The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-07-21 00:00:00

wrong

Lord Baal:Guam said, that if he took a stare of the
blame to himself, so must his noble and learned friend now
on the woolsack, who was his successor in office, and who
bad likewise failed to introduce such a bill.

The Loan CHANCELLOR disclaimed having any share
in the blame ; and the subject then dropped.

HOUSE OF LORDS-THURSDAY

The Bishop of LONDON moved that the order for the
committee on the Clerks Correction Bill should be dis-
charged. He did this in consequence of the noble and
learned lord on the woolsack having informed him that
there were certain provisions in the bill of which he could
not approve. He hoped that the Government wouldeon.
Rider the subject, and by next session prepare a measure
to give the bishops some more effectual power of punish-
ing clerks.
The Bishop of NORWICH presented a petition from the
Undergraduates and Bachelors of Arts of Cambridge,
intended for the ministry, praying for an alteration in
the Ecclesiastical Criminal Law. The right rev. prelate
stated two cases, showing the difficulty which the bishops
bad in dealing with clerks, who by their conduct brought
a scandal on the Church.
The Lord CHANCELLOR said that there was no one in
the house who felt more deeply than he did the ineffi-
ciency of the law in this respect as it stood at present.
The fact was, that the bishops had not the power to do
their duty. However, he thought it would be inexpedient
to discuss the measure, now that the right rev. prelate
intended, and, in his opinion, most properly, to withdraw
it. He should merely add, that he should feel it his duty
to give the right rev. prelate every assistance in his power,
-with a view of framing, by next session, a measure which
would attain the objects intended by the right rev. prelate.

The order was tl;en discharged.
The Earl of RADNOR pointed out that ten or twelve
peers had signed the protest against the Corn-law Repeal
bill who had not been present at the discussion, which
was at variance with the rule.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, on bringing up the re-
port on the Annuity Bill of Lcrd Hardinge, moved its
restoration to the state in which it had been brought up
to that house.—The Duke of RICHMOND oppcsed the
amendment ; but after a discussion, shared in by the Earl
of Ripon, Lord Brougham, the Marquis of Clanricarde;
and the Earls of Galway and Wicklow, the amendment
was carried, on a division, by 47 to 18. The annuities
granted to Lords Hardinge and Gough will therefore not
be payable to those noble lords during their lifetime, but
will commence with their descendants.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TtipitspAY

Lord J. RUSSELL stated the course which the Govern-
ment meant to pursue with respect to the measures to be
proceeded with during the present session of parliament.
He would on Monday next lay before the house his plan
for the settlement of the sugar duties, asking, at the same
time, for leave to bring in a bill to continue the duties for
one month beyond the sth of August, or until parliament
'should otherwise determine. With respect to the Poor
Removal Bill, Le would only proceed with that portion
which gave a right of industrial settlement. With respect
'to the Irish bills, he would proceed with the Ejectment
Bill, with some alterations, but preserving the clauses
which prohibited the distrainiug of growing crops ; also
with the Leases Bill, but the Compensation for Improve-
ments Bill was too complicated in its machinery to be
proceeded with before bestowing upon it a very careful
consideration. He proposed to lay before the house a
bill to facilitate the improvement of waste lands in Ireland,
with a view to make known the intentions of the Govern-
ment on the subject, but it would not be proceeded with
antil next session.

..,g into committee on the Poor
E. DENISON said the quest:-

On the question of g
Removal Bill "

ion of

union settlements was one of the greatest importance to
.agriculturists as well as manufacturers, and he regretted,
from the avowed opinions of many members of the Go-
-vernment, that it was not likely to be taken into favour-
able consideration. Although desirous to see the Govern-
ment of the noble lord (J. Russell) a lasting one, he would
frankly declare that its composition was not such as to
inspire him with confidence.
After some observations from Colonel WOOD,
Mr. T. DUNCOMDE complained of the vagueness of
the declaration of Lord John Russell, as to the principles
upon which the government would be conducted—vague-
mess the more suspicious, owing to the rumours which
-were afloat as to his having applied to Sir R. Peel for the
loan of three members of his government. This, it is true,
was contradicted by the Secretary at War (Mr. Ward), in
the Weekly Chronicle, but it was affirmed by the Times,
which he supposed was to be the government organ in-
stead of the Morning Chronicle, which was, as was said
in military circles, superseded. This was most ungrateful
to an organ which bad faithfully adhered to the Whigs
through their years of depression, and who, in their hour
of triumph, had a fair claim to any authority to be de.
rived from such a position. He also asked what were the
intentions of the government with respect to the Irish
church. Did be mean to adhere to the proposition which
be bad once supported, that the increased grant to May-
nooth should be paid out of the surplus revenues of the
Established Church in that country ? Would he favour
'isln extension of the franchise, or did he still mean to con-
tend for the finality of the Reform Bill ? Would he, now
that he was in office, bring in a bill to limit the hours of
labour in factories ? It was right that all these things
should be understood, for the support the noble lord
would receive would be in proportion to the liberality and
comprehensiveness of his measures.
Lord J. RUSSELL said be thought it quite sufficient to
refer to his past life as a member of that house, during
which his opinions had been always openly and unre-
servedly expressed. With respect to the questions of the
bon. gentleman, he had no hesitation in saying that he
,bad asked the Earl of Lincoln, the Earl of Dalhousie,
ard Mr. Sidney Herbert to join his government. He
had found himself for several years acting in harmony
with the general opinion of those individuals, and he did
not tkink any difficulty would arise from their uniting
with him. His proposals had been declined ; but he saw
nothing to regret in having made the application, for it
was not absolutely essential that the members of',l govern-
ment should agree in every particular. He might iostanee
the fact that he could not agree with Earl Grey in his opi-
nions respecting the Irish Church, and even his own sen-
timents were looked upon as extreme by some members
of the cabinet. He thought it advisable to deal as soon
as possible with the social evils of Ireland, and he would
not b Ird away from that practical object by subjects

••

'upon which nothing could at present be effected. He
would endeavor that the people of Ireland should have a
political franchise in every respect equal to that possessed
by the people of England. He had voted with the hon.
member for Sheffield that the increased endowment for
Maynooth should be furnished from the surplus revenues
of the Irish church, and he still adhered to his opinions on
that subject as well as upon the subject of the Protestant
and Roman Catholic churches; but he did not think it
wise to urge these opinions to the delay and perhaps de-
feat of practical measures of improvement. The de-
struction of the Protestant Church of Ireland, he thought,
would be a fatal proceeding, for it would be the immedi-
ate signal fora religious war. He thought, however, that
Mr. Pitt was right in thinking that the Catholic priest-
hood might be endowed by the state, and he (Lord J.
Russell) believed that great advantage would have followed
that measure had it been carried out at the time. Now,
however, it was impossible to think of it, for all religious
denominations, and even the Roman Catholics themselves,
would strenuously oppose such a proceeding. At the same
time he would say that the ecclesiastical state of Ireland
was very unsatisfactory, but still he did not see in it
that urgent necessity which should induce him to bring it
forward before redressing those social evils which were
easier to be practically dealt with. He had never con-
tended for the finality of the Reform Bill, but still he
could not agree with the five points of the charter.
With respect to the hours of factory labour, he would
vote for limiting them to eleven. Mr. Labouchere, how-
ever, was against any limitation, and though he would
always vote for the restriction to eleven hours, he would
not require the other members of his cabinet to do so.