Lords Sitting of 5 July 1847

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS.—l a Holyhead Harbour; Turnpike Roads (South Wales); Canada Consolidated Revenue Fund; House of Commons Costs' Taxation; Print Works; Seduction and Prostitution Suppression.
3 a and passed:—Corn, &c. Importation; Trustees Relief.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE POOR LAWS.
On the Motion that the Committee on the Poor Relief Supervision (Ireland) Bill be postponed,
LORD BROUGHAMcalled the attention of the Members of the Government present to a provision in the English Poor Relief Supervision Bill, as well as in this Bill, that the salary of the Chief Commissioner should be such as the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury might award him—and might from time to time award him—as if the Chief Commissioner were a mere Treasury clerk! And, yet, such Commissioner was to have a seat in Parliament! He felt certain that their Lordships would never agree to leave it to the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to say whether a great Officer of State should have 500 l.,

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or 5,000 l., or 6,000 l. a year. He conceived that this provision must have been introduced by an oversight, and because it was usual to put in such a clause in Bills of this kind.
The EARL of AUCKLANDremarked, that the noble and learned Lord would not expect him to make any reply to his observations in the absence of his noble Friend the President of the Council.

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.
LORD BROUGHAMsaid, he observed that preparations were going on for a general election, and he confessed that he looked with horror and disgust to the past, and with dismay to the future, when he recollected the bribery, and corruption, and intimidation, which were exercised upon voters at the general election of 1841. He had then called the attention of the House to the subject; and, as there was about to be another general election, and probably a renewal of the same scenes, he thought it expedient that early notice should be given to the parties, that they might not be guilty without being forewarned. The noble and learned Lord concluded by giving notice of a Motion on the subject.
House adjourned.