The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-04-23 00:00:00

HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAY,

The Smoke Prohibition Bill and the School Districts' Contri-
bution Bill were read a second time.

The Marquis of WESTMEATH presented a petition relative to
the administration of the Poor-law in Carrick-on-Shannon.
The noble lord, in illustration of the working of the law, refer-
red to cert• in proceedings taken against himself, by which a
demand of rates amounting to -t'33 was swelled to £77 by costs,
'in a cage in which he had always been ready to pay anydemand
with respect to which he should have received legal notification
of -his liability, instead of which all information bad been
denied him. He blamed the government for not having made
a proper valuation as a basis for rating. The vice-guardians
bad administered the funds of the unions most wastefully. The
Poor-law and Free-trade had ruined Ireland, and for that state
of things he held the government responsible. The noble ar-
quis concluded by moving for a committee to inquire into the
subject matter of the petition.
The Earl of MOUNTCASHELL snppotted the motion for a com-
mittee, and confirmed Lord Westmeath's assertion as to the
ruin brought upon Ireland by the operation of the Poor-law and
Free-trade.

The Marquis of LANDSDOWNE did not deny that abuses
might have crept into the administration of the Poor-law in
particular unions, but all possible efforts had been made to
remedy them. No information had been received by the com-
missioners with respect to the particular matter to which the
noble Marquis referred ; and he did not think that sufficient
grounds had been made out for the inquiry which was cailed
for.

Lord STANLEY thought the grounds assigned by the noble
marquis near him for an inquiry perfectly reasonable. He
was astonished at the unsatisfactory reply given by the noble
marquis opposite to the statements upon which the motion for
a committee was founded. Any case of misconduct on the
part of poor law officials ought to be inquired into. It appeared
that the grossest abuses had prevailed for months in the union
to which the petition referr 0, ai d he thought their lordships
would not fulfil their duty if tney refused inquiry.
The Marquis of LANDSDOWNE withdrew his opposition to
the appointment of a committee, in consequence of the reasons
assigael :by Lord Stanley for the imperative necessity of the
inquiry.
The Marquis of WESTMEATH said he should move the nomi-
nation of the committee on Monday.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--FRIDAY.
Mr. F. O'CONNOR, in reply to Sir B. Hall, stated that it was
his intention to introduce immediately a private bill for wind-
ing tip the affairs of the National Land Association.—The hon.
bart then attempted to renew the discussion of the previous
evening, but the Speaker interfered, observing that the mat; er
was one entirely of a private and personal character, and had
no reference to any question before the house, and to prevent
their time being improperly wasted, he must put a stop to any
further observations.

In reply to a question from Mr. F. FRENCH,
Mr. LABO UCH ERE said by the communications received from
the. proprietors of the ill-fated steamer the Adelaide, it ap-
peared that that vessel was well built and well-found in every
respect. and was under the command of a competent and ex-
perienced commander at the time she was lost. Stine mystery
still hung over that event; but the catastrophe was attributed
to some accident or explosion in her stearetnachinery, while
labouring in the tempestous sea running at the time.
The House then went into committee on the Australian
Colonies Bill, and the clauses from 3 to 5 were agreed to with-
out discussion.

On clause 6 being read, which provided for the establishment
of legislative councils in Van Diemen's Land and South Aus-
t alia,

Sir -W. MOLESWORTH moved the introduction of words for
the purpose of establishing a legislative chamber and a house
of assembly in these two colonies; intimating that, in the
event of the committee sanctioning his amendment, he ,pro-
branches follow it up by a further provision, making
of the legislature elective. The hon. baronet pro-ceeded to support his amendment by reading extracts from a
number of despatches addressed by the governors of these
colonies to the Coiosial Office, for the purpose of showing that
the proposition of a single chamber was in opposition to the
wishes of the colonial governors, at variance with the theory
Of the Anglo Saxon constitution, and adverse to the wishes of
the great majority of the colonists themselves. He believed,
that there were ample materials in those colonies for the for-
mation or the two chambers; and that if the alteration pro-
posed by him was not adopted the measure would be found un-
satisfactory and inoperative..

Mr. DENIsoN supported the amendment, observing that the
bon. bart. in the course of his speech had omitted to refer to
a recent dispatch from Sir Henry Young, which had been that
day laid upon the table of the House. The Governor had on a
former occasion communicated merely his own impressions as
to the expediency of a double chamber, but these impressions
were now corroborated by a public meeting of the inhabitants
of South Australia, held on the 15th December last, at which
resolutions were unanimously adopted to' the effect that the
legislative body should consist of the governor and two cham-
bers. Heappealed to the noble lord (J. Russell) whether, with
the information which they were now in possession of, he
meant to proceed with the present bill. tie had not the
smallest doubt that it would be an entire waste of their time
to attempt to force upon the colonies one chi tuber against
their wish. If he stood alone, he should give the further pro-
gress of the measure every opposition in his power.
Mr. HAWES admitted that the noble lord at the head of the
colonies had changed his opinion upon the subject of the
form of legislation which should be granted to the colonies,
but that was altogether to his honour, as it was in order to
conform to the expressed wishes of the colonists. He did not
think that the best form of government was that best adapted to
the colonies, but that which would confer such a poweron them
as would enable them to make such alterations and changes as
the littered circumstances of the colonies might hereafter
require. He protested against this important question being
made a mere party question, and he protested against the
adoption of the amendment, which, independently of the other
objections that might he urged to it, would cause very consi-
derable delay in the application of these new constitutions to
the colonies.

iti..EicoTT, Mr. MOWATTa and Mr. BASS. subsequently

addresseTthe committee, amidst general marks of impatience.
Lord.J. RUSSELL, for the third time, rose and called the at-
tention of the committee, to what the real question before it
was. If it.waslound that the till as at present framed did not
give'the colonies the power to make such modifications as here-
after might-seem necessary, then he would have no objection
to introduce words to that effect in a subsequent clause.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH having replied, the committee divided,
when there appearedl=For the amendment, 150; against it,
218; majority against t'le amendment, 68.
Mr. ANSTEY then moved an amendment, the purport of
Which could not be clearly ascertained in the confusion that
prevailed in the house.
The amendment was negatived without a division.
Mr. ANSTEY moved another amendment, to exclude the
nominees of the crown from sitting in the elective assembly.
On a division the amendment was negatived by 159 to 27.
The clause was then agreed to.