The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-06-15 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LO RDS. —T tmsn AY

The Bishop of EXETER
next, be would move a rest

gave notice that, on Friday
ution to the effect that per-

sons in

from the S

The royal assent was g

by commission to the Poor

Relief (Jr:

and to several other bills of a private nature

HOUSE OF COMMONS

TUESDAY

In reply to Mr. Bankes, Lord JOHN RUSSELL stated
his intention to propose that the duty on foreign
corn should be suspended until the Ist of March next.
'The Government had considered the propriety of prohi-
biting the sale of bread for a certain time after it was
baked, but it was not thought advisable to introduce a bill
for the purpose. The Government did not propose to in-
ulating the price of bread.

txodua

applied fo'r the names of the accusers of
the late Sir Eardley Wilmot; but Mr. HAWES stated that
there was no record in the Colonial Office of either the
charge or the parties by whom it had been made.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM admitted that he was acquainted
with the names, but only as a private member of Parlia-
ment. The names of two of the gentlemen referred to
had been given up to the present Sir Eardley Wilmot.
The house was counted out at half-past eight p.m.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

-WEDNESDAY

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in an explana-
tory speech, stated the purport of the resolutions at which
the committee on railway bills had arrived, the debate on
the same standing adjourned until Thursday. The papers
in reference to the affairs of Portugal were again the sub-
ject of discussion, Lord JOHN RUSSELL intimating that
they would be delivered in the course of the day.

Mr. HUME was determined to bring the subject to
which the papers referred under the notice of the House,
if be received its support, on Friday next.
The Hosiery Manufacture Bill, the adjourned debate on
the second reading of which was resuumed this day, was
rejected by a majority of 20, the numbers being 77 to 57.
The Seduction and Prostitution Suppression Bill was
read a second time.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE obtained leave to bring in a bill for
the better ventilation of mines, and for the protection of
the lives of persons employed in the same.

HOUSE OF LORDS

THURSDAY

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved the second reading
tsf the bill for creating a bishopric of Manchester; and,
after remarking on the necessity of such a measure, pro-
ceeded to explain its details, the most important of which
was, that the new bishop would not he entitled to a seat
in the house until a vacancy occurred in one of the exist-

-
After some observations from Lord MONTEAGLE in
opposition to the bill,
Lord STANLEY said, that though he was ready to admit
the absolute necessity of the measure, he objected, on
principle, to some of its details. He was happy, however,
to state that a clause which he had intended to move, im-
posing on the Dean and Chapter of Manchester, a more
strict performance of their duties, would not now be neces-
sary, as an arrangement had been entered into tending
greatly to remedy the grievances complained of in the
petition which he had a short time since presented to the
house. It was understood that, in addition to the see of
?Manchester, three other new bishopricks were to be created
but in his opinion that number wonld not meet the exigen-

ries of the ease, and eventually a much greater number of
new sees must be created; he begged therefore to suggest
that the new bishops should be suffragan to the old sees,

which should continue to retain their seats in parliament,
while their suffragans should not possess that privilege.

The Bishop of ALISBURY believed that the principle of
the bill was assented to by almost every one of the right
reverend prelates, and would not refuse to the government
his acknowledgments for having had the courage to enter
upon the consideration of the question.
After some observations from Earl FITZWILLIAM, in
favour of the measure, _

The Bishop of OXFORD expressed his gratitude to the
government for introducing the present bill, without,
however, pledging himself to all its details.

, .
After some further discussion the bill was read a second

The report of the Committee on Railway Bills was then
agreed to. Some other business was also disposed of,
and their lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

THURSDAY

The house met at twelve o'clock, and in the morning
sitting the railway resolutions underwent discussion, and,
after some verbal amendments were incorporated into
them, were agreed to.

The adjourned debate on the Prisons Bill was then re-
sumed by
Mr. NEWDEGATE, who considered the abolition of
transportation to be a very rash and unnecessary mea-
sure, which would prove a great national misfortune.
The sad situation of things in Van Diemen's Land and
in Norfolk Island was attributable to the enormous con-
gregation of convicts in those colonies. The failure of
the probation system was not owing to any inherent de-
merits of its own, but to the want of foresight and wis-
dom of the government of 1839 in not diffusing the con-
victs over a larger surface. He deprecated the system of
solitary imprisonment in the strongest terms; he was in
the United States at the period when it failed there ; and,
notwithstanding the favour with which it was now consi-
dered in this country, he predicted that it would prove as
signal a failure here.
Mr. M. MILNES, after declining to reply to the elabo-
rate essay delivered by the last speaker in favour of the
silent, and in condemnation of the separate, system, ob-
served that the opinions of the judges, as well as the
opinion of Mr. Newdegate, all rested on the supposition
that the scheme of her Majesty's government contem-
plated the abolition, and not the modification, of trans-
portation. He thanked the government for the attempt
which it was now making to improve our penal code, and
assured it of his support. The science of treating pri-
soners was still in its infancy in England, in France, and
in America ; but no country would depart from sound
principles, which endeavoured to combine the reformation
of prisoners with their imprisonment.
Sir R. Nous contended that the punishment of trans-
portation had been so changed in duration and severity
by the government plan as to be almost entirely abolished ;
and that great change was to be carried into execution
against the opinion of thirteen judges in England, and
against the opinion of all the judges in Scotland but one,
(and his opinion was doubtful), and without more than
one judicial authority—that of Mr. Justice Perrin—in
its favour is the whole empire. Moreover, he considered
it to be injurious to the great principle of English liberty
to announce that on an important subject like the present
the prerogative of the crown was equal to an act of par-
liament.
Sir J. GRAHAM concurred with Sir R. Inglis in think-
ing that the course of this debate was extremely inconve-
nient, for it gave the house no opportunity of pronounc-
ing any opinion ou the policy of the government. He did
not intend to oppose the motion for committing these two
bills ; but there were clauses in both, which he should
endeavour to amend in committee.
."311- F. KELLY observed that he entertained such strong
objections to the government plan that, unless he re-
ceived a distinct pledge from some member of the
administration that this plan would be incorporated
into a statute in the next session of Parliament,
of
he should avail himself every form of the house to
prevent these bills from becoming lawthis session. The
proposition of the government in plain terms amounted.
to nothing less than this—to repeal without a statute, and
at the mere will of the executive government, 0-enment, every act
of parliament which imposed punishmentthe of trans-
portation, and to render the judge ridiculous by calling
upon them to pronounce with all due solemnity sentences
carrying which there was not the slighest intention of ever • ying

into execution. -
Lard JOHN RUSSELL observed, that though he should
be most reluctant to dispute the opinion of Sir F. Kelly
on any question of mere law, he could not refrain from
expressing his surprise that a gentleman of his high legal
reputation and acquirements should have shown himself
so decidedly ignorant of the ordinary mode in which the
law of England was administered in earning the sentences
of the judges into execution. Sir F. Kelly had declared
If to be monstrous that the law should be turned into
mockery, and that the judges should be rendered ridicu-
lous by pronouncing sentences which were never to be
carried into effect. Why, that had been the constant
practice for years past. A capital sentence was scarcely
eyer passed without the judge writing to the Secretary of

State to request that it should not be carried into execu-
tion. He concluded by expressipg his hope that the house
would allow these bills to go into committee, and his rea-
diness to discuss any amendments which might be made
for their improvement.
The house then divided, when the numbers were, for
the committal of the bill—Ayes, 124 ; Noes, 76 ;—Majo-
rity, 48.—The bill was then committed pro forma.
The CHAIRMAN reported progress, and asked leave to
sit again on Monday.
The house then resolved itself into a committee of the
whole house, to enable Lord John Russell to move reso-
lutions for bringing in two bills to suspend the corn duties

and navigation Taw; till the Ist of March.
On its resuming, the other orders were disposed of, and
the house adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—FRIDAY.
The Bishop ofEXETER complained of the course taken

ti regarc

ucation I

grant, and in acceding to the stipulations made by the
Wesleyans, .calculated as such conduct was to stigmatise

:o manage

exercising I

ecclesiastical functions, ought not, as such, to be ineligible
to the office of schoolmaster in schools receiving aid from
the parliamentary grant.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE condemned the resolution
on the ground that it covertly and indirectly went to as-
sert that it was expedient that money voted by the House
of Commons for one purpose should be devoted to another,

by applying a portion of a special grant for the purposes
of education to the sustentation of a particular order in
the church. With regard to the charge brought against