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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. » In the House of Commoss, on Wednesday, Mr. T. Hughes moved the second reading of the Sunday Trading Bill. He pointed to the prevalence of Sunday trading in Lambeth, and stated that upwards of 100,(00 persons in London were engaged in trade on the Sunday, nine-tenths of whom were desirous that Sunday trading should be either prohibited or stopped to a great extent; but that could not be done unless all weie dealt with alike. The present law was inefficient, and could not be enforced, and legislation was therefore necessary. The bill provided that certain articles should not be permitted to be sold at all on the Sunday, but it permitted perishable articles, such as butchers' meat and vegetables, to be sold before nine o'clock, and articles sold at places of refreshment before ten. Public-houses, and beerhouses were not interfered with. Mr. Freshfield was opposed to the principle of the bill, which he said ought to be called the Sunday Trade Licensing Bill. He preferred the present law, but would support a bill to make it more efficient. He moved the rejection of the bill. Mr. Powell objected ta some of the provisions of the hill, which would be regarded in the country as legalising Sunday trading; but there was an evil for which a renaedy ought to be provided, nd if the objectionable details of the bill were modified he would support it on the third reading.. | Sir B. Brydges supported the bill, but thought some of 1 the exceptions were too wide. j Mr. Horsfall opposed it, because it made Sunday trading S leeal which was now illegal. I Lord C. Hamilton looked upon the bill as. one which would give relief to many tradesmen who were desirous of giving up Sunday tradisg, but could not do so as long as they were subject to the competition of others. Mr. M'Laren believed the bill went against the growing feeling of the country that the Sunday should be more strictly observed, and on that account should vote against it. Mr. E. Gurney denied that the bill legalised Sunday trading. He objected to some of the exceptions, which he thought allowed trading rather in the luxuries of the rich than in necessaries for the poor. Mir. Walpole had little confidence in any legislation on this subject. He did, not, however, object to the bill; but thought many of those exceptions ought not to be allowed. The discussion was continued for some time longer, Mr. ,Alderman Lusk supporting the bill, Mr. Candlish and Mr. Headlam suggesting that it should be confined to the metro- polis, Mr. Henley giving it a qualified support; and Mr. Graham and Mr. Newdegate opposing it oa religious grounds after which the bill was read a secend time. Mr. Dawson moved the second reading of the Grand Juries {Ireland) BilL After some discussion, Lord Naas said it was a large subject, requiring much con- sideration, and he suggested that the bill should be with- drawn, and that a select committee should be appointed next session to consider the subject. On the order of the day for- going into committee on the Sale of Land by Auction Bill, Mr. K. Hugessenand Mr. E. Ki Karslake objected to the bill. The House, however, went into committee on the bill, aud made some progress, and The House adjourned. Ia the House of Lords, en Thursday, the Office of Judge in.the Admiralty, Divorce, and Probate Courts Bill passed through committee; and the Customs and Inland Revenue, Bill was read a second time, and Their lordships adjourned. In the House of Commons, the Chancellor of the Ex- chequer, in reply to a question by Mr. Heneage, stated that a boundaries commission, consisting of five commissioners, would be appointed, and that Lord Eversley had consented to act as chairman or that commission, and that the other commissioners would be appointed in communication with him. On the order of the day for the second reading of the National Debt Bill, Mr. H. B. Sheridan moved as an minend- ment that a further reduction of the duty on fire insurances would be a better disposal of the surplus of the revenue for the present year than the creation of terminable annuities, proposed by the bill. Mr. Hubbard supported the amendment. Mr. T. Hankey supported the bill. Mr. Lahig contended that the true policy wag to reduce or raneal taxes, and let the money fructify in the pockets of the people. Mr. Gladstone said there were many taxes which ought to ■ be repealed before they meddled with the duty on fire insurances. One was the tax on corn, which was preventing this country from being what it ought to become-the great entrepot of corn from all parts of the world ? and there were license duties which were most impolitis. The argument of Mr. Laing went against applying any portion of the revenue to the payment of the national debt. It had been the policy of the Government for the last hundred years to devote a portion of the revenue to the reduction of the debt, and this bill was only carrying out that policy. The objec- tion that the incidence of the income tax operated unjustly .gainst those annuities did not apply, because the annuities vera not thrown on the market, and the tax was not levied on them. Mr. T. Cave agreed with the object of the bill. Mr. Gorst thought this bill could not do much harm, but it had not beenshoivn that it would do much good. I Mr. Aytoun and NIr. Read followedin support of the amendment; and Sir F. Crossleyand Mr. Alderman Salo- mons in support of the bill. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said it Itad been the- policy of our most able financiers for a long periocl-cer- tainly for fifty years-to deal with the debt by terminable annuities. This year terminable annuities to a considerable amount fell in, and as the Government had a surplus they thought it right to apply that surplus in following out the policy which had been so long pursued. Oil a division the second reading was carried by 162 to 133. On the order for goiniz into committee of supply, Mr. Whitbread caUedattention to the system of reoruit- ing for the army. Sir J. Pakington said the system of recruiting was open to objection, but declined to enter on the subject now. Captain Vivian thought the subject of military reform ought to be taken into consideration along with that of recruiting. After a short discussion, The Marquis of Hartingbon thought the House had rea- son to complain that the Secretary for War declined now to enter into the discussion. That part of the resolution which requires that the terms of the service should be explained to recruits was then agreed to, and the House went into committee of supply, and a vote of JE415,000 for increase of pay to the army, and more efficient increase of recruiting, was agreed to. After which the House resumed. Further progress was made in committee with the Court of Chancery (Ireland) Bill; and the other orders were dis- posed of Shortly before the House adjourned, Mr. Layard called attt)ation of the Speaker to certain offensive expressions which had been applied to him in the lobby by Mr. H. Lewis. Mr. Lewis gave his view of the transaction, which materially differed from that of the hon. member for Southwark. Eventually, mutual apologies were exchanged, and, after a few words from Mr. Disraeli and the Speaker, the matter dropped. In the House of Lords, on Friday, Lord Lifford presented a petition from Glasnevin, a suburb of Dublin, praying for the remission of the capital sentences on the Fenian pri- soners. The petition was signed exclusively by members of the Defence Association, who had all been ready to support the authorities during the late disturbances. He entirely concurred in the prayer of the petition. He pointed out that there was a broad distinction between the conduct of the Fenians and the rebels in 1798. Many of the Fenians were misguided and deluded youths, and their proceedings towards individuals had not been marked by rapine and outrage. The Fortifications (Provisions for Expenses) Act was read a second time. The House adjourned. In the House of Commons. Lord B. Montagu stated, in reply to a question, that cs.ttle plague is on the increase in the liietropolls, unat toe Government has received intelli- gence that it is also rife in. many parts of Germany, and that an order m council has just been passed in reference thereto. In committee on theRepresentaton of the People Bill, resuming at clause TT Mr. Watkins addressed the House m support of a proviso, which was under discussion l,1,19 House was last in committee on the bin, in at no tenement shall be con- sidered a dwelling-house, tor the purposes of this Act, which contains less than two rooms. The obiect of his M-oviso. he said, was to prevent household Suffragefrom degenerating into hovel suttrage. Captain Meller contended that the proviso wasxnconsistent with the lodger franchise, whicn the House had already a^Mr. Pease moved an amendment that the rooms should contain an area of 1,600 cubic feet. Sir R. Collier objected to the proviso. JNotnirfg conld be more absurd than Mr. Pease's amendment. Mr. Liddell impressed upon the House the importance of defining what a dwelling-house i3.. Mr. Cowen said the adoption of the proviso would be tan- tamount in many boroughs to drawing a "ard and fast line at £ 7 or £ *8. There were 14,000 persons in Newcastle who would be disfranchised by this clause.. After some further discussion, in the course of which tne Attorney-General said it was not, intended to enfranchise •the occupiers of mere hovels* and undertook to bring up a clause to define a dwelling-house, Mr. Pease withdrew his amendment, and Mr. "Wattin his proviso. Sir F. Goldsmid theu moved to add another proviso, that no man shall be entitled to be registered as a voter by rea- son of his being a joint occupier of any. dwelling-house; and on a division the proviso was adopted by 259 to 25. Another proviso, which re-opeued the compound question, but ii, a different shape, was moved by Mr. Hodgkinson, that no person other thaS the occupier shsUberatedtü parochial rates in respect,of p""IT.\i,,¡es occupied by him with- in the limits of a Parliamentary borough, all Acts to the I S- contrary notwithstanding. Mr. Gladstone said tlie House had on two occasionsj once by. a large, and on the other oocaftion by a considerable ma-1 jotity, determined t'nflt householder should mot have a vote. He could not a<iquiescj3 in those decisions, | -which established household- suffrage indeed, but accom- panied by uujust aud vexations restrictions,,sail te whiah. he believed that She country would not submit; and he should take advantage of every legitimate occasion to induce the House to abolish those restrictions. By this amendment they were offered an extension of the fran- chise at the expense of pressing an economical advantage which parishes now had in the system of compounding, and he was ready to pay the price for the eake of ob- taining a settlement of the question that was now agitating the country. But he should recall his assent if there was an attempt to put off the question involved in the was an attempt to put off the question involved in the proviso by dealing with it in a separate bill sext year. There was now the opportunity-perhaps the last that would offer-of peace and concord in the settlement of the Reform question; but the Government of the country went beyond the walls of that House when on a vital question of this kind the people met in thousands in every part of the country, for the purpose of protesting against the proceed- ings of Parliament. He, therefore, hoped the Government would accept the amendment. In consenting to it, he and those who acted with him waived their views for the sake of peace, and if it were not accepted by the Government he snouia lee* tnat ne naa aone aii Luat, peacw i cquueu. Mr. Bass supported the amendment. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said this amendment would really carry out the principle of the bill, and in their original seheme the Government introduced a similar pro- vision, but on consideration they came to the conclusion that it would so encumber the ship as to imperil the voyage, and they therefore struck it out. He should, therefore, offer no opposition to the proviso. He thought, however, that it was a subject which would be best dealt with by separate legislation, and if the amendment were withdrawn he would undertake to bring in a bill to carry out the object thA amendment. Mr. Childers suggested that they should postpone all the clauses relating to the compounders till the Chancellor of the Exchequer had brought in his bill. Mr. Ayrton observed that it would be impossible to pro- ceed with a bill to abolish compounding without referring it to a select committee, and hearing counsels for the parishes interested. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said he did not wish to mix the two subjects, and he could not undertake to bring in a bill immediately; but the Government would deal with it as effectually as they could- He proposed, after they had finished the third clause, to go immediately to the 34th 'clause, which related to the compounders. Mr. W. E. Forster thought there was now a hope of settling the borough franchise in a way that would be satis- factory to the country. He suggested that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should revert to his original intention, and that they should go on with the clauses in their order, and in the meantime the other bill might be brought in. The Attorney-General said thereat question was whether they should pass the bill this Session. He did not think it possible to prepare a bill in reference to the compound ques- tion in time to pass it this Session. Sir R. Collier thought that the law officers of the Crown might by a few well considered clauses, deal with the difficulty. Mr. Brett said it would be a departure from ordinary practice to pass a bill affeeting local interests without re- ferring it to a select committee. Mr. J. S. Mill remarked that the more difficult the subject the more necessary it was that they should have the bill before them. Mr. Sandford did not think the Government had dealt frankly with their supporters because they led them to sup- pose that the Small Tenements Act and the Compound Acts would be maintained. I Mr. Denman regarded the difficulties spoken of as mere chimeras. Mr. Henley vindicated the Government from the charge of inconsistency. Mr. T. Chambers did not believe the measure would pass this Session if it were mixed up with the compound ques- tion. Mr. B. Osborne advised the Liberal members to depend on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who, he said, was the greatest Radical in the House, and who, he believed, would not only settle the Reform question, but that of the Irish Church with the Liberal members sitting bebin-l him. Lord Cranborne said the Chancellor of the Exchequer had announced this evening a change of startling magnitude-a change that involved the certain admission, instead of the doubtful admission of some 500,000 persons to the franchise. It was$,n entire negation of all the principles by which his party hW besn actuated. A change so important should not be discussed without more time for consideration, and he therefore moved that the chairman report progress. The Chancellor of the Exchequer assented to the motion, which was then carried, and tha House resumed. Several bills were advanced a stage, and the House adjourned. In the House of Lords, on Monday, in committee on the Increase of the Episcopate Bill, on the clause authorising the appointment of suffragan bishops, after some discus- sion, and without any result having been arrived at, the House resumed, on the understanding that the question should be further considered on Monday next. The Customs and Inland Revenue Bill and the Fortifi- cations (Provisions for Expenses) Bill also passed through, committee, and The House adjourned. In the House of Commons, Lord Stanley stated, in reply to Mr. Ewart, that our international system of money orders has been established between Italy and France; that communications have passed between the British and French post-offices, with a view of a similar system being established between England and France, and that, by way of experiment the French post-office has opened a money order office in the Paris Exhibition. Lord R. Montagu stated, in reply to Mr. Dent, that the cattle plague has broken out in a cowshed in Duncan-street, Islington. The matter was under the consideration of the Privy Council, but he could not state what conclusion they would arrive at. Mr. G. Hardy, in reply to Mr. P. A. Taylor, stated that he proposed to. postpone the meeting on the Royal Parks Bill till after Whitsuntide. He thought the House would be more likely to come to a calm judgment on the bill if they discussed it without reference to any other ques- tion. In reply to the O'Donoghue, Lord Naas stated, that considering the state of business before the House, he should not introduce the Irish Reform Bill till after Whitsuntide. The House then went into committee on the Bepresenta- tion of the People Bill, resuming the discussion on the pro- viso proposed by Mr, Hodgkinson to be added to clause 3, enacting that no person other than tue occupier shall be rated to parochial rates. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said he had expressed on the part of the Government their entire cbneurrence with the policy which was indicated by this proviso, but at the same time his doubts whether the clause would bring about the result which was desired; and he undertook, on the part of the Government, to consider the best means by which it might be accomplished. He hoped to be able to bring up a clause shortly, perhaps on Thursday, and at the same time he would state how the bill should be proceeded with, in order that it might 'be sent up to the House of Lords in a convenient time. Mr. Hodgkinson thereupon withdrew his amendment, and Mr. Childers and Mr. P. Scrope stated that they should postpone amendments of which they had given notice. On the question that the clause stand part of the bill, Mr. Lowe said they now knew what the real principle of the bill was. It was that all householders were to have the franchise except such as were excused from the payment of rates on the ground of poverty; and he thought that before adopting it that the principle ought to be discussed, which it had not been yet. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had not shown his supporters his whole plan at once, for they would have been frightened at it; but he tolsl them it was not a democratic measure, and he dandled before them dual voting, and personal payment of rates, and other restrictions. But now these were all removed. How was that House to face the country, and how was it to face history when it was recorded of them that the same Parlia- mentthathadrejeated a bill for a R7 franchise had passed a bill for household suffrage ? He had before predicted that hon. gentlemen opposite by passing this bill would ruin either their party or their country. He was wrong; they would ruin both. Mr. Henley said he considered this proposal of the Go- vernment the most Conservative that could be made. Was it not better to settle the matter than let the pot go on boil- ing, and bring about even a much worse state of things than Mr Lowe ha;4 pointed out. The discussion was continued by Sir E. Knightley, Mr. Hubbard, Mr. Newdegate, Mr. B. Cochrane, and Mr. B. Hope, who protested against the borough franchise being degraded as it was by this clause; Mr. Scourfield, who could not approve of the change made by the bill; Mr. Schreiber, who objected to the lodger franchise; and by Mr. Poulett Scrope, who argued in favour of an amend- ment which he had postponed, to limit the franchise to a £ 4 rental. The clause was then, amid general cheering, ordered to stand'part of the bill. On clause 4, which relates to the county franchise, Mr. Mill moved to strike out "man and insert "person, the object of the amendment being to give the vote to wo- men. He said he did not claim the vote for women as an abstract right, but his argument was entirely one of expe- diency and justice. It was a doctrine of the British con- stitution that taxation and representation should co-exist, and many women, paid taxes, and therefore should be allowed to vote. There was evidence in our records that women, in a distant period of our history, had voted for counties and some boroughs, and there was no reason why they should not vote now. Mr. E. Kayslak-e said the proposition affected only widows and spinsters, but if carried would ultimately be extended to married women; but suppose the wife went "gadding about," which she might do at an the husband might legally lock her up, and then what became of her vote ? Mr. Fawcett thought Mr. Mill's argument conclusive, and should vote for his proposal. Mr. Laing opposed the amendment, on the ground that nature had drawn a clear distinction between the two sexes, and that women ought not to mix in politics. Sir G. Bowyer thought women should have votes, seeing that the country was governed by a woman, and that women might fill the office of overseer and churchwarden. The question was put amid much merriment, and the amendment was rejected by 196 to 73. Mr. Colvile then moved to give the vote to copyholders of the annual value of £5, The Attorney-General said the proposal was founded on the that freelloicters of the annual value of 40s. had votes for the county, buti while no one proposed to take that franchise away, if it did not exist ao ona would now P*Th? amend meat was supported by Mr-. Boebuck, Sir E. Buller Mr. Pease, Mr. Evaaa, M;r.. Barrow, and Sir E. CoiXrooke, ami ia TO earrlsil by 20.1 to 157. '&3. The Chancellor of the Exchequer then moved that the chairman report progress, saysag it was necessary that one or two votes should bo obtained ia supply that evening; and after some discussion she motion was carried, and the House resumed. General Dunne called attention to the illegality of appro- priating to the consolidated fund the fees for the registry ef deeds in Ireland. Mr. Hunt said there was not much cause to complain, seeing that the fees for a number of years had not paid the expenses of the office, which have been defrayed out of the consolidated fund. The House then went into committee of supply, and pro- ceeded with the Civil Service Estimates, several votes in which were agreed o. Several bills were then advanced a stage, and the House adjourned. In the House of Lords, on Tuesday, Lord Derby, in reply to a qnestion from Lord Russell, stated that although the principle of arbitration upon the subject of the Alabama claims had been admitted by the United States Government, yet there were differences as to the exact points of refer- reMce. The negotiations were being continued, but in a very satisfactory spirit. The Duke of Buckingham moved the second reading of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill. the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill. After a brief discussion, in the course of which a general assent was given, upon an understanding that it would be referred to a Select Committee, the Bill was read a second time. The bill for abolishing the office of Vice-President of the Board ofTrade was read a second time. The sitting was closed at half-past six o'clock. The first business in the House of Commons was to com- ply with the immemorial custom of adjourning ever the Derby Day. Lord Naas (in answer to Mr. O'Beirne) said it was intended to perseve.,e with the Irish Land Bills, and promised to fix the day for their further progress as soon as public busi- ness would allow. Mr. Mill introduced a bill for the establishment of Muni- cipal Corporations in the metropolis, intimating that he should not move the second reading until he had brought in his bill for a central Federal Municipality, with which he was not yet prepared. Mr. Ayrton, though not opposing the introduction of the bill, pointed out that it was not in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Metropolitan Local Government. In the present state of business it was im- possible to proceed with any bill on this subject this Session. Mr. Locke argued in favour of a scheme which would take the City Corporation as a nucleus for a great metropolitan municipality, dividing the metropolis into wards. After some remarks from Mr. Hogg and Colonel Sykes in defence of the existing loal bodies, Mr. Hardy offering no opposition on the part of the Government, though declining to give any pledge as to their views on so complicated a question, the bill was brought in. After some conversation on the alleged refusal of the Suiters' Company to grant a site for a Roman Catholic church at Magheraf'els, Mr. Bentinck called attention to the mode in which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have dealt with the claims of the non-capitular members of cathedral and collegiate churches to increased stipends; and moved for copies of the question which have lately been issued to the non- capitular members of cathedral and collegiate churches, and the replies thereto. Mr. Mowbray assented to the motion, which was agreed to. Lord Naas, in bringing in a bill to prolong until March the 1st next the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, in Ireland, urged that it had been very useful in suppressing the late disturbances, and that there were many prisoners now in custody whom it would not be safe to release, and promised that the powers of the Act should only be exer- cised for the safety of the country, as the Government had always held that it was not intended for the purposes of punishment. Mr. Maguire promised to raise a discussion at the next stage, and leave was then given to bring in the bill. Some time was occupied in the discussion of the rival Scotch Game Bills of Mr. M'Lagan and Lord Elcho, both of which were ultimately re^d a second time and referred to a select committee. Lord Amberley moved the second reading of his Parlia- mentary Begistration Bill. Mr. Hardy opposed the bill. Mr. Powell also opposed the bill, and Lord Amberley withdrewit. In Committee of Supply, a considerable number of votes was agreed to, completing Classes Nos. 2 and 3 of the Civil Service Estimates. Some other business was disposed, of, and the House adjourned.

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