MR. W. BARRON denied that he had brought any wholesale accusations against the tenantry of Ireland. What he said. was that, in nine cases out of ten, in disputes between landlord and tenant, the landlord was the injured party; and that he would leave to the judgment of any competent tribunal. He never knew any case come before a court of justice in which it was not manifest that the landlord was the aggrieved party.

MR. G. A. HAMILTON said, he was willing to except the two clauses to which the right hon. Baronet the Home Secretary objected, and merely to retain that part of the Bill which made it penal fraudulently to cut or remove crops on a Sunday, together with such other portions of the Bill as might be necessary for giving effect to that.

country. For what Mr. Osborne had done, to listen to those who seemed inclined he (Mr. Reynolds) could not help exclaim- to "bear false witness against " the ing, "God bless him!" His humanity country. and benevolence were deserving of all praise. He had spoken the words of truth and justice, and, committing them to the press, had sent them not only to the furthest corners of the united kingdom, but to every land in which the English language was understood. On the statements, then, which Mr. Osborne and other witnesses had made, he would say that the people of Ireland ought not to be interfered with as to the times at which they might cut or gather in or remove their crops; and he did not hesitate to say that to resist them in that respect was an audacious, an insulting, and an Algerine proceeding. Such a measure could only have emanated from landlords of the class which Mr. Osborne described and denounced. Let Gentlemen only look at the roofless houses, the destitute people of Ireland, and then they would see the effect of landlordism as it exhibited itself in that country. As to the poor-law, he believed it was to a certain extent the salvation of Ireland, and but for its operation there would have been much more to complain of. He had recently travelled ten Irish miles, in the course of which journey he did not see one house with a roof on it, one field that was not open to the public-he did not see one man, woman, or child, or even a beast; and he could not help then exclaiming, that if ever there was a body of men who deserved to be visited with Divine vengeance, that body was the landlords of Ireland. It was time, then, that some stop should be put to their progress. More than 100 Acts of Parliament had been passed for the promotion of their interest. It was time that something should be done for the protection of the tenantry, and it was now, in the year 1850, that that enlightened legislator the hon. Member for the city of Waterford walked into that House and told them that the landlords were compelled to seek for protection. For his part, he should say that, though among the landlord class in Ireland, there were many honourable exceptions to the general rule; yet, as a body, he held that they deserved to perish. He desired only to add, that if in the course of that debate he had used any discourteous phrase or intemperate language, no one would regret anything of the sort more than he should; but he could not sit down without cautioning the Government not

COLONEL RAWDON was glad to hear what had fallen from his hon. and learned Friend, because it obviated to a great extent his objection to the measure. He believed some legislation on the subject was necessary, but at the same time could not help adverting to the singular title of the Bill. It was entitled an Act "to improve the relations of landlord and tenant;" but there was not a single clause in the Bill with reference to the improvement of the tenant. The whole object of it was to give more power to the landlord, and he thought it ought to be entitled "a Bill for the most speedy and effectual recovery of rent in Ireland.

MR. C. ANSTEY said, the measure was to all intents and purposes a landlords' Bill. Was this a time for passing such additional restrictions upon the people of Ireland? The attention of the people of that country had been drawn to the Bill; with one voice they denounced it, and that voice would now be more loudly heard but that they thought there was little probabillity of the measure being carried through Parliament at the present period of the Session. He conceived that the Legislature was not entitled thus to interfere with the rights of property. The crop was the property of the tenant, and Parliament ought not to restrict him as to the times of cutting or removing that crop. Moreover, in the north, if not in the other parts of Ireland, the tenantry were not, and ought not to be anywhere, at the mercy of the landlords. The tenant-right existed

SIR G. GREY in moving the Second Reading of the Bill said, he had had communication with various parties connected with coal mines, and had received from them suggestions which he was perfectly ready to insert in the Bill, which it was known to the House had originated in the House of Lords, where there were many large coal-mine proprietors.

MR. FORSTER hoped the right hon. Baronet would not press the second reading at that late hour (a quarter to six o'clock). MR. HUME said, the measure was one of great importance, and every suggestion would be fully attended to in Committee. He hoped his hon. Friend would give way, as assenting to that stage of the Bill was merely saying that some steps should be taken to put a stop to those lamentable accidents. The subject would receive the fullest attention in Committee.

The House divided:-Ayes 15; Noes 54: Majority 39.

And it being Six of the clock, Mr. Speaker adjourned the House till To-morrow, without putting the Question.

HOUSE OF LORDS,

MINUTES.] A CONFERENCE. Parliamentary Voters
Thursday, August 1, 1850.
(Ireland) Bill.

1a Administration of Justice in Court of Chan-
cery Acts Continuance; Engines for taking
Fish (Ireland).

Reported.-General Board of Health (No. 2);
Small Tenements Rating.

3a Court of Chancery (Ireland); Canterbury
Settlement Lands.

THE POST OFFICE-MONEY ORDER
DEPARTMENT.

The EARL of ST. GERMANS wished to put some questions to the noble Marquess the Postmaster General, respecting the salaries paid to the clerks in the Money Order Office in the Post Office. It appeared that the clerks in that office were divided into several classes, according to the length of their service, whether seven, ten, or fifteen years, and that the highest of these classes received salaries of from 250l. to 300l. a year, the second class of from 200l. to 2407., the third from 80l. to 1307. There was a COLONEL SIBTHORP opposed the Bill, fourth called the probationary class, which on the ground that it would lead to the ap-received 701. or under, a year. The salpointment of a number of officers with large salaries.

MR. WYLD hoped the right hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary would press the Bill. It had received the approbation of the large body of the miners of this country.

aries paid to persons holding offices of similar trust in mercantile establishments or public companies were generally much higher. It was too much to expect that a person should be satisfied who was to receive only the highest of these salaries after being forty years in the public ser MR. ALEXANDER HASTIE said, vice. How could they expect young men the Bill had passed the other House with- to keep up a respectable appearance and out discussion; it was, therefore, of essen-maintain themselves on salaries of 701. a tial consequence that it should receive the most full and calm consideration in that House. He should oppose their proceeding with it.

year? It was notorious that a great number of these clerks were driven by necessity to resort to the Insolvent Debtors Court for relief, and the Commissioners SIR G. GREY said, that it had under- had often expressed their surprise at the gone a long discussion in the other House, smallness of the salaries paid. It was and had there met with the approval of understood that a sum of 16,000,000l. a many of the largest coal proprietors. year passed through the Money Order DeMR. WAWN said, the right hon. Baro-partment of the Post Office, which had net had not given a single reason why they should proceed with that Bill; he should therefore move that the debate be adjourned.

Motion made, and Question put, "That the debate be now adjourned."

now in effect become a banking establishment of great importance, and it required men of great application and intelligence duly to perform the duties entrusted to them. He would not say anything as to the risk incurred by paying such inade

The MARQUESS of CLANRICARDE said, he had no objection to reply to the questions of the noble Earl-indeed he felt obliged to him for having afforded

erroneous statements which had been made elsewhere as to this appointment. First, as to the Money Order Office, he feared his answer would not be entirely satisfactory to the noble Earl. He agreed with him that it had been the custom in the Post Office, and other public depart

quate salaries, but he would observe that | some explanation would be given, as this he was satisfied no course was so impolitic appointment appeared to have given great as under-paying public servants. He offence to persons who had long been in hoped the noble Marquess would not say the public service. it was impossible to increase the salaries in this department of the Post Office, because the Office was not in itself remunerative; but if he did, he (Earl St. Germans) did not think that it would be con-him an opportunity of replying to most sidered as a valid objection against his suggestion. The first question he had to ask was, whether the noble Marquess was prepared to propose to the Treasury a revised scale of salaries for the officers of the Money Order Office specially, or for the Post Office generally? The other question was respecting a recent appointments, to raise the clerks by seniority; ment of a person to be head of the de- but circumstances might justify a deparpartment to which he had alluded. This ture from this rule. He had been called had been made a subject of discussion upon to provide a superior officer in a elsewhere, where the noble Marquess had most important department of the Post no opportunity of explaining the reasons Office, and in doing so he found he was which induced him to appoint the present obliged to look to other considerations chief clerk to the Money Order Office. than seniority; but he was not prepared It had been said in another place that the to enter into an explanation of all the cirjunior clerks in the Post Office were accus- cumstances which led to the appointment tomed to rise to the head of each depart- to the office in question. As to the allument by seniority. It was complained sion that had been made elsewhere rethat, in this case, all the clerks in the specting the resignation of clerks in conMoney Order Office in London had been sequence of the lowness of the salaries passed over, and a person from Edinburgh paid, he had no doubt if any of them had been appointed to that situation. It should resign he should have 500 applicawas stated that several of them were the tions to fill their places. He was ready seniors of the person in question, and were to admit the salaries were low; but if these very competent persons to fill the office. offices were considered so bad, why were He thought that such a step ought not to such numbers desirous of entering them? have been taken. The only reason for it He must also say, in fairness, that he did was said to be, that on a recent occasion not think that the Money Order Office was the junior clerks had presented a memorial exactly the department where the pay was to the Post Office authorities representing the least, looking to the nature and certain grievances of which they complain- character of the services to be performed. ed. When a recent vacancy occurred, his He did not mean to say that they were noble Friend at the head of the Post sufficiently paid; but he could state that Office was said to have called upon these the situation of the clerks had been amendclerks to retract the statements made in ed during the last three months. It was their memorial, and on their refusal to do only two months since he had recommendso, had appointed to the vacancy a gentle- ed that the probationary class of clerks. man not connected with that department, should have an increase of salaries, on the though he was connected with the Post advice and recommendation of Mr. RowOffice generally. If this were a misrepre-land Hill. The business of the Money sentation, he had now given his noble Friend an opportunity of correcting it. He had also been informed that Lord Lonsdale had filled up four vacancies at the heads of various departments in the Post Office, by appointing the senior clerk in each to succeed. He would not say whether the principle of promotion by seniority was the best to act upon; but still the practice prevailed, and he hoped

Order Office had so increased that it had been found necessary to appoint not less than 114 new clerks, either by himself or by his predecessors in office. Since 1846 the following change had been made: at that period there were 128 clerks receiving only 70l. a year, but at present there were only 51 in that class. So far he had, he thought, satisfactorily shown that the lower class of clerks had recently been