Current:

Northern Star (1837-1852), 27th February 1847, Edition 2 of 3, Page 8, a THE NORTHERN STAR. February 21 1347.

Page 8
Page 8
8 of 8

On this page

  • Departments (3)
    • inrnrnai sarifamem
    • IMPORTANT TO EMIGRANTS.
    • Uinci saiuo oireet ivin feinted by DOUGAL M'GOWAN, of NS, Great Wiiulmi-l-iiii'l street, Hajmarkct, in the City of Westminster, at the tthi
  • Adverts (1)
  • Text (7)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      A The Northern Star. February 21 1347.

      a THE NORTHERN STAR . February 21 1347 .

      Inrnrnai Sarifamem

      inrnrnai sarifamem

      House Of Lords.—Febbua&Y I9th. Brewing F...

      HOUSE OF LORDS . —Febbua & y I 9 th . Brewing fbom Src » a . —The Earl of Clarendon moved the committee on the Brewing from Sugar Bill , and entered into an explanation of the reasons which induced the Government to propose this as well as the Distilling from Su ^ sr Bill . Lord Stasiet mofid , as an amendmant , that the Bill be referred to a scltct committee . Their Lorchhips divided . For going into committee-Contents 35 Xon-C-nttnts 27 Maj-ri'y for the Government —S The Brewing from Susar BiSl and the Distilling from Ssgar BUI passed tbro-juh tomaiittee , and were ordered for a third rvaduiz on Monday .

      HOUSE OF LORDS . —Fib . 22 . The Brewing from Snjar , and the Distilling ; from Sag ^ r Bills wer * - rca ^ a third time and parsed . Tue M- » r <] dis ot * Larsdowne Kinred the third reading of the Destitute Persons I Ireland ) Bid , but in conseq uence of some oljtctions taken bv tbe Earl of Ellenborou ^ h , the further consideration of the bill was postponed . Their Lordships then adjourned .

      TUESDAY , Feb . « S . The Destitute Persons Bill was amended , read a thiri time , and passed , alter a conversation in which Lord Brougham , tbe Marquis of Londonderry , the Marquis of Lan d ) wne , the Earl of Eilenborou ^ h , the Marquis of "Wesitneitb , and Lord Campbell took part . In tbe course of this conversation , Lord Brougham renewed his attacks on tbe Irish landlords , absentees , end others . The Marquis of LoKDosntaat taunted the noble and learn d Lord with beta * himself an absentee , spending his time in France , and amusing himself with bunting Tboars . Lord BeoCGBAK admitted his residence in France daring the months when * ' nobody was in London , " but denied that he ever " amused himself hunting byres out of England . "

      Tie rojal assent was given by commission to the BncV ¦ Whea t , & c . Importation Bill , the Brewing from Sugar Biil , tbe Distilling from Sugar Bill , and the Chelsea Pensioners' Poundage Bill . Their Lordships adjourned to Thursday ,

      THURSDAY , Feb . 25 . LABOURING POOR ( IRELAND ) BILL . —On the notion of the Earl of Clarendon , this bill was read a first time , and ordered to be read a second time on Monday . So other business of importance was transacted . HOUSE OF COMMONS , Febro 4 Kv 19 . Tex Modes * Bill—Mr . Hcmb asked the speaker to explain why he had received the report cf the tellers on the division upon the Factory Bill after six o ' clock on Wednesday ! TfaeSFEASEK explained that as the doors were locked during a division , it was absolutely necessary for the tellers to report the result of the division to the chair ; ether wiEe tbe Speaker could not leave tbe chair . IRISH LABOURING POOR BILL—On the motion to go into committee on the Labouring Poor Bill ,

      Sir B . Hall reiterated his charges against the Irish landlords . He said he should not have again ad . dressed the house on the subject , ha 4 be not received accounts confirmatory of the truth of his previous statements . In all the Irish debates which he had listened to during the last seventeen years , he had heard continually two assertions from Irish members : one , that all the evi ! s of Irelanl were derivable from the Legislative Union ; tha other , that English members were totally ignorant of Irish affairs . He questioned the sinctrity of those Irish proprietors who made pathetic speeches on the subject of Irish distress , but who closed their pockets all the time . Large sums ot money had been received at Conciliation Hall while this famine was impending , yet its funds were not expended xn alleviating the suffering people .

      After tome discussion the House went into committee ca the BUI , and a-1 it * clauses were agreed to with amendments . The report was ordered to bs received oa Monday . On the motion to have the Factories Bill read formally a Srcond time , Mr . Li ape * o'jected , on the ground that a division on a "Wednesday did not fairly represent the opinion of the Souse . The Bill was read a second time amidst loud cheers . Leave was given to Lord J . Russell to bring in a Bill to proride for the appointment of a Board of Commissioners for tbe supervision of the administration of the laws for the relief of the poer in Ireland . Tha other orders oftbe day were disposed of , and the House adjourned at fire minutes te one o'clock

      HOUSE OF COMMONS . —Feb . 22 . After the private business was disposed of , Lord J . Rcssell moved that the house resolve itself into a committee of ways and means , on which , Mr . Ebwabd Ellice drew the attention of the house to the destitute condition of the people on the west coast of Invtrness-shire . He would trouble the house with a few facts which he had extracted irom the report of Mr . Fraztr , sheriff substitute of the county of Inverness , that gentleman having at the rtqutst of the relief board ia Edinburgh undertaken to vu-it the distressed districts . Mr . Fraz ; r had visited six districts , and in all had found a very considerable portion of the population in a state bordering on itarration . In the first , ont of a : otal of 91 families , S 2 wire utterly destitute . These families contained in all 4 S'J person ? , JSS of whom * ere children under 12 years of sge . They had , when Mr . Fruzer visited them , but four days * consumption of all sorts of food . This was a district in which the Poor Law was not in operation . In

      the next district there were SO families iu indtpandent circnmstacc : s , and I 3 S numbering in persons 671 destitute . The latter had only 10 bolls of meal , or two days' consumption amongct them . The proprietor of the district employed 16 men , but he had made no provision for paying them , nor had he found them food . In tbe next district there were , in one village , 600 souls in the greatest distress . Some supplies bad been stnt by the Free Church Committee , but thsv were exhausted , and if relief did not came soon the majority of the inhabitants must ptrith . Ia another district , containing 1 , 100 souls , V ' OO were in a state of destitution . Iu the districts he had enumerated the proprietors had done nothing , n-r was anything to be expected from them . He also gathered from other letters he had received , that the seed com , the only thing to which the people could look for support next year , was rapidly being consumed , so that ne » t season might be expected to be even more disastrous than the present . Hear , hear . )

      Sir G . Gxev stated that the attention of the government was anxiously directed to tbe state of things ta the west coast of Scotland . Mr . Baillie corroborated the statements made by Mr . Elice . THE BUDGET . —The house then wgnt into committee of ways and means , when The Chascello * of the Exchequer rote to lay the financial state and prospects of the country before tha committee . After briefly adverting to the preT ^ ling dearth in Ireland , the right hon . gentleman observed that the finances oftbe country were perhaps never in a state when they could better bear the extraordinary demand which that dearth wonld make upon them . The balances in tbe Exchequer for this year were nine

      millions . For the first time , within the recollection of the oldest among them , there was no deficiency in tbe finances of the quarter , the balances in the Exchequer being sufficient to pay the dividends . The Customs receipt on every article of import , with the exception of those upon which the duties bad been reduced , had been higher this year than during the corresponding period of the preceding year . With the exception of soap , the produce of every material article paying Excise duties had considerably increased . From the 5 th of January to the I 3 th of February there was an increase in the receipts of the ordinary revenue over those of the corresponding period last year of bait a million . He should be holding out , however , fallacious hopes to the house , if he were to say that we were Vikely to have a continuance of this pros .

      perous state of things . Circumstance * , obrious to the most unreflecting mind , led to the conclusion , that we ' had come to the time when our onward progress might be checked , as it had been in the year 1825 , and again in tha year 1836 . He did not , however , expect that it would be accompanied with anything like the revulsion which had occurred upon those occasions ; first , because the experience of former times had not been lost upon ns ; and next , because trade was now conducted upon sound and not upon speculative principles . We bad now truer notions of currency , and , instead of purchasing Mississippi Stock and Pennsylvania Bonds , had been nvesticg our capital in works of great importance at home . He was , therefore , confident that no such results as those which had occurred formerly would now follow

      any temporary check in our onward progress . But it would be contrary to al ] experience if the high price to food did not trench upon the comforts of all classes » f the community , and did not thereb y diminish their meant of purchasing the same quantity of those articles which were subject to duties of Excise or Customs , and which therefore contributed essentially to the national revenue . Unfortunately , with the high price of food there had also been a concurrent high price of cotton , which bad led to diminished employment in the JBanofactariog districts . Ill S had produced in the last month an entire stoppage of small mills , tbe diminution of the number of others which had been working full time , and the increase of the number of those which were working only short time . In the borough of Manchester alone 2 , 638 labourers bad been thrown out of work in that time ; and there were sow 2 , 900 hands less employed in working full time , and

      1 , 355 more employed in working short time in that town , than at the commencement of January . Such a diminution of wages must occasion distress , and consequently a diminution in the amount of the revenue . Bullion , too , had been exported for tbe purchase of food , and that had produced a pressure on the money market , which , in its turn , checked mercantile enttrprise . Hitherto tbe demand for bullion had not been very formidable , for there was onl y £ 1 , 200 , 000 of gold less in the Bank now than there was on tbe JSth of February last year . Mr . © oulburn had anticipated last year a surplus from the Custom , of £ 7 « , QO 0 , and from the Excise a surplus of £ 700 . 000 making a total surplus , anticipated from Customs and Excite , of £ 776 , 000 . But subsequent legislation , which had admitted forei gn sugar into the English market , had given riw to an increase in the ordinary reventw , which could not have been anticipated by Mr . Goulbuxa wnta he made bis statement , to the extent ef

      House Of Lords.—Febbua&Y I9th. Brewing F...

      £ S 04 000 . lUd this bceu foreseen , the increase would have beea set down at about a million . But if they referred to the balance sheet up to the 5 th ot January this year , they would find that the excess of income over expenditure was no less than £ 2 815 , 000 . Since that period , too , the produce of the revenue bad exceeded that <> f the corresponding quarter last year to an unexpected extent . But tbe statement which he was about to make would be based upon the produce of the revenue up fc > the 5 th January last ; and he would now proceed to state what would be the probable income from tho 5 th of April next to tho 5 th of April , 1848 . ' The produce of the Customs up to the 5 th of January last was £ 20 , 540 , 500 . Of this a no loss sum than £ 793 , 000 had been received from importations of corn .

      For the first six months of the coming year they could exptct no Income from that source . But he was not prepared to nsakc a deduction to the whole extent of the duties received from corn , because he had reason to be lieve that a considerably increased revenue would be derived from Increased consumption of & ugar during the ensuing year . He believed , then , that he was entitled to assume that the customs receipts for the coming year would not be less than £ 20 , 000 , 000 . As to the Excise , the produce from this source of revenue was , up to the 5 th of January last , £ 13 , 988 , 000 ; and ho thought that they might reckon , for tho ensuing year , upon receiving from this source £ 13 . 700 , 000 . Since the beginning ot the present quarter the increase in the excise duties had reached the sum of £ 100 , 000 . Even in Ireland tho ex .

      cite duties bad been on the increase for the past six weeks . The stamp * had produced , up to the 5 th of Jan . £ 7 , 505 , 000 , and he assumed that they would yield about the same amount next year . The land and assessed taxes had , last year , produced £ 4 , 272 , 000 ; and he calculated upon receiving from the same source , durinj the coming year , about £ 4 , 270 , 000 . The properly tax , up to the 5 th of January last , yielded about £ 5 , 395 . 000 . Since the 5 th of January tha increase of this tax had been £ 169 , 000 ; buthe would only ascume it to produce for tbe coming year the sum of £ 5 , 300 , 000 . The produce of the Post-office and Crown lauds he would assume to be the same as last year—the former having yielded £ 845 , 000 , aud the latter £ 120 , 000 . From certain miscellaneous sources of revenue they had last year received £ 427 , 000 ;

      hot he would only anticipate from these sources £ 330 , 000 for the ensuing year . Taking all these items together they would make the ordinary revenue for the next financial year amount to £ 52 , 005 , 000 . Ho would now call the attention of the committee to the contemplated expenditure . The interest of ihe debt , funded and unfunded , would be £ 28 , 045 , 000 . The estimate for charges on the consolidated fund was £ 2 . 522 , 000 , the charges for the { Irish constabulary £ 175 , 000 , making a total of £ 2 , 700 , 000 , which , with the interest on the funded and unfunded debt , made a grand total of £ 30 , 745 , 000 , The estimate for the army was £ 6 . 140 , 074 , including militia and commissariat charges ; that for the navy was £ 7 , 561 , 876 ; fur the ordnance , £ 2 , 679 , 127 ; and for tbe miscellaneous votes , £ 3 , 750 , 000 ; making the whole ordinary

      expenditure for the coming year amount to £ 51 , 576 , 000 . In the foregoing eftimate expenditure , he had omitted to state tbe sums which would probably be required for the relief of Irish distress , and it was now his duty to state what was likely to be the extent of the demand upon the Exchequer for the relief of that country . Up to January last , the expense ef the permanent staff of the Board of Works had been £ 20 , 500 ; that of the commiss . ariat officers employed £ 27 , 500 . Up to the present time the expenditure for the purchase of grain had been £ 225 , 000 . Up to the middle of February the issue from the Exchequer under the Labour-rate Act had been £ 2 , 400 , 000 . Such being the case , he feared tbat the monthly expenditure for some time to come would not fall much short of

      a million of money . As it was probable that the expenditure for Ireland would continue nntil next harvest , and to some extent even beyond that time , he could not eftimate the total ptobable charge upon the Exchequer , for the coming year , for the relief of the Irish distress at less that £ 8 , 000 , 000 . This , with the sura already adtranced for this purpose , would make the whole expenditure from August last to next harvest , amount to about £ 10 , 000 , 000 . And it was on account of this enormous and necessary expenditure that he had , amongst other reasons , resisted Lord G . Bentinck ' s scheme for advancing £ 16 , 000 . 000 for the completion of Irish railways . Considering the extraordinary additional burden which the state of Ireland threw upon tbe Exchequer , it must be evident to all that he mutt go into the market to borrow .

      Were he inclined to add to tbe taxation of the country , he thought that no increased taxation wsuld suffice to provide the necessary means in time . If he went to the market it was not as a matter of choice but of necessity . As to tbe amount to be borrowed , if he borrowed only a part of tbe required £ 8 , 000 , 000 , the result would be to reduce the balances in the Exchequer . That , therefore , was a course which he was unwilling to take . Exchanges were on the turn , but they were not now so adverse to us as tbey bad been some time ago . Bat the chief reason why he was indisposed to reduce the balances in tbe Exchequer was , the uncertainty which existed of our having a good harvest next year . Ho thought , therefore , that the wiser and more prudent course was to borrow the whole amount . He did not think that it should be added

      to the permanent debt , inasmuch as a large proportion of it would be chargeable upon Irish property . The next question was , whether , in borrowing so large a sum , it was necessary to resort to increased taxation to meet ihe interest upon the loan , and to pay , from time to time , portions of the principal . He thought it unadrisable , during the coming year , to propose any alteration in tbe taxation of the country . It would next year be indispensable for Parliament to deal with the question of the renewal of the income-tax . It weuld be unwise to prejudge , this year , the course which a " new Parliament" perhaps might take on this subject next session . It would be a better course to pursue to provide for the interest of the proposed loan out of the ordinary revenue , and leave the questions involved

      in the re-adjustment of taxation open fur discussion next year . The difference between the revenue and the expenditure for the coming year would be about £ 489 , 000 . Assuming that they borrowed light millions , the interist upon that sum at 3 per cent , would be £ 240 , 000 ; at 3 } per cent . £ 230 , 000 ; and at 3 per sent ., £ 320 , 000 . He bvdievtd that they would be able to borrow the whole amount at 3 j per cent ., making tbe whole interest payable upon theloan £ 280 , 000 . But that would not be the only demand upon them in the shape of interest , as he fcaved that they would be under the necessity of raising the interest on Exchequer bills . Exchequer bills were now at three halfpence per day , and ha proposed to raise them a halfpenny a day , the annual cost o £ which would be £ 142 . 000 . This , with the interest of tbe

      proposed loan , would raise the increased interest on the whole debt for tbe coming year to £ 422 , 000 . The total expenditure for the year with the addition of the interest upon the loan , and increased interest on Exchequer bills would bs £ 51 , 998 . 000 , deducting which from the total estimated receipts of the year would leave a balance of £ 07 , 000 . In addition to this balanc be anticipated to receive from China a sum not yet paid to the extent of £ 450 , 000 . But with this additional receipt he had to couple an additional expenditure to the amount of £ 185 000 , which was necessary to cover the excess of naval expenditure during the financial year ending the 5 th ot April last . Addin ; r , ' therefore , the ' t-xtraordinary receipts to the Ordinary receipts , and the extraordinary expenditure just noticed to the ordinary expenditure of the year , the total would be as follows : — Total income , £ 52 , 515 . 000 ; total expenditure , £ 52 , 183 000 ; leaving a surplus of 332 , 000 . If it were necessary hereafter to take more decided measures , he would not shrink from

      proposing such as would bring the income of the counthe charges and the report thereon . Also , a cop * f the try to bear a more favourable proportion to its expenditure . It was evident from all he had stated that it was not in his power to spare any revenue this year , which was the most effective answer that he could give to those who had urged him to reduce the duties on tea , coffee , paper , tobacco , & c . The right honourable gentleman then regretud the unfortunate circumstances which had interrupted that commercial and financial policy which they had for some time pursued , and which , for the last four years , had been attended with such success , and conclud « d with read ng a statement showing the increase which bad taken place in the confumptionof Coffee , butter , cheese , and currant ? , from 1843 to 1846 inclusive , as affording striking evidence of the beneficial } tendency of that policy . He concluded by moving a formal vote , that £ 8 , 000 , 000 be grantedoutof the Consolidated Fund for the relief of Ireland .

      Mr . Home was surprised thit the government , whilst expending ten millions upon Ireland , had made no provision for the distress existing in Scotland , and regretted that tbe Chancellor oftbe Exchequer had not come forward with a proposal for the reduction of many of the imposts which yet pressed so injuriously upon our trade . Mr . Williams objected to the increase proposed to the annual expenditure , independently of tbe extraordinary advances which were to be made to Ireland . Jlr . RoiBCCK . insisted upon accompanying the granting of any adraaces to Ireland with a stringent and effective poor-law , and upou extending the income-tax to that country .

      Lord J . Rcssell did ' not ' agree with tbe honourable and learned gentleman in advising the extension , at the present moment , of the income-tax to Ireland . He concurred with him , however , in thinking that , under ordinary circumstances , the properly of Ireland should support the pauperise * of Ireland . He hoped that the Irish landlords would not interpose any opposition to a proper poor-law for that country . g . Lord G . BismcK observed that he well understood why it was that tbe Chancellor oftbe Exchequer was not disposed , at the present moment , to resort to additional taxes , as tbat would be a course which might seriously compromise the pf » pulnrity of a government , with a general election very near at hand . Mr . Shaw was not opposed , to the principle of a poorlaw for Ireland , although ke could not agree with ail the details of the plan of tbe noble lord .

      Mr . QouinoxH thought that the government had acted discreetly in resorting to a lean for the proposed advances to Ireland , instead of to increased taxation , in the present circumstances of tbe country . The conversation then became desultory , and was continued by Mr . V . Smith , Mr . Alderman Thompson , Mr . Moffatt , Mr . F T . Baring , Mr . Muntz , Mr . B . Eseott , Mr . Ewart , Mr . Bankes , Mr . M . J . O'Connell , and Mr . Finch , when The vote for eight millions ont of the Consolidated Fund , moved for by the Chancellor of the Exchequer , was agreed to , aud the Chairman reported ptogress . The report on the Labouring Poor ( Ireland ) Bill was then brought up and received .

      House Of Lords.—Febbua&Y I9th. Brewing F...

      The House then went into committee on the Landed Property ( Ireland ) Advances Bill . The bill passed through committee , and the Chnirman reported . The Agricultural Tenant right Bill was then read a second time—to be referred to a select committee . The Loud Advocate then moved for and obtained leave to bring in bills for the registering of births . deaths , and marriages in Scotland , and to amend the law of mar . riage in Scotland . The other business was then disposed of , and the House adjourned . TUESDAY . Feb . 23 .

      Mr . T . DnRcoMBi presented a petition from Warrington , in Lancnshiie , complaining that no notice had been taken of the petitions presented on the 2 nd inst ., praying for inquiry into the proceedings on th » trial of James Gerrard and others at Warrington , on a charge of having absented themselves from the service of their master , and repeating the prayer that the house would interfere on behalf of those persons , and inquire into the fact as to whether they bad been fairly and formally triad , and if it should appear tbat they bad not , to recommend Her Majesty to grant them immediate pardon . The hon . member also presented a petition which had been agreed to at a [ public meeting held in the Crown and Anchor Tavern , London , on the 17 th instant , and which was signed by his hon . colleague ( Mr . W < . kley ) as chairman of the meeting , praying for the repeal of the ratepaying clauses of the Reform Act ; also a petition from Leicester to the same effect .

      On the motif n of Mr . Home a select committee was appointed , to continue the inquiry into the private business of the house , the expenses attending the obtaining of all private bills , including all the expenses of the opj'onents as well as the promoters of bills , and tbe taxing of expenses thereto . Mr . Ellice moved that all railway bills in the present session be referred to the Railway Commissioners for their report to the house upon the amount of the capital proposed to be raised and the loans proposed to be authorized by the bill , aud upon , tho provisions of such bill giving power to raise further capital or loans , or to alter and extend existing lines , or to subscribe to the capital , or to guarantee the capital of , or to amalgamate with , other companies , ic , and that their report be referred to the committee of that house appointed to consider the bill to which the same may relate .

      After a few remarks from Mr . Hudson , Sir B . Iholis , and Lord Johh Russell , approving the usefulness of such reports as were embraced in these resolutions both to the house and to the committees appointed by it , the motion was agreed to . RATEPAYING CLAUSES OF THE REFOBM BILL . —Mr . DcxcoMBB then rose to move for leave , to intro . duce a bill for repealing the ratepaying clauses of the Reform Bill . He understood Government had no objec tion to his introducing this bill , but that some hon . gentlemen opposite bad an objection to it . Now , be did not wish to urge either government or the gentlemen

      opposite to give him permission to introduce the bill , if it was done only with tbe . view of more effectually strangling it on a future day . ( Hear . ) If the bill was admitted by them to be good in principle , then he would at once , without discussion , ask the leave oftho house to introduce it . The object of the measure was to repeal those portionsof the R . form Act which made payment of rates and taxes necessary for a qualification to vote . That n as the simple principle of the bill : and if it was admitted to be a good one he would at once move for leave to bring it in ; but , if not , he was prepared to go on with the discussion . ( Hear . )

      Lord J Russell said , if his hon . friend thought fit to introduce bis biil before the house in order tbat the house might know what its clauses aud provisions were , he had no objection to that course , and should not oppose his hon . friend ' s laying the bill on the table . But , if the bill was , as his hon . friend stated , merely to repeal the prov sions of the Reform Act as to the payment of rates and taxes , without substituting any other provision for that purpose , he would state at once that to the principle of such a bill he was opposed , Mr . T . Buncombe said , he was aware that the noble lord had , on a former occasion , opposed the principle of this bill ; and if they were to have a discussion npon it , he thought it was best to fight it out at once . ( Hear , hear . ) The chief objections to this part of tho Reform

      Act wer « these : —First , that it was unconstitutional in ptinciple ; and , secondly , that it was most vexatious in its operation , and opened a door to all sorts of bribery and favouritism on the part of the parochial officers . As to its being unconstitutional in principle , he had the noble lord ' s own words , in introducing the Reform Bill , when he said that " the constitution of this country declared that no man should be taxed for the support of the state who had not consented by himself , or by his representative , to the imposition of such taxes . " But the part of the Reform Act which he ( Mr . Buncombe ) pro posed to repeal completely revesed that ' principle , for it declared not only that a man shall be taxed , but that he should pay the tax by a certain day , before he could claim a right \ o exercise the power , —in tho absence of which ,

      according to the position laid down by the noble lord , no t ix should be imposed . The Rsferni Bill , then , had not answered the expectations of those who introduced it , according to the declaration of the noble lord at the time he introduced the measure , who stated that the class to whom he expected it would gire the franchise would amount to nearly 500 , 000 persons , —namely , th » English counties , 100 , 000 ; Scotland , 00 , 000 ; Ireland , 40 , 000 ; towns already represented . 50 , 000 ; and the metropolis , 95 , 000;—and that It would add that number to the persons-then exercising the right of sending members to that house . What had been the result f In the metropolitan boroughs , the noble lord stated the number of new voters would be 95 , 000 . If , however , he looked to the state of the registers in those boroughs , he found this expectation

      by no means realised . In Mnrylebone there were 32 , 240 houses rated above £ 10 , whilst on the register there were only 11 . 625 persons entitled to vote in 1840 , out of which a great number were duplicates . In Finsbury there were 32 , 580 houses , and only 12 , 974 electors ; in the Tower Ham " lets , £ 4 , 890 houses , and 13 , 551 electors ; in Lambeth , 17 , 379 houses , and tbe number of electors 6 , 547 ; in Greenwich the number of houses were 11 , 530 , and of electors 3 , 610 —and in Greenwich almost all tbe bouses wen above £ 10 , the tenants of which were entitled to vote ; so that tha metropolitan boroughs added very little more than 45 , 000 voters , and thu duplicates were one-fifth of the whole number . So that , fifteen years after tho passing of the It » form Bill , the constituency had not increased ; in fact , it had diminished in Westminster , the city of

      London , and Southwnrk . In Westminster there wtre 23 , 295 houses , and only 13 , 806 voters on the register . At this moment Westminster was in a much worse situation than before tho Kuform Bill , for the first time Sir Francis Burdett was returned for Westminster , in 1 S 07 , 18 , 000 electors voted . In Southwnrk it was the tame : — there were 10 , 213 houses , and 5 , 047 votes on the register . In Liverpool there wore 42 924 houses , and only 14 , 970 electors on the register . In Manchester , 42 , 059 houses , and 12 , 150 voters ; in Birmingham 36 , 121 houses , aud only 4 , 612 names upon the register . In the city of London the constituency bad greatly diminished since the Reform Bill , and he believed tbat this diminution bad been owing entirely to the operation of the clauses in the Reform Bill called the rate-paying clauses . Looking to one of the statements of the Conservative Registration Association , he found it asseited there , that 7 , 000 electors of the city of London hod been deprived of their

      franchise , owing to the omission of tenants' names from the rates . He understood that in the city of London fourteen parishes had refused to put any man upon the register unless he claimed to be rated ; and he must also claim to be put upon the register . There was another great reason for the repeal of this clause giren by the Court of Common Pleas lastjcav . It was well known that iu a great number of boroughs , landlords frequently compounded for rates ; it was a great object to parishes to get th « landlord s to compound , and , according to the Court of Common Picas , it would not do to make a single claim to be rated , but that Court decided in the Stockport case that , where there were eight rates iu one year , the voter must make eight separate claims in the year to keep his vote upon the register : so that , in the words of Lord Chief Justice Tindal , " It is like keeping up a right by continual claim . It never could have been the intention oi the framers of the Reform Bill that this

      inconvenience should bo cost upon voters ; he did not believe that anything so vexatious could have been contemplated . The obligation to pay the rates by a certain date threw too much power into the hands of the parochial officers . Last year , in Mnrylebone , 1 , 200 electors were disfranchised because there was no collector within seven days of the 20 th of July . The collector had died , and no one was appointed in bis stead at that time . These 1 , 200 electors who were disfranchised wete without remedy . He found last year tbat , in Lwmbeth , a squabble having taken place between the collector and the overseer , the poor-rate collector was dismissed , and persons applying to ldm to pay thtir rates were referred by him to his successor , who was not put in possession of the b- > oks until after tho 20 th of July , and he referred the applicants to the vestry clerk , who referred them to the overseer ; and there was no person to rooeiva the rates .

      In St . Mary , Islington , in July , 1845 , tktt * were 2 , 000 houses , the rates of which were compounded for , and every one of the tenants of these 2 . 000 houses tias disfranchised , owing to their names being excluded from the rates . In a great number of parishes the object was to prevent , in many instances , the right of settlement , to which the payment of rates entitled the party . But ho Lad said that this provision for the payment of rates led to favouritism and bribery on the part of collectors » nd overseers who belonged to a political party , who , in order to disfranchise persons of a different party , did net call for payment of the rates till after the 20 th of July . This was constantl y done . In some cases the collector had torn the receipt of tho party out of his book , and kept it out until aftsr the 20 th of July ( parties being entitled to inspect the collector ' s receipt-book ) , and when tbe day bad passed he stuck the receipt in agsin he ( Mr . Buncombe ) bad cot one which had been so stuck

      in—and when the elector came to vote he found himself disfranchised . Was this the intention of the Reform Act ! And he wtuld ask honourable gentlemen whether tkey had never seen in their election expenditure an item for pajment of rates t He believed there was au association for tbat purpose in some places ; he knew there was one in Cambridge and one in Bristol , These were not the objects of the Reform Bill . The house would find in the pages of the journals of the day proofs of this , and he would refer it more particularly to an extract from the Times oftbe 16 th of October , 1834 , commenting on some few paragraphs which appeared in tbe Leeds Times . '—

      The subjoined statement from ] tho Leeds limes it curious , aud stimulates curiosity the more for being so meagro and imperfect ;—

      House Of Lords.—Febbua&Y I9th. Brewing F...

      "In the township of Leeds , the names of 418 , and in the out-townshlps { the names of 93 , "Whig voters have been struck off the list , forming a total of 511 votes lost to this party . " In the townshi p of Leeds the names of 219 , and in the out-townships the names of 49 , Tory voters have been struck off the list , forming a Wtalof 268 lost to this party . •* Here , then , tbe Tories have gained an advantage over the Whigs tantamount to 243 votes , "But this is not all . " In the whole borough 45 new Whig claims have been allowed , and 76 Tory claims , giving the latter an advan . tape of 31 votes . "The whole advantage of the Tories , therefore , amounts to no less than 274 votes . " ( The Leeds Times concludes its enumeration by adverting to this memorable fact—that the Whi gs and Tories , in their mutual squabbling , have succeeded in disfraul cbising no less than 822 inhabitants of Leeds !)

      "J o « r , the unsatisfactory meagreness whereof we com . p lain in the above five or six short paragraphs from our Leeds namesake , consists in tho absence of every fact from which might be inferred the causes of rejection , as influencing the revising barristers in their treatment oftbe several claimants , whether Whig or Tory . It appears indisputably , If tbe account be correct , tbat on the new registration of votcts for the townshi p and out . townships of Leeds , n much larger number of Whig votes have been struck out of the list than of Tories ; also , that as respects new votes , a * smaller number of Whigs have been admitted than of Tories , making a total difference in favour of the Tories of 274 . One of our contemporaries alleges it broadly as a charge against the « orlcing of the Reform Bill , that so vast a body of

      constituents should under its operation have been deprived of their votes ; and so far ' we aro disposed to agree with him , but not when he extends his grievance to the fact that the revising barristers' court has in tbe present instance disfranchised a greater proportion of Whigs than of their adversaries . The law of registration being the same for both parties , it is plain the surplus of rejection falling upon one of them must have been produced by something extrinsic to the law , and arising out of the different conduct or ci cumstances of the individuals ; but nothing can bo more obvious , without going into details , than tbe mischievous structure of the law itself , in the gross amount of the disfranchisement which it has effected , exceeding 800 inhabitants of a single borough in a single year ; and tbat without the slightest criminality

      or fault on their part , as regards tbe exercise of their franchise . But the truth is , tbat a very disputable policy has been exhibited in tho framing of tbat portion of the Reform Bill which specifies the limitations to the enjoyment of the elective franchise . It does notse ^ m to us that any natural connexion exists between a man ' s right of voting and his punctuality in paving the King ' s or parochial taxes , Are there no means of enforcing the demands of the tax-collector but by niakiag the deprivation of a high political trust the consequence ol any delay , however short or unavoidable in discharging them f If no such thing as a distress-warrant were known to the law of England , or if tbe honest prido of voting were a more powerful agent in the recovery of a debt for Cr » wn or parish than the dread of seeing one ' s

      furniture sold by auction , something might be said for this harsh innovation upon the usages of a free people . The question is not whether the tax shall be paid , w left unpaid ; it is merely a question of punctuality , whether the tax shall be paid a few weeks sooner or later , for its ultimate recovery is well enough secured already , and better by the old and acknowledged law , than by this new-fangled political process . We ask , would it be no mis f ortune to the State if , through the crabbed and c btrusivj intermixture of fiscal obligations with political functions , half the kingdom—as there is no difficulty in suppising—were to be disfranchised on the same day , and that day six months a dissolution of Parliament were to be desirable ? It is clear , and v « 4 ©¦ not Atnj , that some test may be necessary to prove the' continued pos *

      session of a certain class of qualifications , but we are sure that proof of having paid a man ' s taxes , when by a hundred tricks of the tax-collectors the payment might be [ most innocently and unavoidably ( on his part ) delayed , is most kersh , most ill-judged , and uneonttitu . tional . Why was such a thing never thought of before in England ! " This in itself formed a much better speech than any observations which he might be able to make to tbe house , and it came , too , from the present organ of the present government , and ho boped . that wrgan wooW do their best iu assisting to carry the government through any struggles that they might have to make . He therefore hoped at all events that , if the government were opposed to the bill , t ^ y would yet take a different

      view of the case and deal with the counties as with the boroughs ; and he trusted that he had stated sufficient , not only to induce the government to give him permission to introduce this bill , but also to hold out some hepe tbat they would give him their support , which if they did he should look with great confidence on this measure . The hon . gentleman concluded by begging leave to bring in a bill" To repeal so much of an net passed in the reign of William IV ,, entitled , ' an Act to amend the Representation of the People of England and Wales , ' as makes the right to registration in cities and boroughs , conditional on the payment of poor rates and assessed taxes . " Mr . Roebuck seconded the motion .

      Lord Johh Rossell : His lion , friend had read a para , graph from a newspaper , stating that this was entirely a new principle introduced by tbe Reform Bill , nnd that the payment of rates was never before deemed a necessary preliminary to registration . That was altogether a mistake . The ancient right of voting in counties arose out of thi » pns «« ssion of property to the amount of 40 s . a year , whi a WR | e asidered as a sufficient guarantee to tbe state tliuo tne person so possessed was worthy of being entrusted with a vote . There was likewise in boroughs what was called tho common law right of voting , when there was no particular charter rastrictitig it—and that was the righ t of all householders paying scot and lot—tbe meaning of which was , that they should be persons paying the poor rates , as interpreted by our courts of justice . Such

      was the ancient law and the ancient constitution respecting counties and boroughs ; and the principle was not therefore a new one introduced into the Reform Bill , but transferred inan altered form to the provisions of that measure . His hen . friend complained that the Reform Bill had not extended the right of voting as much as he ( Lord J . Russell ) had promised . The calculations he had made when stating tho geaeral provisions of the bill were , of course , formed upon rude and vague estimates , nnd could not bo expected lo he accurately borne out . Buthe thought his hon . friend bad proved that there bad been a very great extension of the franchise under the Reform Bill . He had admitted that Lambeth , Murylebone , Finsbury , and the Tower Hamlets contained 45 . 000 electors , which , as these places returned no members previous to

      the Reform Bill , must be regarded ns a very considerable extension of the franchise of the country . But in thus extending the franchise to £ 10 householders in man ; towns , as Manchc-ster , Leeds , and Birmingham , and to Bath , nnd others in which the electoral rights bad hitherto been confined to five or ten persons , it was intended that £ 10 householders should b : subj' -ct to a test similar to the icot and lot franchise by tbe pavmentof poor rates and assessed taxes . Ho thought this a wise and constitutional provision , and in conformity with the ancient law , and it was wise to ascertain that persons to whom the franchise was given , should be those who were possessed of certain property . According to his belief , it was better to entrust the franchise to persons of property , than to adopt a universal suffrage . If it was laid down ns a principle

      that the franchise should be obtsined by tho possession of property , there should be a test by which they could be known to have that property ; that they were not merely inhabitants of houses , but that they paid the usual and n gular assessed taxes and poor rates , and , in the case of counties , were subject to the expenses of gaols and the like expenditure , by means oftho county rates . If they did uot take on themselves the obligations to pay rates nnd taxes , but by the occupation of houses at £ 10 a year were qualified to vote , it would be difficult to resist the argument , that tbe mere occupation of hcuses should not be the only qualification , but that the right should be extended farther , and no distinction be ntude in tbe case of lodgers . But the payment of rates and taxes not only showed that the persons claiming the frnnchisa were

      solvent , but also that they contributed something to the state , and were interested in the maintenance of the lav ,- * and constitution of the country . His hon , friend said that there were many occupiers of houses excluded from voting , who possessed the right , and that when persons paid rates and taxes for others , they were not able to secure theirvotes at an election . In that respect there had been an improvement on the system of scot and lot . When , under that system , it was required that no < me should vote unless the rates were paid , it happened that three or four days before an election two or three hundred persons would say to a candidate , " We are ready to vote for you , if you will pay our rates . " This gave rise to much bribery , and votes were given to the first candidate who would pay the rates . It was intended

      to niter this , and have the registration fixed at a particular period of the year , and not at a time near an election . This wss calculated to prevent bribery , for a candidate would not bribe by paying rates in July , since he was not sure that in December or January the persons for whom he had paid them would show their gra titude for voting for him . His hon . friend snid as much as this , fur he had stated that some candidates complained that they had paid rates in July for roters who would not vote for them in December , This was what was intended , and he ( Lord J . KussoII ) hoped it would be a lesson to them not to bribe again —( hear , hear )—and he hoped his lion , friend would advise them that , seeing it was of no use to attempt to gain votes by pay ing the rates of electors , they would leave them to pay themselves , nnd trust to their political principles for their support , whether they were Whig , Con « er / f . tive , or Radical . It was said that it was a dsfect in gths

      Reform Bill that the period of registration came too suddenly after the time that the rates due should be paid up , and votes in boroughs were often left out of the registration from uo fault of their own , but from not having notice of the non-psyment of their rates . Since tten , there had been an alteration in the law , and by 6 and 7 Vict ., c . 18 , s . 11 , overseers were required to gire due notice that the payment of rates was necessity to secure reg istration . So , that if a person was anxious to secure uis vote , and was willing and able to pay the usual rates , he would find , th » t on tu « Wtl \ of June a notice would be posted up in his borough that the rates due on the 6 tb of April must be paid before the 20 , h of July , or his name would not be registered . This was a fair and sufficient notice , and any man who was anxious to vote , who meant to pay his rates , was possessed of a home of the value of £ 10 a year , and had a month's notbe , was inexcusable , if ho was solvent and able to pay , if he did not do so . If

      House Of Lords.—Febbua&Y I9th. Brewing F...

      I on the other hand , he was unable to pay the rates on a house of the yearly value of £ 10 . he had no right to claim a vote for it . Any sne who looked for others to pay his rates was very lik-. ly to be corrupted ; and every person not paying fits rates should be contented to forego his vote . He did not think this bill ffai defensible on principle . It was a far greater invasion on the coustitution than the Reform Bill , for it was a great innovation tbat any one who had not paid his rates should be entitled to vote . His hon , friend having been desirous that the discussion should take place , he ( Lord J . Russell ; had stated the reason wby he nas opposed to this bill , and he should object to its introduction . ( Hear , hear . )

      Mr , Gisuobne would support the introduction of the bill . The occupier of a house of the yearly value of £ 10 . was required to pay his rates before he could vote , and there was a power of distraining for them , and what more was to be desired ! If in committee on the bill any hon . member should propose tbat when a distress for rates had been levied , and a return of nulla lonanns made , tho vote should be disallowed , he would agree to such an amendment , but he could not see on what principle more was asked . Sir De Lacy Evans said that the avowed object of the rate-paying clauses of the Reform Bill was to show the solvency of voters , but it appeared from returns on the table of the house , that they did more , for they deprived many bona fi de electors of their votes . No less than 100 , 000 persons in the metropolis , not only holders of £ 10 but £ 50 houses , had been deprived of their votes by the operation of this clause .

      Mr . P . Howabo observed , that one of the first duties of an Englishman was the cheerful payment of his poor , rates . If you had not a rate-paying clause , you would hare universal suffrage in all the large towns . Mr . Home said tbat the law had provided means for collecting rates aud taxes , independent of tbe franchise . If the noble lord refused to agree to the rcmevid of this impediment to the free exercise of the franchise , be ought to redeem that pledge , The day was not far distant when the people would not be satisfied with the present state of things , and he- recommended that some means of conciliation should be resorted to , which this bill would go far to effect .

      Sir B , Hall wished to call attention to the favouritism exhibited by the collectors of taxes . In the borough of Mnrylebone 1 , 033 voters were disqualified on account of the non-payment of assessed taxes , and only 384 by the non-payment of parish rates , and this not by the unwillingness or incapacity of the parties themselves but the wilful carelessness of the collectors . If this bill was rejected , he hoped the government would take the matter into consideration , so that ample time might be given iu which persons might pay their rates , and that the ; should not be p ' need so much in the power of the collectors .

      Mr . T . DEincoort said that the collectors ought to make a demand for the payment of rates at every hou < c , and if they did not do so the vote should not be lost . There were 200 , 000 voters less than were intended by the Reform Bid ; and while the population had increased tbe electoral body had fauenfar short of it . He trusted this bill would be allowed to be introduced , or some other measure to relieve the constituent body of this country from the glaring evils which exist . Captain Pechell observed tbat he gathered from tbe close of the speech of the noble lord the member for tho City of London , that " finality" was to be the order of the day , nod that in order to obtain a redress of grievances , they must as heretofore take up the matter into

      their own hands . With the speech of the noble lord , he ( Cnpt . Pechell ) confessed he was grievously disappointed . He was sure that large classes of the community were not only discontented with the state of the representation , but alio were disappointed with the fruits the Reform Act had produced , and yet now , when an opportunity was afforded for effecting a sort of compromise with the large bodies who have seat petitions from all parts of the kingdom , praying for a far more extended species of suffrage , the opportunity was neglected , and , on the contrary , the noble lord refused to allow a measure of a less extended charauter , but which the peoplo were willing to accept , to come even to a first reading . He should give his support to this measure as a means of ensuring a fairer representation of the people in that house .

      Mr . WAKLsr hoped that if the bill of his hon . colleague was to bo opposed by the government , a division would be taken at this stage , as it would be a perfect waste of the public time to introduce the bill , and after a repetition of the arguments adduced to-night that it should be rejected . The noble lord at the head of the government had shown great talent but not much discretion in his opposition to this bill . He had wholly failed to show that the measure was cither of an unjust or uu . constitutional character . The case in favour of the measure was , that under the Reform . Act no such qualification was imposed upon the county \ oter as was affixed to the electors in cities and boroughs , and it was for the opponents of the proposition of bis hon . colleague to show why one principle should prevail in a county and another principle in a borough or city . The only reason for the difference was , that the county voter was of the richer class , while the borough electors wero forthe most part poor men ; but the fact that they had been

      rendered so by a long course of bad legislation , afforded no reason for refusing them a voice in the election of their representatives . He was surprised nt the silence which , on the present occasion , prevailed on the Treasury bench , many of the present occupants of which had , on a former occasion , supported the proposition now repeated by hia hon . colleague . It appeared to him , that having pretended to give the people a £ 10 franchise by the Reform Act , it was a mean , paltry trick , and most dishonest on the part of the concocters of that ) scheme , to rob them by the operation of tbe rate-paying clauses of the right which it was pretended to bestow upon them . ( Hear , heat . ) Under these ckuses , not merely the poor , but the higher classes were not unfrequently disfranchised , and he might instance the cases of the gevernor of Antigua and of the right honourable baronet themem . ber for Tamworth . He trusted that the division would not be postponed , but that the question would be got rid of nt once one way or the other . ( Hear , hear . )

      Sir G . Gbet observed that the silence of the Treasury benches was by no means extraordinary , after the clear and full speech ot Lord John Russell In vindication of the present state of the law . lie enforced the reasoning of his lordship , and contended that tho arguments of Mr . Duneombe , if they did not go the full length of universal suffrage , would at least establish a most arbitrary extension oftbe suffrage . i Sir C . Napieb was delighted that Mr . Wakley hnd unsealed the lips of Sir G . Grey . He wished he could , uuscal the lips of Admiral Dundas , of Mr . llawes , and of j Colonel Fox , all three members of the government , and all three representatives of the metropolitan boroughs . I He reminded them that another election was fast np- ' proaching , and called upon them to support in office the objections which they had urged against this rate . paylug ' clause in Opposition . j

      Mr , W . Williams said that he could not understand the anomaly of requiring a money qualification for a £ 10 householder and none from a freeman or burgess . In the borough in which he resided , 2 , 814 voters had been disfranchised , from the fact of having forgotten or overlooked the payment of rates . Much discontent prevailed on the subject throughout tho country , and the time was uot far distant when the noble lord at the head of the government would be compelled te abandon his adoption of "finality " principles . Lord G . Bkntihck should support Lord John Russell on this occasion , because he found him standing on the firm ground of that great measure of which he was tbe father . As the country was appealed to in 1833 on the ground of " the bill , the whole bill , and nothing but the bill , " » nd as the rate-paying cUuse was then inserted in it , he conceived that nil the members oftbe Parliament then elected were bound in consistency to support it now ; and he should therefore vote against the proposition of Mr . Buncombe .

      After a few remarks from Mr . B . Eseott and Colonel Wood , the house divided , when the numbers

      were— For the motion 88 Against it 53 20 Leave was therefore refused to introduce the bill . JUVEXILE OFFENDERS . —Sir John PAUNaroi * then moved for leave to bring in a bill for the more speedy tria \ and punishment to juvenile offenders . The object of the bill was to substitute in certain cases a summary jurisdiction , in lhu of the right of ttial by jury , which would «! o away with imprisonment before trial , in cases in which such imp risonment was far more commensurate with the offence committed , at the some time that it was calculated to have the very worst effects upon the supposed culprits . Sir G . Gbet gave a willing assent to the introduction of the bill , without pledging himself , however , by so doing . to the princip le involved in it .

      After some remarks from Mr . Hume , Mr . Shaw , aud Colonel Wood , leave was given to bring iu the bill . LAW OF MORTMAIN . —Lord John Mamners then moved for leave to bring in a bill to alter and amend the laws relating to the disposition of property for pious and charitable purposes . Tho principal features of the bill were , that it proposes that all wills containing bequests for pious or charitable purposes should be signed for three months before the death of the testator ; and also that , whensuch bequests were made , the property should not go as the land to the charities , hut should be sold , and the proceeds handed over to them . Leave was given to bring in the bill . WOOLWICH ARSENAL . —Mr . Duncohbb then moved

      for a copy of the evidence taken befjre the court of in . quiry , instituted in the month of April , 1815 , by the Board of Ordnance , at the Royal Arsenal , Woolwich , to investigate charges preferred by Daniel Toner against William Jones , deputy storkeeper , together whh a copy of the charges and the report theveon . AUo a copy of the charges preferred , and tbe evidence given against Daniel Toner , late a labourer in the Royal Arsenal , Woolwich , by Mr . Reed , a elevk in tho Storekeeper ' s Department , before Lord Bloomfield , Colonel Blaony , and Mr . Ckcetham , in August , 1815 , with their report thereon . This motion gave rise to a brief conversation , in which Colonel Anson , Mr . Hume , and Captain Bohiero took part , the first-named refusing the returns asked for . The gallery vt & s then cleared for a division , when on its being found that forty members wsre not present , tbe house was adjourned .

      WEDNESDAY , — Fibboabt 24 . Mr . T . Buncombe presented two petitions , agreed te at a public meeting iu Leeds-one for the repeal of the ratepaying clauses , and the otherfor the alteration or amendment la tbe Reform Bill itwll . Ihe hon , g « nthm » n

      House Of Lords.—Febbua&Y I9th. Brewing F...

      moved that the petition of the fils-cutttrs and tradf . ™ of Warrington ( presented Feb . 23 ) be printed with ? h ? votes-Agreed to . The hon . gentleman . I so movedt copies of the correspondence between the Governm » and the officers in charge of the convicts at Woolivh * respecting the charges be bad made against theoffio of that establishment . He wished also ts know whv ts annual reportofthe establishment at Woolwich was no ! laid upon the table of the house prior to this time 1 Sir G . Gbet had not yet received the annual rem ** from Woolwich . m The Labouring Poor ( Ireland ) Bill was read a third time and passed . The report of the money resolution of the Landed Pro . perty { Ireland ) Bill was received .

      CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL . —Mr . Watson moved th 0 second reading of the Roman Catholic Relief Bill , anv } enumerated the various Acts which were desi gner ) tohg repealed by it . The first of these was the Act of Bli ^ , bcth , which imposed the several penalties of imprison . ment , pranuKtrv , and death , on the offence for diiputin * the supremacy of the King . Also the acts which nra . hibited the introduction of Bulls , which enjoined uniformity in religious worship , and which prohibited religious ceremonies , He called on the house not to rest satisfied with the argument that these acts were praeti . cally obsolete ; but to Insist upon expunging them from theStatute-bnok . SirR . Inglis , Mr . Shaw , Mr . Finch , Mr . Spooner , opposed the bill , which was supported by Mr . Eseott , Mr . Mucauley . Mr . S . O'Brien , and Mr . J . O'Connell .

      Lord G . Bestinck could do no less than support the bill , having over been the consistent advocate of there , moral of Catholic disabilities . The noble lord then pro . ceeded to detain what he considered to be the practical grievances oftbe penal laws , and repudiated the idea that the act of 1829 , embodied any compact which the bill before them would violate , Sir R . Perl said that the bill contemplated a donble object—the repeal of certain clauses in the act of 3829 And to supply any omissions in an act of last session a ' well as in another act passed in 1844 , for the removal 0 8 penalties , which he considered a disgrace to the statutebook . Mr . Law and Mr . Qoclbobk opposed the bill . The Earl of Abundel supported it . The house dirided—For the second reading 102 Against it 99

      Majority in favour of the Bill ... 3 The Bill was reed a second time . The Lords ' amendments to the Destitute Persons'Bill were . agreed to . Some unopposed bills on the table were forwarded a stage , nnd soma returns were ordered . The house adjourned at 6 o ' clock . THURSDAY , Feb . 25 . THE TRUCK SYSTEM . —Mr . Tuomas Buncombe presented a petition from the National Association for the protection of native industry , signed by forty thousand , complaining of the truck system , and praying that imprisonment might be substituted as a punishment for those who resort to it , instead cf a money fine , as under the Aet of last Session ; also a petition from the willow manufacturers of the metropolis , com . plaining oftbe distressed condition of those engaged ia that trade .

      TENANT RIGHTS ( IRELAND ) BILL . —Mr . Srui . HAH CBAwroBO rose to move for leave to bring in a bill to secure tbe rights of occupying tenants in Ireland , and thereby to promote the improvement of the soil , and the employment of the labouring classes . Nothing could be snore unsatisfactory or injurious than the mode of letting land in the greater part of Ireland . It had been said that smallholdings had been the ruin of Ireland , but the insecurity on which the small holdings in Iceland , were held , had been the ruin of that country . He had made a comparison between the counties of Down and Limerick , and he found in the one , where tenant right existed , there was comfort , aad in the other , where it did not , there was nothing but misery . The hon . member then read from agents in Ireland facts confirmatory of his statement ,

      and proceeded to say that his object was to secure by law that which at present existed only by sufferance . To secure that simply was the object of the bill he wished to introduce . Now , the farms iu Ireland might be classed as follows : —300 , 915 of 5 acres , 251 , 158 of 15 acres , end 48 , 312 of 40 acres . If the occupiers of the second class could be induced to spend to tbe value of £ 10 in labour on the land , it would realise £ 2 , 514 , 000 ; and if the other classes would spend in the same proportion , £ 6 , 000 , 000 would be realised . This expenditure would give employ , ment to 3 , 822 , and support to 900 , 000 families . If they altered the present system , and made the farmer believe that he had security for what he laid out , you would make him expend . Give him a tenant-right to his land , nnd he would , of course , wish to improve that land , ( Hear . ) Leave was given to bring in the bill .

      POOR RATES ( IRELAND ) BILL . —Mr . Siubsux Cbaweobd moved the second reading of the biil . He proposed that the poor-rates should not be paid by tenants alone , but that they should be partly paid by tho landlords , and where the landlord did not collect Lis rants , a receiver should be appointed by the Court ot Chancery , The bill was read a second time , and was ordered to be committed this day fortnight . MARKETS AND FAIRS CLAUSES BILL . — This bill went through committee . The other orders of the day were then disposed of , and the house adjourned .

      Aiarm1ku Filles.-Loss Of Life. On Thursd...

      AIARM 1 KU FIllES .-LOSS OF LIFE . On Thursday morning , between the hours of four and five , a very destructive fire broke out in the Ked Lion Tavern , 123 , Jermyn-strcet , St . James's , the property of Mr . Williams . The flames originated in the lower portion of the premises , from some unknown cause , and when first discovered they had obtained such a strong hold that it soon became apparent that the entire building would fall a prey to their fury . The inmates , consisting of nine persons , were , after much trouble , made sensible of their danger , and immediately made an attempt to descend the staircase , when they found all retreat cut off by the fire . They went into ono of the front

      rooms , and getting out of the window by passing along a narrow lead flat , they were all enabled to reach the balcony of tho next house in safety , but not one of them waa enabled to save an article of clothing . Fortunately an abundant supply of water was obtained , which was copiously discharged into the blazing building , in spite of which the fla-iies continued to progress until flior after flaor was hurled down . At one period the Carlton Club appeared in imminent danger , but owing to the exertions of the firemen , the flumes were confined to the premises ia which they originated . They wero not , however , extinguished until the furniture and stock in trade were destroyed , nnd the house nearly gutted . Mr . Williams was insured . About half-past throe en Thursday afternoon , a fire broke out at No . 19 , Ilaliday-yard , Crccd-lane ,

      Ludgatc-uill , in the tenure of Mr . Robaon , which waa attended with loss of life . The discovery was made by one of the neighbours perceiving an unusual glare of light iu the third floor front . An immediate alarm was raised , and upon opening the door of the room , a huge sheet ofilame rushed out . The engines from Farringdon-street station quickly attended , and the flames were extinguished , but not before they had penetrated the partitions , and had done considerable damage in two rooms . As soon as the fire was extinguished , the firemen discovered upon tha floor , where the flames had burnt most fiercely , the body of a female child frightfully burnt . The tieceased ' s name was Eiiza Robson , and she was between four and five years old . The child , it appears , had been left alone whilst her mother was out at wo-k .

      Dkeahful AccnmNi ox tub Hull and Selby Railway . —We regret to say that one of rhe most dreadful accidents that has ever happened on this line occurred on Sunday evening last . The mail train loft tho Hull station , at six p . m ., for London , baing drawn by eight engines , the "Kingston" and " York , " nnd having ei » htpassenger carriages and five waggons Jatlen with fish attached . The train had proceeded to within about a mile and a luUf al Ilessle , the first station , whore , from same unexplained cause the second engine , tho " l ' ork , " sprang off the rails , and dashed into the passenger carriages attached to the " Kingston , " forcing seven of them off tho rail with territic violence , and smashing them

      to atoms . The greater number of passengers wero i of course thrown out : one , Mr . James Brown , of Ilessle , tin-plate worker , was killed on the spot ; ; another , of the name of Waring , of Dewsburv , was s so much injured that he died at the Coburg ' Hotel , , whither he was taken on the following evening ; and I eight others are now lying at various inns iu Ilessle , , suffering from the fearful injuries they have sus- - tained . On Tuesday last , an inquest on the two o bodies was holden at the Granby Inn , in Ilessle , ? , before Mr . Conyers . cne of the county coroners , and d a respectable jury , when the evidence was fully gone ie into , but very little light was thrown upon the origin in of the accident . The jury returned a verdict ot ol " Accidental death . "

      Important To Emigrants.

      IMPORTANT TO EMIGRANTS .

      Ad00810

      AGRICU LTURISTS and others may purchase 150 ISO ACBES OF RICH TIMBERED LAND 1 M 1 M WESTERN VIRGINIA , described by General Wash- thinaton at the Oartkn of Ammea , for £ 33 8 s . 8 il . Sterling , ng , ABOUT TUKEE SHILLINGS PER ACRE . £ 2 lis . 2 s . only to bo paid down , the remainder iu FIVE ANNUAL AL PAV'UENTS . For further information npp ' yto CHARLES VriLLMBtt , XiMi-iean Land Office , STANLBI BUILDIN-CS , BATH STREET , UVERl'OOL . I . Of whom may bo hud a Pamphlet on Emigration , in in which these Lands are fully described , avl the terms otis ol sale exp lained , by sending tlireo postage stumps to fret' free the same .

      Uinci Saiuo Oireet Ivin Feinted By Dougal M'Gowan, Of Ns, Great Wiiulmi-L-Iiii'l Street, Hajmarkct, In The City Of Westminster, At The Tthi

      Uinci saiuo oireet ivin feinted by DOUGAL M'GOWAN , of NS , Great Wiiulmi-l-iiii'l street , Hajmarkct , in the City of Westminster , at the tthi

      E, N Me Auu Rarisn, Tor The I - Prietor,...

      e , n me auu rarisn , tor the i - prietor , FEARGUS O'CONNOR , Esq ., and public ( 1 shei by Wim . uk llKwvn . uf No . 18 , Charies-street , lh-nn-u-nn don-street , Walworth , in Mia parish of St . Mary . Si-w-N ' ow ingto » , i > the Ceunty of Surry , at th . iOflicc , > ' o- 1 , ! « - 1 ( Great WindmUUtret-t , llajuiavket , iu the City uiW « K >«' minster , Satui'duv , Stbmry 27 th , 1847 ,

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Feb. 27, 1847, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_27021847/page/8/