The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-02-10 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNEsnAy,

Captain PECIiELL moved for " a copy of any letters
and general rules issued by the Poor-law Commissioners
relative to the employment of paupers in grinding and
crushing bones, or in preparing bone dust, together with
copies of any answers from the several Boards of Guar-
dians, remonstrating against such general rule." The
gallant officer prefaced his observation by alluding to the
case of a lab uring man who had been brought to death's
door several years ago in the Eastbourne Union, owing to
the system of grinding and crushing bones then adopted in
that workhouse. He bad brought that case at the time
under the notice of the House, and had elicited from Sir
J. Graham a strong expression of his disapprobation of the
practice of putting paupers to such degrading and disgusting
work either as employment or punishment. The Poor-
law Commissioners had, nevertheless, permitted the con-
tinuance of the practice ; and from returns which he had
obtained last session it now appeared that it was still in
force from nearly 2,10 unions in the country. The gross
and grievous case of the Andover Union had at last com-
pelled Sir J. Graham again to interfere; and he had un-
derstood that an order had been at last issued by the Poor-
law Commissioners directing an end to be put to this prac-
tice of pounding and grinding bones. It was rumoured
that several Boardsot Guardians had remonstrated against
that order, and had by some means obtained a suspension
of that order. He trusted that Sir James Graham would
persist in the course upon which he had entered, and
would, by insisting on the suspension of the suspending
order, complete the humane work which he had under-
taken.

Sir JAMES GRAHAM would not offer any opposition to
the motion. He had always been averse to this mode of
employment, from feeling that it was of a degrading cha-
racter, and that it partook more of a penal character than
became a "workhouse. Having found upon investigation
that the Poor-law Commissioners had the power of regu-
lating labour in workhouses by a general order, he had
pressed upon them the expediency of issuing such a ge-
neral order as would prohibit that particular mode of em-
ployment, of which Captain Pechell so justly complained.
The Poor-law Commissioners had acted upon his sugges-
tion ; and the result was, that the existing provisions for
employing paupers had been much deranged. Though
this pr ictice had been adopted in 200 out of 500 union
workhouses in England and Wales, there were only nine
in which it had been found necessary to allow some short
interval to enable the Guardians to adapt their mills to
some other occupation. In those nine cases he had upon
bis own responsibility consented to a suspension of the
general order of the Poor-law Commissioners for three
months from the Ist of January last. On the Ist of April
through England and Wales this particular employment
would no longer be legal.
Sir J. GRAHAM stated, that in the course of the present
session he should ask the House to consent to a supple-
mental Bill for regulating the procedure, and for extend-
ing the jurisdiction, of Courts:of Bequests in all parts of
England in cases of debt not exceeding £2O.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAY

The Earl of DALHOUSIE reported from their Lord-
ships' Committee on railways the following resolutions :
"That such portion of the standing order, No. 224, as
requires from the promoters of railway bills a deposit of
one-tenth of the whole capital subscribed should be sus-
pended, as regards all bills commencing in the House of
Lords, during the present session. That no railway bill
be read a first time unless a deposit of one-twentieth of
the subscribed capital be paid before the 6th of February,
and that no such bill be read a third time until a further
deposit of one-twentieth be paid." . _

That no petition for a railway bill be received after
Monday, the 23rd February instant."
The noble earl gave notice, that on that day he would
call the attention of their lordships to the proposed altera-
tion on the standing orders.
The Earl of CLANCARTY, conformably with notice,
moved for the appointment of a select committee, to in-
quire into the state of the poop in Ireland ; also to inquire
into the various mod a of medical relief in that country.
Lord BROUGHAM expressed a hope that the recom-
mendation in her Majesty's speech, with regard to mea-
sures for the improvement of the condition of Ireland
might be brought forward without delay.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said he would attend to the
suggestion.
The committee was then appointed.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY

Sir. /CPEEL, in answer to a question from Dr. Bow-
ring, said that the government had not received any in-
formation of any retaliatory measures contemplated by
Spain with the view to obtain the introduction of the en-
•gars of Cuba on the same terms with those of Manila,
Venezuela, and the United States, nor did he believe any
uch rpeasures..ere contemplated.
_Lord Joni.: RUSSELL wished to know whether the go-
vernment had had any further correspondence with the
Spanish 'government relative to the sugar of Cuba.
Sit R. Pam. said that a further correspondence had ta-
ken place, which he would take care should be laid before
the house previous to any discussion taking place.
Sir R. Pain in answer to a question from Mr. Pattison,
said that, generally speaking, it was intended that thit re-
duction of duties in the tariff should take place immedi-
ately upon the passing of the resolutions to that effect.
The Right Hon. Baronet also stated, in answer to a
question from Lord John Russell, that he proposed that
after the resolutions had passed and been reported, that
the reduction of duty on corn should take place immedi-
ately.

Mr. WATSON moved for leave to bring in a bill for the
further repeal of pains and penalties upon Roman Catho-
lics.

Lord JOHN MANNERS said, if his hon. friend perse-
vered bringing in his bill, he should feel it his duty to
support it, believing that it was injurious to the Church
of England to retain those pains and penalties.
Mr. O'CONNELL deprecated the continuation of a law
that punished virtue and devotional exercises.
Lord JOHN Russet'. thought it was the duty of the
house to have the law with respect to Roman Catholics
placed upon some reasonable footing, which it certainly
was not at present.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.

Mr. BANKESi in moving for various returns relative to
the applications for the stewardship of the Chiltern Hun-
dreds and of the forms and grants, &c., said that it was

important that inquiry should be instituted into the mo-
tives which led members of the house to make applicati-
ons for the office.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said there was
no objection to the motion.
Mr. f. O'BRIEN then moved for two new writs for
Dorsetshire, in the room of Lord Ashley and Mr. Sturt,
who have accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.