Lords Sitting of 6 May 1845

MINUTES.
Took the Oaths.—The Earl of Rosse.
Sat First. The Duke of Grafton, after the Death of his Father.
BILLS. Public.—Reported.—Privy Council Appellate Jurisdiction Act Amendment.
3a. and passed:—Customs (Import Duties; Auction Duties Repeal; Sugar (Excise Duties); Colonial Passengers.
Private.—1a. Royal Naval School; Middlesex County Rates; Winwick Rectory; Edinburgh Life Assurance Company; Southwark and Vauxhall Water Company.
2a. Glasgow and Shotts' Road; Surrey and Sussex Roads; Liverpool Docks; Lady Sandy's (Turner's) Estate.
Reported.—Duke of Argyll's Estate; Paisley Gas.
3a. and passsed:—Shelsley Road.
PETITIONS PRESENTED. By Bishops of London and Lichfield, Dukes of Buccleuch and Grafton, Earls Falmouth, Dalhousie, and Spencer, and by the Marquess of Breadalbane, from Draycot-le-Moors, and a great number of other places, against Increase of Grant to Maynooth College.—From Waltham, and 2 other places, for Protection to Agriculture.—From Colchester, and 4 other places, for the Suppression of Intemperance.—From St. John the Evangelist, Westminster, and 2 other places, for the better Observance of the Sabbath.—From Dalkeith, and 2 other places, for the better Regulation of Beer Houses, especially on the Sabbath.—From Guardians of Bandon Poor Law Union, for Alteration of Poor Law Act (Ireland).—From Blackrath, and several other places, for the Encouragement of Schools in connexion with Church Education Society (Ireland).—From John Garner, of Teachbrook, Warwick, complaining of Hardships under the Insolvent Debtors Act Amendment Act.—From Land owners of Grinton, in favour of Commons Inclosure.—By Earl of Falmouth, from Clergy and others of Penwith, against the Union of St. Asaph and Bangor.—From Perth, and several other places, for Improving the Condition of Schoolmasters (Scotland).—By the Earl of Devon, from Guardians of Ennis Union, and from Farmers of adjoining Districts, for the adoption of Recommendations contained in the Report of Commissioners relating to Tenure of Land.—By Duke of Grafton, from Naseby, and several other places, for Repeal of Malt Tax.—From Inhabitants of St. Mary and St. John, Limerick, against the collection of Ministers Money (Ireland).—By the Marquesses of Lansdowne, and Londonderry, from Dissenting Congregation of Upper Brook Street, Manchester, from Unitarians of Rochdale, and Inhabitants of Killileagh, in favour of Increase of Grant to Maynooth.—By Lord Brougham, from Parishioners of St. Stephen's Walbrook, and St. Beliefs, for the Adoption of a Measure for the Improvement of small Parishes in the City of London, governed by Select Vestries.

THE LAND TENURE COMMISSION.
The Earl of Devonpresented two petitions from Ennis and a district in the county of Antrim, expressing the anxiety of the petitioners that the measures recommended by the Land Commissioners would be speedily brought under the consideration of Parliament. He must also express the hope that no great delay would be allowed to occur before some of these measures were introduced into Parliament, for he was quite sure that it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to
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carry out the recommendations contained in that Report. These petitions referred particularly to two subjects—to some improvement in the Grand Jury Laws, and to some arrangement of the expenses of the Constabulary. Both these measures would require the greatest consideration, and therefore it would not be expected that Her Majesty's Government would legislate on such subjects without some necessary delay for previous consideration. He thought that some new arrangement of the expenses of the Constabulary might be made which would greatly relieve the more peaceable parts of the country. Both these petitions, and in fact every communication that the Commissioners had received, pointed particularly at one measure as of paramount importance—that was some measure which should secure to industrious tenants the benefit which was desired for the improvement which they made on the land which they occupied. If some measure of this kind were introduced, it would do much to strengthen the industry of the people of Ireland. He, however, had no doubt that in a short space of time some measure would be introduced by the Government on the subject. He knew that Her Majesty's Ministers had paid great attention to the subject, and he believed that some measure relating to it would be introduced at no distant day.
Lord Stanleysaid, he was sure that any one who looked at the Report drawn up by his noble Friend and his brother Commissioners, must admire the diligence and ability displayed by them in the performance of their duties, and must feel the importance of the recommendation contained in the Report. At the same time their Lordships and his noble Friend must be aware that those recommendations embraced subjects of the greatest possible difficulty, requiring the most attentive and close consideration, dealing with the most important interests, and upon which hasty legislation would be more detrimental than no legislation at all. His noble Friend must recollect also that the Report, and the evidence upon which it was founded, had not reached the hands of Government till near the Easter recess, and that was not the most favourable opportunity for considering it. He could assure his noble Friend, however, that all the recommendations of the Report would meet with the most respectful and atten-

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tive consideration from the Government. They had not been idle in availing themselves of the short opportunity that had presented itself in taking up and preparing to act upon the most urgent of the recommendations of the Commissioners, as he concurred with his noble Friend in thinking that none of those recommendations went so much to the root of the social condition of the people of Ireland as the providing greater security for the industrious tenant of some compensation for the permanent, or almost permanent, improvement effected by him, whether in possession of a lease, or as tenant at will, during his occupation of the land. The Government had turned their attention to this subject first, thinking it of the most vital importance. There was more than one Bill embodying the suggestions of the Commissioners under their consideration; and a Bill providing compensation for permanent improvements was in a state of great forwardness, and he was at liberty to state, on behalf of the Government, that he should introduce a Bill on that subject immediately after the Whitsuntide recess.

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY (IRELAND).
Lord Broughamcalled the attention of the House to the circumstance of the parties persevering in this measure, notwithstanding a Report of the Committee (as he saw by the Journals) that 300 breaches of the Standing Orders had been committed. It would be but an act of charity and humanity to dissuade the parties from thus throwing away their money in a hopeless experiment upon the Legislature; because when the Bill came up to that House, he could venture to pledge himself confidently it was imsible that it should pass into an Act of Parliament, for it was impossible but a breach of their Lordships' Standing Orders must be committed; and if that occurred, and were reported by their Standing Orders Committee, common honesty — and it was only giving their Lordships credit for common honesty—would render it utterly impossible for the Bill to pass into a law. He spoke with the greatest respect for the other House that was consistent with this proceeding. Of course he did not seek in any way to interfere with their Standing Orders; they might alter them or retain them, or abrogate them, and perhaps if they did abolish
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them altogether, in so tar as they related to this transaction, it would be the better.
Lord Campbellthought it was quite enough for their Lordships to take care that their own Standing Orders were not broken, without taking charge of those of the other House.
Lord Broughamsaid he had made no Motion at all; he had only given Notice of one. That their Lordships were the guardians of their own Standing Orders, and the other House of theirs, was a self-evident proposition; God forbid he should deny the right of the House of Commons to do what they pleased with their Orders, to dispense with or abrogate them altogether—and perhaps it would be as well if they did, if they proceeded in this way with them; but their Lordships would certainly not allow their Orders to be broken. He did not suspect that any canvass had taken place in the other House; but he knew that none whatever could take place here; for five or six years it had been quite impossible.

ST. STEPHEN'S, WALBROOK.
Lord Broughamsaid, that a petition had been placed in his hands which he felt it his duty to present to the House. He was perfectly ignorant of the facts of the case, and only knew that the petition was signed by very respectable persons—the churchwarden, inhabitants, and house-holders of the parish of St. Stephen's, Walbrook, and the adjoining parish of St. Benet's; and his respect for those respectable persons induced him to present it. As a highly respectable person in point of station was concerned, he should do no more than read the substance of the petition, which was very short. It stated that the affairs of the parish of St. Stephen had been for many years conducted in a manner unsatisfactory to the parishioners, that the differences between the parishioners and Mr. Michael Gibbs having resulted in legal proceedings, they abstained from expressing any opinion upon the merits of the questions which now occupied the attention of courts of law; but they respectfully represented to their Lordships' House that whilst these proceedings, of which no one could see the termination (this was a wilful blindness), were protracted, the Church of St. Stephen was falling into ruin, and its functionaries, including their respected rector, were left

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unpaid. They represented such a state of things as being disgraceful to a Christian country, and asked their Lordships to pass some general measure for the improvement of small parishes, which were governed by select vestries, by which provision should be made for the service of the Church, without wasteful expenditure.
House adjourned.