The Express. — London, England, 1847-06-08 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—MONDAY, JOSE 7. The LOAD CIiANCULLOSI took hie MC at 5 o'clock. PUBLIC BUSINESS. Irll'IT(ONB.—B Earl af•avan, hem then Ammonia the General ▪ N praying that hce hale maybe relieved MrlotEatatfiofY dor, on bequest...a to them. 11hADWGO.— Debtor mulereMtor; BegemmatatDo Perm &01110;11; Lana* Asylums Orel= 1) ; Turnpike Ronde (Ireland) COMMIT MR.—Poor Removal ;England and Seotlandl Bill. REFORM—L=4:c Asylums; Tones 1 aprowment Clauses; Bi TH lh. IRD READINOIL—Drainage of lands; Naval Prisms; Billa NOTICES OP SIOTION.—En Fireariu.tme, cm numbs nest, to move an instruction to the committee cm emMra.. Oa me eolonnstan, that the etabied of public works In Delad be Sim /sea oonelalsrsnos by t.ta menathlem !MR IN IRELAND.—POSTPONEMENT OF THE ASSIZES. Lard BROUGHAM inquired whether it were true, as =lthat day, that the Irish judges intended to postpone e alms= for two or three month., in consequence et fa shwa grated by infectious fever, forgetting that the Om" would errata in the gads during that perioa ? The WED CHANCELLOR gave a short answer, which was se lidletinetly heard as to be wholly uninte ll igible in the Paerf. Lord CAMPBELL observed, that at the time when the cholera raged in Englend, such a course as that mentioned had never been thought 01. Judges, counsel, and witnesses, all faced the danger. ear, hear.) AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. Lord BROUGHAM said that, as the papers on this sub ject had not yet been presented, he should postpone any observations which ho might possibly have to make until Tuesday in the ensuing week. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH desired to call the at tention of the noble marquis (the Marquis of Lansdowne) to a rep yt he had that day seen in the French newspapers, re specting a despatch said to have been sent to the Prince de Joinville, directing him to proceed with his squadron to Lisbon. He wished to know whether the co-operation of the Prince de Joinville would take place, and further, whether, according to the usual practice where combined forces belonging to different nations acted together, the senior officer would take the command of the whole squadron; that is whether the Prince de Joinville would have the cmimand of the combined fleet? The Marquis of LANSDOWNE mid he only knew that certain French ships had been sent to the Portuguese coast ; he was not aware who was the commander. POOR REMOVAL (ENGLAND & SCOTLAND) BILL. Lord CAMPBELL moved that the house should go into committee en this bill. Lord BROUGHAM seconded the motion. The Earl of WICKLOWmid that thi 4 was themoat unjust, unemmlitational,and iniquitous bill ever brought forward since he had boa in parliament. He ventured to say that the noble end learned lard who had seconded the motion for the committee had never read either this hill or the act which it was designed ee asend. (Laughter.) The bill was sup ported on the ground that 236,000 Irish paupers had arrived in Liverpool. He contended that the advantages which Liverpool had derived from the high prices of food much more than counterbalanced the evils to which it was sub jected; yet the bill had originated solely in the clamour raised by the inhabitants of that town. It was said that the existing law was inoperative. It could only have been in operative because the magistrates of Liverpool had neglected to perform their duty ; no precautionary measures had been taken, on account of the expense which such me see would have involved. Lord BEAVMONT maid he had heard nothing from his noble friend to justify the strong language with which he had set out. The Irish paupers m England did, in fact, claim and receive relief at the present time, and some new remedy for such a state of things appeared absolutely neces sary. Under the bill, the pauper had the fullest power of objecting to his removal. The motion was then agreed to, and the bill passed through committee, and was ordered to be reported. THE GAUGE COMMITTEE. The Duke of RICHMOND wished to mention to their lordships, with reference to the committee appointed last Friday upon oertain railway petitions, that the Earl of Plkdmesbury, after the appointment of that committee, had dbamd that he happened to be a holder of a few shares in 300 d railways indirectly interested. Immediately on addss the discovery, the noble lord had desired that hi. 111111141 t be removed from the committee, sad Illieb Lord Irdhurst and himself (the Dake of Richmond) having setthat day, had decided, in consequence, to ream mend to their lordships that the name of the Earl of Shef field be substituted for that of the Earl of Malinesbury. He moved their lordships accordingly. The motion was, as we understood, agreed to. THE EDUCATION QUESTION. The Bishop of EXETER, pursuant to notice, role to ask her majesty's government certain questions upon this subject. Under ordinary circumstances he should not feel himself at liberty to put any questions to a member of the administra tes as to what had passed between a p articular deputation and say individual meter of her majesty's government ; but in the premed ingrate he thought he should be excused, inasmuch as the facts were stated to have been related in another place, and therefore it became desirable that they should be equally within the cognisance of their lordships Trusting, therefore, that he should not Le thought intrusive, he begged to snake the following inquiries—whether any ealtatesteller had pared with the AVesleyan body upon eh molds= sad whether any promise bad been made to that body of alterations to be made in the spirit or letter of the minutes of council ? Also, in the event of such a communi sation having passed, whether any record existed of the par- titulars of the same ? The Marquis of LANSDOWNE (who spoke with his back to the gallery, and was moot imperfectly heard) was ssdentood to admit that, under the circumstances, there see nothing in the questions which would be considered in tuitive. It was quite true that soon after the minutes of ,fond] were laid upon their lordships table, communica tor were sought with the members of the administration, end informatics was looked fir upon a variety of different psi= The bigniries he referred to emanated from parties of the gamiest respectability representing bodies of Alias= pennesions. The Wesleyan, to whom the right rev. prelate had alluded, were among the first to apply for infor mable. Griot anxiety was expressed on behalf of that body to he Mimed se to certain points in which they considered ties sedise passliarly interested, and he believed he might ssy dud th a e m =Mioes which were given thereupon proved ry. A record certainly . did exist of what M ilbsakr i pena uraap . end ultimately t it wou That ld come would re s r o t w lar th ec at ur t r e parport of the onuenaicatioo was that there would be no alteration is the "irk air of the minutes recently or pre viously adopted by the eematittee of council. Great anxiety was empreowl with 111117011.0* to one or two peculiar points upon wig& he (Me Marquis of Lansdowne) thought the apprehends= =the Wesleyan were much exaggerated, but ha reopen to sil Mile= es _he said before, he believed the laphastissa veto tered. satisfactory. He (the Marquis of Imenimene) =mkt have no objection, if it were s. eonsiteulL= n to state what were the points =deli on was evinced by this body. (" Hear, Mar," AIM Bishop of Exeter.) He did not know that be had the ppm in his pocket, but ho remembered that nee elthese_pdats was, whether schoolmasters would be ✓iew= he any Aloe in the church, or to perform any eteashirste eteistercel duties ? To this it was replied that heimassit as the inspectors (who were clergymen) were in flamed, upea =King office, that they would not be permitted to whim =deal duties whilst they held brpectonhips, so nod= would he prohibited from performing such duties during the =Mod they might hold their masterships. The Bishop of EXETER said that, having understood from the noble i_sde th= ao } r mei. exercising eoclenas- Seal functions west be lifeekiW to the office of school master, he wished to know whether the same ride was to apply to all deneedurious ? The Marquis LANSDOWNE =id that the exclusion, so far as it was one, would spOp to the members of all other denominations, as well auto these who exercised ecclesiastical functions in the established dwelt. . . . Lord STANLEY said these was one point with respect to which he was not chair. He did not know from the noble marquis's iftessiesd, whether, in schools con nected with the Nations& Ns/My, the fact of a person's being in deacon's en** thou gh without any special cure, and having no snississlisel duties, properly speak ing w elighsoge, Weald IMOD SS a disqualification to his balky the dike of sandemmeter. If that was the Weak* nething snails min uniwtunate, as nothing was mese Ray to sass the elkaraskse of the schoolmaster dna the halifteg cot te the Wham orders in the church the =of menbishig the Ake of schools*** with the dry held in the aired. He could as bet think, orb, ll* sue of the peat wants of the church of inland at the prow* time was wisely the want of that elan of in takes elmgy who wend be mined in these slimly He set man * say that doting tie time of perisrasinfc the intim • whaelowest anal else when the duties of leininma elan awn* bad believed that the polielen to the bratidiw the church to bold the dies of easseineeler, would. at the same time, benefit the rnhosissasker and that aim of clergymen ; nor could he see say seam why the Amato* should object to an ar rangers* which would only be an Incidental and subsi diary basal to the Chareh sfWwd. The Mortals of LANSDOWNE said that the objection of the dimes** was that any part of the money which was contributed by the whole stale, and by persons of all deno minations, for the purposes solely of education, should be given to the ministers of any particular religion, and it would be inesasinent with the object of the grant that it should be se enpleyed. It was always understood that the schatimester vote apply himself to the care of the school, and te walks else. He did not, however, mean to say that the wimmalse of the privy council were precluded from eon titi** appliesson eta person in deacon's orders, who We all thought of devoting himself to the church as a preheat* The Hisisep of EXETER said that it was clear, from the 18th question in the minutes of the privy council of 1839, when the Idle marquis held the same office which he now holds, that the sehoobnaster was not precluded from fol lowing sereAher ossapation. The Nara of LANSDOWNE said what he meant to convey was, that the person holding the office of school master was not to follow any other profession, or occupation equivalent to a profession, which was likely to distract his attention from his duties as a schoolmaster. REPRESENTATIVE PEERS (SCOTLAND) BILL. The Earl of EGLINTON, in moving the second reading of this bill, said it was absolutely necessary to interfere in some way to put a stop to the misrepresentations, fraud, and even forgery which existed under the present system. The roll of peers at the time of the union with Scotland, was the one et present in use at the election of peen; but in the 140 years which had elapsed since that period, many peerages had become dormant, and many new claims had been pre fared. He proposed by his bill that every peer age of which no vote was recorded diuriag the present century, should be expunged from the roll, by which he did not mean to interfere with the claims which any person might prefer to a peerage, but to prevent the name from being called over from the roll. He also proposed that in case of a peer protesting against a Tote, the protest should be sent to this house with the proceedings at the elec tion, for adjudication ; and if the vote was found to be in valid, that the peerage on which it was tendered should not be called over at any future election. These were the prin cipal provisions of the bill, and he thought it much better to proceed by legislative enactment than by resolution. Lord CAMPBELL admitted the aeoessity of providing a remedy for the abuses of the present system, but considered it would be better to proceed rather by way of resolution, to be directed to the Lord Clerk Registrar of Scotland, than by legislative enactment. He thought it was mere expedient to proceed by a resolution of the house than by act of parlia ment. Lord REDESDALE thought the generality of the sum mons could only be limited by act of parliament All that the bill proposed to do was to prevent peers from voting until they had proved themselves qualified to do so to the satisfaction of that house. He did not see that any diffi culty could arise, and therefore he hoped their lordships would consent to the bill. The Earl of ROSEBERY thought an act of the legis lature would be preferable to a resolution. The Duke of RICHMOND was satisfied that the only safe and efficient way of regulating these elections was by set of parliament. The bill was then read a second time ; to be committed to-morrow. PUNISHMENT OF VAGRANTS, dce. (IRELAND) BILL. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE stated that he should move the second reading of this bill on Thursday. Their lordships theu adjourned at a quarter before eight. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MoN DAT, JUNE 7. The SPEAnaI took the chair at 4 o'clock. PRIVATE Kamm SECOND READINGS.—Hereet (irergemat) Estate ; Warwick County Primo, bills. REPORTS.—Ashtos Gas; Blrmighsee end Wird hinelise Rail way (arrialks of line, Ma.); RboOnerms. Wogeadissmoloa,. end Dolby Railway (Smartt*, sad Wed lemsoldh); Meter end Halftime ladlway at Clesten sal allsoellen Of both) , Emirs flails Myna Sal ley Warm, sea Railway, sag sal Denim Itilliway sme); berg! sod Northern Lbw (Imporeineet et the terry between =2:im Crsir seat Rn meth store at the River Day); ; 1 4 1 4 .. b. awl Grimlen berg Math *teen** BINT , and Ralkeen 11. reer's and Newel Ilsetwor Breed= mg 18ve1Ordos (Newport Rinewei dad snier ji Kilsiseneek Tear ass llmposemena ; Cleibliken Penmen* mid lassert lasi mei TIM* LW. ken 401.11. j Immle in. rd ; Leeds sel l Wog le Ise.); Lade and Meth = gis endl Palo* lark ke.); Limped Oman Om; Lyme art Illy owl and Lynn Eel Denteim Rellways ; Nerlli=4 (branch has Nandi * with aliened Wreath treisharn); Reading, Clandlied, aft ; glidtport limed* Tolb and Bridges ; Weimitnmplea (Imenl ; Tat sled New. castle Railway Preermselk Dee ; _Trek and New castle Railway (Pw Tyne Deckle.. a lealbes oira l, 101. THIRD READINGS.—Rad Wein RoalreV iih. Olereal Paisley, and Greenock Beltway (InenklellisOiNdesissi y dirermon of aunt ; seßings sot Cowl ore to the London end Nor* Were sm) ttlesela )illdland ionctioa Railway Om* to PUBLIC Nr. Hawn Imes penal reellthein of London, against the Illiglieellee NIL SECOND RZADINGR—IIethe and Weelaseses; DNB** Per sons. Ireland (No. 2), COMMITTEE.—PoIIee arms; liselm Service: IdH Har bour and Docks ; Primes Remevel REPORTB.-111gbway Mee Neweemeltmg Goverment; Stage °trews. he., Dance; Rep MU THIRD READINGIL—TeneIks Alb Ontlemence; Dm* Police (*Wand) ; Jove** Celbein ; End Mow laysitamet (biased), OWL RETURNS ORDOIRD,-Kiwi et Si Waal •• of 1848, regulating the preireallee at age of the maw daffy after the expiration of liethen snierig pease.—Oa die melba* Or R. I Frnotuos, retorted asisidalyaa Needle In kink Bathe bail years 1148 sod ISO ; dike gassag halm lesonit Mebane: ' sad eft e. of reef spittle aileridtsr hem sammiglimis Inked Redo aim • ebn tithe neither at datestkies at fir MINI irilla4 at of the number et paver con- , = s trerth hr be allimm ri est the laws for the sapped= of iWdtYrim am NOINill Off ISCITION.—Csaa Masa Dawsos.—Nr. lataaao, on menden l oom Into eoemnitise *lmply, to wee tar Simmers easmiltial of to plo nk re = IN AND LIVISATIMIN LAWIL—Lai 3. Run= illaKllTO e tti. day) te seem the emelimeemse of the Ilimiendon Action these me t • ts for a Imbed parks.. WARWICK COUNTY PRISON. Oa the motion of Sir C. DoVOLAI, this bill was read a sowed time. On the motion that the bill be committed, Mr. DUODALB opposed the further progress of the bill, and moved, as an amendment, that it be committed that day three months. After a discussion, during which Messrs. Williams, Spooner, and Newdegate opposed, and Lord Brooke, Mr. Adderly, and Sir C. Douglas, supported the bill, the house divided— For the poatponemeat of the committee 6O Against it The bill was consequently lost. MILITARY ACADEMY, WOOLWICH. In reply to a question from Col. Rottistorr, Sir G. GREY said, that the report of the commissioners appointed to inquire into the state of this school, had only been in his hands three days. That report was under consi deration and would be shortly produftd. NORFOLK ISLAND. In answer to ariTnWirif;om Vieoount Manotr, Mr. HAWES said, the present Lieut.-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, when he left this country, took with him discretionary powers to break up the establishment of Nor folk Island if he should think fit. As no report had yet been received from the governor, he (Mr. Hawes) could not say what course had been adopted : if, however, the estab lishment were broken up, care would be taken against the public buildings in the island going to ruin. BRITISH INTERVENTION IN PORTUGAL. . . Lord G. BENTINCK urged on Mr. Hume the propriety of further postponing his motion on this subject from Thurs day till Monday next, the papers on the subject not having yet been delivered, and as there would not be sufficient time to consider them by Thursday. Mr. HUME—As Thursday bad been fixed by common consent for the discussion, and as he could not supppoosea that the papers would require more than 48 hours' 000ddoration, ,he must decline to secede to the noble lord's request. Be sides, he had other engagements for Monday. Sir R. PEEL inquired whether the papers would be delivered that evening ? Lord J. RUSSELL said that they would be printed that evening, but not in sufficient quantity for delivering until to-morrow (this day). Lord G. BENTINCK wished to put a question to the noble lord respecting the British squadron on the shores of Portugal. The practice, he believed, had been, in the can of joint operations, both in the military and naval service, that the superior officer should command the whale. He therefore wished to aik whether, in the event of any joint operations between this countr y , Spain, and France, against the naval force of Portugal, his Royal Highness the Prince de Joinville, as Lord High Admiral of France, and conse quently the superior officer, would have the command of those operations ? (Laughter.) Lori J. RUSSELL said that no arrangement had been made for putting the forces of the different nations under the command of any single officer. On the contrary, orders had been given to Sir W. Braker, not to take the command of either the Spanish or French force, although there was no doubt that they would listen to any opinion he should offer. Respecting the Prince de Joinville, it was unnecessary for him to make any remark, as he had no reason for supposing his royal highness intended to proceed to the coast of Por tugal. (A laugh.) HOLYHEAD HARBOUR BILL. Mr. WARD moved the nomination of the select commit tee on this bill—via., Mr. W. 0. Stanley, Viscount Sendon, Colonel Pennant, Earl Grosvenor, Mr. Hamilton (Dublin county), Mr. Goulburn, Admiral Bowles, Viscount Morpeth, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Ward, with five other members, to be chosen by the committee of selection. Mr. W. WILLIAMS objected to the nomination of this committee until the report of the commission which had already been appointed, and the evidence on which that re port was founded, should be in the hands of members. The expense of this work, es estimated by the government engi neer was 000,0001., but he undentoodshat Sir J. Rennie and other competent , authorities had put it down at nearly 2,000,0001., and that even then it would be altogether ineffi cient as a harbour of refuge. He moved that the debate be adjourned for a fortnight. Mr. WARD did not wish the committee to proceed with their inquiry until the report of the commission was in their hands; he believed that report would be ready by Thursday, and he was most anxious that then no time should be lost in deciding whether or not the arrangements which had been entered into by the previous government on this subject should be carried eut, and that the bill should not be lost by delay. Lord SANDON thought the proceedings of the committee should not commence until the report was in their hands, but that being understood, he had no objection to the naming of the committee at once. Mr. HUME took the same view as Mr. Williams, and spoke in favour of postponing the motion. Mr. W. COLLETT referred to the arrangements which had been made by the late government and the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company for the purpose of making Holyhead a harbour of refuge, and to the large sums voted by parliament, and subscribed by the company respectively for carrying out those arrangements, and deprecated any delay which might prejudice the passing of the bill during the pre sent session. --- --- Capt. FITZROY said a few words which were not heard, and Mr. BANKES observed that the question was not merely one of expense, but whether Holyhead was the best place for a harbour of refuge that could be found on that coast. He thought the opposition was a very reasonable one. Sir H. PEEL thought no question had been mere dis tinctly settled than that—whether Holyhead was entitled to a preference over any neighbouring port, so a harbour for facilitating the intercourse between Great Britain and Ireland. These commissions (he believed), all of tliem com posed of eminent and disinterested men, had reported in favour of Holyhead, and upon grounds which appeared to him decisive. ( Hear.) Mr. 0. GORE was in favour of delay, and expressed a doubt whether, in consequence of the insufficient anchor age, Holyhead could ever be made effective so a harbour of refuge. In answer to a question front Lord SANDON, Mr. WARD said the commissioner, had been directed to remain in town, in order to give evidence before the com mittee. if required. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE objected not only to the nomina tion of the committee, but to the manner in which it we, proposed to be constitated. Why was not the house to ap point the whole fifteen members warily if they were lOW patent to appoint the ten, they were competent to appoint the who& ember. Where two millions of money were in edged the Mom ought to be Willed that it was upon pub- Be reamirsisse the nsisimidadat wesmade. He hoped theism. Ipollemegns 101 Illemetery te the Admiralty would duryils =Sim mill bad sa opportur.iry of nading Cr i vidieltme el the Mr. WARD esidlel i t named the committee under the direction of the gumshoe, to whom he appealed. The SPEAKER Paid that the motion was in strict con formity with precedent. The rule was, in the cage of bills partly private and partly public, that the committee should be composed of semi gentlemen connected with different public departments, some having a local interest and the re mainder to be chow" by the Committee of Selection under the ordinary rule. After some further discuesion, in which Lords Curs and SAINDON concurred in the opinion that the question ought to be postponed until the report was in the hands of members, The motion was put and agreed to, as was also a motion empowering the Committee of Selection to appoint five addi tional members. THE PRISONS BILL. _ Sir F. KELLY inquired whether the government scheme was to substitute some specific period of imprisonment, com pulsory labour and exile, which would have reference to the sentence of transportation, and be guided accordingly ? Sir G. GREY said he bad distinctly stated the other evening that the period of imprisonment and hard labour which was to precede the vet of deportation would not be a definite period ; but that a maximum and minimum period, having reference to the term of transportation, would be fixed, which, however, it would be in the power of the con vict to shorten by good conduct. IRISH ASSIZES AND ELECTIONS. Mr. LABOL CHERE (in reply to Mr. Twine), said that as yet the Irish judges had not come to any fine' decision respecting the postponement of the mires. With respect to the shortening of the duration of elections, the s-.bject had received the consideration of the government, who were of opinion that, as regarded counties, there would be eonsidera ble difficulty in limiting the polling to one day, as a greater number of polling places should be appointed, and that could not be done without making important alterations in the whole electoral system of counties. He regretted that, owing to the pressure of Irish business, it wee not in the power of the government to introduce a measure this session for the reconstruction of that system ; but the case of boroughs being widely different, he hoped shortly to lay on the table a bill for limiting the polling in boroughs to one day. REGISTERING OF BIRTHS, &c. (SCOTLAND) BILL The LORD ADVOCATE moved the order of the day for going into committee on this bill. THE LATE 'DEBATE ON COLONIZATION. The Earl of LINCOLN wished to snake an explanation personal to himself, arising out of the motion he brought forward on Tuesday last, with reference to Irish Colonisation. The noble lord at the head of the government had intimated i that there was reason to suppree, from whet had been stated I by a deputation which waited on him upon this subject, that he (Lord Lincoln) intended to bring forward a motion founded on Mr. Godley's plan. He begged pardon, he was mistaken ; it was not the noble lord, but the hen. gentleman, the Under-Secretary for the Colonies, who had made that statement. The hon. ;endemism had not put the statement in a form to which he could then reply ; but since then there had been a distinct intimation elsewhere, that it was stated by that deputation, that they were authorised to say, that if they were not successful in that in terview, he would propose Mr. Godley's plan. To that he wished to give an explicit denial. He had stated to Mr. Godley and the other members of that deputation, that he did not intend to bring that plan before the house, and he stated to them the form in which be should make his motion from which he had never varied. It was also due to Mr. Godley that some explanation should be made, because the , charge implied the commission of a positive falsehood on his part, and that of the deputation. (The noble lord then read a letter from Mr. Godley, which contained a poeitive denial of his having ever made any such statement). He would call on the hon. member for Devonshire, if he was present, to confirm what he had now stated, and perhaps the hon. member for Kerry would corroborate it. Mr. 81..1. O'CONNELL said, that when the deputation went to the Colonial-office they wished to lay two subjects before the government—one was the plan of Mr. Godley, and the other that an inquiry should be granted similar to that proposed by the noble lord. If the government declined to grant an inquiry, Mr. Galley said he was authorised to state that the noble lord would bring forward a motion on the subject Lord J. RUSSELL said the noble lord was mistaken in supposing that he had made a statement that he understood the noble lord would bring forward Mr. Godley's plan. That statement was made by his hon. friend the under secretary for the agonies, and he, on being corrected by the noble lord, admitted that the noble lord must be more cor rect than be was. What had been stated by the hon. member for Kerry was in conformity with whathad occurred. The de putation broogbt forward two subjects—one was Mr. Gedley's plan, and the other was the granting of a commission to in quire into the subject of colonisation. It did net appear to him that Mr.Godley's plan was one which should be adopted by the government. It was then urged on him to grout a commission of inquiry, when he stated it want their inten tion to grant it. He ur,derstood Mr. Godley to say that the subject would be brought before the house by Lord Lincoln. He was left in doubt whether the general subject of coloni sation or a motion for a commission would be brought for ward by the noble lord ; but he never knew that Mr. Godley's plan was to be made the question. He was not left long in doubt, for the noble lord gave notice of his motion. He never thought the noble lord intended to bring forward Mr. Godley's plan, but to make his motion on the subject without pledging himself to that or any other plan. THE CASE OF SIR EARDLEY WILMOT. Mr. SPOONER begged the indulgence of the house while he made a statement of a case which had excited great inte rest out of the house, and be hoped, when he brought for ward the facts relating to it, would excite interest in the house. It was not his intention to make any attack on any official connected with the case; kis only wish RIO to clear the character of an honourable man, who had represented North Warwickshire for years with credit to himself and ad vantage to the county; who had been twenty years chairman of the quarter sessions, and rendered there great public ser vice, and met with the support and approbation of the magis trates. He deeply regretted that he was deprived of the consolation to be derived from an acquittal of these charges, but it would be at least a consolation to a mourning widow and afflicted family, if the result of his statement should be to convince the house that those charges were unfounded. Great interest had been excited by the come, and the universal question was : What are the charges ? The dispatch in which they were made was so vague and undefined that it merely gave rise to impressions and surmises, but the charge itself was never communicated even to Sir E. Wilmot himself. He had never known what it wee, and who were the persons who had uttered this calumny against him behind his back. The charge had been oorantunieated to his family, and was to the effect, " that he had been living in scarcely concealed concubinage with certain women." Three gentlemen came to this country front Van Diemen's Land, and made certain communications to the Colonial Office. Two of them had not placed any restriction on the publication of their names, but the other did, and he was not at liberty to allude to it. He was not however, permitted to mention the names of the other two, and perhaps they were rightly withheld. Having made these charges Mr. Gladstone sent a public dispatch to Sir E. Wilmot which did not allude to those charges. With that he (Yr. Spooner) had nothing to do, nor did the Wally of Sir E. Wilmot wish to question any decision of liso presensmat with regard to his public con duct. (The ham. sandman then read the private despatch of Mr. 131aladeste, doled Aril 30, 1846, which stated that rumours had rendsed him as to Sir E. Wilmot's private conduct widish beim& him to recall him, and stating his inability to rsommand him for any office under the crown until they were eisaredip in ) It was to be observed that the charges wire not ed ; it only stated that certain rumours had noshed from a variety of quarters; but the quarters wire mot mentioned, and there was nothing to guide Sir B. Wilmot in the vindication of his character, but he was Ise le deal with vague and uncertain charges coming from unknown quarters, and which were made the , foundation of his de pri vation of any future employment in the public service. Before he went further he would say, in justice to the late Secretary for the Colonies, that he had been placed in most painful circumstances. He knew the quarter from which his information came, and the right hon. gentleman could not, consistently with his duty, do other wise than believe and act on it ; and the blame chiefly lay with the individual who had given the information, who should not have ventured to assail the character of a gentle. ' man holding the high position of Sir E. Wilmot, unless he was prepared to give up his authority, and who, while he compelled the Secretary for the Colonies to act, 'should have afforded him the means of showing the grounds by which he a was nd infl tu u t enoed. h. a lha ,i d been h aid that h th o o m d e esp:te d h jleatiapried vats, and that Sir E. Wilmot alone bad made it public, his character to the government. Had he not re mained he would have given a verdict of guilty against himself, and he therefore appealed to those who were eye witnesses of his conduct, and who had it in their power to confirm) or deny the charges. He had a precedent for this course, for when charges were made against Sir G. Arthur he pursued the same course—he laid them before the execn- L tive council. While the matter was under discussion by the ' home government, a paragraph appeared in the Natoli and i Military Gazette, in which the charpes were in substance . repeated. Upon this, the chief justice of Van Diemen's ' land, unasked by Sir E. Wilmot, wrote to the editor a letter, • in which he gave an unqualified denial to the charges. [The hon. gentleman here read the letter, which was dated October 11, 1846, and which stated in effect that the para graph which stated, that in consequencerof the conduct of ' Sr E. Wilmot, no persona entered the Government-house 1 except on business, and that no ladies could, was distinctly and notoriously false ; and that all those who signed it, who had families, constantly visited there.] It was • signed by the Chief Justice, the Colonial Secretary, the Cola louial Auditor, the Attorney and Solicitor-General, tke ' Master of the Supreme Court, and other public functionaries. [ But this was not the strongest point of Sir E. Wilmot's jus . titication. It was contained in Sir E. Wilmot's reply to Mr. Gladstone's despatch. [The hon. gentleman then mad the letter, which was dated 13th October, 1845, and which was to the effect, that if anything could lessen the pain he (Sir E. Wilmot) felt at the public despatch, it was the letter which accompanied it; for being wholly blameless in his r private character, he felt confident that justice would be done him for the double lose of character and office. After stating that they were false, he proceeded to say that he could not grapple with such vague charges ; and the only answer he could give to general accusations was, a general denial—he had no knowledge of his accusers, or what were their accusations, and he (-lewdly requested there might be a specification of the dates, places, persons, and circumstances THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 8, 1847. of the charges spinet his honor and prints character, so that he might have en opportunity et being placed with regard to his defence in the same palatal= ea the meanest criminal was entitled to. He went on to say that since his arrival in that es=the same system of detraction had been pursued him as towards his predecessor, but that the dander Von had not prevailed, but had been met with • universal denial. He then alluded to the paragraphin the Naval and Military Gazette, and the letter which hid been written to the editor with regard to its falsehood. He had laid Mr. Gladstone's letter of 30th April before the legislative council, for the purpose of inquiry. He then recapitu lated the circumstances under winch he took the office, that he had resigned his seat in parliament for Warwickshire, for which he had gone through three contests, as wall as the chairmanship of the Quarter Sessions, which he had filled for t rainy yearn with an unblemished reputation ; that he bad separated from his wife and family, hoping for six years of office, but at the sad of three years, at twenty days' notice, he had been deprived of income, as well as any prospect of office under the crown.] That wu the letter which bad been lent by Sir E. Wilmot, and he (11r. Spooner) thought it was worthy of him—worthy of an honest and injured man—who claimed to be acquitted of the charges which were made against him. He referred the matter to the executive council, and they appointed a committee of inquiry to report upon it. They entered on the investigation, but knowin g . not what to inquire about, they could not enter on any investigation which was productive of real benefit. The mimed, in alluding to the calumny in the Naval and Military Gazette, stated their opinion that it was refuted, and mentioned that the Bishop of Tasmania, who would shortly be in England, would bear testimony to the conduct of Sir E. Wilmot in the colony, and so could Bishop Wilson, the Roman catholic bishop. They were also unanimously of opinion that it was expedient to refer the question to a committee. That committee had reported, that though they had a diffi culty, in consequence of having no definite charges to which to direct their inquiries, and, therefore that the investiga tion proposed was impracticable, they s till deemed it due to Sir Euffley Wilmot to certify, in the most explicit terms, that, as far as their own observation had gone during their private and official intercourse with him, nothing bad transpired to justify the imputation that he bad been guilty assay violation 0( the decencies of private life. Thie report had been transmitted to the late Secretary of State (Mr. Oladstone),l together with an address presented to Sir Bard ley Wilmot, on the occasion of his recall by the inhabitants of Van Diemen 's Land. In that address, which was signed by every official person who had been do the constant habit of communication with the late , and by three hundred and forty of the most r Wm bitanta of Hobart Town, it was stated "that they deensiall ft their duty to express their unqualified contradiction of Ito reports which had been circulated injurious to the Me governor's character." After reading some further wee spondenos which has already been published, Mr. Spoonm to ed observe that the present Sir Eardley Wilmot since received from Mr. Gladstone a letter, dated Bag ley, 31st May last, which stated that in his opinion the eantrediction which the address presented to his late Wine by the inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land gave to eertala re its affecting the personal character of the late Sir E. Wilmot, was more than sufficient to remove whatever pre judices those reports were calculated to raise. " I have said," continued the writer, " more than sufficient, because I apprehend the acquittal of a few persons of education and station in the colony would have been enough, but I fi nd, in addition to these, a lmost every resident is a subscriber to the address. About a fortnight ago, I acquainted Earl Grey that I thought the subscriptions to the address corresponded with the account the late Sir E. Wilmot had given of them, and I will merely add, that you are at liberty to make any use you may think fit of this letter." So that, at the hands of the public aced of the late Secretary for the Colonies, there had been a fall and complete acquittal of the late Sir E. Wilmot from the infamous charges which had been so wan tonly cast upon him. (Hear, hear.) But he (Mr. Spooner) did not rest his case here. He had a letter from the Bishop of Tasmania, who happened to be in this country, in answer to one addressed to his lordship by Mr. Harry Chewer, the brother of Lady Wilmot. In that letter the bishop declared that, restricted u his intercourse had been with the late Sir E. Wilmot, still he could positively declare, from We own knowledge, that the injurious statements sate his and, IMO utterly groundless. The biahop added, "that greatinjudeshei been done to Sir E. Wilmot in this respect ; and I stabs 161 b not as au intimate friend or acquaintance of Sir E. Wilmot, but as the testimony of one who simply wishes to act on the principle of christian feeling." (Hear, hear.) Skean testimony was borne in a letter which had been put tabs fie hands that morning from the Roman Catholic Wallop of Tasmania, Dr. Wilson ; and further, the Colonial Treasurer, in a letter addressed to the present Sir E. Wilmot, declared that the gran calumnies which had taken effect in this country were not entertained for one moment in Van Diemen's Land. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Spooner) thought that, so far u vindication of the late Sir E. Wilmot's cha racter was concerned, he had fulfilled his painful and diffi cult task; and he thought on this testimony that he bad shown that the lamented deceased had been seriously injured and most scandalously used. (Hear, hear.) He trusted, however, that he should elicit from the hon. gentleman, the Under-Secretary for the Colonies (Mr. Hawes) the expres sion on behalf of the government of their entire ac quiescence in the views contained in the last letter of Mr. Gladstone. At present he could not but condemn the cold ness which characterised the letters addressed both by Earl Grey and the hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Hawes) to the late and present Sir E. Wilmot in relation to this heartrending case. In conclusion, he thanked the house for their attention, and said that had the case required ingenuity, argument, car eloquence, he would not have undertaken it, but all it needed was a plain unvarnished statement of facts. Lent BROOKE said that to the full and clear statement of his hon, friend he had nothing to add ; but es a tosmhar bas the county with whichthe late Sir E. Wilmot eras he wished testify his concurrence in the statements= to been made. An unfounded private charge hinter been made against the deceased baronet, it was doe be IldiMmes that the noble Secretary for the Colonies abaddi slept the acquittal, as well as the accusation, of his Mr. W. S. DUGDALE said, he had the against Sir E. Wilmot whispered in various quarters ; bat after the statement of his hon. friend (Mr. Spooner) every one in the country must be satisfied that these reports were false. (Hear.) Sir R. PEEL said, he had been acquainted with the late Sir E. Wilmot, had been one of his constituents, and had had the opportunity of knowing how he had discharged his duties as representative of the county of Warwick. He well recollected the circtunitances by which his noble friend (Lord Kianley) had been infiumiced in making the appoint ment, which, under the circumstances of the colony, was a matter of no small importance. He was unwilling to select for that office a military gentleman ; and his sole motive for selecting Sir E. Wilmot was the conviction that, from that gentleman's experience in the administration of the law as chairman of the Quarter Sessions in the county of Warwick, and from the attention which he had directed, as a member of that house, to the impr lvement of the criminal law, it would be difficult to procure a civilian more eminently qualified for the government of that colony. (Rear, hear.) All that he (Sir R. Peel) bad heard of the private character of Sir E. Wilmot, justified the selection then made. Of the feelings of Mr. Gladstone, with respect to his removal, he was fully aware. The hon. member for Birmingham had most properly and becomingly declined to enter into the public grounds of his removal; such discussions were unit fuel. His right hon. friend, Mr. Gladstone, had distinctly admitted in writing to Sir E. Wilmot, that he did not advise him withdrawal from the colony on account even of any pub lic disqualification or neglect which would justify his with drawal, but, such was the peculiar position of the colony, that the pretty general tenor of the despatches from Sir E. Wiltnotannuffied him in advising the crown to the appoint ment of assmemor. But there had been a distinct admission on the part d Kr. Gladstone, that the causes which, in his opinion, *died the removal of Sir E. Wilmot, were not such at hail prevent his being engaged again in the ser vice of the meths. (Hear.) So far, therefore, as concerned hisz ry n a blic chareeter, his capacity for the performance of the iw feselless of a governor, Mr. Gladstone ' s despatch blea. But Mr. Gladstone had been placed in a most pm/sr ami embarrassing situation by the informa tion he bed reseiveL Three persons, whose private eh& meter wee messeoptionable, who were in communication with the gevenemou, acting entirely independently of each other, had theirseed the rumours which had reached others, which had evidently been spread in the colony of New South Wake; they the Colonialofilee that the privies Nth elf* Z. Wilmot was such as to prevent the pro- Makers' of the duties of his office. But his removal had ton Om ups =tly distinct grounds; those private llsl reasse aft eed Mr. Gladstone in his advice to Mane man enhjeet. What course was Mr. Gladstone to under the circumstances? His natural course taedi ben boa le advise Sr E. Wilmot's withdrawal ; at the NM dam, he bed not thought it consistent with his duty fa eppotnt btu fa another colony, unless there was a ratielfeast y refutation of the dunes that had been made Wades his primes dtmestia • sad this fact was communi toted to Sir E. Wilma k a ISOM dmpatch. Mr. Gledleteme had reasoned that thihrmatiee based upon general rumen should this circulated • sedan oppliserion had bees made to one aka gentlemen dire /t efesea th e amyl kid bka conveyed to the Colonial , to per the use of his name and of the papers in whisk if was contained, I but that application was distinctly refused. (Hear, hear.) The two other names had been furnished to the son of Sir E. Wilmot, to enable him to ascertain the truth of their statement. But he wished to state, in the firmest and strongest manner, on the part of his right hon. friend Mr. Gladatene, his conviction that the information he bar se• ceived wee totally and entirely erroneous. ( N eer, bar.) The son of Sir E. 'Wilmot was entitled at his hands te the most complete and explicit admission that the charges made against his father's character were without foundation totally and entirely false (hear, hear); and this statement an the part of his right honourable friend was the most satisfactory one that could be made. He (Sir H, Peel) would also express his opinion —Am beming Sir Z. Wilmot's statement in vindication of his dreamer • and looking at the nature of the charges and the characier et those who made them—that the dumps must be considered as being totally sod utterly without foundatim. (Hear, hear.) This he should have felt it his duty to de, as OW netted with the government of which Mr. Gladstone had been a member ; but his own feelings towards the late Sr B. Wilmot, and hisacquaintance with him in private life, caused him to shire in the sympathy which had been so becomingly expressed for the feelings of his widow and family. He had had communication with the immediate representative of Sir E. Wilmot,—his son; and had never been more strongly impressed in favour of any one placed in such a situation. (Hear, hear.) He had felt it an act of justice towards the memory of Sir E. Wilmot to express his conviction of the total want of foundation for those charges. (Hoar, hear.) Lord J. RUSSELL said that, after the declaration which had just been made, as to Mr. Oladatoneh total disbelief of those charges, he should have felt it unnecessary to say a single word, had not the hon. member for Birmingham, to his great surmise, thought fit to question the conduct of Earl Grey in this matter. (Hear, hear.) With recent eves to the substance of the charge, the names of the aceusere, and the eridence which they had given, Earl Grey was en tirely ignorant. (Hear.) lie had been informed that there wan as accusation affecting the private character of Sir E. Wilmot; what that accusation was he had not brought. How, then, could he pretend to give an opinion, been informed, nor who were the persons by whom it wee or add to the weight of any authority in vindicatioa of Sir E. Wilmot, by declaring those charges to be entirely without foundation? It was evident he was without the means of judging of those charges; the only thing he could say was, that they had been brought under the notice of Mr. Glad • stone, bat that he had no knowledge and could give no opinion about them. (Hear.) Though Mr. Gladstone had made the accusation the subject of a secret despatch, he had not recorded that despatch in the Colonial office, which had, therefore, no more value than one of his private letters. The noble lord, the member for Warwick, seemed to think that Earl Grey had adopted these charges, because be had declared that he should net think it his duty to advise her Majesty to re-ap point Sir E. Wilmot to some other colony. He would say most distinctly that his noble friend's (Lord Grey's) ground forth& was his general estimate of the public conduct of Sir E. Wilmot; his opinion of his qualifications, as compared with those of others, for the government of a colony, and had no reference whatever to the charges affecting his private character. He put those charges entirely out of view, and having done so, it was his duty and privilege to select those whom he thought most fit for the office. Lord Stanley, in the exercise of that privilege, had appointed Sir E. Wilmot, and not a word could be said against that. But the noble lord now at the head of the colonial department was not to be told, because certain charges against as individual had been reported to his predecessor, and afterwards admitted to be unfounded, that therefore he was bound, irrespective of all other considerations, to recom mend a colonial government to be placed at the disposal of that person. The hon. member for Birmingham must see, on consideration, that Lord Grey was not bound to make any such selection. (Hear, hear.) The whole of his pro ceedings, the letter he had written, were founded on public views and public considerations, in which he might be right or wrong; but they had no reference whatever to these charges. He would express no opinioa as to the part taken by Mr. Gladstone ; the decision of such ques tions was a painful part of the duty of • colonial secretary ; Mr. Gladstone beet knew who were the persons who brought these charges, and whether they were entitled to belief m the first instance ; but it now turned out that he had formed an erroneous estimate of the value of the authority. (Hear, hear.) One of the accusers, it seemed, was not willing that his name should be communicated to the accused ; the authority of the other two was not entitled to much respect ; and it was now admitted that all the imputations were false. (Hear, hear.) He hoped the hon. gentleman who had brought forward this question, and the friends of Sir E. Wilmot, would consider that these charges had been swept to the winds, and that the son of the de ceased baronet would rest satisfied that he had no dishonour able inheritance. (Hear, hear.) Mr. SPOONER, in explanation, said he had complained that the present colonial secretary h ad refused to recommend her Majesty to give the deceased baronet an opportunity of clearing his character. Mr. V. SMITH said the noble lord now at the head of the colonial department was perfectly blameless; the whole blame must rest on Mr. Gladstone. The manner with which a secretary of state dealt with the character of public ser vants was a public concern; it was his duty to protect them till the last moment, and not lightly give ear to accusations against them. It seemed Mr. Gladstone had not had per sonal communication with the three parties who preferred the charges. One of these had refused to allow his name to be made public ; ought not then Mr. Gladstone im• mediately to have dismissed the charge? (Hear, hear.) The statement of the right hon. baronet (Sir R. Peel) was inconsistent with Mr. Gladstone's letter, in which the charges were described as resting on vague rumour, and being un supported by names. Instead of communicating the charges to Sir E. Wilmot, as he was clearly bound to do before acting upon them, Mr. Gladstone bad declined to re-appoint him, and had written a letter which was not only uncalled for but unbecoming a person in the high position of colonial secre tary. Such conduct, more than anything else, was likely to deter bon. gentlemen from undertaking the government of colonies. (Hear, hear.) lie admitted that Mr. Gladstone had since done everything in his power to allay the feelings which he thus had excited in the minds of Sir E. Wilmot and his friends ; and he contended that there was no ground whatever to attribute any blame to Earl Grey. Mr. NEWDEGATE could state that no man stood higher in the county which he (Mr. Newdegate) had the honour to represent than the late Sir E. Wilmot. (Hear, hear.) One point, too, on which he wished to be satisfied was this: he (ap posed that some documents had been furnished to the Colo nial-office, having reference to the accusations against the deceased baronet. Now that those accusations hal been proved to be perfectly groundless, he trusted that such docu ments, if any existed, would be either given up or destroyed. Sir J. GRAHAM had hoped that, after the speech made by the late head of the government, as well as that of the present First Lord of the Treasury, the feel ings of every one who was interested in the case of the late Sir E. Wilmot would have been perfectly satis fied. He was rejoiced to find that on all sides of the house it was admitted distinctly that the explanations which had been received from the colony, and from persons best ena bled to form a correct judgment, had completely removed every taint and even shadow of suspicion from the memory qf the deceased baronet. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the censure which had been cast on Lord Grey in the course of that debate, he must say that he thought the vindi cation of that noble lord's conduct by the members of government in that house was perfectly satisfactory. As to letters or documents, he was sure that the hon. under for the colonies could assure the hon. member for Weenie hire that not • vestige of any thing of the kind re mained in the Colonial-office. The only question that re mained requiring comment from him, was the conduct of Mr. Gladstone. It had been said—first, that the secret letter written by that gentleman was injudiciously and wantonly written ; secondly, that he had acted on insinuated and ano nymous accusations. Now, the accusations were neither in sinuated nor anonymous. (" Name.") Two of the accu sers were gentlemen at present residing in Van Diemen's Land, one holding a high official position, and the other high; though not officiaLitation in the colony. With respect to the third, he held high official station in this country, and when called upon to allow his name to be used he shrunk from the avowal. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, he admitted that anythinr that gentleman had stated must be at once discarded. The others had made such positive statements that the Secretary of State could not mighty have overlooked them. What then was Mr. Gladstone a offence ? It was not contended that Sir E. Wilmot's recall might not have been justifiable on public grounds; but Mr. Gladstone was blamed because he did not think it would be for the advantage of the public service to retain him in kis then position. Mr. Gladstone wrote his private letter with a view of giving Sir E. Wilmot an opportunity of removing the imputations from his private character, ea as that ho might be eligible for some other government appointment. He (Sir I. Graham) must think that Mr. Gladstone had acted fairly and frankly in accompanying his despatch of recall with • private letter stating the charges which had come to his ears, and thus giving the party accused an opportunity of clearing his reputation. Mr. HAWES said that there was not in the colonial office the slightest vestige of a document accusatory of Sir E Wilmot. Even the secret letter alluded to was not known to be in existenes at the Callasialwace until it was received in a dullard four Sir B. Wart himself. He had only further to op, that the coconuts which had been trans mitted teas file colonies had Turned from his mind every trees at roe seammtions on whisk Mr. Gladstone's letter had boaa fronslad. (Cheers.) He did not wish to cast blare as that gurdesaan, but he could not hold him quite justified in the erne he had taken. Sir C. DOUGLAS said that, after what had occurred, he had reason to hailer that th• debate wield be perfectly satisfactory to the distorts of the stressall barer& (Hear.) Mr. CUATRIS had as hasitrioareeisporkiag the accu sers of Sir B. Wilmot, whatever might be their rank, r base and cowardly ashwarators. (Hear, bear.) Mr. BORTHWICK exonerated Lord Grey from blame in the matter, but was not quite satisfied with the conduct of Mr. Gladstone. Mr. RORSMAN said it had been stated that two of the Peewees of Sir E. Wilmot held official appointments. He wished to know, first, whether the hon. member forßirming ham had been furnished with the names of the colonial ac cusers ; and, secondly, whether any steps had been taken at the Colonial Office to communicate with the gentlemen hold ing high official position in this country, in ceder that he I aught explain how he had become a party to the transaction ? Mr. SPOONER had beea furnished with two of the names; the other was still unknown to him, Mr. HORSMAN—Perhaps the right hon. member furDor chaster could give the third name ? Capt. GLADSTONE denied that his right hon , relative had committed any error or indiscretion in the matter. His right hon. friend regretted that the charge had aver been made ; but his justification rested on the evidence and on the position of the parties who had nada the accusation. (Hear, hear.) If his right hon. relative wrote the letter on insufficient grounds, no doubt he had been guilty of worm than a mere indiscretion, but he repeated he was Justified by the circumstances of the case. His right hon. relative and those who defended him in that house were under a great difficulty in not being able to give the names of the parties by whom the &ergot were made—( Why not ?)—for if hon. members knew who those parties were, they would see that it would have been impossible for his right hon. relative to pass such charges by without calling for some explanation. Mr. ROEBUCK was anxious for the character of England in this matter. The hon. member for Ipswich said that if the house knew who the parties were by whom those charges had been made, they would understand how difficult it would have been for his right hon. relative to refuse to take cognisance of them. Now he had no idea of official reserve when the character of an honest man was at stake. (Hear, hear.) It appeared that those respectable names had been vouchers for falsehood. What were the facts ? A most respectable gentleman went sut to govern a distant colony, and performed his duty honestly, and to the best of his ability ; but behind his back some respectable gentlemen, officially connected, addressed the colonial secre tary in aocusation of the absent governor, and he was dis missed, and that without any intimation of what the charges were. The right hon. gentleman had not the courage to make the accusation, though sheltered by his official position —he ventured upon it to dismiss an honest man. (Hear.) He must assume the accusation was a grave one, or it would not, in the colonial secretary's view, have justified tlismissal. That accusation was now admitted to be Pulse ; why, then, were they not to know who the parties were who made it ? (Hear.) What right had Mr. Gladstone to dismiss a man:on charges anonymously made, and which afterwards-turned out to be unfounded? Capt. GLADSTONE—He did not dismal him on tilos — Mr. ROEBUCK—Then he dismissed him on no ace tion. (Hear.l What was he dismissed for ? It was era, be was dismissed ; and he was told that he would not be yp recommended to official employment, because he had been accused of certain immoral conduct. That was du statemen t sooordint to the papers which had been producen. (Ha ss.) But he d not believe it. He believed the colonial semi.' wished to dismiss Sir E. Wilmot, and finding these mons accusations at that moment in the office, he red them as his instruments. (No, no.) He would take the case the other way, and assert that Sir E. Wilmot was not &mi ao w , heintme he use able to govern the colony,_ but is roe segesoss if dim charges. (Hear, hear.) They mold Set eat ef that affinity only by giving up the dateo of the as „ mations, and hy proving that they were subsequent to the ' date of the dimodeml. (Hear.) The miananageount of Gladstone and Lord Stanley na the conduct of the affairs," the colonies was proverbial —no sooner did either of the" put their hands to anything connected with colonied ein em merit than the consequences of a mischievous interfernme resulting from ignorance and presumption, immel;atele f a h lowed. Sir E. Wilmot was not a solitary victim of •,reolo tt i,d misrule—there was scarcely a colony to which E,...4 1a d h od extended her rule in which the mischievous remit, of au ir responsible colonial government were not ape :rent. H e hoped ere long to see the time when the colonial , liplet toot would he made responsible. Mr. 0. W. HOPE believed that the public grounds which were referred to in the papers, and which had nothi ng to d o with private character, fully justified the ret..ll of Si, E. Wilmot. That recall had been received by the noble lord who succeeded Mr. Gladstone, and by him the pek e grounds were held to be a sufficient justification for the course which had been adopted. The charges nin t h h o d 'seen made against Sir E. Wilmot's private character had been communicated to that gentleman in a spirit ~ , f faien ce and justice in order that he might answer and refute them, Mr. B. ESCOTT concurred with his hon. and learned friend that the real question to be considered, was the public one. It was evident that Sir E. Wilmot had been designed on the ground stated in the secret despatch, but the bon. gentleman would not give dates, and they knew not when the intelligence reached Mr. Gladstone on which he acted. But they found that the date of the public despetchirecallnig Sir E. Wilmot was 30th April, 1846, and the private des patch communicating the calumny to Sir E. Wilmot, bor e the same date. Would any one believe that lir. Olvlstoas bad not the charges before hies when he wrote the recall? Why he made the charge the ground of the heaviest part of Sir E. Wilmot's punishment. But the part of the eam which ought to attract the attention of the representatives of England was one which he could have desired the preee a t under secretary (Mr. B. Hawes) had ant sluiced o et y, (Hear, hear.) The question was, were the ecdoi.es to be governed by ministers who listened to anonymous scam. Lions. (Hear, hear.) Why were the names of these three calumniators concealed ? As a member of that hoax he did protest against endeavours to shield such persons merely to protect a former minister. Sir W. JAMES could sot allow such language .a that of the hon. member to pus unnoticed. Did be mean to apply the word " calumnious" to Mr. Gladstone ? Mr. ' had done no more than his duty, and the course h, aid e m .. sued was sanctioned by the authority of Earl 'rh o charge now urged against him was not urged by ti,' me l o n who opened the debate it was only made at th ,. . eleventh hour by gentlemen who had heard little of what hod pima, and who knew nothing, and were utterly unable to appre ciate the difficulties of Mr. Gladstone's position. For his ownepart he believed his right hon. friend had ouly dole what was right, and had done it in the kindest was. Mr. M. MILNES hoped he would not allow an esti, friendship for Mr. Gladstone to bias his judgment is each matter as that before them ; but he must °lndite,. say that he thought Mr. Gladstone's motives had been.ininater preted by recent speakers. His . object in writing the sent despatch was to make Sir E. Wilmot acquainted with the charges which were brought against him in th;, These rumours were circulated in various circles iu England; and that was the kindliest act Mr. Gladstone could possibly do, to give Sir Eardley an opportunity of justify hie hi mse lf in the eyes of his friends at home. At the same time, how ever, that he felt confident Mr. Gladstone had act, .1 in this instance from the purest motives, he did feel very so ongly hew desirable it was that ministers of the crown shoal ..arefully avoid to receive and act upon anonymous calumbes. If such a course as that were persisted in, the conequenee must be to deprive the country of the services of the best servants of the crown. But the present case uould, he trusted, be a warning to future colonial ministers. Sir R. H. INGLIS regretted the altered tone this debate had assumed. It commenced in a tone of entree—it had assumed the tone of anger. He wished it had nee, r lon its original character, and he would conclude it by ...preens' . his unfeigned joy that Sir Eardley Wilmot's reputation had been so completely vindicated. The motion " that the orders of the day be new read," was then put and carried. REGISTERING BIRTHS, &c. (SCOTLAND, BILL. MARRIAGE (SCOTLAND) BILL. The LORD ADVOCATE rose to move that these bills be committed that day three months, for the purpose of explaining the grounds upon which he had brought them forward. It could not be denied that a full and romplete system of registering births; deaths, and marriages was im portant to Scotland as well as England, in not only furnish ing most useful statistical information, but important also as regarded the interests of families and individuals. In consider. ing the subject it was impossible to overlook the fact that such a system had prevailed in England for ten years and that system he had thought it advisable to apply to Scotland, by establishing a department in Edinburgh, as in London, where the whole system might be concentrated for the pur poses of reference, and by district registries placed under local superintendence. In these respects he propos,' to fol low the analogy of the English system. With regard to the expense, which was the origin of meet of the objections which had been raised agai n st these bills, he hal only to say that on communicating with the Chancellor of the Et chequer he had told him that there should be done for Scot. land what was done for England, but not more—namely, that part should be paid by the public( treasury, but that the rest should be met by local taxation, the expenses paid nut of the public treasury in England being those connected with the central department in London awl fors-tenon, ry. The fees paid in the case of marriages would prevent the neces sity of having recourse to either of these sources; so that the only expenses to be defrayed by local taxation wi re those which would be incurred for the registering of births and deaths. Now according to the sixth report of the registrar general of England, upon an average of years from 1838 to 1846, there was for every 31 of the population, ens birth; and for every 45, one death. Assuming it to be the same in Scotland, and assuming the population of Scotland to be 3,000,000, they would have of births about 96,700. and of deaths, 66,600,--the whole expense of registering which he had calculated would not exceed 9,600?. a year. Out of 900 parishes, there were 268 in which the population was under 1,000, and in these the expense would not exceed 3f. 10s. for each parish; there were 275 parishes, basin a population of between 1,000 and 2,000, upon which the expense would be 61. 108., and 217 parishes with a popula tion between 2,000 and 4,000, in which the expense might reach 91. each per annum. The expense of registering in towns would, of course, be heavier, but these 760 parishes contained nearly one half the population of the country. Then as to the manner in which that expense was to be met. If he had proposed to put it on real property, the country gentlemen would have objected, and asked why personal property should be „excluded while there acre no means of assessing personal property in Scotland. On the whole, then, he had thought it the cheapest, moot conve nient, and the faired course to follow the English plan of meeting these expenses by an samsament through the poor: rate, the machinery of which was already in existence. sad with the administration of which regietration waa intimately connected. It had been objected that this plan would crests confusion ; but the two assessments could be kept quite clear and distinct by separate accounts. The clause etclu ding schoolmasters being appointed registrars had also bus objected to ; but his reason for inserting it was, that they had already too many duties to attend to, 600 of theta Mug occupied as motions clerks and 423 as inspectors of primes. He had found one schoolmaster who performed the dates of seven other offices, and it followed that whoa so many duties were imposed on one person some of them must be neglected. It was said that there were registers kept at present ID Foxe land. So, also there were in England previous to the pass ing of the English Registration Act ; but that was no reason in either cue why a more efficient systems should not be established. Closely connected with the subject of registra tion was the law of marriage. The law of Scotland required nothing but the comsat of the parties to constitute marriage. Than was no need of the content of parents or guirdiaus, nor was there any new any for the biairmation of ministers of relMioa. The fact of marelap was often spelt out:from common repo: tation is LM neighbourhood, and the question was decided on whims so vague that the dodges trembled when they morannewil their decision. He would mention one or two said by way of illustration. A gentleman who afterwards ems to inherit a high title and princely estates contracted sneaky, in 1803 solely by writing, imagining that it would not be preserved, whereas it had, in fact, been cow' fully preserved. Tkat gentleman came to England is 1808 and being a man in that respect of no honours and possibly imagining that the evidenee of his former mar riage was loot, he paid his addresses to a lady connected with one of the first families in England. Those addresses were received, and a marriage took place. Fortunately there was no issue ; but a suit was brougnt in the English courts, and the result was that the second marriage was annulled IS favour of the first. Again, a gentleman having lived with* woman for some years, who was his domestic, and received wages from him, and who had also had chldren by Mar called up this woman, his servants, and his chil dren, and said in the presence of them ell, of clergyman being present, I acknowledge th t l WOE= to be my wife, and these children to be my .' It was not proved that this woman made any similar MOM de claration. The gentleman then left the room and went shout his occupation, and gave directions to his overseer Es returned in a short time, and shot himself dead. The fuss question which arose in the courts was as to the insaaity_o f Hie man. It was proved that he was perfectly MM. next question was, whether the marriage was valid ; and that question turned upon another, viz., whether the gentle man meant to marry and live with the woman, or shah"' he merely meant to marry her and make her a widow, order that the children might inherit the estate. The qua- Lion was argued at great length. Ultimately the roamer was decided to be good, and the children were now in pot' anion ef an estate of more than 20,0001. • year. 1 1, believed there was no country in christendom, or is the civilised world, in which the law of los , ' Hags was so absolutely unjustifiable as in Scotland. The statute law of Scotland was said to give encourage' meat to marriages by the clergy ; but the reverse wet s hot, for if any religious celebration was performed, 'me ° thine was what was called a proclamation of banns, t he cler gyman performing the ceremony was liable to er:"l"titi". I 1 ito 010 be to o# by so th so et! Pi st re no