presented a petition from the parish of Chatteris, in the Isle of Ely, against the present system of Church-rates,

said, that he would take the present opportunity to correct a misunderstanding respecting some words which fell from him on the subject of Church-rates. A discussion had taken place on the subject in the course of the present Session, and an hon. Member had stated that his vote would depend on the answer which he (Lord J. Russell) might give to questions put to him on the subject. He thought that it would be very unfair to induce the hon. Member to give a vote on his (Lord J. Russell's) side, when it might appear afterwards that the remedy which he had to propose was not such as the hon. Member anticipated. But this statement had been supposed to imply a determination on his part that the measure to be brought in next Session should be framed in a manner unsatisfactory to that hon. Gentleman, to his hon. Friend who presented this petition, and to most of those who entertained similar opinions. He begged to state that this was not at all the meaning which he intended to convey. He had thought it unfair to ask any hon. Member for a vote, when the measure which he proposed might not come up to that hon. Member's expectations; but it had been, and was, his hope, that the measure which he had to propose would be satisfactory to his hon. Friend, and to the great mass of those who coincided with him in opinion.

took this opportunity of asking the noble Lord the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Government had any measures in preparation for the purpose of promoting the reformation of juvenile offenders, as had been announced at an early part of the present Session?

said, that the subject was under consideration, and he hoped to be able to bring forward a measure on the subject in the course of next Session. He had had it in contemplation last year to appropriate the prison of Dartmoor as a receptacle for juvenile offenders. The opinion of two of the inspectors of prisons was, that it might be fitted up for that purpose; but when plans of the alterations came to be made out, both the inspectors, as well as an architect who was sent down to survey the building, were of opinion that it was not advisable to lay out any sum of money upon it, as it could not be kept in repair. He had caused inquiry to be made with regard to other buildings in the country, but had not been able to satisfy himself that any one was proper for the purpose. He had another site in view, however, to which he hoped to be able to transfer juvenile offenders from the metropolitan prisons, in order to their better and more effectual confinement.

begged to suggest the expediency of granting to his majesty some power of summary punishment in the case of juvenile offenders.

replied that his attention was particularly directed to that part of the subject. The hon. Member, however, must be sensible of the difficulty of framing a measure for such a purpose which should not run counter to the feelings of the country respecting the administration of justice.

asked, if it was the intention of Government to introduce any measure for the purpose of giving effect to the recommendations contained in the Report of the Commissioners on the Criminal Law, which had been for some time on the table of the House?

said, that he had stated before, in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Cockermouth, that a measure was in contemplation, which he hoped to be able to introduce next Session. The report to which the hon. Gentleman referred, though a very able document, did not go into the whole of the subject.

said, that an hon. Member had placed a notice on the books for an address to his Majesty, intreating the Royal clemency to those Convicts who had been transported to New South Wales, in 1831, from Hampshire, and the south of England, for the offences of machine-breaking, fire-raising, rioting, &c. It would be quite unnecessary for him to enter into the question of the propriety of that address, as he had received a letter from the Under-Secretary of the Colonies, in reply to one addressed to that hon. Gentleman on the subject, which he hoped would be satisfactory. In this letter, the Under-Secretary stated, in reply to a letter of the 1st of August, respecting the free pardon which his Majesty had been pleased to grant to 246 persons, convicts in New South Wales:—"I am directed by Lord Glenelg, to acquaint you, that Governor Arthur has done this, except in the case of ten indi- viduals, who have forfeited all claim to this act of clemency." He ought to state that the pardon was directed for 246 persons—the whole number being 264. He only made an exception in the cases of those, who had previously been committed for some other offences—such as creating riots, or machine-breaking. With respect to these parties, it was thought that some difference should be made.

asked, if all who were transported to New South Wales at the time for the offences mentioned, were to have the benefit of the pardon?

said, that the order made no distinction.

objected to the amendments being taken into consideration, as they had not been printed, and suggested that they should be postponed till Friday. So far as he had read the amendments, he thought them decided improvements to the Bill, but he was anxious to consider them more carefully.

remarked, that if hon. Members were ignorant of the nature of the amendments, the best way to acquire a knowledge of them, was to proceed to consider them.

observed, that the Lords' amendments made the Bill much more popular than before.

opposed the third reading, on the ground that the measure went to disfranchise a great portion of the poorer class of voters, and moved, as an amendment, that the Bill be read a third time that day three months.

thought that the effect of such a clause would be to weaken the general provisions of the Bill, which already, in the most effectual manner, provided against such practices on the part of Government.

supported the clause.

next moved the omission from the 5th Clause, as we understood, of certain words, the effect of which was to render voters guilty of bribery for ever incapable of holding office, place, or emolument under the Crown. He did not think that the punishment ought to be rendered perpetual.

seconded the motion.