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    .. attempt to " blast the character" and " affix disgrace" on a man who has rendered " great public services ; " and the House cheered the assertion . He vindicated the motives of Lord Clarendon and Sir William Somerville from any imputation of private aims ; and then he turned round upon the Opposition , and , in defence of the character of Mr . Birch in 1842 , cited the testimony of Lord - St . Gennains , then Lord Eliot , and chief secretary for Irehind . Of course , Lord John admitted that Birch had been hired and paid out of the public ftmds , but then , said he , Lord Clarendon

    consulted the Chancellor of the Exchequer , anETbyhis advice he paid back the total into the Exchequer . Dexterously changing the topic , Lord John dwelt upon the excited state of Ireland , and described , in tragic language , how the empire was on the brink of ruin j how fohn Mitchell and the United Irishman were thundering at the gates of Dublin Castle ; and how , in this crisis Lord Clarendon engaged the services of Mr . Birch and the World . Lord Clarendon put down rebellion , and saved the empire ; and now the man to attack him was a member of the Conservative

    opposition , indebted to Lord Clarendon for the enjoyment of his property in peace and safety . As to the practice of subsidizing the press in Ireland , that wasnot the question they had to judge . But if the house wanted information they should call for former chief secretaries . " Take the Earl of Derby , for instance , " exclaimed the noble lord ; "if he say / that under no circumstances was it right or necessary to hire the press , and that he has himself carefully abstained , I should attach importance to the declaration / ' Lord Clarendon , he believed , had not acted differently from persons formerly connected with the government of Ireland .

    " The ingenious sophistry of the noble lord will not avail , " was the first sentence of Mr . Disbaem ' s speech in support of the resolution . If you are successful in putting down a rebellion , never mind what means you employ—that was the doctrine of the First Minister . Would the House sanction that ? He ridiculed the heroic strain in which Lord John described the existence of the empire as at stake—when Lord Clarendon called to his councils the editor of the World , and all went well . _ But this was alleged to have been the practice of former Viceroys . It was represented as part of a system ; and on this , if on no pther grounds , the House was compelled to weigh and judge .

    " And now , Sir , we have before us—fairly before ii 8—in * manner most temperately expressed—we have before UsiJiesefaatai ^—that tk » I-opd-L » entonant-of Ireland , doing , as the First Minister tells us , what all Lord-Lieutenants have always done , has placed himself in communication with a newspaper ; that he engages the influence of that newspaper in the support of his Administration , and pays that newspaper out of the public funds . ( Cheers . ) Still we are told that these are not fit subjects for a House of Commons to inquire into ( renewed cheers ) , and then the First Minister rises , appeals to the great deeds of the person implicated , and says that we are not to inquire into

    circumstances which are of public interest , of public importance , which concern public morality , hut which , because the individual affected has succeeded in his policy , we are not to notice . ( Cheers . ) And this extraordinary position , which , i 8 , in fact , the old story of Scipio revived , is coupled with this significant announcement to the House of Commons , that this is part of a system which has always prevailed . ( Hear . ) Now is it the opinion of the House of Commons that it should always prevail ? ( Hear . ) Is it the opinion of the House of Commons thaMt is beneficial for this country that the Government of Ireland , from whatever side of the house it may be recruited , should subsidize the press out of the public funds ? ( Cheers . )

    The remainder of the debate , which was surrendered for a while to . the ordinary speakers on both sides , Mr . H . Herbert , Dr . Power , Colonel Thompson , Sir D . Norreys , on behalf of Lord Clarendon ; and Mr . Sharman Crawford , Mr . G . H . Moore , Mr . Eoche , Mr . Nowdcgate , and Colonol Sibthorp , in support of the resolution , was only a variation , more or less amusing , of the speeches of the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition . Lord Palmebston wound up the debate , by whitewashing the whole transaction . The attack

    was personal . Ho hated personal attacks . And , for so grave an accusation as that contained in the resolution , ho had never heard such unsubstantial grounds . Lord Clarendon had been offered support by an editor , at a moment of great peril , and had ho not given support in return , ho would have been liable to blame . A hat ho was the victim of an unworthy confidence ; was a common misfortune of generous minds . He wound up a short , decisive , dogmatic speech , greatly cheered throughout , by saying , that he was sure tho House would leave Lord Clarendon in the high position ho occupied . Lord Naas replied , reiterating that the question before the House was , whether they would sanction tho practice of abstracting money from the public purse , to subsidizo a venal press . On a , division , there were , —• For the motion , 187 ; against it , 229 . Majority against , 63 .

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    THE HOUSE OF LOEDS . The discussions in the House of Lords this week have partaken very much of a conversational character . A novel incident took place on Tuesday , when the Earl of Clanoabtt , having announced his intention , by letter to the Lord Chancellor , presented himself at the table to be sworn . The Earl has conscientious scruples about taking the Protestant form of . oath * on account of its containing a statement " that the Pope has no jurisdiction , power , or authority within these realms ;" he had frequently expressed his objections , by petition to the House , but he how claimed to be admitted , on

    taking the oath prescribed for persons professing the Roman-catholic religion . Lord Campbell , the Lobd Chakceixorj and Lord Bbofgham , all expressed their opinions that this claim could not be entertained . Several noble lords then took part in thediseussion , which turned upon the real import of the words in the oath of supremacy . The Earl of Wioklow conceived that no Protestant could take the oath without an act of mental reservation , and he stated that some noble lords , to his certain knowledge , did take it with mental reservation . Peers were enabled to do so , because there was no clause in this oath forbidding such reservation . The

    Lord Chancellob observed that the question was entirely one of law . The Earl of Clancarty then retired . When the discussion on Lord Clancarty ' s scruples had terminated on Tuesday , the Earl of Roden , in pursuance of previous notice , moved for a return of the murders and attempts to murder in the counties of Louth , Monaghan , Armagh , and Down , from the 1 st January , 1849 , to the 17 th February , 1852 . He declared that the Ribbon conspiracy was revived , and that the agents of that widely-spread secret society

    " Overawed" the most respectable and useful inhabitants of the north of Ireland with " denunciations of death , with assassinations , with attempted assassinations , and with the burning of houses . " The Marquis of Lansdowne said he had no objection to such returns being laid upon the table . The Earl of Glengall regretted that the noble Marquis had not promised that some active measures should be taken for the repression of these outrages , Several "other peers having made remarks , the subject dropped .

    On the same day the House went into a" committee on the County Courts Further Extension Bill . The Lobd Chancellob thought that the public would not be advantaged and that the profession of the bar would bo greatly prejudiced by two clauses in this bilL . By one , barristers were to be allowed to practise without being instructed by an attorney , and by the other attorneys were permitted to act as advocates , and thus to associate themselves in practice with barristers . The latter proposition he thought would lead to most inconvenient results ; ( hear from Lord Brougham ;) he saw

    no reason why an attorney should desert his brotherpractitioners . Lord Brougham coincided with a great deal of what had fallen from his noble and learned friend . It was on the establishment of the County Courts that the prohibition for tho first time by enactment was imposed on barristers to appear in court without the intervention of an attorney , and he was inclined to remove that prohibition and place the County Courts upon the same footing as the other courts > under the guidance of professional feeling . As to the practice of attorneys acting as advocates , ho believed that none but those who had been in

    communication with the parties concerned could have any idea of the perfect monopoly of County Court practice that the attorneys had almost succeeded in establishing , If any barrister dared to hold a brief in a county court , the attorneys combined to withhold all briefs from him . And the best plan for rendering these monstrous combinations powerless would bo found in the removal of the prohibition to receive clients without the intervention of an attorney .

    Lord Campbell argued that it was for tho benefit of the suitors and tho public generally that the distinction between . barristers and attorneys should bo rigidly preserved : ho should therefore oppose tho introduction of tho clause which permitted barristers to receive briefs directly from their clients . The Lobd Chanoellob followed with tho same class of objections , and urged in particular that it was of tho last importance to provont all intercourse botweon tho witnesses and tho barrister . The bar themselves would suffer great projudice , their high character would bo lowered , " and yet , " said the Lord Chancellor , " thoro would still doubtless , be a numbor who would hold up their hoods , and justify tboir practices by tho name of ' My Lord Brougham '—a great authority in tho law— ' My Lord Brougham / they would say "

    Lord BnotTGHAM— " And my Lord Donman , and my Lord Lyndhurst . " Lobd Chancei / cob— " Those noblo lords , and tho House of Lords , thought that tho prohibitory clause ought to be repealed , and they would thoroforo proceed ,

    dignified with that authority , to attend public-houses , picking up cases , finding a defence where nobody ever thought of finding one before , and inventing a claim which no honest man would ever have thought of prosecuting . " Lord Bbougham replied . The Lord Chancellor ' s amendment was adopted by the House , and the bill passed through committee . Duties on Cabriages ;—Sir . De Lacy Evans on Tuesday moved for leave to bring in a bill for reduction of the

    duty on carriages ; he urged upon the House that the duty was falling off from year to year , which he attributed to evasion , stimulated , and almost justified , by the heavy and unfair nature of the tax . He believed that his proposition would not cause any loss to the revenue . The Chancellor of the Exchequer considered it his duty to resist the motion , although he acknowledged that there was a good deal that was ' unsatisfactory in the present state of this particular tax . After a short discussion the motion was pressed to a division . The numbers

    were—For the motion , 24 ; against it , 59 . Majority , 35 . Stamp Receipts . —Mr . Headlam moved on the same day that the present stamped receipts should be abolished . There were few taxes which were more objectionable than this , being open to continual evasion with impunity . He recommended the introduction of penny stamps on receipts and bankers cheques , and he believed that by these two sources any loss of revenue would be prevented . The Chancellor of the Exchequer said that if every tax which could be evaded was to be abolished , there would soon be very few taxes left . He also thought that stamps on

    crossed checks and penny receipt stamps would be evaded , and then the same reason would be given for abolishing them . He hoped the House would negative the resolution . Mr . Aglionby would support the motion to alter , not to abolish this mode of taxation . It was not put on the ground that people did not like the tax , but that they did not pay it . How often did the Right Hon . gentleman himself evade the tax ? ( A laugh . ) "What member present gave stamped receipts in his daily transactions ? Mr . Hindley expressed a hope . that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would attend to the suggestion of a uniform receipt stamp . The House divided , when there appeared

    For Mr . Headlam ' s motion , 28 : Against it , 61 . Majority , 3 & . - Public-houses ( Scotland ) Bill . —On Wednesday , Mr . F . Mackenzie , after presenting a petition in favour of this bill , moved that it be read a second time . After various speeches on both sides of the question , the House divided , when ~ there appeared—For the second reading , 123 ; against it , 67 . Majority , 56 . Copyhold Enfranchisement . — This measure was read a second time oh Wednesday , not without a slight opposition from Sir George Strickland ; but there was no division .

    THE NEW BEFOKM BILL . The Parliamentary Representation Bill is followed by two schedules . Schedule A names Birkenhead and Burnley as the new boroughs to be represented by one member each . Schedule B contains the sixty-seven existing boroughs to which other towns or parishes are to be annexed , with a definition of the new boundaries in a third column . For the last we have not space ; but the subjoined is a complete list of the boroughs . The name of the county is at the beginning of each paragraph ; tho names of the old boroughs ore printed in italic type ; each one immediately followed by those to be annexed to it . Berkshire—AUngdon : Farringdon . Wallingford : Wantage .

    Buckingham—Buckingham : Newport Pagncll , Stony Stratford , Winslow . Great Marlow : Bcaconslield , Maidenhead . Wy combe : Amcrsham , Chcsham . Cornwall—Bodmin : St . Austcll . llehton : Penzanco . Launceston : Camelford . Liskeard : Fowey , Looo . Cumberland—Cockermotcth : Maryport , Workington Devon—Ashburton ; Newton Abbot , Newton Bushel Dartmouth : Brixham . Honiton : Ottery St . Mary , Sidmouth . Tavistock : Cnllington , Moreton Humpstend , Okehampton , Saltash . Tiverton : Collumpton . Totnes : Torquay . _ _ . _ .

    Dorsetshire—Bridport : Bcaminstcr , Dorchester : Blandford , Shcrborno . Lyme Regis : Axminster . Poole : Wimborne Minster . Shaftesbury : Stalbridge , Sturminster Newton . Wareham : Swanage . Essex—Harwich : Coggcshall , Halstcad , Manmngtrcc . Gloucester—Cirencester : Fairford , Lcchlade , Northleach . Tewkesbury : Upton-on-Sovcrn , Winchcomb . Hami'siure — Andover : BaBingstokc , Stockbridgc , Whitchurch . Christchurch : Ringwood . Zymmgton : Lyndhurst , Romsoy . l ' etcrsfield : Alrcsford , Alton . ' Hereford—Leominster ; Bromyard , Kington . ' Huntingdon—Huntingdon : St . Ivcs . , Lancaster—Olitheroe : Colno .

    Lincoln—Stamford : Bourn . Norfolk—Thetford : Brandon , E . Dorcham , Swaffham . Northampton—Peterborough : Oundlo . Northumberland—Morpeth : Blythe . Oxford—Banbury : Chipping Norton . Woodstock : Witnoy . Salop- — Ludlow ; Bishop ' s Ca&tlc , CUuroU Stretton , Clcobury Mortimer .

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    Feb / SI . 1852 . ] THI REAPER . 48 g

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 21, 1852, page 169, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1923/page/5/