had given notice, begged leave to move that the Second Report of the Railway Committee be forthwith ordered. Report considered. The following Resolutions were proposed :—

"1. Resolved-That a Committee of Five Mem

bers be appointed, to be called The Classification Committee of Railway Bills, and that Three be the Quorum of such Committee.

"2. Resolved-That Copies of all Petitions for Railway Bills presented to the House be laid before the said Committee.

necessary to go against long-cherished prejudices and opinions until Parliament was prepared to deal in this spirit and in this comprehensive manner with all the evils of Ireland, although some abatement of the disease under which she was labouring might be effected, no real, permanent, or effectual cure would be accomplished. The question had unfortunately been made too much a party question; but he hoped the time was coming when, without reference to national prejudices, every one would "3. Resolved-That the Committee of Classificaconcur in the endeavour to devise some tion shall inquire and report what Railway Bills efficient remedy for the existing evil. He compete with, or ought to be considered in connexion with, any Railway Bills, the promoters of had taken this early opportunity of express-which shall have proved themselves entitled to the ing his opinion, because he had been led to privilege agreed to be granted in certain cases infer, from the remarks of the noble Earl, by the Resolutions of this House of the 7th July that the Bill about to be introduced by the Government was confined to the single ob-fication shall form into Groups all other Railway ject of endeavouring to establish better security and to repress outrage. To a measure having these objects he should be ready, under proper securities, to give his assent; but he must say that the Government would fall short of their duty to the country, if, in imposing a Bill of this kind, they were not, at the same time, prepared to lay before the House some account of their general policy with respect to Ireland. Motion agreed to. House adjourned.

last.

"4. Resolved-That the Committee of Classi

Bills which, in their opinion, it would be expedient

to submit to the same Committee.

"5. Resolved-That as soon as the Committee

of Classification shall have determined what Railway Bills are to be grouped together, they shall report the same to the House; and all Petitions against any of the said Bills shall be presented to the House three clear days before the meeting of

the Committee thereon.

"6. Resolved-That no Railway Bill be read a

First Time later than the next day but one after the Report of the Committee on Petitions or of the Standing Order Committee on such Bill, as the case may be, shall have been laid on the Table, except by Special Order of the House.

"7. Resolved-That there be no more than seven clear days between the First Reading of any Railway Bill and the Second Reading thereof, except by Special Order of the House.

"8. Resolved-That the Breviate of every Railway Bill shall be laid on the Table of the House, and be printed and delivered one clear day before the Second Reading.

"9. Resolved-That such Railway Bills as shall have been read a First Time before the House shall agree to these Resolutions, shall be read a Second Time within seven clear days thereafter.

"10. Resolved-That such of the Standing Orders as relate to the composition of the Committees on Private Bills, and the Orders consequent thereon, be suspended so far as regards Railway Bills pending in the course of the present Session.

PUBLIC BILLS.—3°. and passed, Citations (Scotland). PETITIONS PRESENTED. By several hon. Members, from an immense number of places, against the Repeal of the Corn Laws; and, also, by several hon. Members, from a great number of places, in favour of Repeal.-By Sir James Graham, from Arbroath, for Alteration of Duties on Corn and Sugar.-By several hon. Members, from a great number of places, against the Government Measure respecting Customs and Corn Importation; and, also, by several hon. Members, from various places, in favour of the proposed Government Measure.-By Mr. Liddell, from the London General Shipowners' Society, against the proposed Measure respecting Timber.-By Mr. Manners Sutton, from the Board of Guardians of the East London Union, against exempting any Parties from the Metropolitan District Asylums.-By Mr. Ross, from Linen Merchants on the River Maine, against the Drainage (Iretion. land) Bill.-By Mr. Vernon Smith, from the Inhabitants "12. Resolved-That each Member of a Comof Brigstock, against Enrolment of Militia. By Mr.mittee on a Railway Bill or Bills, shall, before he Muntz, from Henry English, for Inquiry into Mines and Collieries. By Mr. Greene, from Joseph John Rae, for Production of Papers respecting the North Wales Railway Bill (1845).

RAILWAY BILLS.

"11. Resolved-That Committees on Railway Bills during the present Session of Parliament shall be composed of a Chairman and Four Members, to be appointed by the Committee of Selec

be entitled to attend and vote on such Committee, sign a declaration that his constituents have no local interest, and that he himself has no personal interest for or against any Bill referred to him; and no such Committee shall proceed to business until the whole of the Members thereof shall have signed such declaration.

66

LORD G. SOMERSET, previously to 13. Resolved-That the promoters of a Railmoving the appointment of the Classifica-way Bill shall be prepared to go into the Comtion Committee on Railways, of which he mittee on the Bill on such day as the Committee

of Selection shall, subject to the Order that there "27. Resolved-That every Committee on a be seven clear days between the Second Reading Railway Bill shall fix the tolls, and shall deterof every Private Bill and the sitting of the Com- mine the maximum rates of charge for the conveymittee thereupon, think proper to appoint, pro-ance of passengers (with a due amount of luggage) vided that the Classification Committee shall have and of goods on such Railway; and such rates of reported on such Bill. charge shall include the tolls, and the costs of lo

14. Resolved-That the Committee of Selec-comotive power, and every other expense connecttion shall give each Member not less than fourteen days' notice of the week in which it will be necessary for him to be in attendance, for the purpose of serving, if required, on a Railway Bill Com

mittee.

"15. Resolved-That the Committee of Selection shall give each Member a sufficient notice of his appointment as a Member of a Committee on a Railway Bill, and shall transmit to him a copy of the twelfth Resolution, and a blank form of the

Declaration therein required, with a request that he will forthwith return it to them properly filled up and signed.

"16. Resolved-That if the Committee of Se

lection shall not within due time receive from each such Member the aforesaid declaration, or an excuse which they shall deem sufficient, they shall report to the House the name of such defaulting Member.

ed with the conveyance of passengers (with a due amount of luggage), and of goods upon such Railway; but if the Committee shall not deem it expedient to determine such maximum rates of charge, a Special Report, explanatory of the grounds of their omitting so to do, shall be made to the House, which Special Report shall accompany the Report of the Bill."

MR. T. DUNCOMBE said, although the noble Lord had only given notice of his intention to move the appointment of a Classification Committee, it was not his intention to offer any opposition to the Resolutions to which the House were called upon to agree. But it was his intention to call the attention of the House to one particular point, which he conceived of importance; and if his suggestion were acted on in respect of the matter, he believed it would tend very much to spare the time of all Committees on Railway Bills. It was well known to those Gentlemen who sat upon such Com"18. Resolved-That power be given to the Committee of Selection to send for persons, papers, mittees, how much of the public time was and records, in the execution of the duties imposed taken up in proving what was called traffic on them by the foregoing Resolutions. tables. One party went into a deal of evi"19. Resolved-That no Member of a Com-dence to show what they wanted, and

"17. Resolved-That the Committee of Selection shall have the power of substituting, at any time before the first meeting of a Committee, another Member for a Member whom they shall deem it proper to excuse from serving on that Committee.

mittee shall absent himself from his duties on such

Committee, unless in the case of sickness or by

leave of the House.

"20. Resolved-That all Questions before Committees on Railway Groups or Bills shall be decided by a majority of voices, including the voice of the Chairman; and that whenever the voices shall be equal, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.

"21. Resolved-That if the Chairman shall be absent from the Committee, the Member next in

rotation on the List who shall be present shall act as Chairman.

22. Resolved-That Committees shall be allowed to proceed so long as three Members shall be present, but not with a less number, unless by special leave of the House.

"23. Resolved-That if on any day within one hour after the time appointed for the meeting of a Committee three Members shall not be present, the Committee shall be adjourned to the same hour on the next day on which the House shall sit, which had been fixed for that day.

"24. Resolved-That in the case of a Member

not being present within one hour after the time appointed for the meeting of the Committee, or of any Member absenting himself from his duties on such Committee, such Member shall be reported

to the House at its next sitting.

"25. Resolved-That each Committee shall be appointed to meet on each day of its sitting, not later than twelve o'clock, unless by the regular

vote of the Committee.

"26. Resolved-That Committees on Railway Bills have leave to sit in the present Session, notwithstanding any adjournment of the Ilouse, if the Committees shall so think fit.

another, on the other hand, to show the contrary. The most extravagant calculations were gone into, and the Committees were obliged to sit and listen to all this absurd matter. If it were expedient to make a railway between A and B, he considered that question was enough for the Committee; and they ought not to be obliged to entertain calculations as to the probable amount of traffic between those two points. Now, therefore, he would propose by way of amendment, to add to the Resolutions of the noble Lord one to this effect

That Committees on Railway Bills should not be obliged to consider the question of traffic, but to have power to refuse such evidence, and report such refusal to the House."

LORD G. SOMERSET hoped the hon. Member for Finsbury would not for the present press his Amendment, as that very subject to which he referred was at the present moment occupying the most serious attention of the Railway Committee:

MR. B. DENISON concurred fully in the utility of the hon. Member for Finsbury's suggestion. As Chairman of many Railway Committees, he could testify to the manner in which this evidence relative to the traffic was got up. In fact, a traffic

case could be made out of anything. He | STAFF OFFICERS (RETIRING PENSIONS). was glad the question was undergoing the consideration of the Committee; he trusted his hon. Friend would withdraw his Resolution for the present, but he fully agreed with him in the absolute necessity which existed for laying down some rule by which Railway Committees were in future to be guided in this matter.

Mr. DUNCOMBE consented to withdraw his Motion, and was glad to hear the subject was under the consideration of the Committee.

CAPTAIN LAYARD wished to ask the right hon. Secretary at War whether the Government had it in contemplation to make any better regulations for the retirement of staff officers, such as surgeons, quartermasters, veterinary surgeons, and paymasters? He wished also to ask, whether the medal was to be given at once to those engaged in the Chinese war?

MR. S. HERBERT said, in reference to the first question put to him by the hon. and gallant Member, that the matter was under consideration. Considerable difficulty arose in giving the retirement con

MR. P. M. STEWART suggested the justice and expediency of having such hon. Members as did not serve on Railway Com-tended for by the hon. and gallant Member, mittees during last Session appointed to that particular business during the present. MR. GISBORNE had always said last year of those Committees that they were honest but incompetent tribunals; but as many hon. Members had obtained so much experience by their attendance on those Committees, he thought it would be a pity to let the country lose the advantage of it. Resolutions agreed to, and Classification Committee appointed.

CAPTAIN JOHNSTONE.

without encouraging similar claims from other portions of the service. He hoped, however, that some improvement would be introduced, although, perhaps, not to the extent desired by the hon. and gallant Member. With regard to the medals to be distributed amongst those who served in the Chinese war, he had been informed that the dies were made, and that the medals, 17,000 in number, would be completed in three months' time.

COMMERCIAL DUTIES.

ADMIRAL DUNDAS wished to call the MR. A. STAFFORD O'BRIEN wished attention of the Government to a case which to know whether the Government intended had lately excited great interest in the pub-to put a stop to the further circulation of a lie mind; he referred to the case of Cap-work, treating of commercial tariffs retain Johnstone, who had lately been tried and acquitted. It had been since reported, that it was the intention of Government to send that individual to a Colony. He hoped this report was untrue; for the man ought certainly to have been hanged. He also wished to know whether Government intended to institute any examination into the qualifications of masters of merchant vessels ?

lating to America, to which the hon. Member for Bolton had referred on Tuesday evening last? He had looked over the latter portion of that book, and had found its inaccuracies so numerous, and, he must say, so disgraceful to the public officer who prepared it, that he hoped the Government would not permit it to be further circulated until these errors had been corrected. The compiler, drawing up a scheme of taxation, such as suited his own views and principles, made a mistake of 1,339,000l. in his cal

malt and the excise, setting down the duty for five months at 8,993,7521., when any person acquainted with the commonest rules of arithmetic - any child from a parish school, could have shown the amount from his own figures to be upwards of 10,000,000l. It was most desirable for our own character, especially with reference to America, that some check should be put to such disgraceful inaccuracies.

SIR J. GRAHAM said, in reference to the first question put to him by the hon. and gallant Member with respect to Cap-culations with reference to the duty on tain Johnstone, who had lately been tried and not found guilty but insane, he begged to state to the hon. and gallant Officer, that her Majesty's Government had no power whatever of inflicting any punishment on that individual. It would be their duty to place him under close confinement for the rest of his days. In reference to the second question put to him by the hon. and gallant Member, he had the satisfaction of stating that the Board of Trade, by a recent regulation, had established a system of examination for masters of merchant vessels.

SIR G. CLERK complained, that the hon. Member should have put his question without having given him the slightest intimation of his intention to make so serious

a charge. The House must be aware that | He certainly thought the hon. Member for it would be perfectly impossible for him or Northamptonshire indulged in far too strong any other individual, without notice, to a word when he applied the term "disgive an answer relative to the accuracy of graceful" to the officer by whom these reevery statement in a volume containing turns were furnished. Some unintentional 1400 pages. If the hon. Member would inaccuracies might be found in them perhave the courtesy to inform him what were haps; but they were, nevertheless, exceedthe particular inaccuracies of which he had ingly instructive, and might be read with to complain, he would take care to make great advantage by the hon. Member and inquiry into the subject, and inform him his friends. whether the mistakes had arisen from accidental errors of the press, or from miscalculations on the part of the officer who had prepared the returns. The only object of compiling these statements was to obtain correct information; and he could assure the hon. Member, and all other hon. Members, that the Board of Trade would feel most grateful for information as to any errors which might require correction. In returns embracing such voluminous details it was almost impossible to guard, even with the exercise of the utmost caution, against error.

pre

LORD SEYMOUR wished to know under what system these volumes were produced. It was of the utmost importance to all, whatever their views, that these returns should be accurate, which, under the sent system prevailing at the Board of Trade, was impossible. Under any system it would be difficult to obtain correct statistical information; but it became an impossibility when facts were warped to suit particular views. He wished to have laid on the Table the original Minute under which the statistical department of the Board of Trade was constituted. It would be well if the noble Lord, who presided over that department with so much ability, would give directions to the officers connected with the statistical department to confine themselves to data and the arrangement of facts, instead of dwelling in declamatory language on the tyranny of other Governments, and casting blame on the conduct of all the Sovereigns of Europe.

MR. M. GIBSON rose to bear testimony to the general accuracy of the works compiled by Mr. Macgregor, of which he was a student. He had tested their truthfulness, and would undertake to say that no one was more desirous than that gentleman of giving sound information on commercial matters. It frequently happened that unintentional inaccuracies found their way into these public documents; in fact, an instance just occurred to him, relating to the quantity of corn which was to be expected from the province of Tamboff.

MR. T. DUNCOMBE had just been informed by the officer himself that the errors complained of were typographical; it was rather hard, therefore, that those intrusted with the preparation of the returns in question should not only be charged with having made miscalculations, but should also have improper motives imputed to them.

MR. A. S. O'BRIEN said he had been misinterpreted. He had no intention of imputing motives; and if any unintentional expression had fallen from him which would bear such an interpretation, he most heartily begged to retract it. He still maintained, however, that when they paid public servants for the execution of public works, they had a right to expect accuracy. MR. HORSMAN said, whether the information were true or not, the hon. Member was not justified in attacking a public servant without giving him notice.

VISCOUNT POLLINGTON apprehended the hon. Member merely meant to say that it was disgraceful that public Papers should be allowed to go forth in such a state. Subject at an end.

COMMERCIAL POLICY-CUSTOMS-CORN
LAWS-ADJOURNED DEBATE (THIRD

NIGHT).

On the Order of the Day for resuming the Adjourned Debate,

MR. COLQUHOUN said, he was going to ask the permission of the House to make a personal explanation, painful at all times, but which it was incumbent on him to make after the observations of the right hon. Baronet at the head of the Government, who, he was ready to admit, had no wish to misrepresent his opinions, although the right hon. Gentleman had greatly misunderstood them. It would be in the recollection of the House that the right hon. Baronet had stated that he had once held opinions similar to those entertained, and, he believed, most conscientiously entertained, by the hon. Member for Wolver hampton-namely, that he wished for a total repeal of the Corn Laws, and that he