The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-04-04 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY.

Mr. HUME moved that a new writ should be issued for
Nottingham in the room of Mr. Walter, who had been un-
seated by a committee on the ground of bribery by his agents.
Sir R. INGLIS seconded the motion.

The Earl of LINCOLN disclaimed any intention of oppo-
sing the issue of the writ, although as the seat had been de-
`ared vacant on the ground of bribery, he felt it right that
.it should not issue until the evidence received by the
brim was placed

the wr

)efore the house, more particularly as
is ha'l himself seen most demoralizing scenes at former elect-
..

noble lord added that the last election was an

improvement upon former ones,-and he had since heard cir-
cum,tances which exculpated Mr. Walter from improper
practices which had taken place, and for which he had lost
•

Mr. T. DniZrepanE said that the Duke of Newcastle, in
a recent correspoodnce, had attributed the suspension of the
writ for Nottingham to the democratic section of the house,
whereas the issue of the writ was opposed by the noble
duke's nearest relative fiche Earl of Lincoln) and by the go-

Mr. B. COCHRANE expressed a wish that it were in his
power to move that Mr. Walter should be allowed to become
a candidate at the ensuing election.
Mr. HOGG, as chairman of the election committee which
had unseated Mr. Walter, said that the evidence disclosed
not merely a few Isolated cases of bribery, but went to esta-
blish the fact that there was an organised system in the town
of Nottingham. Mr. Walter had unfortunately mixed him-
self up with those whose practices had led to the loss of his
seat.

Lord J. RUSSELL contended that the house had done right
to suspend its judgment, although he was not going to op-
pose the issue of the writ. If committees of that house did
their duty, they would give a severe check to bribery.
Mr. BERNAL said that Mr. Hogg, holding the opinions
he. had expressed, should have caused a special report to be
madeN, the house. It was a disputed point whether a per-
son in 'Mr. Walter's position could become a candidate
again, and the house should set the question at rest by a de-
claratory act-.7,-
Sir G. GREY..'referred to the case of Newcastle-under-
Lyme, in which inwas decided that a member unseated for
bribery, either by himself or his agents, could not again be-
come a candidate.
Sir R. PEEL said that after consideration lie was prepared
to vote for the issue of the writ, and he bad since heard
nothing to alter that determination. According to the statute
of George the Second, the member unseated on the ground
of bribery, whether by himself or his agents, could not again
become a candidate ; and he thought visiting upon the mem-
ber the penalty of the misdeeds of the constituency might
have a salutary effect in checking bribery,
After-some further discussion, the new writ was issued.
Tr_ V,

Mr. FERRAND then moved for leave to bring in a bill to
compel the allotment of waste land in England. The hon.
member contended that the people in the manufacturing dis-
tricts were in a state of absolute starvation, and the evil was
rapidly extending itself to the agricultural districts, and yet
in this state of things nearly half the session had been already
suffered tq elapse without the introduction of one practical
measure for the relief or benefit of the industrious classes.
A remedy might in his opinion be found in the allotment
system, in support of which he argued at considerable length,
asserting that no time was to be lost, for the country was on
the brink of a volcano which might explode before the con-
clusion of those Easter festivities, to enjoy which they were
soon about to separate. The hon. member detailed his
scheme, which was that out of every 100 acres of waste land
belonging to- a parish five acres should be reserved for the
poor ; and that another five acres should be reserved for dry-
inz.ronnd, and another five acres for recreation. He pro-
posed that a rate of three-pence in the pound should be levied
to 'defray the expenses of enclosing these allotments, and
that cottages should be erected, the rents of which should be
applied to the repayment of the expenses, until a surplus
should accrue, which should be paid to the poor fund. Ile
further proposed the act should be carried into execution by
the tithe commissioners.

Sir J. GRAHAM could see nothing in the proposed scheme
but a plan for supporting the poor at the expense of the pub-
lic. It was to be remembered that in general lauds were left
waste because of their sterility. He would not, however,
oppose the introduction of the bill! though he wished to
guard himself against the supposition that he thought it
likely to benefit the poor.
Lord J. MANNERS thought that public' opinion was ra-
pidly advancing towards supporting some such measure as
the one proposed, and he also thought that the present time,
when there was an absence of anything like party excitement
afloat, was favourable for a trial of the scheme of allot-
ment.

Mr. Hums was of opinion that the capital embarked in a
scheme such as this would be found out of all proportion
great as compared with the probable chance of a return in
the shape of profit. It was bad economy to waste money on
barren soils when we might with more advantage exchange
our labour for the corn of other countries.

Sir J. HANMER said that, instead of there being an ab-
sence of political feeling in the public mind, there was
arising a spirit of discontent to be done with only by passing
practical measures for the relief of the people. This mea-
sure he conceived to be one of that character. Free trade,
he was convinced, must come at last, and as to taxing or
stopping machinery, they might as well endeavour to alter
the course of satellites of Jupiter.
Mr. BROTHERTON was opposed to the enclosure of com-
mon lands, which was generally done for the benefit of the
rich and not for the benefit of the poor. Even in this bill
there was but a small portion of the enclosed lands to be ap-
propriated to the poor, and he presumed that the great bulk
of them, as in all enclosure bills, was to go to the landed
proprietors, who were appropriating to themselves every
available common in the country.
Mr. S. CrtAwvoan was of opinion that the waste lands
could be profitably cultivated. They might not yield a return
to the capitalist, but they might be made to give a comforta-
ble maintenance to the labouring man.
Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
Sir V. BLAKE moved for leave to bring in a bill to repeal
and abolish all the oaths now 'taken by members of parlia-
ment on taking their seats, except the oath of allegiance.
Sir J. GRAsIAM opposed the motion, on the ground that
the law as it now stood was the result of an amicable under-
standing amongst the various religions of the empire which
it would be very unadvisable rashly to disturb.

Mr. Ross 'supported the motion, on the ground that all
oaths ought to be abolished that could by possibility be got
rid of.

Mr. finatE thought it was absurd to keep up these oaths,
after all that this country had done to re-establish the Pope
in his dominions.

• Sir R. PEEL said it was impossible for him to accede to
the moti9n. When tL Catholic Relief Bill passed, one of
the securities offered by the Catholics was the oath which it
was now proposed to do away with, and which oath, together
with the others referred to, was framed with the view of ren-
dering them as unobjectionable as possible.
After a few words from Dr..STooK, Sir V. BLAKE replied,
and on a division his motion was negatived by a majority of
10-1 to 17.

. . . .
Mr. ELPIIIN'STONE moved for leave to bring in a bill for
establishing a Court 9f Marriage and Divorce.
Sir R. INGLIg opposed the motion on the ground that
such a proposition should not be made at so late an hour
When it could not be 'discussed.

:.54.r..-ELputrisTor4 ft said-his object was to have the bill
printed in order that full consideration might be given to it
before he proposed the second reading.

. .
After a short discussion the house divided, and the num-
bers were -17 on each side. The speaker gave his casting
vote for bringing in the bill.
The orders of the day being disposed of, the house ad-
journed..

-
-
HOUSE OF LORDS,-FRIDAY

Lord CAMPBELL moved the series of resolutions of which
he had given notice, relative to the disputes in the Church
of Scotland, with the 'view of bringing. them to a close by
endeavouring to place the qt estion of patronage upon a foot-
- disagreeable to the people of that country. The noble
est attachment to that church,
L:et of one of its professors; but
hey would not persevere in the
g. It was said that they would
the church and state in that
convinced they would not attempt.

course they

a course so detriment
would not be adopted.
The Earl of Airs

1 fo the best interests of Scotland

t himself called upon to oppose
the resolutions of the noble lord. The church was about at

they were told to petition, and if so, would it not have great
reason to complain if their lordships decided its case by these

utions without hcarin

tion. lie believed the

. • -
resolutions, if adopted, would aggravate the difficulties under
which parliament laboured, and he also believed that there
were few in that house who were not prepared to oppose the
preposterous pretensions put forward by the church. He
admitted its value—he believed it had done the most good at
establishment of the. kind in the
that patronage had been for a long
i and without complaint; but

time elereised c
for hi

a part, I.

ge to the e

nce of the veto. It

;e the r

thing that could happen. He hoped the ministers of the i
Church of Scotland would pause before resorting to the des- '
perate step alluded to. He did not think the people took
much interest in the matter except where they were urged