The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-07-31 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS-FRIDAY.

The house met at twelve o'clock, when the Workhouses
Loans (Ireland) Bill, the Drainage of Lands Bill, and the
Admiralty Jurisdiction in the Colonies Bill were severally
read a third time and passed.
On the second reading of the Slave Trade (Persian Gulf)
13111, a long discussion took place upon a motion by Mr.
ANSTRY, that the bill be read a third time that day three
months, in which explanations of the nature of the Eastern
African slave trade, and of the objects of the bill, were given
by Lord PALMERSTON, who stated that this act established no
new principle t it simply carried into effect previous agree-
ments with independent chiefs.
The amendment was withdrawn, and the bill was read a
third time and passed.
" On the order of the day for taking into consideration the
Lords' amendments to the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill,
Lord J. RUSSELL, after taking the opinion of the chair,
whether any of these amendments affected the privileges of the
Commons, and learning that the omission of the first two
clauses, prescribing a maximum amount of rate, did, strictly
speaking, infringe upon the privileges of the house, proceeded
to say that, as these privileges had upon former occasions been
waived, he did not think that the house was bound to insist

-upon them on this occasion, the subject being one concerning
which both houses of parliament should be entitled to give an

opinion.
sir J. GRAHAM, upon the constitutional question involving
the privileges of the house, differed from Lord J. Russell, and
contended that the interference of the Lords in this instance
had gone far beyond any precedent, and that, if this interfe-
rence were allowed, it would be better and more consistent to
abandon their privileges at once.
Sir G. GREY pointed out a distinction between the decision
of the Committee on Public Business, with respect to the
waiver of their privileges on questions relating to local rates
son the course now proposed, which did not bind the house for
. the future.
TRENCH, Mr. HENLEY, Mr. HUME, and other members
objected to waiving. the privileges of the house. Mr. E.
DENISON, on the other hand, doubted the expediency of in-
sisting upon their extreme right.
Sir J. GRAHAM suggested the bringing in a new bill, and
passing it through all its stages at once, as had been done
Kith the Borough Relief Bill.
Sir D. NORREYS moved that the amendments be taken into
consideration that day three months.
Lord J. RUSSELL said there were only two courses—to waive
their privileges in this instance, or to forego all chance of
on the subject of the poor law this session and even
next session.
oir J. uritAHAM reiterated his objection to the proposition,
and to the multiplication of exceptional cases.
• After some further debate, the house divided, when the pro-
. position of Lord J. Russell was carried by 111 against 62.
The house suspended business at a quarter to five until a
quarter past six o'clock.
When the house re-assembled, on the consideration of the
• Lords' amendments to the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill,
Lord J. RUSSELL moved to agree with the amendments,
omitting the first two (maximum) clauses.
The O'GORMAN MAHON took the opportunity to announce
. a discovery of great importance in relation to the development
of the resources of Ireland, and which would materially en-
, lance the value of landed property there—namely, that by a
new process of distillation the millions of acres of peat might
. be made to yield chymical and other principles of much value.
• He produced a spermaceti-looking candle, which he warranted
'to he of renuine peat matter. and which burnt brilliantly upon
the table during the evenir t.