The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-04-26 00:00:00

Emperiat I)artiaranit.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

MONDAY, APRIL 22.
A great number of petitions were presented, praying for the
immediate abolition of colonial slavery. Lord ELLuseonoudu
presented one from Mr. Eden Bowler against the second read-
ing of the Stamford Bribery Bill.
The Marquess of SALISBURY said he had to present a peti-
tion against slavery in England,—he meant that slavery to
which young children employed in our factories were subjected,
and he would pray the good offices of the noble lord (Suffield)
in aid of its abolition. He was sure that if the noble lord would
bestow half the time and the valuable exertions for the abolition
of this domestic slavery, which be had bestowed upon the
abolition of negro slavery, it would be a most valuable aid to
those. who were engaged in putting an end to the former, and
tue noble lord might be quite as usefully employed.
Lord SCFFIRLD said he had no objection to give any aid that
he could offer for that important purpose, but it he had taken a
more active part in endeavouring to put an end to negro
slavery, it was because the poor negro required greater aid,
and he could not forget also that the factory children had a
most powerful advocate in the noble marquess.
Lord MELBOURNE put off the Irish Jury Bill to Friday, as he
understood it would be more convenient to the noble duke
(Wellington) to attend ou that day.
The Bishop of Ossoav presented petitions against the
ministerial plan of church reform, from the Dean and Chapter
of Cork and Kildare.

STAFFORD BRIBERY BILL.
The Earl of RADNOR, in movingthe second reading of this
bill, said that he scarcely expected any opposition to it, because
it was founded on the same principle as several bills which had
of late years been introduced without objection into their lord-
ships' house, for the purpose of indemnifyng witnesses giving
evidence of-the existence of gross bribery and corruption in
certain boroughs. He admitted that the present measure was
not accompanied, like those to which he had just referred, by a
proposition of disfranchisement; but he thought that their
lordships ought not on that account to reject it. The bill was
founded on the notoriety of gross and abominable bribery exist-
ing in Stafford. He understood several of their lordships felt
objections to the wording of particular parts of the bill; but
that was matter for consideration in committee, and ought not
to be any obstacle to the second reading. As far as he was
concerned, he should offer no opposition to any amendment
which did not interfere with the efficiency of the measure: The
noble earl then moved the second reading of the bill.
Lord \VYNFORD said that, whenever corruption was clearly
proved against a considerable portion of the inhabitants of any
place, he should be ready to concur in the proposition to dis-
franchise them and transfer the elective franchise to other per-
VMS more likely to exercise it properly. He objected to this
bill, because it was not like former bills of a similar nature
founded on an inquiry previously instituted by the House of
Commons. They were -asked by the bill to declare that the
borough of Stafford was grossly corrupt. He concluded by
pioving, that the second reading of the bill be postponed, and
proposing an amendment to the effect just mentioned.
• the LORD CHANCELLOR agreed with the noble baron who
preceded him that the present was a peculiar case. lie there-
lire thought that their lordships were bound to afford every
ficiiity consistent with the law of Varliament to the successful
a,ccoinplishment of this investigation. He thought that the
course proposed by the noble baron was well worthy the con-
sideration of the house. To satisfy thethselves, and to see whe-
ther any other and better.mode of conducting this investigation
Could be devised, the best course was to adopt the proposition
of the noble baron—to suspend the second reading for the pre-
sent, and to let this matter stand over for a day or two. In
conclusion, he suggested that his noble friend should suspend
his motion and his learned friend his amendment for a few days,
and that they should then come down to the house iu a situation
to perform their duty to the country at large, to the borough of
Stafford, and to the House of Commons, which had sent up
this bill to their lordships.
The debate was then adjourned till Friday next. The house
then adjourned.