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Northern Star (1837-1852), 9th August 1845, Edition 3 of 4, Page 6, imptn^. -SscIfuiient*

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      House Of Lords. Moxdat, Auocsr 4. The Lo...

      HOUSE OF LORDS . Moxdat , Auocsr 4 . The Lora Chancellor , the Earl of Shaftesbury , and _Lerd Wharndiffe _, the Lords Commissioners , having taken their scats in front of the throne at a few minutes to four o'clock , and tlie members of the House of Commons . wM » the speaker at their bead , bavin- appeared at the bar . on being summoned by the Yeoman Usher ofthe lack Rod , Mr . Mman _, tbe commission for giving the _oyal assent "' to divers bills , the titles of which are particularly mentioned" —adopting the phraseology used in the commission—was then read , and tlie hills in question , forty-nine in nunikr , received the _Jtoyal assent , with the accustomed formalities : —

      Customs'taws Repeal sm , Customs JIanagcnient Bill , Customs * Regulation Bill , Smussung _rrevcnlion Bill , Shipping and Navigation Bill , British Vessels' _Registration Bill , Customs' Dulles Bill , Warehousing of Goods Bill , Customs' Bounties and Allowances Bill , Trade of British Possessions Abroad Bill , Isle of Man Trade Bill , Stamp Duties , & c , Bill , Compensations Courts of law am , - _unis of Exchange , & c , Bill , Administration of Justice ( Court of Chancery Acts Amendment ) Bill , Jliliiia Pav Bill , Real rroncrty Bill , Testamentary I ) is ;> ositions rill , Bonded Cora Bill , Lunatics Bill , Masters and Workmen Bill , Coal Trade ( Port of Londoi . J Bill , Stock in Trade Bill , Joint Stock Companies Bill , Railways Selling and _leasing Bill , Darby Court , _Westminster , Bill , land lie--venue Act Amendment 11311 , Waste lauds ( Australia )

      Bill , Poor Law Act Amendment ( Scotland ) Bill , Criminal Jurisdiction ol Barristers ( Irclaud ) Bill , Grand Jury Presentments ( Dublin ) Bill , Leeds and Bradford Railway Extension Bill , Glasgow Junction Railway Bill , Birmingham and Gloucester Extension Railway Bill , Oxford , Worcester , and 'Wolverhampton Extension Bill , London and South Western Railway Bill , South Eastern ( Greenwich Branch ) Railway Bill , Londonderry and Cnleraiue fiaihwr Bill , ( Word aud Rugby Railway Bill , Erenash A _' aMey ' Railway Bill , South Wales Railway Bill , Monmouth and Hen-ford Railway Bill , Gia = ; jow , Barrhead , and >' cilstoa Railway Bill , Dublin Pipewater Railway Bill , Dud--deston and Xicliclles Improvement Bill , Yol ; er-road Bill , "White ' s Estate Bill , Ellison's Estate BUI , aud Rochdale Vicarage Bill .

      The Speaker , with the members of the House of Commons , then retired , and tlie Lords Commissioners likewise left the house to unrebc . The house was then adjourned during pleasure . Their lordships met again at five o ' clock . The Taxing -Masters ( Ireland ) Bill was read a third time aud Massed on a division .

      T « E PICITCS _USDEB SESTESCE . _EarlFoRTEsccE desired to pat a question of some importance to the noble lord the Secretary for tbe Colonies , respecting certain foreign subjects who had been recently convicted of piracy and murder . Be had understood that some delicate questions of international law were involved in this case , and that grave doubts existed in the minds of a large portion of the legal profession , and of the public , upon the subject , and the question he wished to put was , whether her Majesty ' s Government was fully satisfied of the legality of tbe sentence witli refcrenGe to the question of _international lair involved f And if not , whether it were not better that the prerogative ofthe Crown should be exerted !

      Lord _Staslev said , however heinous might be the offence of which these foreigners had been guilty , he concurred with tlie noble tarl iu thinking it desirable that there should not be the slightest doubt of the legality of the sentence , lie had had a communication with his ri s htlion . friend to whose department the matter belonged , who Lad informed Wm that doubts had been raised as to the legality of tlie conviction . The question had , therefore , witli tlie concurrence of Mr . Baron Piatt , _bcea rccommeuded to the _consideration of the fifteen udges , and meanwhile the execution of tho sentence was suspended . Lord _STAStEX moved the second reading of the " Valuation ( Ireland ) Bill , bat ultimately _abandoned it , in consequence of tlie opposition offered to the measure "by Lord Monteogle and the Earl of fficklow . Several hills _wtrc forwarded a stage , and the house idjourned .

      Tcssdat , _Atcest 3 . Their Lordships met at live o ' clock . Thellavqmsof Cl * X » icat . B £ moved that certain _pafiioiis which he had presented against the London and York Railway Bill be referred to a select committee , and hoped that no further progress would be made with the bill until the allegations contained in those petitions were investigated . After a short conversation the motion was agreed to .

      SJIJUX DtllTS SILL . TUcLoiid CiuscELWa presented a petition from the Society for the Protection of Trade , consisting of 1 , S 00 merciauts , has & crs , and traders , chiefly the latter , representing that tlie Small Debts Bill would leave than without any effectual remedy for their just debts under £ 20 ; also a petition in favour ofthe hill in its present shape , from deputies now iu Loudon irom all the great trading towns aud cities of this country . The nohlc and learned lord said , he had now to call the attention of the house to the present state of this measure . In a foimer scssion a bill was passed into a law for the purpose oi preventing arrest , even in execution , for debts under £ 20 . _Be had always considered that a most salutary law , and ' . vas quite sure that neither _housa desired to hare it

      revoked ; hut many inconveniences had been fouud inconsequence of tlie impci fiction oi that bill , and a noble and learned lord _introduced a bill this session to remedy those defects . It was referred to a select committee , and underwent great consideration ; after which it was adopted by the house , and sent down to the Commons . Prom the _Jlocsi of Commons it had now come hack , with amendments , to which he had to call attention . They were of a twofold character . The one class referred to the hill as it weat down , and to these he thought their lordships would accede , with some verbal alterations in them , and subject to one exception , which he would at once explain . A power was given to the Commissioners of Bankrupts to caU before them persons indebted in less than J _20 . to examine them and sift their

      conduct , aud , if ultimately dissatisfied Aritli their explanation , to commit them to prison ; and the same power was given to the different swintt debts cowls , _presided over by a barrister , an attorney of ten " years' standing , or a special pleader ; but an amendment had been introduced , the effect of which was , that the Commissioners of Bankrupts , whom he considered the most competent persons to decide' questions of this description , would have no such power except where a judgment had been obtained in one of tlie superior courts . There was scarcely such a thing known now as an actiou iu a superior court for a debt under i _2 Q ; and therefore be should propose to the house to disagree to this amendment , tlie history of which _Tras a little curious . The bill was intrusted in the other Bouse to the present Solicitor-General , aud no such

      amendment was proposed until he had been called out of town by Ins professional duties ; and then , he ( theLord ChauccBor ) did not know from what quarter , it was proposed and adopted . The other class of amendments were , iu fact , additions to the bill , which originally consisted of eight clauses , but now came up with above twenty others . These , "however , were all consequential upon one clause , the 9 th , which proposed that her Majesty iu council should _kavetUft power of extending the jurisdiction iu point of locality of any of the small Jchts courts in this kingdom , aud also in point of amount , to the sum of £ 20 ; with the power of contracting iu point of locality the jurisdiction of any one of those courts , where it interfered with that of another . The clause was introduced to provide a remedy for debts under £ 20 , hecausetlic costs , together with tlie

      precanousness of the ultimate remedy under the existing law , deterred all pcrsonsof ordinary prudence from bringing actions iu the superior courts for less than £ 20 , and there were very few of the small debts courts whose authority extended to that sum . A new class of tribunals was , therefore , proposed to he created ; and bethought this amendment not at all inconsistent uifli the bill , ¦ while he was also of opinion that the clause was a wise clause , and properly framed , and if it had been introduced ia the shape of a new bill it would have deserved their lordships' warmest support . The same remark applied to the eighteen or _niaeteea other clauses , _conswvaentiaJ upon it , _andproridiegfor anew system of tribunals for trying causes where tlie debt was under £ 20—tribunals renApreH _necessarr bv the late alteration iu the Janv

      The question was , whether their lordships would feel themselves fettered by form from adopting these judicious and useful _amendments ! They established a new system , and a new set of tribunals , and instead of coming in the shape of a bill , to pass through its various stages , the house was called upon in one discussion upon them as amendments to adopt or reject tbcin . This was inconsistent with ordinary Parliamentary usage ; their lordships must decide whether they would allow it in this ease ; he might just mention that iu the session before last their lordships sent to the other house a Local

      Courts Bill , containing a clause exactly corresponding with this . Iu one point an amendment would be desirable ; in case of an execution against the goods for a small debt . there was an exception of tlie debtor ' s bedding , wearing apparel , aud other like necessaries , and all the tools of his trade , to the extent of £ 10 . Considering the description in life of such parties , £ 10 would often cover idl their goods , and seemed too large a sum . He now moved , by way of form , that this house do agree to the amendments made by the other house , with the amendments apou them to which he had referred .

      After some discussion the amendments , with some additional ones , were agreed to . Several bills were forwarded a stage , and the house adjourned .

      House Of Commons, Moxdat, Atc. 4. The Ho...

      HOUSE OF _COMMONS , Moxdat , Atc . 4 . The house met at a quarter before four o ' clock , soon _lifter which it was summoned to the House of Peers to hear the commission read forgiving the Koyal assent to eeveralbills . The _SeessEB , accompanied by several members , proceeded forthwith , and on Ms return informed the house of the names of . the bills to which the royal assent had _Jbeen so given ( for which see lords * report ) . _tOSDOJf AM > TOBK _3 AILWAT MM . Mr . Hawes said he had a petition to present to which he was anxious to caH the serious attention of the house . It _wassignedhy the chairman of the Cambridge and Lin--coin Railway Company , who stated that within a very few day & his attention had Been caBea to several dreamstances connected with the subscriptions to the London and Yost Railway ; that from the information he had received he had no doubt that a large proportion of the _alleged subscriptions to the railway were fictitious , there

      House Of Commons, Moxdat, Atc. 4. The Ho...

      being no such persons in existence as those who had been _represented as holding- shares ; and that another and a larger proportion of shareholders were persons who were not in circumstances to pay for them . The petition then went on to give the names of many parties thus circumstanced , hut he ( Mr . Hawes ) would not go into them then , as an opportunity would occur for again addressing the house on the motion for the third reading of the bill . The petitioner further stated that he was pursuing an inquiry into tbe subject , and he hoped to be able to lay before the house additional facts respecting it . "Under these circumstances , he ( Mr . Uawes ) hoped that the house would accede to the motion with which he should conclude , —that the petition be printed with the votes of next day . Lord G . _Somebset . —What course does tlie hon . member propose to take after that ? Mr . Hawes . —To move that the matter be referred to a select committee .

      JJr . B . _Drsisos said , that the hon . member for Lambeth bad shown him the petition , and the list of names of petsous whose subscriptions bad been impugned . Be did not go through the list , hut on casting his eye over it he saw the name if a respectable solicitor , which was certainly not forged . Mr . IIiwes said that no forgery was charged against him . Ifr . B . _Desisox . —Well , not forgery , but the charge was that many persous had appeared to have signed the contract of whose existence there was no evidence , and others had signed for sums for which they had no means of paying ; bus the name which had caught his eye in hastily _runiug over the list was that of a gentleman whom he knew to be able to pay more than 10 times the sum for which he had subscribed . He ( Mr . B . Denison ) opposed the motion of the hou . member , because tire present was not the time for such an inquiry , and hecauae the hill had

      still to go through : i Strict investigation in another place _. Oil tiic same ground he should oppose the motion for referring the matter to a select committee , for which the hon . member intended to more . The present petition was not only a part of a systematic plan to defeat , if possible , and if not , at least to delay , the bill over to tlie next session . He had seen a circular signed by a Jlr . Croucher , a Parliamentary agent , which was addressed to the postmasters of every town in England where it was supposed that any ofthe shareholders in the London and York Railway resided , in order to ascertain whether letters had been addressed to them with allotments of shares , as parties who were not known there . As nnoth er part of tlie system to which he had referred , he was _informed that persoushad withinJ . _helastforty-eighthours been going round as from tbe House of Lords to inquire into the circumstances of parties who had subscribed to the railway . This was very annoying to the committee , as no doubt its object was to defeat the bill , if possible .

      Mr . Uawes said that he knew nothing of the parties promoting or opposing the bill , nor had beany interest iu it one way or the other , lie had presented the petition because it had been committed to his care by parties who were highly respectable , and because he thought that the facts stated were such as the house ought to inquire into . The amount of subscriptions impugned was £ G 5 S , 000 . Oi this amount upwards of £ 203 , 000 were altogether fictitious , and upwards of £ 400 , 000 were the subscriptions of persons who had not the means of paying for them . He ( Mr . Uawes ) gave no opinion one way or another on the facts , but he repeated his belief that they are such as would justify the house in inquiring into them . Ue would not read the list of names in the petition ; he would mention only a few . _Ons subscription for £ 25 , 000 worth

      of shares appeared to be that of 3 Ir . John Theobald , of Finsbary ; but no such person was _lOlOHllin that locality , _evsn to thepostman . Another , a subscriber to theamount of £ 12 , 000 , was _itr . Taylor , but nothing was known of him in his alleged locality ; another subscriber , to the amount of £ 5 , 000 , was equally unknown ; another , a resident iu the Charterhouse , was _dorni as a subscriber for £ 5 , 000 worth of shares . There were besides allotments of shares to clerks in the Treasury , the Excise , and and other public departments , and many to persons in stations ill life which would not enable them to pay for them . lie repeated that he knew nothing of the fads , but , coming from respectable parties who declared that they were able to prove them , he thought the house ought to grant the iuquirv .

      Mr . Beh . val said , that all that the house could do could not put an end to the _gauiUliug which day by day was carried on by speculators in these railways . With respect to the case before the house , he thought that more than the eleventh hour had already passed for such an application . If any injustice could be proved lit would support the petition , but he knew , and the house knew , that the bill had to go through an investigation iu another place , where the parties would be examined , Jlr . Roebfcs —its to the petition before the house , he thought the frauds it referred to were on the House of Commons , and not on the pubVc . The other house had acted on this feeling in tlie case ofthe Dublin and Cahvay Bill , which , for frauds somewhat similar to those alleged here , dealt summarily with the case , and threw out tlie bill . That was the case of an _Irish bill , and he thought that What was sauce for tlie goose should be sauce for the gander—what was law for Ireland ought to be law for England .

      The gallery was then cleared for a division , but we understand that none took place . On our return to the gallery wc found that tlie opposition to the printing of tbe petition had been withdrawn . The petition was then ordered to he printed with the votes . Mr . B . _Bexisox then moved the third reading of the Loudon aud Yoik Railway Bill . ' After a few words from Mr . Uawes , Mr . _Rornucsmoved , "that the bill should be read a third time that day three months . " lie said his reason for taking that course was this : —The House of Commons and the House of Lords had determined thatcertain things should be done as a protection to the public , and amongst other requisitions was one that a bond fide

      subscriptionlist should be prepared . In this instance it was directly asserted hy the petitioner that the proceedings up to that point had been conducted on a fraudulent pretence . His hon . friend would ask for tlie suspension of the standing orders ; hut was the house prepared to suspend them for such a purpose ! Railway proceedirgs had been carried on in such a way as to astound tbe community . They could not goiuto any society in which tlicy did not find persons who were mixed up with railway _transactions ; they did not meet even a woman who was not interested in these matters . ( Laughter . ) The whole thing was now a monstrous phenomenon . ( Hear , hear . ) No harm could arise to the public from waiting iu this case until next session ; and there was no necessity therefore for suspending the standing orders . Mr . Uawes seconded the amendment .

      After a short discussion , i : i which Mr . W . Patten , Mr . Aglionby , Mr . Ward , Mr . 11 . _Denison , and Mr . Collc-tt took part , Mr . _Roeucck withdrew his amendment , and the bill was read a third time and passed . Mr . Mackisj « w presented several petitions against the Anatomy Bill , and one agaiust the practice of interment in towns . The hon . member then gave notice that « arly next session he should call the attention of the house to the resolution of the 8 th of April last— " That Die practice of interment within the precincts of the metropolis and of large cities is injurious to tbe health of the population , aiiddcuiands the serious attention of Parliament . " On the motion for the receiving the report on the Appropriation Bill ,

      Mr . IIc . me called tlie attention of the house to tlie practice of exacting fees or receiving gratuitie _: ; from the public as tlie condition of their admittance to cathedrals and olbcrpublic buildings . He thought that such practice was highly improper , and ought to be discontinued . Sir R . p £ Et had always expressed an opinion that there was great advantage in giving every access to our ancient cathedrals that was consistent with their safety _. That position was , however , liable to one restrictionnamely , that security should be taken for the safety of the monument ; and other works of art contained within them . He then gave the House an account of a recent order of the Bean and Chapter of "Westminster , forgiving the public free admission into the north and south transepts and into the nave of Westminster-ahbey . A small charge was still to be made , as in continental churches , for permission to visit the different chapels . Mr . W . Cowjveb considered tlie statement of Sir 11 , Peel very satisfactory .

      A conversation on this subject then took place , in which Mr . WUliams and Mr . P . Borthwick joined . The report was then brought up , and the hill was ordered to be read a second time to-morrow . The report on the Silk Weavers Bill was also brought up and agreed to .

      ANOTHER PAHLSABSSIN' _S & B . T SSORALZX-7 . ( Not from the Cat and Fiddle ) . Mr . Uawes then proceeded to bring under the consideration of the house the conduct of Mr . Wray , tlie receiver of the metropolitan police district , in his transactions with Mr . Bonham in the year 183 C . He showed , that at that period Mr . Wray was the retained and paid agent of the South-Eastern Railway Cempanjr to promote the success of a bill introduced into Parliament on their behalf . He then alluded to the letter which Sir J . Graham had written to Mr . Wray , expressive of his strong disapprobation of Mr . Wray ' s conduct at that period , and quoted several precedents and several strong declarations of the House of Commons in the best times of our history for the purpose of showing that some severer punishment should have , been inflicted on Mr . Wray than a

      _mc-reletler of reprehension . It appeared from the evidence takeu before the committee that Mr . Wray , on behalf of the South-Eastern Railway Company , paid the sum of £ 300 _tfenrcd '/ romUie sale ofraUvcag shares to Mr . _JDoidiamTon HIS SERVICES AS A _MEMBEfi OF 1 HAT HOBSE _, AND AS A HEHBER OF A SELECT COMMITTEE TO WU 1 CU THE BILL OF that _cosoAsi _wss _SEHBEED . It appeared also that Mr . Bonham was under pecuniary _obligations to 3 Ir . Wray . Mr . Wray was therefore the last person who ought to have reproached Mr . Bonham on the subject ; and ofaU the parties who came under his consideration as chairman ofthe committee appointed to examine into this transaction , there was not one whose conduct appeared to liim to he so indefensible as that of Sir . "Wxay . Be therefore called upon the house to declare that the conduct of Mr . Wray deserved not only its serious animadversion , bnt also disqualified him from holding an office of trust and responsibility under the Crown .

      Sir James Gbahaji was not inclined to dispute the precedents and strong declarations of opinion by the House of Commons , which . Mr . Haves ' bad quoted as applicable

      House Of Commons, Moxdat, Atc. 4. The Ho...

      to the case Of Mr . Wray . _Aeither was . he inclined to palliate the conduct of Wray , which he considered highly culpable ; for to the best of bis judgmenthe { Sir J . Graham ) had endeavoured to do _impartinljastice in this ease , and to give eff ct to the recommendation ; of that committee over which Mr . Hawes had so ably presided . Mr . Wray was utterly unknown to him ; and he had received no application either from the friends of Mr . Wray . or from any of his colleagues in office before he addressed to Mr . Wray that letter , which Mr . Hawes had so severely criticised . For that letter he alone was responsible . He insght have acted wrong y in writing it ; but , if he had to act again , he should act again exactly in the same manlier . After dcfinding his decision at considerable length , he alluded to the share which Mr . Bonham had hadiu this transaction . Mr . Bonham had committed a grave error , which lie did not even attempt to defend ; but he had done nothing to compromise his honour , and he ( Sir J . Graham ) was still as proud as he ever had been to cull Mr . Bonham bis friend .

      Mr . SiiEit contrasted the language of tho committee which had investigated Mr . Wray ' s conduet with the language Of Sir J . Graham's letter to that gentleman , and complained that Sir J . Graham had omitted from bis letter all mention ofthe mostmaterial charge against himnamely , that he had paid money to a member of Parliament for services rend red by him as a member of a particular committee . He contended that Sir J . Graham had been guilty of a dereliction of his duty , if there were any truth in the old maxim , "Judex daiMKltur , CU _111 uocens absolvitur . "

      Mr . W . Patten regretted that Mr . Hawes had again brought forward this very painful subject . He was ol opinion that sufficient had been done already to satisfy tbe justice of the case . Except as a matter of indiscretion , the conduct of Mr . Boriliamand Captain Boldero was _perfectly unimpeachable , so far as regarded their personal honour . Considering the pain that this subject had already occasioned all parties , he should take the liberty of moving the previous question . Lord John Russell declared , that the question now was , whether the House would express an opinion upon this transaction or would pass it by without the slightest notice . He considered that Mr . Hawes was justified in bringing it forward , for it was a very grave offence , aud could not be left unpunished without inflicting a grievous

      wound on the character of the house . The house was , therefore , bound to support the motion , because in supporting it , it would uphold and vindicate itsowu reputation . The house could uot pass this matter by with the previous question , unless it intended to leave an impression upon the public mind that it considered it to be a venial oJl ' _ciicc to give a bribe to a member of Parliament to influence his vote as a member of a committee . He insisted that , if the Secretary of State had not shown a correct judgment in the course which he had pursued towards Mr . Wray , it was the duty ofthe House of Commons to show a better . Sir J . Graham had taken credit to himself for the lenity with which he hud acted iu this particular case . With all deference to Sir J . Graham , he must say , that that tight hon . baronet was not always distinguished hy the lenient views which lie took of the conduct of individuals ; as , for instance , of M . Mazzini _' s of suborning penury and promoting

      assassination , without ever inquiring , during the twelve months in which he had reiterated his accusations , whether those accusations were true ov false . He could never forget the conduct of Sir J . Graham towards M . Mnzzini ; and not forgetting it , he could not allow Sir J . Graham to take credit to himself for a wish to spare the feelings of another . He then entered into an examination of tlie comparative criminality of Jlr . Bonham , Mr . Wray , and Captain Boldero . To Captain Boldero no criminality , in his opinion , attached ; but Mr . Bonham and Mr . Wray appeared to him to have both been guilty of the offence of bribery . Could it then be just in the 'Government , after receiving the resignation of Mr . Bonham and Captain Boldero , to let Mr . Wray , the briber , escape with a letter , merely stating that he must not act as a barrister whilst ho filled the situation of receiver of the metropolitan police ? ne could not concur in any such notion ; and he should therefore give his most strenuous support to Mr . nawes ' s motion .

      Sir U . Peel took a review of the whole of these transactions , and in the course of it observed , that though he had been compelled to perform many painful acts iu the _course of his life , he had never performed any act so painful to himself as that of-recommending her Majesty to accept the resignation of Mr . Bonham . He hart long been attached to Mr . Bonham by the tics of private friendship ; and now that he was suffering under the pressure ot adverse fortune , he had no hesitation in declaring that , although Mr . Bonham had been guilty of an act of great indiscretion , his private honour was unimpcached , and his ( Sir It . Peel ' s ) friendship for him remained the same as ever . He had also experienced equal pain in accepting the resignation of Captain Boldero , although lie was not connected with that gentleman by the same tics of friend

      ship which bound him to Mr . Bonham . Captain Boldero had performed with great industry and integrity all the duties of his office , and possessed the entire confidence of the Government . Both gentlemen had acted from inadverteiicc , and not from corruption ; and he referred to their case for the mere purpose of-showing that no consideration of personal feeling would' deter her Majesty ' s Government from the performance of their public duty in this very painful transaction . He then proceeded with great warmth and at some length to argue that the conduct of Sir James Graham in writing this letter did not deserve that censure which would be cast upon him , if the motion of Mr . Ifawcs were agreed to . He contrasted the terms of Mr . Hawes _' s resolutions with those of the report ofthe committee , and showed that the former were much more stringent and severe than the latter . He called upon the house to look at this transaction as a whole . They would find that Mr . Hignett had been

      dismissed—they would find that two officers of the Govern _, meat had been compelled to resign their situations . If , then , the object of Mr . Hawes was to deter others from the repetition of tlfe same oli ' ence by the infliction of punishment , had not enough been done without including Mr . Wray in the same fate ? The Government could not be charged with indifference to this offence ; for it had accepted the resignation of office by two of its most valuable and trustworthy servants , on the express ground that they had been guilty of error , but not of corruption . If the house determined to proceed further , and compel the Government to dismiss Mr . Wray , it wouldbe pushing punishment beyond its legitimate object , and would be involving the Government itself in the penalty , because its object had been to carry out to the full the judgment of the tribunals of this house , and because it bad erred , if ithad erred at all , on the side of lenity in not carrying it out beyond its just limits .

      Mr . Hume considered Captain Boldero as an ill-used man . Corruption had not been traced to him , and yet his resignation had been received by the Government , which ought to have rejected it , and which in receiving it had dealt with him most harshly . He ( Mr . Hume ) had been the friend of Mr . Wray for the last twenty years , and tbe publication of Mr . Wray ' s shave in this transaction bad given him ( Mr . Hume ) the greatest possible pain . He concurred with the speakers who preceded him , that the animadversion of Sir 3 , Graham on Mr . Wray ' s conduct was quite sufficient to meet tbe justice of the case . He looked upon the conduct ofthe South-Eastern Railway Company as more censurable than that of any other party in this transaction , and the point in which he considered Mr . Wray to be really culpable , was that he had lent himself as their agent to a very reprehensible offer to a member ef Parliament . He could not support the motion of Mr . Hawes .

      Lord _EuKlNGTON expressed his surprise that Mr . Hume should come forward to exculpate so strongly the agent of a guilty transaction . Mr . Ward declared his intention of opposing this motion . The question involved in it was simply this" Has the punishment already inflicted on Mr . Wray been sufficient , or has it not V lie was of opinion that it had ' been sufficient , and that the house would act _barshlj if it persisted in running down such small game as Mr . Wray . He then entered into an exculpatory statement of that gentleman ' s conduct—made an appeal ad misericordiam on his behalf and on that of his family—and asked the house whether it was determined to destroy a man for an offence on which there had been passed a censure , which he felt severely at present , and would feel severely to the end of his existence . lie should prefer meeting these resolutions which inflicted a punishment disproportionate to the offence , with a direct negative , rather than wilh the amendment of the previous question proposed by Mr . W . Patten .

      Colonel Peel expressed his sympathy for Mr . Bonham aud Captain Boldero ; explained the circumstances which led to their tendering , and to the Government ' s accepting , their resignation ; and entered into a statement of facts to show that as men of honour they wcro exonerated from all blame . Knowing what tlicy did now , they admitted that they were guilty of indiscretion in holding shares in any company ; but indiscretion was the whole of their offence , for they lma no power whatever to influence the decisions of the Board of Ordnance on any projected railway which might be submitted to its consideration . Sir Jous _EisniOFE expressed his intention of supporting the motion of Mr . Hawes ; but asserted that in so doing he had no wish either to destroy or to press hard upon Mr . Wray and his family .

      Sir Ji . J . J .-GMS observed that , as a member of the committee , he Lad felt that _Presentence ofthe report fell with too great severity on these three gentlemen . He therefore could not concur in the resolutions of Mr ; Hawes which went far beyond the report , and fell with crushing severity on the head of Mr . Wray . Appealing to thejustice and not to the mercy of the house , Mr . Wray had a right to expect that the house would not agree to these resolution ? . Mr . Mitchell contented , that it would not be justice to allow Mr . Wray to remain in office after Captain Boldero and Mr . Bonham had been compelled to resign it . He was the briber , and they were only the seduced .

      Sir J . Gbaham hoped that Mr . W . Patten would adhere to the amendment which be had originally proposed ; for he should certainly not like to put a direct negative on the resolutions proposed by Mr . Hawes . Such a negative would be objectionable on many grounds , and especially on this—that a negative on tbe last resolution would be tantamount to a declaration that the conduct of Mr . Wray was less culpable than that of Mr . Bonham and Captain Boldero . To such a declaration he for one could never give Ms assent . Mr . B . _Escorr expressed his satisfaction that this motion had been brought forward , as it had given Sir . R . Peel an opportunity of standing upmanfull yforhisfriends Mr . Bonham anil Captain Boldero . The real queition before , the house ; was a very narrow one—it ttablved itself _simplylnto this— "Bid Mr . Wray offer money or moaey ' s \ wita toa member of Parliament fo _;\) _caischarge

      House Of Commons, Moxdat, Atc. 4. The Ho...

      of certain functions in a certain way which fell upon Dim as a member of a committee ? " There could be but one answer to that question , and that was , that , whether you called it bribery or used the milder name of a gratification , Mr . AVray had been guilty of the offence of offering one or the other to a member of Parliament . The guilty party in this transaction was Mr . Wray . lie was at present free from punishment ; but Mr . Bonham and Captain Boldero had both been severely punished , for tlicy had each been compelled , by a sense of what was duo to the house and to themselves , to resign their olHces . Under such circumstances , lie should certainly vote for the motion of Mr . Hawes , After u short but pregnant reply from Mr . Hawes , who commented with great severity on the " _shufUing " speeches of Sir J . Graham and Sir R . Peel , the house divided , when there appeared , for tiic previous question , —Ayes , 81 , Noes , 18 . So the resolutions were lost .

      The _Ciuse-ELion of the _ExciiEQutia then moved that tho order made on the 31 st ult . for certain returns relative to ' the Property-tax Commissioners should be rescinded _, ifis reason for making this motion was founded on the impossibility of making tlie returns in question . Mr . Hume opposed tho motion , on the ground that the returns could bo made wiih the greatest case , if the Government . would only give the necessary orders for their production . Mr . _Fielpe ' k also maintained that there could be no

      difficulty in producing tlie returns which he had moved for . He then recapitulated the grievances to which he had been exposed under tlw _oppression and tyranny cf the Property-tax Commissioners . Another process had been issued against his goods for payment of the income-tax since the period he had last addressed the bouse upon this subject . He should , however , allow the Government to scll . them , but with this public notice , that he would again bring his case before the house at this earliest pcriortiii the next session of Parliament . The order of the 31 st ult . was rescinded . Thc . other orders ofthe day were then disposed of , and the house adjourned . _Tuespat , August o , The house met at four o ' clock .

      LONDON AND YOBK RAILWAY BILl ,. Mr . B . Benison presented a petition from tiic directors of the London and York Railway Company , complaining of the allegations contained in the petition presented yesterday from Mr . Henry Bmce , the chairmiinof the Cambridge and Lincoln ltaihv _.-iy Company , alleging the subscription contract to contain fictitious names and descriptions , and the names of parsons unable to pay the sums subscribed by them . Tho directors stated , that when they were made aware of thesis charges they set their agents to inquire into them , and it was found , as far as the inquiry had gone , that the allegations were absolutely false and scandalous , and they prayed to he allowed to take legal proceedings ngauistMr . Henry Bruce , by whom they were made . The hon . member Imped the house would now allow him to move that the petition be printed with the votes . .

      Mr . Hawes was of opinion , that if inquiry were necessary before , it was doubly so since tho presentation of the petition before the house . Ho would support any motion for such inquiry , and if lie found thathchad been imposed upon and made the medium of conveying misstatements to the house , ho would not rest until the fullest investigation had been gone into . Mr . T . Buncombe said , the object of tiic present petition was to enable the parties from whom it emanated to institute an action for defamation against the clients of the hon . member for Lambeth , It appeared from the counter-statement that there was no truth in the allegations of tlie first petition ; and for the honour of all parties , aud fov the honour of that house , it was necessary that the desired investigation should not be delayed until the next session .

      • Mr . B . _Benjso . v said that tho present attempt was , to say the least , an attempt to impose Oil the house in the discharge ot its duties . It was for the house to say whether , for its own justification , it would take up the matter and deal with it as one of privilege . He had given notice of a motion on Friday night , the object of which was to allow the parties to defend themselves in a court of law , and he intended to act upon that notice . The motion for printing the petition was then agreed to . Mr . _TiAWEssaid _. hc would now move that the petition presented yesterday by him , am ) signed by Mr . Bruce , the dcputy . chainnan of tho Cambridge and Lincoln company , be referred to a select committee ; and , under the circumstances , he hoped the house would not adhere to its usual forms . After a short discussion , in which Sir Hubert Peel spoke In favour of inquiry , the committee was ordered and appointed .

      THE _J-IRE AT QBEIIEC . Colonel D . Dameb , the controller of her Majesty ' s household , appeared at the bar , and read the following answer of her Majesty to the address of the house of the 1 st instant _respecting the fire at Quebec : — " 1 have reccived with much satisfaction your address , in which you assure me that yon will make good a sum of money for the relief of the sufferers by the late calamity at Quebec , and I have given directions that a sum not exceeding £ 20 , 000 shall be applied for that purpose . "

      1 UIMYAY TRAVELLING . . Lord _Paljiebston said , I wish to ask a question of the right hon . baronet the Vice-President ol the Board of Trade , imd 1 will state . tho reason why I ask it . I have received a letter from a friend of mine , a party who is no longer a member of this house , and he says he had observed the statement I made in this house as lo the practice of employing rtav engines on the Dover line , and that he had witnessed the same thing on the Birmingham line . He says— " The other day , going down in tho fast train from the Weedon station ' to Birmingham , there was an engine behind ; the train was going at the rate , I suppose , of forty or fifty miles . an hour . I remonstrated , but in vain ; and in the morning at Birmingham I complained of it , and the answer I received was , that they were in the

      constant habit of doing so . " Now , really , if this is the general practice ou railways , it does seem to me that it is a matter of considerable importance , and that it is very desirable nnd essential to put a stop 10 it ( hear , hear ); and , then-fore , what I wish to ask the right hon . baronet is , whether the Board of Trade has at present any power by law to prevent these proceedings , and whether , if they have not , the Government would think it right to bring in now , before the session is over , some very short bill , giving them some power in these matters ? ( Hear , hear . ) A bill might be passed in the House of Lords tomorrow , and the next day , and it might come down to us on Friday , and go through all the stages in one day . A bill of that sort would give a security which her Majesty ' s subjects are entitled to .

      The Chancellor of the _Excnr . o . ur > _n . —You must have an engine behind to get it passed now . ( A laugh . ) Lord _Paijierson . —The house had better do so , to get the engine placed before ou the railways . ( A laugh . ) Sir G . Clekk said , that a question had been asked on a former evening with regard to tbe power of the Board of Trades in this respect , and it was then stated that the Board of Trade had no power whatever to give directions in these matters . All they had it in their power to do was to remonstrate with the companies , pointing out to them what they thought dangerous in the practical working of the lines . If the practice of running engines behind the trains became more , prevalent , then it would be right for

      Parliament early in the next session to interfere ; but the noble lord must see it was impossible to do what he proposed during the short remaining period of this session . Ashe understood the noble lord , the bill he proposed was to give additional powers to the Board of Trade , but he ( Sir G . Clerk ) apprehended that after the difference of opinion which had been expressed iu that house on the subject , before entrusting the Board of Trade with any additional powers , the public would require that it should be more fully discussed than it could be at present . At the same time , he was perfectly willing to state that the Board of Trade entertained their opinion as to the danger of Mich a practice as he had referred to ,

      BONE caOSHING AT ANPOVEB . Mr . B . Osborne said , a statement was made in that house a few nights ago by the hon . member for _Finsbury ( Mr . Wakley ) relative to occurrences which were alleged to have taken place in n union worlthoiue in Hampshire , which had excited a great sensation in the country . He wished to ask the right hon . Home Secretary whether , in accordance with his promise , he had instituted any inquiries on the subject , and whether the hon . member for Finsbury would object to state to what union he referred ?

      Sir J . Gbaham said , he understood that the hon . member for Finsbury referred to tbe Andover Union . He ( Sir J . Graham ) had said that be would take cave inquiries should be instituted on the subject to which tlie hon . member called his attention ; and on the following morning he addressed a communication to the Poor Law Commissioners , directing that an inquiry should he instituted on the spot . He had not yet received tho report of the inquiry , but he hoped that , before the house ruse , he would be able to state its result . He not only directed that inquiries should be instituted , but he also called upon the Poor Law Commissioners to state whether any information on the subject referred to by the hon . member for Finsbury had been communicated to them . Tlie answer was , that thoy had received no such information . Mr . WAKiEr said , the union to which he had alluded was that at Andover .

      HEW WRIT . On the . motion of an hon . member , whose name was not ascertained in the gallery , a new writ was issued for Chichester for the election of a member in the room of Lord Arthur Lennox / who has accepted the oflicc of Clerk of the Ordnance , vice Captain Boldero , resigned . Sir . _GiiEENE then moved the third reading ofthe Silk Weavers'Bill . Mr . Hume objected to proceeding further with this Mil . He was not ashamed to say that he knew nothing of its contents . It had come down to the house from , tlie Lords ; it Bad passed through every stage to the _present sub silentio _, aiid he much doubted whether it had ever been nrinted .

      A _coavereation then took place between ' Mr . Greene , Mr . Bright , Mr . Warburton , Sir James Graham , Mr . P . Borthwick , Colonel Eolleston , Mr . Villiers , Sir John Etisthope , and several oilier members , from which , it appeared that an hon . memberfui Leicestershire ( his name was not mentioned ! had the charge of the bill when it came from the Lords ; that he had been obliged to leave town , and bad committed it to . the charge of Mr . Greene ; that Mr . firecnewas not full y acquainted with its merits , but that he had _ascertained that the Board oi Trade had no objection to-U ;' that it had not _ibwn introduced as atoll fa * tueregiria . ti . wi oi trade , ough . _mteejiitrOi

      House Of Commons, Moxdat, Atc. 4. The Ho...

      diiced , in a _conimit ' tee ' of the whole Douse ; that it was a retrospective bill , which was to bo considered as coming into operation on the 1 st of January , 1815 ; and to sum up all the objections to it in onesentencc , that uoUsiugle member knew anyihingaboutitsdiiVerentclauses . Under these circumstances Mr . Warburton moved that it be read a third time this day two months . f Mr _BnorUERTOS considered the bill a very useful bill ; but still he could not approve of the very reckless and irresponsible manner iu which the house was legislating upon it . , , , . .. Sir J . Graham proposed that the further debate on the bill be postponed till Friday next , in order that he might have an opportunity of conferring with Lord _Halhousie upon it . ... .. j Mr . WAmumTON then agreed io withdraw his amendment , and the debate was adjourned to Friday next _.

      _BEHEW OF TUB SESSION . Lord Joun BossEi . 1 . then came forward to give the house an opportunity of considering in "hat way Parliament had performed the duties which her Majesty had called upon it to perforin at the commencement of the present session . If it were his purpose to imitate the practice adopted towards himself when he held the seals of office , and if it were his object to found a charge of incompetency against Ministers , on the ground that » vast number of measures had been delayed to so late a period of thu session that tlitre was no time to _consitl-. r them properly , he should have no difficulty iu finding _amphgi-ouuds ; for one bill alone , the _I'hysie and Surgery Bill , which had been materially altered two or three times after its or ' miiv . d introduction , and which , after all , had

      hcen ignumiiiiously abandoned , would have been a sulhcient foundation for such a charge . _Keferring to the Queen ' s speech , he was _rijoiced to tind that wc were not now looking , as wc were ac the close uf the last session , to the settlement of certain differences with France which seemed to threaten a rupture with that country . Itejoicing that there was every prospect of the permanence ot peace with France , he adverted to ihe questions now pending between this government andtnatof the United States . Without interfering with the conduct of the Executive Government , aud without pretending to die tatetoit the course which it out to puisuc , be would merely state that the opinion which he had already given as to the justice of our claims upon thu United States , remained unchanged by anything which he had since

      Heard or read upon the subject . Sir II . Peel bad declared that he was prepared to maintain our _rights , and without asking how he proposed to do so , he would only express a hope that without any loss of honour , and without any sacrilice ofotir interests , the negotiations now going on bctweeu the two countries would be brought to an amicable and successful termination . With regard toonr domestic concerns he though t tha twe should not be disuppointedwith what lmcl been done in the . course of tho present session , although much had been unsettled , many principles Imd been unasserted , and many practical measures remained to be accomplished , lie alluded , in the first place , to the anxious subject of Ireland . 1 U rejoiced that the opinions which had been held by those opposite a few years ago upon this subject had been abandoned , and that the language held by Sir i , Graham on tlie subject of

      conciliation had been unequivocally retracted . So tar as they were prepared to tuUe a new course , there was just reason for congratulating the bouse and the country . Many years ago , when Lord ( key ' s Government was di . vided on the subject of tlie Church of Ireland , not only did they oppose llio _uunropriatum . clause , which at that time would liavc cn ' ected an amicable compromise Oil the Church question , but they had also opposed the proposition for granting to tho people of Ireland municipal rights equal to those possessed by the people of Bngland and Scotland . There were other questions also on which they raised national and religious prejudices fov the sake of opposing the policy of the Whig Government . That course , which at the time was a great party move , had at fllSt been doubtfully , but now at last had been explicitly , abandoned . Tlicy now allowed that the people of Ireland were entitled to have the same electoral aud

      municipal rights as the people of England and Scotland , lie contended , however , that they had hardly done what they professed to do—with respect to municipal and electoral rights they had not introduced a single measure . There had also been no legislation on the subject of landlord and tenant , oil which they had instituted an elaborate inquiry . The bill which they had introduced on that subject into the House _9 f Lords was one of the most extraordinary proposals ever submitted to a Legislative Assembly . It had never arrived in the House of Commons , but had been abandoned almost without a struggle , The other Irish measures were the Maynootli College Bill and the Irish Colleges Bill . Hefusing to go over tlie debates on that subject , he called attention to the fact that . Ministers

      had declared that the first bill was to stand by itself , and that there was no intention to endow the clergy of . the lloman Catholic Church . Now if they had not some measure for that object in their contemplation , they wero unwise in allowing such a clamour to be raised respecting the endowment of the 1 ' toman Catholic College of Maynootli . Iu his speech on the ciulowmen . of Maynootli , Sir 11 . Peel told Parliament that he did not introduce that measure on account of its justice , but for tho sake of dividing the Kepeal Association . Ministers , therefore , introduce their Irish Colleges Bill , not on the principle of endowment , but on the voluntary principle , and thus offended one party without conciliating the other . He wished to impress upon the house that those measures were not only late , but also

      imperfect , anil that all our difficulties _bo-ik past and present in Ireland , arose from our always doing justice _imperfcetiy and too late . As to the Church of Ireland , he was convinced that Government would be driven before long either to ei . dow the lloman Catholic Church , and to place it on the same level with the Protestant , or else to destroy the establishment of the latter , and to leave it to support itself , as the lloman Catholic Church now did , on the voluntary principle . Either one principle or the other must be the foundation of our future policy . Government must , therefore ,, be prepared to say which they would adopt , or the mind of Ireland would Still remain Unsatisfied . At present no party in Ireland was content with the policy of the Government ; for whilst there were millions under _O'ConueU clamouring for

      liepeal , there were a number of Protestants equally hostile to the Government . He had formerly proposed that you should give the people of Ireland civil equality before you meddled with the religious question . The Government , however , had followed a different course ; and , on a review of tlie conduct which it bad recently pursued , lie drew this conclusion—thatit had done well in abandoning its former opinions and declarations ,, but that , in not advocating some clear and large line of policy , its course was defective ; and it was worth its while to consider in what maimer it could remedy it . Having shown that there had been no legislation on tho invitation of her Majesty to consider the sanitary condition of tlie poor , he next addressed himself to the consiuusation of tlie finances and trade of the country . He was not one of those who

      thought that the income-tax was required by the mcessity of meeting the deficiency of the revenue . But he thought that if an income-tax was to be pvoposed , it was wise to introduce it ou a large scale , and thereby free-industry from tho restrictions placed upon it . The Government had fulfilled his expectations upon that point , but had wofully disappointed those who fancied that it would give protection to native industry . There were three subjects on which the Government of 1810 had proposed to legislate , and on which the present had failed to come up to tlie moderate doctrines of free trade proposed by Mr . _Uu & ki & SAw . Those three subjects were—timber , sugar , and corn . On timber and sugar the Government still kept up , as he thought most unwisely , large differential duties . On

      com , previously to their coming into ofliee , it was believed that the Government was in . favour of the law of 1 S 2 B , preventing the importation of foreign corn . By the prevalence of that belief they had carried many seats at the last election , but after the election their deed . s were much bettor than their professions , A new law Jess _rcsti ictive than that of 1828 was introduced ; and protection was diminished by that law , and still more by the professions which they made , not only ou passing it , but on several occasions subsccuicntly . The fanners felt ih « t there was less security for the maintenance of the Coin haws now than there was in the preceding year , in consequence of the declarations made by Sir R . Peel and Sir James Graham that in times of cheap corn the comforts , morality , and contentment of the poor were much improved . Could

      any man of common prudence , who had witnessed ( he state of public feeling during the last ten days , and the anxiety which , prevailed respecting the harvest , refrain from wishing that we had greater facilities for the importation of foreign cosnl To the uncertainty of the seasons and to the uncertainty of the supply there was now added a legislative uncertainty , whether in ten weeks hence the duty would be 2 Ds . or is . a quarter on foreign corn . This augmented almost incalculably speculation and gambling in corn . ; and , what was worse , exposed the country to tlie want of so necessary an article . Was it then wise in the Government to rest the law on its present basis \ In addition to all this , there were members of Parliament declaring that the lawwas not likely to be permanent , and that is would expire

      in all probability in two years , If such , were the ease , then Government ought not to leave the country any longer in uncertainty , but should begin the next session early , and begin it with the revision of tlie Corn Laws . Though the Government had done lauch to approach to the principles-of free-trade , it had kept up restrictions on timber , sugar , aud corn , hostile to its principles ,, and hostile to the interests of the country . At the _pn-sent moment the stock of corn in bond was unusuall y small , and he snould , therefore , move for . a return of it . It was small in consequence of the Jaw , and that he considered anational misfortune . He then touched upon the subject of education in England . It appeared from the gaol reports . that there was a great mass of our _population at present who had no _religious or _moral'instruction . Ha

      had always considered that state of _things as mostme _~ Ianeholy . It appeared to him that efforts , ought to . be made to reduce that lamentable mass of ignorance and crime . For that purpose he had _established in tbe Privy Council a Board of Education . He never knew oi more fierce invectives than , those which -were directed against this Ministry for establishing that _boajtd v Sir B . Peel had spoken with mw ; e moderation than ias colleagues on that point ; but still ho had objected to the plan of tho Whig Government . . Now . Sir It . Peel and his colleagues had got over the objections which they had formerl y urged against & . _Ra was glad to rind that the grant for educa _, turn w . ss . npt only _increased this year , but was also to he incMasfid iii tin * next . He was glad of it , and would not e * pess that want of ; confidence in the noble _TftesiQent of ; tlia . iiB . oMa whi _. thus _-aoile lord had _ejpwMed . of

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      him . In leaving these topics , he asked M . mstcrs to . have si firm priiiciplcs , on which they . new prepared to act , and to How their sinc _^ ty by astrict adherence . to those Kelp _s , and not by voting , as they . had done , n this sS . gainst a test one day and for a test the next . If iTdu not adopt such a course , theycould hardly exp _Lhat _ttpeople would place any conf _^ _^ _^ decisions of their representatives . f . » _»^ _"J _^ J this session , and as a preparation for the next , his prayer was , that her Majesty ' s Ministers would agreei tc art on some fixed principles : it would be a convenience to he minority , and be far less of puzzle to the majority , of the house . Lord John then alluded to her Majesty ' s . visit to _thP continentand complained that , as the former prece-_ . .., .,. „„„ . nn , _- < _-c : im asked Ministers to have

      : dents of appointing Lord Justices m the Sovereign s ak seiicefrom England were to ho abandoned , there would be no depository ofthe ltoyal power in England during her absence from her dominions . He also lamented that her Majesty , who had twice visited Scotland , had not proceeded to visit Ireland . He thought that her Majesty might rely on _receiving a cordial welcome whenever sho visited that country . Yet it was impossible not to draw an inference to the contrary when the very ambiguous answer to the address of the Lord Mayor and corporation of Dublin , put into her mouth by her Ministers , was brought to the recollection of her subjects . The noble Ion ! concluded his observations by moving for a list of the bills which had been introduced and abandoned in

      the present session . ,,,. _„„ i ., „ i Sir J . GitAiuM observed , that lord J , Russell Had made a party speech , which he had concluded with a very , harmless motion . At the close of a session like the present , it was uot unnatural for Lord J . Russell to pass under review the principal events of it . He had referred to somc . measuves which had been introduced , and to some which had been abandoned by the Government , and to the abandonment of them as a proof of incompetency on the part of the Administration , more especially of himself ; for he had pointed outhis want of success in his attempt to carry into law the bills for the reform of the medical profession . He ( Sir J . Graham ) appealed to Mr . Wariiurtoii and Mr . Hawes , who had _lntd some experience on the subject , whether great difficulties did not surround any man who ventured to legislate upon medical subjects ,

      and could not conceive that he had failed in his duty m not carrying his Medical Bill through Parliament , especially as he had every chance of succeeding , had he not postponed it for move important measures . He agreed with everything that Lord J . Russell had said with respect to our foreign policy , both witli regard to France and to the United States , for he was desirous of continuing with those countries those relations of amity which were so much for the mutual interests of both . Lord John Russell had adverted to the present administration of Irish affairs , and hall alluded to a hasty expression which he had employed some years ago in the heat of debate , and of which ho had long ago expressed his repentance . Ho assured lord John Russell that lie would not be precluded from

      recommending any measures which be deemed necessary for the good government of Ireland , by the recollection o ! any hasty speech which he might have made , or by any prejudice which he might have abandoned . He considered the best rule for the government of that country was to give it equality of civil rights , and to provide for the equal administration of impartial justice . He defended the preference the Government had given to tlie endowment of -Maynootli ami the founding of academical institutions ill Ireland , to a reform of the Municipal Corporation Act , and an extension of the electoral franchise , by quoting tho opinions of Lord Montc-uyle , but promised that _tllOSB subjects should not hereafter be neglected . He then proceeded to vindicate the conduct of Government in not carrying out at once all the recommendations contained

      in the report of the commissioners upon the landlord and tenant question in Ireland , and defended the principle of Loril Stanley ' s hill . Considering that Lord J . Russell had concurred ill the principles of the Maynootli College Bill and of the Irish Colleges Bill , he was surprised to find him reviving all the angry recollections connected with the debates ou those two measures . He was somewhat astonished at Lord John ' s reference to the appropriation clause , when he reflected that the Government of which he was the heart , had formally and solemnly abandoned that clause . The noble lord had also said that the Government would be compelled to settle the Church question in Ireland , either by elevating the Roman

      Catholic Chinch to the level of the Protestant , ov hy the abolitiou of the Protestant Church altogether . Row , to the latter alternative the feelings of the Protestants of England were distinctly opposed , and he , for one , would never give his consent to such a proposition , AS tO tllC other branch of the alternative , he would not _aj'gue it now ; lie would only say this , that to the endowment of the Roman Catholic clergy , a question which was at present full of difficulty , he had personally no objection . Lord J . Russell had complained that tiic policy of the Government in Ireland satisfied no one . It was an old remark that you could not moderate between two coniliciing parties without incurring the resentment of both . Me admitted that the Government had not been

      as _stiecesslul as it desired upon tbe question of education in Fiiiglaml ,. but still it had succeeded in doing much . It had founded during the Inst yeav a number ot schools throughout the country ; it had provided better education tor the masters ; it had improved tho quality o £ education for the people ; and , by tbe Factory Act , had- Secured education for children in the manufacturing districts . Lord John Russell blamed the Government for not having done anything in the present session for the health aud comfort of the working classes . The blame was uncalled for . Lord Lincoln had placed on the table : \ Well digested bill for that purpose , aud he tvusted that it would be read and well considered by the country duving the recess . At that expiring hour of the session he would not revive- the memory of former

      debates . He would merely say , that with respect to tho amount of the duties levied on timber , sugar , anil cornduiing the late Administration , they had all been reduced during the existence ofthe present Government , Actuated by his fears , Lord J , Russell had stated that this country , owing to the doubtful state of the harvest , was _llOWillO . position which excited great and almost unparalleled anxiety . He was surprised to hear it , for there were uow 450 , 000 quarters of foreign Corn in bond ; but on the 0 th of August , 1839 ,. there were onl y in bond 50 , 000 quarters , there were now in the coffers ef the Bank sixteen millions of specie ; iu August , 1839 , there were only two millions and a half . Neither then , nor ill , tho following session , did Lord John Russell propose any alteration in the corn law of that day . What right , then , imd he to call upon the Government to do now what he had himself refused to do then ? Lord John Russell had spoken of the sliding scale as " small by degrees ,. and beautifully less ; " but what had _becomo of the noble lord ' s

      own resolution for an Ss . fixed duty ? First , it sank down toGs ., then to 4 s ., and last session Lord John had had some difficulty in convincing the house that he was for any fixed duty at all . He then entered into a defence ofthe existing corn laws , and showed that at the present moment the stock of corn in bond was fast accumulating . Instead ofsharing ia the apprehension of Lord J . Russell , Ministers entertained a confident expectation that no great increase in the price of corn would nowtakeplace . Lord J . Russell had spoken of the possibility of her Majesty paying a visit to her Irish subjects , and had fancied _, frfiu the speech which had been addressed to _tho- _^ Mayor of Dublin , that doabts were entertained of the reception which her Majesty would receive In Ireland . He must either have misconceived ov forgotten the nature of that speech . However torn that country might he by angrv party conflicts , he was quite sure that ihe presence oi her Majesty among her Irish subjects would hush into oblivion all their acrimonious and irritated passioas .

      Mr . JI . J .. _O'Cosnell thanked Lord John Russell for the mode in which he had brought forward the subject of lie-land in this dth . itc , and contended that it was calculated to produce much good in that country .. He then expressed his views generally on the condition _^ Ireland . After a conversation , in which Mr . Pluvnptru repeated his dissatisfaction with the Maynootli Bill and the Irish Colleges Bill ,. Mr . Mofi _' att condemned the conduct of Government in retaining the present dutieson tea and sugar , Mr . Villiers and Mr . Gibson advocated the _lttpfnl Of _lllC com laws , Mb . Darb y insisted oil the necessity of protecting the agricultural interest , and Mr . Sheil _aocommended Sir R . Peel to follow up by acts the conciliatory professions which he had given to the people of Ireland , the motion was agreed to . Some routine business was then despatched ; after which the house adjourned _.

      _ Prorogation Ov Parliament.—-Summonses ...

      __ Prorogation ov _Parliament . — -Summonses were issued ou Tuesday morning for holding a Privy Council at Buckingham Palace on _Fridavyat ball-past two o clock , when the royal speech on the prorogation of Parliament would be submitted for her Maiestv _' s sanction ami approbation . Order * bave been ' given lor making the necessary preparations for her Majestv proroguing Parliament in person . . A Lonntv _Tud-tuumi'eu . —An . annoanccmciit having been sent forth that the Ri ght lion . Lord Teynham would preach at Castle-street Chapel , Swansea _,, on Wednesday evening last , the meeting-house was itcrallv crammed at seven o ' clock , the hour appointed lor holding the service . _Ilis-lordship selected for his

      m ? m sue « _n verse of the atst Psalm , " Against tlice ,. thee onl y , have I sinned , " & c ,,, and preached for about an hour . It _appcara-that his lordship _has-practii-eil preaching irom an eavly age , and previous tosucceeding to the peerage ,, laboured in connection _, with the IIoillC Missionary Society , which- so displeased his father , the late lord , tliafc , in his . _will , hodeprived him of _everything , with tho e : ieeption « S the entailed estate . A portion of the property lias _,, however , since reverted to hhn bv the death of two ot his brothers . His lordshi p was oa his way to-Ireland , and p 2 reached on _Thuvsdsy evening _^ _Uanclly , and will . prcneh this _eveniag ( Tuesday ) . au _Carmarthen . —Cambrian .

      _RewIESUNSAHOX OP _SuXDKUhASn _.-r-SuSDSKliA _^ Monday _Nicht . —A letter has . been received by the Mayor of Sunderland from Lord Ilowick _, which satisfactorily accounts for the delay that has _occuvvod w issuing ihe writ . It appears tbe patent bv which the peerage is . held in his lordshi p ' s family could uot- _M found for some days , . though , diligent search _tf 9 _f made for it among the private family doouwonts k 0 _!' ' by the late earl . On _Saturday , however , itwas fou « > and the necessary _dociufipnts . were on that day J '* warded to London . _'A'l ie required forms having _w clfl gone through , it is , _expected the writ will ia a" P " ' _bability be recei _«< t in . Sunderland by to morroviv Wednesday . 'JFbe Mayor will . in either cose _aspM * Monday . _na _& _ft ; ttai » BunAtii ) 0 > wA _Tueadutf tpR _*« polliag .

  • Citation
    • Northern Star (1837-1852), Aug. 9, 1845, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns3_09081845/page/6/