Lords Sitting of 8 February 1849

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS 1a Larceny Acts. Amendment; Conveyance of Real Property Act Amendment.
PETITIONS PRESENTED. From the County of Berwick, for an Alteration in the Law for Granting Licenses to sell Spirits by Retail.—From Lewes, for the Adoption of Measures for the Suppression of Seduction and Prostitution.—From East Stonehouse, for Alterations in the Law relating to Beer Licenses.—From Roscommon, for Inquiry into the Working of the recent Poor Law Extension Act for Ireland—From Roehampton, for an Extension of the Grants made by Government in Aid of Public Education, to the Irish Branch of the United Protestant Church of England and Ireland.

INGROSSING PUBLIC BILLS.
The LORD CHANCELLORread the report made by the Select Committee, to whom was referred, on Tuesday last, the consideration of the best mode for dispensing with the system of ingrossment and inrolment of public Bills. It was to the effect that the ingrossment be abolished, and that in lieu thereof, with the view of preventing the chances of error, the Bills be printed by the Queen's Printer, immediately after it shall have passed the House in which it originated, and be dealt with in the same manner as ingrossed Bills are now dealt with; that such fair print copy shall be sent to the other House of Parliament, and when returned without amendment, or with amendments agreed to, two fair prints shall be printed on vellum, one of which shall be authenticated by the proper officers of each House, and the Royal Assent being endorsed thereon, the same is to be deposited in the Record Tower, in

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lieu of the present ingrossment. The Master of the Rolls to receive the duplicate copy of the fair print for the same purposes as the inrolled Acts now received and held by him. (See LORDS' PROCEEDINGS, No. 4. sec. 13.)
On the Motion of the noble and learned Lord, the report was ordered to be printed.

MANAGEMENT OF HIGHWAYS.
The EARL of ST. GERMANSasked the noble Marquess the President of the Council, whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to bring in a Bill this Session for the better management of highways?
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department had given great attention to this subject, which was somewhat complicated, and that a Bill had been prepared, which, if not already introduced into the House of Commons, would be speedily.

NATIONAL SCHOOL SOCIETY.
LORD STANLEYsaid, a misapprehension prevailed as to the answer given by the noble Marquess the other night to his question, whether the correspondence between the Committee of the Privy Council on Education and the National School Society, had finally closed? The noble Marquess stated, that the correspondence had not finally closed, but he had been understood to say that it had closed. He was sure the noble Marquess would not object to correct that misapprehension.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, he was much obliged to the noble Lord for having mentioned the subject. He was not himself aware of such a misapprehension as that referred to having prevailed. He stated the other evening, that the correspondence with the National Society had not finally closed; and he now expressed a confident hope that it would be terminated in a manner satisfactory to all parties interested in the subject, as well as to himself. The correspondence had not actually closed.

THE NAVIGATION LAWS.
EARL WALDEGRAVEhaving referred to the proceedings of the Select Committee of their Lordships' House, last Session, upon the Navigation Laws, said that the inquiry had been left imperfect, al-
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though some seven thousand questions had been asked. Since the last Session, no fewer than four Members of the Committee had been rendered unable to attend, by various circumstances. Among them was the Earl of Hardwicke, the Chairman, who took a most active part in the inquiry. He wished to ask the noble Marquess whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government, under these circumstances, to propose a renewal of the Committee?
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEsaid, it was quite true that there had been withdrawn from the Committee, and partially from the House, no less than four of its most active Members, among whom was the noble Earl the Chairman (the Earl of Hardwicke), who had accepted the command of one of Her Majesty's ships. Under these circumstances, it was not the intention of the Government to propose a renewal of the Committee. If any noble Lord, however, saw reason to move for its renewal, he did not know that he should feel it his duty to oppose the Motion; but if he agreed to it, it must be upon the understanding that no measure introduced by the Government upon the question was to be delayed for the report of the Committee.
LORD BROUGHAMsaid, he had seen, with great indignation, certain slanderous attacks upon the noble and gallant Earl, as if he had been a party to a job, when he was appointed to the command of one of Her Majesty's ships. Anything more meritorious than the conduct of his noble and gallant Friend, in accepting a command from pure love of his profession, he did not know. He thought it was highly desirable to see men of such rank in the command of Her Majesty's ships.
The MARQUESS of LANSDOWNEwas bound to say, that the noble Earl bad accepted the command of one of Her Majesty's largest ships, strictly in the line of his professional duty; and that the First Lord of the Admiralty had bestowed it upon the person he thought best entitled to it.
The EARL of MINTOwould readily bear testimony in favour of the noble Earl's desire for employment in his profession. During the time that he (the Earl of Minto) was at the Admiralty, Lord Hardwicke frequently stated to him that, though he had no wish to be employed afloat before others, he was very far from having abandoned his profession; and that if he could be useful in active service, he trusted he

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might be employed; and it was in consequence of that offer that he had given him the command of a ship.
House adjourned 'till To-morrow.