h of April Lord John Russell moved his long-announced
resolution of confidence on the part of the house in the executive
government of Ireland. His lordship dwelt at great length on the
constitutional right of the lords to make inquiry into the state of
Ireland and the conduct of its government. He did not deny that right;
but considering such a measure under all its circumstances, the
indiscriminate vehemence of the inculpations allowed to circulate, the
limitation of time, the very name of the mover, he could not but feel
that he was called upon to demand from the house of commons a definite
opinion upon the conduct of the Irish administration. Sir Robert
Peel contended that the noble lord's resolution was partial and
unintelligible. Mr. Spring Rice, in reply, contended that the vote
of the house of lords was a vote of censure upon government; and he
remonstrated against the unfairness of making the existence of crime
in Ireland a charge against the present government, when nobody ever
thought of censuring preceding administrations on account of turbulence
and outrages in Ireland. At the close of Mr. Spring Rice's speech the
debate was adjourned, and subsequently two adjournments took place.
In the course of the debate ministers were supported by Messrs. Smith
O'Brien, Bellew, Henry Grattan, Grote, Edward Lytton Bulwer, Hume, the
O'Connor Don, Sir William Somerville, and others, and opposed by Messrs.
Lascelles, Sidney Herbert, Lucas, Shaw, Colonel Conolly, Sir James
Graham, and others. Mr. Shiel delivered a long and eloquent speech in
defence of Lord Normanby. The debate was closed by Mr. O'Connell,
whose statements, as usual, were more distinguished for their animated
delivery than their accuracy. On a division Sir Robert Peel's amendment
was negatived by three hundred and eighteen against two hundred and
ninety-six; and Mr. Duncombe's rider by two hundred and ninety-nine
against eighty-one.

IRISH MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS BILL.

On the 16th of February Lord Morpeth again moved for leave to bring in
a bill for the regulation of municipal corporations in Ireland. It has
been seen that the main point of dispute on this subject between the two
houses was the amount of the franchise; the house of lords contending
that it should be acquired by the occupation for twelve months of a
tenement of the value of ten pounds, to be made up of the sum at which
it was rated to the relief of the poor; and the house of commons,