

THE NEWSPAPER. 



of use; 



betfe 



pi** 1 



of 

 adv 

 tide 

 our C«jp 

 instraeti 



n^Vy jy«ubsequent treaty entered into 



Tpfkey audi tta«sfa£fl3V*hich Russian merchants were 



Ibu^more 6"?><tt%*TB footing than ours.— The Earl 



£fregp<i4lP"«*JjMvV9va was really placed on a moro 



■were entitled, by the first ar- 



same footing; but not one of 



to seek such a favour. In fact, 



_ sent to the Russian Minister at 



Constantinople to negotiate a treaty of commerce for Russia, 

 accept; 2 g the basis of the British treaty of commerce, and the 

 Government here hoped that negotiation would soon be brought 

 to a successful issue.— The Ecclesiastical Courts Bill was read a 

 third time and passed, after renewed protestations against the 

 retention of the Diocesan Courts by Lords Denm*n, Cotte.y- 

 ham, and Campbell.— The International Copyright Bill passed 

 through committee. 



Tuesday.— The Royal assent was given, by commission, to the 

 Mutiny, the Marine Mutiny, and the Annual Indemnity Bills.— 

 Lord Montkagle brought in a bill to alter the law relating to 

 forestalling markets in Ireland, which was read a first time.— 

 Lord Campbell laid a bill on the table, to enable parties con- 

 victed, who may have moved the proceedings by writ of error to 

 the House of Lords, to give bail and be at large pending the 

 final judgment on their case. The House, on its rising, adjourned 

 till Tuesday, the l6th April. 



HOUSE OF COMMONS. 

 Friday. — On the motion for discharging the order of the day 

 for proceeding with the Factories Bill, Mr. Cochrane expressed 

 his regret that Lord Ashley should have shrunk from maintain- 

 ing his ground, and thereby gave the Government the advantage 

 over him, not only in success, but in apparent earnestness and 

 sincerity. The object of bringing in a new Bill, identical with 

 the old one, was to gain time ; there was little chance after 

 Easter of carrying a lo-hours clause. Lord Ashley should have 

 recollected that "whoever puts his hand to the plough should 

 not look back." But by permitting the Government to bring in 

 their new Bill, he was "keeping the word of promise to the ear, 

 but breaking it to the hope." The supporters of the 10-hours 

 clause had been appealed to by Lord Ashley in solemn, almost 

 unusual terms, to stand by him ; and now after staying in town 

 to do so, they were told that he would decide after Easter on the 

 course he should adopt. This arose he believed from no insin- 



them consequent on their defeat : but he forgot that there was a 

 lourth.namely, instead of withdrawing the Bill to withdraw them- 

 •elves, which would give great satisfaction to the country. The 

 Home Secretary was like the Captain of a Westlndiaman which 

 was freighted with cheeses and grindstones ; though the cheeses 

 were in much request he refused to sell them without the grind- 

 stones. There sat Sir J. Graham, who refused to give them a 

 Factories Bill without the 12 hours. It was urged that the true 

 remedy was the repeal of the Corn-laws; but if they were re- 

 pealed to-morrow, the restriction of the hours of labour would 

 be the more necessary. To prevent if possible the stultification 

 of the House he moved an amendment, which in substance 

 pledged it to maintain the principle of the 10 hours.-Lord Asuley 

 explained that he had been advised by Members on both sides of 

 the House, and his own judgment concurred in it, to adopt his 

 present course as the best for the question. The bill, as it now 

 stood, was reduced to a mass of confusion by the different divi- 

 sions ; aud if he had taken a debate at the present stage, it 

 would have been on mere technicalities instead of some intelli- 

 gible issue. He would inevitably have been defeated, aud the 

 defeat would have been misinterpreted throughout the country. 

 It had been imputed to him that he had ^een actuated by inter- 

 ested motives; he denied it, and declared that he would main- 

 tain the question without reference to the feelings or the fate of 

 any Government whatsoever. Thanking both sides of the 

 House for the continued and unmerited kindness with which he 

 Had been always treated, he once more called on the supporters 

 of the principle of the ten hours to stand by him in his future 

 advocacy of lt.-Lord Howick considered that the Government 

 were pursuing an extraordinary course, by bringing in a new 

 JJiH. similar in all its main provisions to the eld one, and thus 

 bringing back the House to the point from whence it had started 

 before the divisions ou the question of the ten hours. The more 

 natural and usual course would have been the recommittal of 

 the present Bill. Compromise had been repudiated ; vet the 

 adopuon of the "eleven "hours might have been a convenient 

 middle term, and would have enabled them to make the experi- 

 ment to what extent the reduction of the hours of labour would 

 have been accompanied by a fall in wages. But at the present 

 stage of the proceedings, he thought it better not to offer any 

 opposition to the withdrawal of the Bill, and the introduction of 



Sf«» eW i? n ?T Sir R -' lNGL,s °PP° sed Mr. Duncombe's amend- 

 ment. He felt convinced that Lord Ashley had exercised a wise 

 discretion in not resisting the withdrawal of the Bill ; for if it had 

 been abandoned by the Government, and had fallen to his 

 management, he would have been beaten, if by no other means 

 a any rate by delay.-Mr. aclani, .aid, if^ny Honourable 

 Members were prepared to place another Secretary in the Home 



2m Ce h«Kf L KEF continue to sta » d out for a ten hours 

 Bill ; but if they did not intend to go to that length, they were to 



blame to advance to the very walls, and then resign their arms. 

 If they wanted a change of Government let them go on. With 

 out it he thought it impossible to carry a ten hours Bill and 

 this was a price which he was not willing to pay.— Lord J 're- 

 sell stigmatised the course adopted by the Government as 

 though tne most convenient lor themselves, a heavy blow to the 

 authority of the House. It would be impossible that the House 

 could frustrate its three separate decisions against a twelve 

 hours limitation, and consent to the introduction of a new Bill 

 containing a twelve hours clause, without shaking its authority 

 in the estimation of the people. Should Lord Ashley persevere 

 in opposing the withdrawal of the measure, he should support 

 him, though he believed he acted wisely in not exposiug the 

 question to the chance of a minority. He considered this one of 

 those questions upon which the opinion of the House, expressed 

 by its majorities, ought to prevail, aud that the stability of the 

 Government ought not to have been staked on it, as it had been. 

 Ji the House of Commons voted a want of confidence in the Ex- 

 ecutive Government, there could be no doubt as to the course 

 !A J 6 " 11 ?'! 1 to P uraue - Uu t on questions that affected 



tSP n^f S i C pCOple ' he h ° ped that the House wil1 «nain- 

 S.nlt? i esislatlve a^hority, and never submit to be made the 



Si ° t of a ?L P ? rty - S,r R Y P «" "Feed, °ut pleaded that 



SJSbSofth^ri; 7 ^ t nmen iJ la<la,80 their "«Ponsibilities as 

 members of the Legislature. The Opposition, which now taunted 



cL?r°™ WIU1 *»*■»!»«*■ wishes or the opinions o? the 

 ™rh ™u ' T re m the habiC of reproaching the Government 

 with yielding their own opinions to the wishes of the Hoise of 

 which an instance was afforded by the Ecclesiastical Court, Rin 

 It was the habit of the House of ComnTi Z^Z *. ^"JSerale 

 assembly, to permit repeated considerations of aenuerale 

 and to weigh well all " 

 there were 





sacrificed office, because the Government would not sanction the 

 principle of the ten hours. That fact, while it afforded a proof 

 of the noble Lord's sincerity, also showed that the Government 

 had maturely considered the question. For himself, he would 

 rather adopt the ten than the eleven hours ; but if there were 

 any truth in arithmetic, or the principles of commercial inter- 

 change, the loss which would arise from the limitation of labour 

 was proved would be thrown on the labouring population them- 

 selves. He hoped that farther consideration would bring round 

 the House to this conviction.— Mr. C. Woon, as the repre- 

 sentative of a great manufacturing constituency, approved of the 

 conduct of the Government, and expressed his strong conviction 

 of the injury which would arise to the labourer himself, from 

 the adoption of the ten hours.— Lord PaImbrston, feeling the 

 importance of the House upholding its own decisions, would 

 support the amendment, if pressed to a division, simply in order 

 to indicate to the country the feelings of members.— Mr. Wil- 

 liams, though concurring in the amendment, urged Mr. T. 

 Duncombe to withdraw it.— Mr. Fibloen spoke a few words, and 

 then the amendment was negatived without a division. The 

 order of the day for proceeding with the Factories Bill was then 

 discharged.— On the motion for going into committee of supply, 

 Mr. Ewart renewed his motion (on which the House was 

 counted out the other evening) for the reduction of the duties 

 upon raw materials, especially cotton and wool, as the only 

 means of enabling this country to compete with France, Ger- 

 many, and America, where there were no duties on those articles. 

 —After a discussion, the House divided. For going into com- 

 mittee,88 ; for the amendment, 24 ; majority, 64.— The House went 

 into committee of supply, and the vote of 3~,98//. for the British 

 Museum was agreed to.— In the discussion upon this vote, 

 Mr. Hume declared that the trustees were under no responsi- 

 bility ; the constitution of the board was not such as the public 

 had a right to expect, and as long as it was a close body it would 

 give dissatisfaction. He recommended that the Museum should 

 be open on a Sunday, because then the people would be able to 

 spend their time there instead of in public-houses, and this, in 

 his opinion, would be the most effectual means for their moral 

 reformation. He also recommended that children should be 

 allowed to go in with their parents, as they were at Hampton- 

 court and the National Gallery, instead of being kept out, in the 

 custody of one parent, whilst the other went through.— Sir R. 

 Pkel said, with respect to the constitution of the board, he did 

 not see that it was practically open to objectiou. The Duke of 

 Sutherland, Mr. Hallam, Mr. Wiiliam |Hamilton, and Sir John 

 Herschell were the last trustees appointed, and by any mode of 

 election could they have better men ? As to making the institu- 

 tion more accessible to the public, he found that in the year 

 ending at Christmas, 1840, 247,000 visitors had been admitted, 

 and during the year ending at the same period in 1843, 517,400 

 had been admitted. Thus, in the course of the three years, the 

 number had been nearly doubled. If they took the reading 

 room, the print room, and, in fact, all other parts of the esta- 

 blishment, they would see conclusive proof that the trustees had 

 so far succeeded as to attract an additional number of visitors. 

 With respect to children of tender age, he would only say that 

 they wished to give the public all the information they could, 

 but young children could not derive much instruction, and they 

 surely impeded others who could.— Mr. PROTnEaoB thought it 

 was ill-judged economy to render the library, or any other part of 

 the building of the British Museum, more complete at the present 

 moment, for the time would come when some parts must be taken 

 out and go to another repository. The birds and beasts and statues 

 must go forth to a new erection hereafter to be prepared.— Mr. 

 Berxal said that the allusion to a separate building for the re- 

 ception of statues and paintings called to his mind the necessity 

 which he had long felt to exist for a national museum of monu- 

 ments exemplifying the history of the middle ages, which should 

 embrace, in regular departments and proper classification, the 

 history of the art*, and also the history of the country. In the 

 British Museum they abounded in Egyptian relics, and specimens 

 of various kinds from the South Seas, but of anything connected 

 with the middle agestbey were utterly deficient; and our artists, 

 in the production of their plates, had no national resources to 

 have recourse to. In France, the municipality had devoted a 

 large sum to this purpose ; and the Hotel deCluny had been pur- 

 chased by Louis-Philippe lor the purpose.-Dr. Bowrino said, 

 the Right Hon. Baronet had not made any reference to the ob- 

 servation of Mr. Hume, as to the introduction of the public on 

 Sundays. He had, however, stated, that he believed no country 

 possessed institutions more accessible than the British Museum. 

 He begged to say, however, that the Jardin des Plantes at Paris 

 was more accessible at all times, and to the young as well as the 

 old.— Sir R. Pbbl said, that in the last week the Treasury had 

 had the gratification of authorising the expenditure of 2000/ to 

 advance the objects of the British Museum— 1000/. for preparing 

 and cataloguing the collection of Zoology, made during the An- 

 tarctic voyage ; and;the remaining 1000/. for completing the Bota- 

 nical collection, with the assistance of Mr. 3rown, whose unob- 

 trusive merit was not sufficiently known, but who had been the 

 friend and companion of Sir Joseph Banks.— Mr. Warburto.v 

 said the members of the Zoological Society visited their gardens 

 on Sundays, and the British Museum was just as much the pro- 

 perty of the British public, who ought to enjoy a similar privi- 

 lege.— Mr. \% vsa said that if a new gallery were to be erected 

 such as had been referred to, in order to be complete, it should 

 embrace not only one age, but several ages apart ; and if it was 

 possible to combine a sculpture with a picture gallery, it would 

 be a considerable improvement on the arrangements which 

 existed in otner parts of the world. He would oeg to call the 

 attention of the Right Hon. Baronet to another object, which was 

 des.rable in this country and in Ireland-in Scotland it had 

 already been effected-namely, a collection of objects of art— 

 the establishment of a gallery of casts, in order to guide the 

 student* and improve public taste. In Ireland such an insti- 

 tution had been attempted to be formed; but the projectors 

 had not succeeded m obtaining a site. The Government! 



£ li i£ d \ WOttld .. C - n8ider Whether tbe y ou S ht n <* to give 

 their aid to so desirable an Object. If the country had no 



S? ?' T7 k8 ° f *"' J C WOuId be vain for the «t"t to struggle, 

 Ztl, UbOU .u COUld not be appreciated.-S.r R. Peel had n. 



steps should be taken to make it generally u 



might obtain casts of the finest remains of an?£\ tlut ^ «? 

 tish Museum, at the charge of the meJe exn P n. qmt / in *• Brt. 

 casts.-A few votes of the commiTsariat estin^* 11 * £ 

 agreed to, when the House resumed—Sir J r* es Were «»eo 



nr'yo* Hill w,k; M u i- . „' -* UR AHA 



:h well all tJJe consequence. of"i"pro"po?it?o U n^ l a«!d 

 repeated instance, of the benefit arising from the 



they 



ting tne 



what they bad reason to believe wa^'the'unsourd^prcce^o'f 

 former legislative measures in interfering with labour • and the 

 way to correct it was certainly not to carry interference further 

 than was expedient or safe. Had they adopted the comprom se 

 of the eleven hours, they would probably have had a majority in 

 their favour: but it was not the wisest policy in a Government 

 to free themselves from present difficulties, by adopting a priu 

 ciple which they conscientiously believed would be injurious to 

 the permanent interests of the country. Lord Ashley had 



matter to be considered, whether assistance could 

 not be given for this purpose.-Lord Jon.v Manner* (e!t ?hat 

 that was a fitting occasion to allude to, and to strong y dep e 

 cate the destruction of some of the most ancient a "d sineSlw 



£n aSS SfiEflE * ^ metro P olis *>Y »e corporation of Lon- 

 don and other bodies. He trusted that some such way would be 



found in this country as existed in France, and which there re! 

 calved the support of the Govern met. for the preservation of 

 ancient national buildings and other remains «>f ant!qui y i„ ha 

 country. He thought that the Government should exemsethea 

 influence for this purpose. Perhaps by setting an exampL them 

 selves, they might shame these modern Goth. andVandaU- 

 Mr. Hum: hoped that the trustees of the Mu.eum would n.ke 

 some arrangement by which children of six orTeven vears ,,f 

 age might be admitted to visit that institution wthSr^nts 

 or friends. He also trusted that the Government woulcf. with! 

 out delay, exercise their influence with the trustee, of the Mu- 

 seum, so as to make some regulations by which the Museum 

 could be opened to the public on Sundays after divine wor 'hip" 

 -Mr. BoKTHW.cc complained that the cathedrals in the me ro- 

 pohs were not open to the public on Bnadava, as well as the 

 other day, in the week; and it was a matter deeply to be re! 

 gretted that they were only open in the week dayion the pay- 

 ment of fee.. He was glad that something hid heen done 

 towards the attornment oi this object at Westminster Abbey 

 but he regretted to find that nothing had been done as regarded 

 throwing open St. Paul's Cathedral.-Mr. Hume taou|n?tnat 



in his new Factories Bill, which he stated wo Intn^iS 00 * 1 * 

 labour of children in silk, lace, flax, woollen JS rMtnct U* 

 ries, to six hours and a half, and prohibit theirhrin . 0n facto - 

 m the forenoon and evening of the same dav if! ? , emillo ra 

 gulate the power to be given to surgeons in cmSS **> ** 

 health and age of the children, and it would Sovtoe ii? * tte 

 cidents m certain kinds of machinery-givine nn»LV ln8t ■«- 

 cretary of State to institute prosecution "when .eJX ^*- 

 occur. The Bill would also provide that aliUt fen5S« n ? ** 

 not be permitted to labour for a longer period thwi tweut k 0lUt 

 The second reading of bhis Bill was fixed for the 22d w? ° m - 

 J. Graham also brought in a Bill for the more ea 8 v r l P . Sir 



tSnVba b Uiffs. C0Unty C ° Urt8 ' aDd UkewiSe a Bil1 &&!%£ 



Monday. -Capt. Harris took his seat for Christchnrnh ^ 

 CoBOENgave notice for after Easter to move for a X?r 

 mittee to inquire into the effect of protective dafies ut?X" 

 national revenues.-Mr. Glaus-tone stated that rJ T n tte 

 had entered into communications with the differ^ e D nment 

 having territories on the coast of the Mediterranean %»,!??? 

 object of inducing them to shorten the time of F qaarantTn? *! 

 there was every prospect that those Powers would enn.i !' . an4 

 more limited period.-Mr. M. Sqtton stated I that S? r« tt0 * 

 ment had not yet decided whether thev should intnS,!!" 1 ' 

 measure on the subject of turnpikes, confining it to Smffi • 

 or whether they should extend it 'to the wnole ^ princ palit^ 

 Lord Eliot moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend thii"* 

 relating to the registration and qualification of ParnamentSl 

 electors in Ireland. By this Bill it is proposed to iut See f h T 

 system of registration established in England, with somt mod 5 

 cations, giving to the Lord Lieutenant the power of di.idinrrt. 

 counties into polling districts, in each of which the reS 

 barrister shall hold an annual court, grantingan appeal from h! 

 revising barrister's decision to the Court of Exchequer ChamW 

 and limiting the duration of the poll to one day for boronrtiS 

 to two days for counties. It is likewise proposed to place on the 

 new register those persons who are on the present register m 

 empting them from liability to challenge during the Femai'nSr 

 of the term for which the old register would have lasted With 

 respect to qualifications, the Bill proposed to establish the solvent 

 tenant test, requiring that there shall be a clear yearly value over 

 and above all rents and charges of 10/. The effect of the SDDlica. 

 tion of this test, it is computed by the Government, will be tode-" 

 crease by 25.000 the present county constituency. To com 

 pensate for this decrease the Bill proposes to grant to all 

 occupiers who are rated to the relief of the poorinthesura of 30/ 

 the right of voting. The effect of this franchise will, it is com! 

 puted by Government, be to add 55,000 voters to the new registry 

 —thus, after deducting the 25,000 struck off by the solvent-tenant 

 test, increasing the county constituency by 30.000. The Bill 

 also proposes to grant to the possessors of freeholds or leasei for 

 lives renewable forever, of the clear yearly value of 51. the right 

 of voting j and this with the intent of encouraging the creation 

 of a class of yeomen, or small independent proprietors, of which 

 few exist at present in Ireland. The Bill likewise proposes to 

 dispense with the necessity of actual occupation in cases of free- 

 holds and leaseholds of the clear value of 10/. With respect to 

 the qualification of voters for towns, the only alteration proposed 

 by the Bill is to substitute for the numerous rates and taxes 

 which the voter is now obliged to pay, the following, viz., the 

 town rate for lighting, paving, &c, the poor rate, the borough 

 rate, and the police rate.— Lord Eliot also moved for leave to bring 

 in a Bill to alter and amend the Irish Municipal Corporation Act. 

 By this Bill it is proposed to extend to Ireland the provisions of 

 the English Municipal Registration Bill, and to give the right of 

 voting to every inhabitant householder who shall have occupied 

 for the space of three years, who during that time has been rated 

 to the relief of the poor, and who has paid his rates and taxes. 

 The Bill also propose, to limit the rates and taxes necessary for 

 the municipal franchise to those necessary for the right of voting » 

 for Members of Pailiament.— Mr. M. O'Fereall objected to the 

 30/. occupation franchise as one which would be greatly under 

 the influence of the landlords, and thought the new 5/. freehold 

 franchise should be extended to 40*. freeholders. He approved 

 generally of the principles of the measure, with the exception of 

 the 30/. occupancy, and his chief regret was that the Government 

 did not carry out their views to a sufficient extent.— Mr. Shaw 

 beheved the unwillingness to register at all in Ireland, in con- 

 sequence of the system of agitation carried on there, was the 

 cause of the limited constituency; and whether there was a 

 30/. or a 50/. qualification, it would have but little practical 

 influence on the number of Irish voters.— Lord J. Ri/ssstt 

 considered the 30/. occupancy franchise as very objectionable, for 

 however fairly such a franchise might work in England, where the 

 tenantry usually gave their votes willingly to their landlords, it 

 would act very differently in Ireland, where the tenants are 

 usually opposed in politics to their landlords. He was also of 

 opinion that the 5/. freehold franchise should be extended to 40*. 

 freeholders in fee. Generally, he wished the Bill had been more 

 satisfactory.— Sir R. Peel entreated the House to take time for 

 consideration, and not prejudge the subject by precipitate 

 declarations. He re- adduced some of the statements made by 

 Lord Eliot, as to the nature of the Registration and Franchise 

 Bill, and contended that the Government were giving evidence 

 of their intention to act with fairness towards the people of Ire- 

 land.— Mr. Ffren-ch and Mr. Hume followed, the latter express- 

 ing himself pleased with the Bill, as a move in the right direction, 

 but felt convinced that it was inadequate to satisfy the into 

 people.— After some further discussion, leave was given to bring 

 in both Bills.— On the question for going into committee 01 

 supply, Lord J. Russell called attention to Lord Brougnanr» 

 Appellate Jurisdiction Bill, and hoped that it was not to be ^ 

 down to the Commons from the Lords at so late a penu d *r. 

 preclude its due consideration. He asked Sir R. Peel" 

 thought that there was a necessity for the appointmen to 

 judge to preside over the Judicial Committee of the r t 

 Council, with a salary, and if it were true that an office n otj 

 created hud been three times offered to and refused oy 

 Brougham.— Sir R. Feel was as free and unfettered as ^ r " • 

 Russell to exercise an independent judgment on the Bil h ^ 

 ever it came before them for consideration. He rcml "p nara tt 

 House that Lord Cottenham had introduced a Bill to sep 

 the judicial and political functions of the Lord Ciia n<-< c 

 and in which he had proposed a judge to pres ide » ^ 

 Privy Council. The Government had offered to Lord »ro ig 

 the presidency in the Privy Council, under the imp r , 

 that the Crown had the power to create such R *u P ham 

 provided no salary were annexed to it. Lord n b sarTf 

 did not think at that time such an appointment nee ^ 

 but he had since taken up the subject, though tne n » g 

 not a Governmeut measure.— Mr. R. Yores thoug nt te 

 very flagitious job, and if ever the Bill came down to 1 ^ Qg9 

 would use every form of the House to throw it out.— 1 n flBe 

 then went into Committee of Supply. Among the vote * . QteD . 

 of 112,190/. to defray the expenses of public works, tne " se8 

 ance and repairs of public buildings, and to defray t n * "J^fcc. 

 connected with the maintenance of Royal parks and * a waBe i- 

 — Mr.WiLLiAMS objected that a great deal of this mon 5£ od8 tad 

 pended under the direction of the Commissioners of j ro m 



Forests, and without any control whatever. 1 n four y »^ ^ 

 1838 to 1842, the aggregate amount expended by trie ^^ 



Forests was 686,000/., making an average for each Tea J^ e , p ende* 

 He objected that any large amount of money should ^ tt 



without public control.— The Earl of Lincoln, in rep '' f „,»in- 

 observations by Mr. Williams, stated that the «*»*"," ^u ifl 

 taining Windsor Park was decreasing, while that 01 "»* v 



