The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-02-07 00:00:00

SOCIALISM.

Society.
The Bishop of EXETER presented a
_s
Friend oc
petition from
the
British and Foreign Seamen and Soldier'
stating that one of the causes which contributed to prod
immorality among soldiers and sailors, was the spread of sg
cialism, and proving the house to adopt such measures as in
its judgment might deem meet, to prevent the extension of
those pernicious doctrines. Also a similar petition from the
inhabitants and householders of Cheltenham in the county of
Gloucester, and from the householders and inhabitants of
Winteralow in the county of Wilts, deploring that the soci-
alist system had been introduced into the immediate neigh-
bourhood of the petitiOners, and a Sunday evening lecture
established, at which doctrines most dangerous to religion
and morality were propitoted, praying the house to take im-
ineutate steps to stop the progress of socialism, and to secure
to tne people of this country the religion, peace, and content-
ment which, as a nation and as ir.dividuals they have hitherto
enjoyed.
TEYN HAM presented a petition from a lady, corn-
► initug ti.at ttx system of socialism bad been misrepresented,
a d praying ti.e house to wake inquiries respecting it.

PRIVILEGES OF PARLIAMENT.
Lord BROUGHAM
fro:n two I,:divil,l4, solid he had now to present a petition
.I„,ted, and alarelin!acehd in a situation strange, unprece-
-.itHa from William Evans Eve presented to their- lordships. a
s.a rj, of London and Mirr, and John Wheeltou, Esqrs.,
and the petition appeared.
CO :le presented to the house, not merely in its legislative
capacity, but as the highest couir't'Dtoltejeudicature known to the,.
laws of these realms, and front off
might
of a court ou whose
judicial decision their lordships iave to sit injudg-
went ; as also upon the conduct of ttieithusheriffs as officers of
that court over which their lordships'
of the
unquestioned
jurisdiction. In regard to' the hardship
and paramount importance of the subject, and t7se, the high
respectful,
to their touching, and submissive nature of the appeal the
statements of lordships, lie would venture to engage for the slit:lie:M.4
the petition that attention which their lordships .
to the petitions of every class of their fellow:subject. Y 8
gTahv`.,:.
noble and learned lord proceeded to read the petition,s.vec,
recapitulated the leading points of the whole affair, inter.--
spersinit remarks on the inconsistency displayed by the
attorney-general and the House of Commons in the proceed.
fug, and offering other comments, but rather- avoiding to
Five auy decided opinion on the subject. He concluded,
however, by saying that neither house of parliament would,
unless they were clearly in the light, and the judges clearly
.n the wrong, ion stand a conflict with the courts of law, or
convenientlyr do so with ti e country, and the suitors of a
province
containing two millions of inhabitants, while the
administration of justice was choked up by, the imprison-
ment of those civil officers through whom it was to be ad-
ministered.
Lord MELUOURNE thought his noble and learned friend
would have acted much more prudently, much more justly,
and much more properly,lrltsies?ccially after admitting, as he
had done, that their o
interfere, had he abstained. f*Ps house had not the power .to
corn making these observations.
_____

VEIL ARMY IN INDIA.
On the motion of Lord MF.LBOURNE, and after some
remarks from the Duke of Wellington, the thanks of their
lordships veers voted to the Governor-General of India, Lord
Auckland, to Lord Keane, to Major-General Sir Willoughby
Cotton, and the other officers and men engaged in the mili-
tary operations to the westward of the Indus, and that the
Governor•Oenernl be requested to communicate the same.
SOCIALISM.

After a question from Lord Bitoucnasi as to a possible eon
tingeucv requirinl, a regency, to which no answer was given,
The Bishop of Ex ETE a addressed the house at great length',
and with much energy of argument and language, on the
subject of socialism, and concluded by moving that
humble address be presented to her Majesty, praying that
bar Majesty would be pleated to command that inquiries

should he made into the ditTusion of blasphemous and lm..
moral publications, especially as to the tenets and proceedings
of a society established under the name of socialists, who were
represented in petitions presented to this house to he a so-
ciety, the object of which was, by the kliffusion of its doctrines,
to destroy the existing laws and institutions of this country.
Lord NORMAN BY, agreeing with the right rev. prelate in
his abhorrence of the doctrines denounced, doubted the ne-
cessity of the step recommended for their suppression.
The motion, after a discussion in which several noble lords
took part. was agreed to without a division, and the house
adjourned.

lIOUSF.' OF COMAIONS—TrEsDAY

-Numerous petitions were presented, amongst them one
from a parish in Hampshire, praying the house to take steps
to check the
,progress of. socialism. The petitioners com-
plained of the annoyances to which they were themselves
subjected, in consequence of the socialist meetings held upon
the Sabbath ih their neighbourhood, at which the most mis-
chievous and blasphemous doctrines were propounded.

EDUCATION.
'Sir R..Ix.GtO gavt:t trotire that on Tuesday, the, jBth he
would move that it is the duty 'af this house to provide fur-
ther means for the religious instruction of the people; through
the medium of the established church: (Ironical cries of
hear," from the ministerial benches.)

• • DIVORCE. BILLS.
. .
• Mr. LABOUCHEitE gave notice that on Tuesday, the 11th,
he would move that in future all divorce bills should be re-
ferred to acotnniittee of seven.
Mr. HTJME said he should on'that occasion take the sense
of the house as to the propriety of removing divorce bills
altogether from parliament.

TURNPIKE TRUSTS

Mr. Fox MAULE gave notice, that on Thursday next he
Would propose a measure with regard to turnpike trusts.

ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS.

In answer to questions'from Mr. Barron, •
Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that it was the intention of the
government to introduce a bill with regard to the ecclesiasti-
cal courts, but he could not state the exact time when that
bill would be introduced. He could not say whether it was
intended to adopt a measure of a similar nature with regard
to Ireland, without consulting his friend the Lord-lieutenant
of Ireland.

THE CONVICTED TRAITORS.

In reply to a question from Sir B. Hall,
' Mr. —.Fox MAU.LE said it Was quite correct that FrOst,
Jones,./ind Williams had been removed from ;11ontnouth to
the hulks at Portsmouth. The government having' decided
on the punishment of those individuals, it was judged neces-
sary that no time should be lost in carrying it into effect.

POSTOFFICE REGULATIONS.

Sir C. 'KNIGHTLEY complained that the new postoffice
regulationFtwere attended with irregularities and inconveni-
ence. In the course of the last week, not fewer than four
letters of his own had miscarried ; and he 'knew of an
instance in which a letter, addressed to a gentleman living in
Charles-street, was charged twopence in addition to the pre-
paid penny.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that if the
bon. member would have the goodness to communicate to
the authorities at the postoffice, inquiries would be immedi-
ately made, and steps taken to prevent the recurrence of such
irregularities.
THE LATE DUKE. OP YORK'S DEBTS.

Mr. LEA.DER said, that he had been requested by several
of his constituents, who were creditors of the estate of the
late Duke of York, to inquire whether the proceeds of cer-
tain mines at'Cape Breton, which had been adjudged by the
law authorities of. England to
.he the- property of the duke,
were applied to the purposes of the state, or, as as they ought
to he, to the liquidation of the illustrious duke's debts ?
Lord J. RUSSELL said, that he was not at the moment
able to answer the question, but he would make inquiry, and
give an answer as early as he could.