as coming from authority.
—Sir R. INGLIS thought that the discussion had gone
far enough, and the house thinking so too, went in com-
mittee of ways and means.
THE INCOME.TAX.—Upon that part of the resolution
which proposed that, in respect of the occupation of lands
and tenements, one moiety of the rate shall he payable,
Mr. VANSITTART moved to substitute " one-third part"
for " one moiety." The CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER objected that the farmers were, under all cir-
cumstances, placed in no disadvantageous position with
reference to the tax, which had been renewed several
times since the repeal of the corn laws. After some dis-
cussion the amendment was negatived by 122 to 62.
LEGACY DUTY.—The CHANCELLOR of theExcnEauEn.
proposed his motion for the extension of the duty upon all
successions. Ho asked them on that occasion for a vote
upon the general principle, leaving the details for subse-
quent consideration. Alluding, in the first place, to Mr.
Disraeli's objection, that the Legacy Duty, intended as a
compensation for the inequalities of the Income-tax, was
proposed to be imposed permanently, while the Income-
tax only endured for seven years, he denied that he alleged
the reason referred to as the only retlsoll for the tn.