Sitting of 8 April 1839

MINUTES.
Bills. Read a first time:—Registration of Leases (Scotland); Consolidated Fund (8,000,000 l.).—Read a second time:—Prisons; District Prisons.
Petitions presented. By Lord WORSLEY, from the Poor-law Guardians of Swynford, against any Alteration of the New Poor-law Act.—By Mr. ELLIOTT, from Kelso, Mr. M'CLEOD, from Inverness, Mr. MUSKETT, from St. Albans, and Sir EDWARD CODRINGTON, from Devonport, for a Uniform Penny Postage.—By the LORD-ADVOCATE, from Leith, in favour of the Caledonian Canal.—By Mr. HOGG, from Beverley, for the Repeal of the Beer-laws.—By Mr. W. S. O'BRIEN, from places in the county of Limerick, for equal rights to Ireland.—By Lord JAMBS STUART, from Ayr, for the Total and Immediate Repeal of the Corn-laws.—By Sir J. Y. BULLER, from Dartford (Devon), against the Repeal of the Corn-laws.—By Mr. FRESHFIELD, and Sir ROBERT INGLIS, from several places, for Extension of the Established Church in Canada.—By Lord JAMES STUART, from two places in Ayrshire, in favour of, and by Mr. R. FERGUSON, and Mr. M'TAGGART, from Preston, Kirk, and Wigton, against a further Grant of money to the Church of Scotland.—By Lord STANLEY, from Lancashire, against any system of National Education not founded on the Scriptures.—By Lord JAMES STUART, from Ayr, for the Ballot, and a comprehensive system of National Education.

UNITED STATES AND ENGLAND BOUNDARY.
Sir W. Molesworthsaid, that in the documents laid on the Table reference was made to instructions, that were to be sent out to Mr. Fox, in compliance with terms of a note to the American minister (Mr. Forsyth), for the purpose of forming a joint commission for the survey and exploration of the disputed territory. He wished to ask the noble Lord whether he could state the precise period when Mr. Fox received those instructions; and, secondly, he wished to know if the American government agreed to the commission for the survey of this territory, and whether Mr. Fox had received instructions as to the nomination of the commissioners?
Viscount Palmerstonbelieved, that there was every disposition on the part of both governments to form a joint commission, for the purpose of seeing whether they could settle the boundary line in conformity with the treaty of 1783. He had very recently sent out to Mr. Fox a draft of a convention for this purpose. If this were agreed to and settled, the nomination of the commissioners would not rest with Mr. Fox, but the appointments would be made by her Majesty's Government. When, however, the transaction was concluded, either by the acceptance or the rejection of the convention, he would lay the correspondence before the House.

THE CHARTISTS.
Colonel Sibthorpwished to ask the noble Lord, the Secretary for the Home Department, whether there was any truth in the statements that were made as to a great number of pikes having been made in various parts of the country, and that they had been distributed in the provinces, more especially in the vicinity of Manchester. He wished to know whether the Government was aware, that there was any truth in the statement, and also, whether the noble Lord intended to take any steps in the matter.
Lord John Russellreplied, that in the early part of the evening an hon. Friend of his had moved for a copy of a letter on this subject from him to the various Lords-lieutenant of the several counties; when this letter was laid on the Table, he trusted that the hon. Gentleman would find a satisfactory answer to his question.