The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-04 00:00:00

as yet been. rece

Mr. BANKES moved a resolution, " that in the opinion
of the house, the powers, rights, and authority now vested
in the commissioners of railways,

be so regulated

to secure their efficient execution at a greatly diminishec
rate of charge to the public."

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER admitted the
necessity for economy in this department, and intimated
that on ➢ir. Strutt's being unseated for Derby, that gen-
tleman had tendered his resignation of the office of first
commissioner of railways, which had been reluctantly
accepted ; and a member of the Board of Trade would be
appointed as an unpaid commissioner to fill the office.
After some discussion, Mr. LABOUCHERE moved the
previous question, which, on a division, was carried by a
majority of 19, the numbers being 75 to 56.
Mr. J. S. WORTLEY moved the second reading of the
Election Recognizances Bill, its principal object being,
in those cases of contested returns where the recogni-
lances taken before the examiner are invalid, that the
petitioners shall be afforded the opportunity of making
them good before the committee on elections
After a debate the house divide(

when the second

reading was carried by a majority of 32, the number
being 112 to 80.

HOUSE OF COMMONS,

WEDNESDAY

Mr. C. AN STEP postponed the committee on the Roman
Catholic Relief Bill until a future day.
_ _

Mr. GOULBURN moved for the appointment of a select
committee to inquire whether the oaths required to be
taken at the table by members of the house had been duly
taken by Benjamin Hawes, Esq. (the newly-elected
member for Kinsale.)

'J he motion ;T.! nmed to, and a select committee or-
dered to be appointed.
Mr. ENVART postponed the second reading of the Ap-
peals in Criminal Cases Bill until the second Wednesday
after Easter.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAY

The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH brought forward a motion
respecting the increase which had taken place in the ex-
I3ense of the public departments during the past year. The
noble lord •particrilarlv specified the post-office, the Admi-
ralty, and the Colonial-office, as the departments in which
additional expense had been incurred, amounting to a to-
tal of £llO,OOO. He hoped the Government we
able to account satisfactorily for these increased charge.
and should content himself with moving for a specific re-
turn of the salaries and emoluments allowed to each per-
son employed in the public departments for the year 18-47.
if that return should not be satisfactory, then he should
consider it necessary either to move for a select committee,
or perhaps to move for the correspondence which had
taken place between the Treasury and the different depart-
ments with respect to the increase or diminution of the
charge on the public.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had no objection to the
return. He was quite sure that the additional charges
were not incurred for any other object than the efficient
.discharge of the public duties required from each depart-
ment.

Earls GREY and AUCKLAND and the Marquis of CLAN-
RICARDE then explained the reasons which bad occasioned
increased expenditure in their several d(

,artments

Lord STALEY thanked the Earl of Ellenborc
having brought the subject forward, but suggested, as the
Government did not seem to have understood the nature
of his motion, that should be withdrawn and brought
forward again at a future period.
The Earl of ELLEN BOROUGH agreed to this suggestion,
and the motion was withdrawn.

HOUSE OF LORDS

FRIDAY

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, in reply to Lord Beau-
mont, stated that the effect of the Arms Act had been to
put an end to outrage in the more disturbed districts of
Ireland,—that juries and witnesses also had discharged
their onerous duties in the most exemplary manner,—that
the clergy of the Establ shed Church had generally lent
their aid in preventing disturbance, and the Roman Ca-
tholic clergy, also, had, not only in Ireland, but in Eng-
land—particularly in Manchester—manifested a strong
desire for the preservation of order, by exhorting their
bearers to preserve it. He earnestly hoped, therefore,
with the aid of the improved spirit which had evinced
itself in Ireland, that the government would be enabled
to maintain that which they were determined to maintain
—the public peace. _ _ _ _

Lora STANLEY congratulated their lordships on the
testimony borne to the conduct of the catholic clergy, the
more particularly because he had had occasion at an earlier
period of the session to impugn it ; but he even now
thought they felt desirous of having it believed that the'
.preservation of order was rather the result of their own
influence than to be attributed to the operation of the
'law. He was free, however, to admit that there were
cases, as at Manchester and elsewhere, which showed the
existence of a more estimable spirit. After referring to
the revolutions which were convulsing Europe, but which
found but a faint echo in this country, in consequence of
the determined conduct of the great bulk of society to
overawe the small minority who were anxious to disturb
it, the noble lord proceeded to contend, that looking to
the language which had been used by certain parties in
Ireland, it did appear to him, contemplating the conse-
quences to which such exhortations might lead, that they
ought to be rendered liable to a punishment less tardy
than the ordinary process of indictment for misdemeanour,
or prosecution as state criminals for thigh treason could
award. He thought this subject well deserving the
attention of all those who were desirous to see bloodshed
avoided, and peace maintained in Ireland.
Lord MONTEAGLE was of opinion that the law had
never been more satisfactorily administered in Ireland
than at the present time : the people saw that acts of vio-
lence interfered with the application of capital and the
employment of labour, and hence a better feeling was ma-
nifested throughout that country.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY

Mr. LABOUCHERE, in reply to Mr. J. B. Smith, stated
that a cargo of cotton coming from the United States to
Havre, and thence to England, under the American or
English flag, could be landed, provided no part of the'
cargo had been discharged; but the admission of cotton
under the French flag, in consequence of its being un-
saleable in Havre, would be a direct violation of the navi-
gation laws ; and in answer to Mr. Bright, the right hon.
gentleman slated that the present pressure of public;busi-
mess prevented his stating when the bill for the alteration
of the navigation laws would be brought in, but of which
event due notice would be given.
A conversation, as to the amount of poor rates levied
in Ireland, was raised by Lord George Bentinck.
Lord PALMERSTON, in reply to Mr. J. Clay, stated that
no measures had been taken for protecting the British
trade in tlLc Baltic, the Government not considering any
such step necessary.

Mr. Hump: exp;issed a hope, as Lord Minto had held
credentials to the court of Naples, that as the king had
abdicated. the noble earl's interference would cease.
The House resolved into a committee of supply, when
the SECRETARY-AT-WAR, having given a detail of the
principal items of the army estimates, moved a vote of
113,841 men (exclitsive of the troops in India) for the
service of the ensuing year.

--- -
Mr. HugE moved that the number be reduced to
100,000.

The speakers in favour of the original proposition were
Mr. V. Smith, Col. Sibthorp, Lord J. Russell (who ex;-
pressed his intention of revising. the whole system of
taxation, which pressed so heaVily on the Working classes,)
Sir D. L. Wens, and Mr. Newdegate.
The speakers in *your of the amendment were Mr.
Cobden and Mr. Bright.
Mr. B. OsnowNE suggested a plan of his own, which,
*thou impairing the efficiency of f

e army, would save

of the present ettimate,