Lords Sitting of 11 May 1848

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS.—3a and passed:—Incumbered Estates (Ireland).
PETITIONS PRESENTED. By Lord Portman, from the Members of several Lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity, and the Nottingham Order of Odd Fellows, that the Provisions of the Benefit Socie-

833
ties Act may be Extended to them.—By Earl Stanhope, from the Parish of Long Crendon, for Repeal of the Poor Removal Act.—From Whitby and Wisbech, against the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors on Sundays.—From Shipowners and Others of Whitehaven, against any Alteration, without Inquiry, of the Navigation Laws.—By Lord Portman, from numerous Congregations of Protestant Dissenters, in favour of the Jewish Disabilities Bill.—From Kington District, and Others, for Inquiry into the Existing State of Turnpike Trusts in England and Wales.—From the Archdeaconry, Clergy, &c. of Colchester, Yeldham, and several other Places, against the Jewish Disabilities Bill.—From Tunbridge, for the Imposition of the Severest Penalties on all Roman Catholic Priests who shall Denounce Persons from the Altar.—From the Presbytery of Kelso and Lauder, for Facilitating the Attainment of Sites for Churches (Scotland).—By the Bishop of Winchester, from Winchester and Boston, for the Enactment of Sanitary Measures.—From the Governors of Swansea Infirmary, to be Relieved from the Payment of Legacy Duty on Bequests made to Charitable Institutions.—From the Commissioners of Supply of the County of Nairn, for Repeal of the Inventory Duty on Personal Estates (Scotland).

GOVERNMENT MAIL CONTRACTS.
The EARL of ELLENBOROUGH reminded their Lordships that a Committee, of which the noble Marquess (Marquess of Clanricarde) had been a member, had sat on the subject of the contracts entered into for the conveyance of the mails to foreign countries, and that the Committee had recommended that the contracts should be thrown open to competition, and that when the profits of the companies conveying the mails exceeded a certain rate, the nation should participate in those profits. Now, he had seen in the newspapers of the 19th of April an advertisement for tenders for the conveyance of mails to Alexandria, such tenders to be delivered in on the 18th of May. This Was one of the most profitable contracts of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, and one month was not a sufficient time to allow to the public to tender for this contract. He wished to know also whether any inquiries had been made into the profits of the Company in accordance with the recommendations of the Select Committee, and whether the Government had had access to their accounts?
The MARQUESS of CLANRICARDE said, that the advertisement had not emanated from the Post Office. He agreed with the noble Earl that one month was too short a time to allow for making the tenders; but then it should be remembered that the Government had the power of refusing to accept any of the tenders, and of re-opening the contract if they did not conceive it for the interest of the nation to accept any of them. Although a Member of the Committee, he did not agree with all the recommendations of that Committee,

DEFALCATIONS IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CALCUTTA.
The EARL of ELLENBOROUGH then called attention to reports which had been received in this country, and were understood to be true, relative to the disgraceful fact of more than one of the officers of the Supreme Court at Calcutta, in the receipt and custody of public money, having been guilty of defalcations in their accounts to a large extent. He trusted he would receive from the noble Marquess an assurance that a measure would be introduced on this subject, the provisions of which would have the effect of guarding against the repetition of such disgraceful conduct.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNE concurred in characterising the conduct referred to as most disgraceful. In reply to the noble Earl, he could only observe that as soon as the facts became known, affecting as they did one of the highest officers of the Supreme Court, immediate steps were taken to remedy the evil as far as possible. No time was lost in investigating the whole matter; and at the present moment the case was before the law officers of the Crown, with the view of ascertaining how the transaction stood in a legal point of view. As soon as their report was received, it would be seen whether it was necessary to introduce a Bill on the subject.
House adjourned.