The Express. — London, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

IM PERIAL PARLIAMENT W)USE OF LORDS.—MosnAT, F. 21. ROYAL ASSENT. The Enyal Arent was given by commission to the fol lowing b.lls—lbe Transfer of Aids ; Valuation Act Amend ment; u.d use Stamp petits as rates, Inventions ; The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Debt. of Argyll, snit Earl Granville. T►c Luau Crarcpu.ua took kis scat at i o'clock. _ PEI ITIONS PRESENTED. Cot Illy COI:1116.-11y L UROUGHachi, from a plant not Malta. praying fee the eatonaion of the junulictiun of county rearm. MAIINUOTII.—By the Earl of SHAFTESBURY. from the pariah of Heerlen, ac.tinm the crane to Maynooth. RETURNS ORDERED. LrNATIC Atstro..—Lord ST. LEONARD'S moved for returns *howls.; the number of person. now confined in lunatic roylurst. ' the amount of their incom e ., the allow ances made to them, &e. 1fr1.104111.U.111 , 011.11111rATIONS.—Lord WROTTES LEY moved for certain onrespondroft botwe.n her Ma jesty's vvernm. nt and the government of the United State., and the Royal Society. relative to a plan fur making hydrugrsph. , .l observations on the sea. 'IRE PIX•MILE BRIDGE RIOT. The Earlot CARDIGAN rose to put • question, of which he had kiVtll \Odle, as to the treatment and mode of trial of eirtain so'dien of the 31st Regiment, who were engaged at the last el. etion for the county of Clara in en affray with the people at ffix.mile Fridge . Since be had last addre•sed the hon., en the oulsket he had received from the highest legal authorities in Dublin important information with regard to the present position and prospects of the poor midi, FS w 1.., were about to he tried at the Eanis arises fur the county of Clare, which would commence to-morrow. Ile was inf ruled of a circumstance which seemed to be very had and unfair upon them, namely. that up to Wednesday last no intimation had been given to them, or the magistrate at Six-mile Bridge, ea to whether they were to be proseitited by the crown lawyers or not. The soldiers of oar army, alth iugh t it touch thought of, exposed themselves to every danger on behalf of the country, and displayed the greatest heroism rend devotion to their duty on all 04:01,1001 , . lie thought that the government, instead of prosecuting these soldiers, were bound to defend them. The very fact of the.r lw,ng prosecuted by croon lawyers would be • stigma on their character, and it would be doubly so if they were found guilty although the sentence might afterwards be remitted - . Ile would only add a bumble expres sion on his part, of lamentation at the fate of Ireland—that unfortunate country, torn to pieces by religious animosities, and tossed about by the change able and uns.eady a uric adopted by successive go vernmeets, constantly following one another, and each re versing the decisions of their pr,ekcessors. Much more un happy would that country be if, by oppression and injus tice, they allotated the affections and paralysed the energies of a faithful army. It only remained for him to as the question of which he had given notice, namely, whether it was the intention of the government to prosecute or defend the suldiers to whom he had referred ; and whether it was their intention to pursue the course intended to have been adopted by the preceding government, and prosecute the catholic priers whu hid urged the people against the troops ? The Earl of ABERDEEN said the noble earl had in ferred to this subject and brought it before their lordship. in a manner not altogether consistent with a due regard to the adminietration of justice. He had told them that these people were to be put on their trial at the assius which com menced to-morrow, and what practical obje ct could the noble earl possibly have in view by bringing the subject forward at such a moment? (Hear, hear.) There had been no choice but for the Irish government to prefer bills before the grand jury against these people; and in doing so, be maintained that they had only followed that course which according to law, tustice, and common sense, it wes in their power to adopt. The noble earl pro fessed to Wide that the late government would not have prosecuted these people. So far was that from being the ease, that upon a petition presented to the late Lord Lieu tenant of Ireland by parties connected with the people whose lives were lost, objecting to a prosecution by the law otiteers of the crown, and praying that they might prosecute by their own engines, as they had no confidence in the crown lawyers, this was the answer given: " His Excellency thinks it incumbent on him to mark and reprobate an application made on such censurable grounds, and with such an object as that of inducing him unconetitationally to suspend the Attorney and Solicitor-General from the performance of their imperative duty." (Hear, hear.) That was the way in which the Lord lieutenant rreeggaarded the prosecution of these soldiers; and that prosecatioa was rendered doubly necessary by the step whieb the hits itott a e through their Attorney-General. bad brought the Puestion before the Court of Queen's when it was lly argued, and the verdict of the ecesser's jury sue tained. Alter that, what amine remained but to follow the legal proceedings ? (Hier, hear.) all the re aped be eatertaised for the arm 7 on all occasions, he had also great regard for the due administration of the law ; and if they were to have the law maintained at all in Ireland they must not attempt to strain and thwart its just ad. ministration by any such interference as that which the noble earl proposed. (Hear, hear.) After the trial it would be foe the government to de cide what mune they ought to pursue. As to the pro sedation of the priests, he would make no distinction be tweets soldier and print; what he wished to lay down be fore their lordehips was thin—and he would undertake that as long as he had anything to do with the government of Ireland it should be carried out without exception ; whether ha be soldier or priest, or peasant, or peer, pieties should be administered with strictness and impartiality. (Hear, hear.) Of course, therefore, the bills would be proceeded with against the priests Past the sun* as against the soldiers —and the grand jury would deal with them as they thought proper. (Hear, hew.) The Earlof CARDIGAN—I have it is the hand-writing Attorney-General of the late government that It wu not their intention to hors prosecuted these *oldie». The setter then dropped. BURDENS ON TBE LAND IN IRELAND. LeahIONTEAOLE, is Qnsenti a petition 'ram the *suety of Wtaford, complaining of the burdens on the land, alma by the consolidated annuities secured on the rata, asked what was the intention of government with respect to those &nannies ? lie referred to the Treasury minute, by whir annelties fee fegty teen were created payable out ii the Mee. end swami red lest year the attention of the bore bed been gelled te the se4est, sad ea the 7th of llene • West erwaittee wee moved he, I. the appoint ment of tibia both sides of the bras reenned. There were II muilmee on that ammietee, 12 of whom were peers of Iselerad. They eat his lima till the end of May; they bosh pest rise with the inquiry ; and there was • sear spree* M unanimity. They presented a very im partial report, just before the diseention ; sad it was un derstood that the late goverment wis h maim it one of their hat rowans to thee NOM km e ff ort. Al pement, it was difficult for ht authority to admire*, the poor law at all ; they did sat know what ralreientaree. It was tree there was • very sensidrable imperesent, which he rrjekted is shaft, is the enclitics el Ireland ; but the chugs he the repress' et them annuities emoted is sews pats ef Wend is is mush is 26 per mak of the whale ere / salad* is this the whole of the had taxation the wee way melees. sad the cue man ems loudly sari he Isphiellee himenener. No one grid den] that the semmleese MI bee deletly impartial. This wee glee peened hem the eller= that wen sailed breve them. Is lisped thst tit sinvassi nisiewies isr :Zillsat the reemmerigthme et sash • surefire i pressed crehmesady hem the government without premiere eg trltedea slaw en re side the Chmenel or the ether. Ile did net nek he the isseinien d aslegh frthing of the debt, Wiser k rem inaleeeled he building work horse or foe the NW einieir red by air Bur goyne. What he rellselled sip int We, that the pro. party of I rehml dr di he bald responsible for a debt which wee herd epos them, and which was productive of mi seed milef,, bat probably more berm than good. This rem_ piesbnly the moment for tak ing same sup ; the wire bed semminesd ; sad the whole of the greed jll4llll would be hi M bleetere is the matter if it were net taken up by the geremen. The Bad of ABERDEEN sell he did set deny the ha rmer sad th e of the cpattelim neltine did be under rate the labours of the erommitem le white die melds hard bad referred. Bat this was a sorest seemendly constaied with the financial arrangements for the year ; and all it was leader the emuideration of the government = he impassible foe him at that time to pup lei say eerie which they might think it issumbene upon them to .He mast decline to give any pledge rise the sub f. whNh deserved and was receivieg the es of the government. But the made lord mar be aware that cirettentanese had eseenbat sheer Mess that era- ntittee;;Tort7d7 * ---- as -- "impesseenes wCtish7rd taken place in Irelaad ' W ' net do away with the sesualty of considering the subject, still it was a gent alleviadaa of the state of things which had prevailed beam Cenemtud as this subject was with the financial anseementellse the year, it would be premature and very InspeepeeM him sow to state what were the intentions of ths gaummunt in respect Wit. After a few words from the Marquis of CLANILICARDZ and the Earl of Wtottow, the subject dropped. MANNING OF THE NAVY. Lord LOVEL and HOLLAND rose to put a question, of which he had given notice, as to whether the government meant to lay on the table of the house the report of the committee on the manning of the navy ? The Earl of ABERDEEN said it was the intention of the government to lay that report on the table. At the same time, he must observe that the report had only been re ceived in the course of last week ; it had only come into his hands on Saturday. It related to a vast number of subjects besides that of manning the navy ; many very important topics were touched on, which it was quite necessary the government should have time to consider and form some opinion on them before the report was laid on the table. He assured the noble lord that no time would be lost in doing this. The Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND said he hoped the government would also lay on the table the evidence taken ► the committee. They had inquired into the whole state of the sea service, from the time a seamen first entered it as a boy, until he was at last received into Greenwich Hos pital. An injustice was suffered by a very valuable class of °Seen is the Navy, the wanant officers, who were be tween the seaman and the commissioned officers. lie had hoped that one part of this injustice, which had been done years ago, might have been redressed Ay the late govern ment, .indepundently of the report of this committee. lie referred to the taking away of the widows pensions ; but they had found gnat difficulty in making tho requisite cal culation'. Oa this accent after the committee had been very Isborionaly engaged, he had desired them also to eon rider the care of the warrant officers. Since the war other claeeed, of officers, as engineers in steam-veeetls. bad bet n put over them ; and the ihtferent kinds of - officers compli cated the question very much. The Earl of ABERDEEN said it would be impossible to s4y whether the evideret would be laid oa the table until At had seeu it. The house adjourned at twenty minutes after six o'clock. HOUSE OF COINIONS.—MONDAI, FEB. 21. Too SrLimes took tho chair of tho %Loyal hour. I'ILIVATE BUSINESS... The following ;L were nad a second time : Barnsley Waterworks ; Black Dog Road ; Brighton, Hove, and Preston Waterworks; Burford, Leathlade, and Swindon Roads; Burton upon Trent Improvement; Caledonian and Edinburgh and Glasgow Railways; Caledonian Rail way (branch Irons Polloe and Govan Railway, ete.) ; Cale donian Railway (i.onnecting branch with Rdinhorgh and Glasgow Railway, de.); DewsbLry, Heckosondwike, and Batley Water; Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway; Dundee Waterworks; Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway ; Great Oriinshy Improvement ; Great Yarmouth Water works ; Leamington, Warwick, and Stratford upon Avon Railway; Leominster Markets and Fain; Lit. Association of Scotland; Limerick Corporation ; Limerick Improve ment ; Liverpool Borough Court; Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport Railway ; Llanelly Railway and Dock ; London and North Western Railway (Shrewsbury to Newtown) ; Londonderry, Enniskillen, and Sligo Railway; London derry Improvement ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln shire Railway (alteration of capi'al) ; Newcastle upon Tyne Improvement ; New Rom (Free) Bridge ; Oldham Corporation and Oldham Gas awl Waterworks; Pendle ton, Swinton, dm., ILA; Ponlomherry Inelosure ; Roch dale Improvement ; St. Helen's Canal and Railway ; Sc. Tern and Wye Railway and Canal ; Shrewsbury and Chester Railway; Thames Haven Dock and Railway ; Truitt and Killarney Railway ; Wakefield Market ; Wel lington and Severn Junction Railway ; Westminster Im provements ; Wesford Junction Railway ; Bills. THE BYPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 22, PUBLIC BUSINESS. PETITIONS PRESENTED. SATIII.LTR OMR AAA Sir It. INGLIS, from working men in Dorset ; Mr. BAINES, from the working men at Chapel Merton and Potter Newton; against the opening of the Crystal Palace en Sundays. Tale* os KsowLaring.—By Mr. MILLIGAN, from Bradford, against. CONSOLID TRH AMNPITTIPI.—By Mr. GOOLD, from Limerick; Mr. M'MAHON, from New Ron; Mr. F. SCULLY, from the Bused of Guardians of the Nenagh and Mitchallstowil unions ; against the enforcement of. MATNOUTII.—By Mr. SPOONER, from a place in Kent ; and one from ministers, churchwardens, and others, of the parish of Weston- onder•renyard, Herefordshire; Mr. MACKIE, from the Free Church congregation at Kirk bean ; against the grant to. 'lwa Watraza.—By Mr. C. BERKELEY, from the tide waiters of Liverpool, praying for increase of salary to what it bail been at a former period. SPIRITS IN BOND. —By Mr. SCULLY, from the distillers of Ireland, complaining of Vie mode of levying tke duty on. CHRISTMAS Bor.rs.—By Mr. T. DUNCOMBE, several petitions from letter carriers, praying for permission to re ceive; Mr. BROCKELHL'ItST, from the letter.earriers of Macclesfield, praying for compensation in lieu of their lost gratuities. PAnLI. . PAPRIB.—By Sir F. SMITH, from members of Chatham, Rochester, Stroud, and Brompton Mechanics' Institute; Mr. CIIEETIIAM, from members of the liolybridge Mechanics' Institute ; Mr. MASSEY, from Newport, Isle of Wight, Athenscum and Mechanics' Insti tute; Odiham Mechanics Institute; Mr. BROCKLE HURST, from the Useful Knowledge Society at Maccles field; Sir 0. B. PECHELL, from the Mechanics' Insti tute at Brighton; Mr. MACKIE, from the Mechanics'! Institute at Dalbeatie, in the county of Kirkcudbright, praying for the distribution of Parliamentary Papers to such institutions. 'rite MADIAL—By Mr. KINNAIRD, from the Glasgow Presbytery of the Free Church of Scotland, praying that the house will take into early and zealous consideration the case of the Madiai and the persecution in Tuscany, and thus vindicate the cause of humanity and religion. Counrr RAT= BILL.—By liir. WEST, from the guar dians of the Ruthin Union, in favour of County Rates Dill. Nrsmeittr.s.—By Mr. SPOONER, from females in pariah Mlness, county of Roes, for inspection an.' ultimate suppression of. Mr. IVIIITMORE, from fent& ein seve ral parish in county of Cork, for suppressian of. Jaws IM PARLI . —By Mr. SPOONER, from the inhabitants of parish Aline, county of Roes, against ad mission of Jews to parliament. Soar Dvrins.—By Mr. MILNER GIBSON, from Manchester, for repeal of. MAIDSTONE PETITION. The SPEAKER informed the house that be had received a letter, stating that it was not the intention of the peti tioners in this cies to proceed with the petition against the return for Maidstone. ELECTION. Mr. DIVETT brought up the report of the committee I on this election, and informed the hones that the committee' found that Robert Baines Armstrong, Esq., was not duly elected to serve in the present parliament for the borough I of Lancaster, and that the last election was a void election ; that the said Mr. Baines Armstrong was by his agents guilty of bribery and treating at the said election ; that Sharp had received bl. ; that Whitehead had received U.; and that other voters had received 11. and U. each, cad he row moved that the minim ed 'Mews be laid on the table of the house, which the eesamilles were of opinion deserved to be fully considered by Shoham. Ile also gave notice that he should to-morrow (this dsp) IBM that no new writ be ireed lee the des.. a member for Lan caster till ten days' previa. sodse thereof be given in the votes. (Hear, hies.) TAVISTOCE SUCTION. Lord R. GROSVENOR bassaglal tip the ninon of the semmiases em Me eludes peaks, mid informed the house diet dm sismillse arm loft &sibs that Samuel Carter, Req., est Watt de) 7MIYd eseseding to the provisions of the aft of parliamomk was mg daly elected for the borough of Taviseeek, and Itt Rebut Joseph Phillimors, Esq., was duly elected. LY ELECTION. Mr. KER BEYMER brought up the report of the com mittee on the Canterbury election petition, and informed the house that the committee had found that Henry Plamptre Oipps, Esq., and the Hon. Henry Dudes John stone were not duly elected to serve in the present parha meat, and that the last election fur the berough of Canter bury wasa void election. He had likewise to inform the house that the committee bad come to the resolution that the said Henry Plumptre Oipps aid Henry Butler John state were by their agents guilty of bribery at the said election ; that Haywood had bees bribed with 61. ; that White bad been bribed with U. ; that several ethers had been bribed with coloured tickets of the value of 10s. each ; that it was not proved that the bribery bad been committed with the consent or knowledge et the said H. P. Oipps and 8. B. Johnstone ; that it was proved that a system of bribery by coloured tickets had prevailed at the last elec tion and previous elections for the city of Canterbury. He had now to move that the evidence be laid on the table, and he begged to give notice that on en early day it was hie intention to move that a commission do issue, in the terms of the set of parliament of last session, for the city of Can terbury. (Hear.) Mr. T. BUNCOMBE said that as n• writ ought, in his eipinion, to issue till the evidence had been ia the hands of members, he begged to move that the h/14111 of a writ for Canterbury be suspended till the evident* be plated, and in the hands of members. The SPEAlol.eiiiihat the hon. member should gin notice of the motion. Mr. K. SEYMEIL then pee notice that to-roorrow (this day) he you'd more that the writ be suspended. ROYAL COMMISSION. The Dartnrr-Usata of the House of Lords summoned the House to the House of Lords to bear tie royal went given by comutbsios to certain bills. (For width see Lords' report.) NOTICES OF MOTION. LAW H. S. HEATLNO to put • question to-morrow to the Home Secretary, whether the plan announced by the prominent for the consolidation of the statute law would comprehend any measure for in. swag greater uniformity, clearness, sad 03120191112.611 111 the framing of future acts of parliament Pun= nowise (ScorLawn.)—Mr. II'HENZIE on an early day to more for Lear. to bring in a bill for the better repletion of. LAW OF PARTNERSHIP. Mr. W. ;rishedTolinowfronihe Presides! of the Board of Trade whether it was the intention of go government to introduce any measure for the of giving public companies the power of limited lit lily. Mr. CARDWELL said it would be in the recollection of the hums that in 18.50 and again in 1861 a committee of the house lei investigated the subject of the law of pertain. ship amillimited liability. In 1801 the SlONSitto• ream. mead that the amens should issue siannindialls min of parliament his el leLuiry OS the subject. The sultelml lealinee• E l last ieeke right boa. bw will* he Taunton (Mr. Laboneiten), who had OINSISSIOS SO Intention of the government with regard to it ; and he had new to state that that commission would blue. (Hear. hear.) Mr. PATTEN wanted to know what course, in that ease, was to be pursued with regard to private bills now before parliament The usual rule was this, that with respect to limited liability &erten were only given where private eaterprise could not reach the end proposed. Mr. CARDWELL said that question divided itself into two parts. First, as to the power of the Board of Trade as to the granting of charters or not, it was the intention of the board to be guided as far ss they could be by principle and precedent, and what they believed to be the intention of parliament when it entrusted them with that power, namely, that charters should be granted in conformity with, end insubordination to, the general principles of the law. With regard to the proceedings of that house, he could do no more than give his opinion with regard to the measures which might from time to time be brought before it. In the present cue that opinion was in conformity with that of his hon. friend, namely, that while inquiry was pending on the subject, it was desirable to be guarded, and not to give limited liability where the object could be attained by private competition. ( Hear, hear.) BATTERSEA PARK. On the motion of Sir R. H. Innua, the follow ing return was ordered:—Copy of any communication from William Cubitt, Esq., to the Right Hon. Sir William 11f olesworth, Bart., on the subject of Battenea Park ; together with a copy of any reply, and of any re ference to the Treasury thereon, and of any answer or minute of Treasury in respect thereto. ACCIDENTS IN COAL MINES. Mr. HUME wi.hed to ask the Home Secretary, in pur suance of notice, whocher any reports had been made under the powers of the act 13 & 14 Vic., C. 100, for inspection of coal mines in Great Britain. Lord PALMERSTON said the inspeetem were bound to report under the act, and several riposte were made last year. The whole subject was of great importance, and he hoped that in the course of the session her Majesty's go vernment would be able to submit to the house a measure which would render the inspection more efficient, and pro vide against the recurreoce of those dreadful accidents which they all deplored. STAMP DUTIES UPON NEWSPAPERS. Mr. SCHOLEFIRLD asked the Attorney-General what mine he intended to pursue with reference to a bill re lating to stamp duties upon newspapers ordered to be brought in nn the 6th of December last ? The A'ITORNF,Y-GENERAL said the question op paired to him one rather for her Majesty's government generally, and especially for the Chancellor of the Exche quer, than for the law officers of the crown. It was a mixed question, consisting partly of law and partly of taxation, and as it was now under consideration, he hoped it would soon be settled, although it involved considerable difficulty. THE LOSS OF THE QUEEN VICTORIA STEAMER. Mr. GOOLD asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether, in connexion with the recent loss of the Queen Vivi:iris steamer, his attention had been called to the want of a fog•bell at the Bailey Lighthouse; and who they the government was prepared to compel the Ballot Board of Dublin to supply a suitable bell to that light house ? Mr. CAYLDWELL said u soon as be heard of the la mentable occurrence referred to, he directed inquiries to be made into all the eireumstsnees attending it. The officer concluded 64 , • whom ha appointed had not yet c. his investiga tion ; but as soon as he received the report he should be alas to give the required intirmation, and also to state what course hr thought it desirable to pursue. IRISH TOWNS' IMPROVEMENT. Mr. POTTER asked tho Secretary for Ireland if it was the intention of the government to bring in a Towne Im provement Bill for Ireland in the present melon of parlia ment. Sir J. YOUNG said a bill was in preparation, and would soon be completed. THE CASE OF EDWARD MURRAY. Lord D. STUART put a question to the Secretary of State for Foreign Aft tire with regard to Edward Murray. The house, he said, would no doubt recollect that Edward Murray, a British subject, after being confined (or nearly 3 years in prison, was tried by • secret tribunal at Rome, the charge appearing to be that he had aided or connived at a murder; that be was condemned to suffer death, and would have been executed but for the energetic interposition of the British consul, Mr. Freeborn; that the late government interceded for him, and that his sentence was commuted to imprisonment in the galleys for life, and that Lord Meknes bury directed Bir Henry Balwer to endeavour to obtain for bim a further extension of clemency. lie wished to ask the noble lord whether his attention had been directed to the ea e. Whether he had any hopes of obtain;ng any further extension of clemency to this unfortunate man? Whether he had received any information of a character to enable him to form an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the prisoner in respect to the heinous crime laid to his charge ? Whether he would state that opinion or commu nicate that information to the house ? and whether be had taken, or intended to take, measures to prevent the consmo-' tuition of Murray's sentence from death to perpetual impri sonment, from resulting in the wasting of the body, the sinking of the spirits,lthe weakening of the =lad, which are but additions to the capital punishment which a long close confinement too often involves? (Hear.) Lord J. RUSSELL said, with regard to this case, Lord Malmcsbury directed Sir Henry Balwer to make repre sentations, with • view to the commutation of the sentence. He himself had since directed that those representations should be continued, and they were continued while Sir Henry was at Florence. Sir Henry bad lately come away, but representations would continue to be made by the British minieter at Florence. As to the guilt or innocence of Edward Murray, he could only say that the Roman government denied that if the trial had taken place it en English court the result would have been different. Mr. DRUMMOND wished to know whether or not the noble lord had ascertained that Murray was a British subject. Lord J. RUSSELL said Murray was, he believed, of British parents, but he did not know whether the circum stances would justify him in saying that he came within the designation of a British subject. COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH HOLLAND. Ic reply to a question from Mr. A. PaLuktr, Lord J. RUSSELL said, the favoured clause in the com mercial treaty did net give us any absolute right to ask Holland to put British goods on the same footing as American goods coming into that country. It would only enable ua to do so on the condition that England made reciprocal concessions to Holland. if we made these °on etime' in favour of Holland, we should be obliged to make remissions to other countries which might be dis advantageous to ourselves. CLERGY RESERVES (CANADA) BILL. In reply to a question from Mr. ADDZILLIY, Mr. F. PEEL said as this could not come on tkst night, it would be postponed until that day week. MILITIA OFFICERS. Sir DE L. EVANS asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mcuurea had been, or were about to be, taken to compel all such officers of the embodied militia as reticle in foreign countries to return to England, or to immediately resign their 1 commissions in that force in order that efficient officers might replace them ? Lord PALMERSTON said it would certainly be very in convenient for officers who hold commissions in the Militia to reside permanently at a great distance, and it was equally clear that an officer could not perform duty in the militia and in the yeomanry at the same time. There would, how ever (as was understood), be an inspection, and the report of that inspection would afford the means of correcting irre- An Hox. MEMBER asked whether her Majesty's go- vernment intended to take any step towards the appoint ment of public prosecutors ? Lord PALMERSTON was not aware that the govern ment had any such intention at present. THE STAMP DUTIES ON NEWSPAPERS. Mr. BRIGHT wished to put a question to the learned Attorney-General in ;reference to the subject mentioned that evening by the hon. member for Birmingham (Mr. licholefleid.) The late government promised to bring in a bill to amend the Newspaper Stamp Act in order to pre vent litigation. He wished to know whether while the present government were considering the question it was to be understood that the litigation as regarded Mr. Dick ens was put • stop to, and whether other persons who might act in accordance with the judgment of the court would be held by the government exempt from legal pro ceeThe din CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was no part of his duty to conduct the legal proceedings relating to the stamp duties. The matter was not brought before his department until within the last three or four days, and the course which he then took was that of sub mitting a ease to the law o ffi cers of the crown, who would advieshim with regard to the state of the law. That was the only step be could take with propriety, and it was, he believed, the one most likely to lead to a solution of the question. With regard to the question of the letral proceed int, be really could not give any opinion upon it. Mr. BRIGHT said as the question was one of penalties, all he asked w that, pending the consideration of it, par ties should not be liable to legal proceedings, which might be ruinous to them. He thought that was only a fair request.. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could only promise that, if a requisition from or on behalf of any parties interested were laid before him, it should have his best attention. He did not feel competent to say more, and he hoped the hon. gentleman would not press him to do so. On the order of the day for going into Committee of Supply, Mr. MOORE rose, in pursuance of notice, to put ques tions to the noble lord the member for London as to the intentions of the government in respect of the established church in Ireland. He said be hoped the noble lord's answers would be as frank, ample, and explicit as his position demanded that they should be. The reply which he would receive not only affected the po litical tranquillity and the moral and social condition of Ireland, but it also concerned materially and vitally the position of her Majesty's government. No obser vations of his could express his convictions on this subject half so forcibly or half so well as the noble lord had himself expressed them on former occa sions. In the year ISM, the noble lord introduced in that House a motion, having for its object the appropriation of certain revenues of the Irish established church for na tional and neuter purposes. In doing so, he referred to a motion of Mr. O'Connell in the previous year, for the re peal of the union ; and in the course of his observations, he said that those who opposed the measure of appro priation on the ground that it might prove injurious to England bad no right to oppose the repeal of the legislative union. This was a very important declara tion; it was calculated to sink deep into the minds of the people of Ireland, and that it did so was proved by the fact of their demanding repeal after the Appropriation Bill had been rejected. On a subsequent occasion the noble lord said that while he had life or health he would oppose by force, if necessary, the repeal of the union. This decla ration was thought very manly at the time ; but it appeared to him that it would have been more manly and honest if the noble lord had made it in the life-time of the illustrious Irishman who was the great agitator for repeal. He could tell the noble lord that the Irish people were not now indifferent to this question ; they had taken it up, not riotously, but resolutely ; and five-sixths of the working members of the House of Commons were pledged to oppose any government which did not declare its in tention to legislate with regard to the established church of Ireland on the basis of perfect equality between the several religious denominations. Here arose a very delicate question. Two of the represen tatives thus pledged had taken office under the present go vernment, but those who knew them best said it was utterly impossible that they could have done so without having previously received an assurance that the government in tended not only to legislate on the basis of religious equa lity, but also to introduce • measure of tenant-right, embodying the provisions of Mr. Sharman Crawford's bill. His hon. friend the member for Galway (Mr. Flaherty) in a letter recently published by him, had well expressed his own sentiments on this subject. He would conclude by asking the noble lord whether it was the intention to legislate this session with reference to the es tabliehed church in Ireland, on the basis of perfect religious equality for all religious denominations into which the people of that country were divided ? Lord J. RUSSELL—I do not intend, on the present occasion, to enter into any ducusdon with respect to the established church in Ireland, hut the hon. member having asked me a question, for which he wishes an explicit answer, namely, whether government is about to intro duce any measure in order to establish religious equality in Ireland, I have to state especially that government has no intention of introducing any measure with respect to the established church in Ireland, except a measure with respect to ministers' money, which will be introduced by a right honourable friend near me. The hon. member has referred to certain secret assur ances which he supposes to have been riven to certain hon. members, on their consenting ti join the government by ac cepting office, bolt as regards the church and the law of landlord anetenant. For my part, I believe that no such assurances have been given, but that they have taken office from their general confidence in the character of the go vernment, without any specific promise whatever. (Rear.) After a few words from 3.Ir.O'FLAIIXILTT and Mr. Locke, the subject dropped. ANTI-MILITIA PLACARDS. _ _ _ Mr. HINDLEY rose, pursuant to notice, to ask the Se cretary of State for the Homo Department whether the go vernment intended to proceed with prosecutions which had been commenced splint certain parties in Buckingham shire for distributing placards animadverting on the Militia Bill. In putting that question he wished not to be under stood as expressing any opinion, much less a favourable one, of the placards alluded to, but would merely observe that es regarded the regular army similar placards had been in circulation for 10 years without being looked upon asillegal, and therefore it was thought they might be circulated re specting the militia without incurring any legal conse quences. If the government objected to these placards of the Peace Society, they might easily have issued counter placards showing the advantages of the militia, or if the did prosecute, they should at least attack persons in good circumstance., end not the poor and defenseless, who did not know that they were transgressing any law in circulating those placards. Mr. FITZROY said that government had given orders that the prosecutions should be withdrawn. (Cheers.) Mr. BRIGHT thought that the noble lord the Home Secretary ought to have been present to answer this ques tion. particularly because when his hon. friend the member for Ashton bad asked the question before, the noble lord was not particularly civil, but treated men who were quite as respectable as himself as if they had been guilty of a grave offence. The charge sgain.t the persons held to bail was that they had been guilty of something which went by the name of sedition in advising young men to avoid enlistment in the militia. Now, when they recollected the scandalous means that were used to induce young men to enlist, of which they had full testi mony in the evidence of a distinguished military officer, he thought that in • free country like this, those persona who took a different view should have liberty to give a contrary advice. (The hon. member proceeded to read, extracts from the evidence of Adjutant-General Brown given before the army and ordnance committee of 18.51, the purport of which was that tho old pensioners residing in their native villages dared not attempt the recruiting service, so unpo pular was enlistment with the peasantry, and that the best recruiting sergeants were those who by being able to sing a good song and tell a merry story could ca jole the young countrymen. The evidence went gene-' rally to prove that military service was odious in the country, and that the recruiting sergeants used various means to indite.e young men to enlist.) Now they had heard a good deal of " gagging " the peels, and that opera tion might apply to the newspaper or the bill-poster. They bad it iu evidence that irregular means were used to induce young men to enter, and that 5.. were offered to every sim pleton, and surely it was open to those who believed that young men were doing badly in abandoning their parents, and leaving their families, to represent to those young men that which was true, and to take other means to induce them to remain at their industrial occupations. The offending placards consisted of a woodcut and an extract from • work called the " Autobiography of a Working Man," written by Mr. Somerville, who was at one time most unjustly subjected to flogging when in the military service. He should think himself deticisnt in his public duty did he not take every means towards the abolition of that degrading punishment. The woodcut was more complained of than the letter-press, but it should be recollected that they were appealing to persons who were unfortunately unable to read, and were, therefore, compelled to bring thus home to them facts which they could not acquire from the newspapers. The present Emperor of France complained more of the pic tures in Punch end the Illustroled News than the articles, because his people understood the one and not the other, but it was monstrous that in this free country, the monarch of which was so much beloved, and the government one in which so many persons placed confidence, people, for circu lating a few placards such as he had described, should be rendered amenable to a prosecution. He understood that one person was in prison at the present moment, and he had received • letter from Christchurch, stating that the police had entered a man's house without warrant, and torn forcibly down some of those placards. Now, if we had heard of such conduct in Paris, from the correspondents of the Times or Chronicle, we should have had leading articles denouncing the government of that country, and proclaiming hostility to all despots. Ho was glad, however, that the noble lord had determined upon abandoning this prosecution, a reso lution which he believed had been already come to by the preceding government, and on that belief had recommended the people at Christchurch not to enter upon any expensive preparations for defence. These poor persons had, how ever, been kept • long time in a state of uncertainty about a charge which, if they had received early and proper inti mation of the state of the law, would never have occurred. He was sure the noble lord would not regret the course he had now taken, and trusted that those persons who were incarcerated would be immediately set at liberty. Lord PALMERSTON having apologised for his absence when the hon. member for Ashton asked his question, said it was true, as his hon. friend had stated, that it was not the intention of the government to proceed with these pro secutions, and the reason was this—that whatever might have been the intentions of the parties who had caused these placards and pictorial representations to be printed and circulated, their intentions had completely failed in their execution. (Hear, hear.) The good sense ana patriotic feelings of the British people had induced them to treat these invitations to abandon the cause of their country with the contempt which is his (Lord Palmerston's) opinion they deserved. (Loud cheers.) The attempt to thwart the public service had so entirely failed, that it would have the appearance of vindictiveness if they pursued these prosecutions farther. (Cheers.) He had, therefore, given directions that they should be entirely and absolutely dropped, nor should he take the trouble of requiring the offending parties to enter into any recognisance.. (Hear, hear.) Of course anyone in prison would be at once re leased—indeed he bad not been aware that there was any one in co finement. Now, he bad been given to under stand that his hon. friend the member for Ashton had con tented himself with asking hie question, but that the hon. member who bad just sat down had alluded to the case of Somerville, to whom one of these personal illustrations,l octal: subject(' faslibus, referred. Now, he had received a letter from Mr. Somerville, enclosing the copy of end he bed sent to Mr. Hindley, and both of which hat gentleman had requested him to read to the house. "Militia.—Pea.. Society. 36, Lime-street, Liverpool, Feb. 17, 1853. To the Right Hon. Lord Palmerston.— My lord—l observe by the newspapers that Mr. Hindley is to put a question about the anti-militia placards of the Peace Society. I have written by this poet • letter to Mr. Hindley, of which I sane: • copy. Should that gentle man not read or notice my letter, I trust your lordship will do so, and set me right with the public. (' Hear,' and a laugh.) I am more interested In that offensive placard than any other person. lam • literary man, earning bread for self and family by my pen, and eating it only by favour of the public who buy my productions. As your lordship will perceive, the Peace Society, by placarding me all over the kingdom, have placed me in • false and odious position. (` Hear,' and laughter.) I am, my lord, your lordship's obedient servant, ALIXANDIR SominviLLn, (' One who has Whistled at the Plough'), The enclosure was as follows: " Sir,—Seeing in the newspapers that you are to put a question to Lord Palmerston, on the subject of the anti militia placards, posted throughout the kingdom by the Peace Society, I beg your attention to the following facts, and I think you should in fairness read this letter in the house :—The placard, in question, contains an engraving of • man tied up to be fiogg d. It contains also a description by me (in a book entitled the' Autobiography of a Work ing Man') of the punishment I received while • soldier in the Scots Greys on the 29th of May, 1832. I have reason to complain of that offensive placard, and complained of it to the Peace Society u soon as I knew of its esistence, and on the following grounds : 1. Because my own opinion has been decidedly in favour of the volunteer ing of recruits to the militia, in preference to •compulsory ballot (or invasion of the domestic circle by a conscription) ; and because, if the battalions of the militia were not filled by volunteers, the conscription must have been resorted to. (Hear, hear.) 2. Because Ido not believe that militiamen were or are likely to be flogged, unless they commit crimes which they may easily avoid. (' Hear, hear,' from the conservative benches.) 3. Because my book was intended to be, what every page of it proves, a warning to young men entering the army, and to soldiers already there, not to connect themselves with politics and regimental politicians as I unfortunately did—(cheers)--also to dissuade civilians from connecting themselves with physical force movements. 4. Because a quotation is prominently made from my book in the Peace Society's placard without their naming the book or esp'aining why I was flagged, but, on the contrary, leading soy one not acquainted with me to infer that I was some malefactor, guilty, probably, of a vile moral crime (which soldiers are usually guilty of before receiving such • punishment). (Loud cries of ' Hear, hear.') 6. Be cause my name was the only one used in the placard as • soldier who had suffered that punishment, which was to deter men from volunteering into the Militia. 6. Because I was not asked if I would allow my name to be used for such a purpose. And, lastly, if I had, I should have em phatically said 'No.'—l am, &C.ALEXANDER, SOMERVILLZ. Charles Hindley, Esq., M.P." (Hear, hear.) I think (continued the noble lord) this letter does great credit to Mr. Somerville. (Hear.) The hoc. gentleman who has just sat down has, I understand, found fault with ins for having said something on a former occa sion which he considers offensive, uncivil, or rude to the Pence Society. I said, what I cannot retract, that I thought the course they had pursued constituted a grave offence—(hear, hear) —inasmuch as their intention was to obstruct the public service—(henr, hear)—and to deprive the country of those means of defence which parliament had deliberately thought ncoestary to adopt. (Cheers.) ' P 53. The hon. member for Manchester talks of the freedom of the presto, and says that the proceeffinge of the late govern ment in regard to those transactions are maculated in their effect to gag the press. True, this is, as the hon. vittle man dates, a free country, where every man is hie to write and publish what he likes; provided, however, it is not against the law; but if he publish anything that is against the law, or opposed to the interests of the country, it is then the duty of the government to interfere to punish the offence. The hon. member for Manchester will par don me for sayinz that I look upon the Peace Society to he a society of well-intentioned fanatics—("hear,"and a laugh) —much too good to be entrusted with any politic.el fuuc , tions in this wicked and simple world. (Renewed cheering and loud laughter.) And I would entreat my hon. friend who asked the question, to use his influence, as a man of good understanding and practically conversant with public affairs, to induce his peace-preaching colleagues in the society to be a little less pugnacious than they hive recently shown themselves. (Great laughter and cheers.) After a few observations from Colonel Bounnto and another hon. member whose name was not ascertained, the ' subject dropped. Captain BOLDERO then rose to propose, as an amend ment to the motion for going into committee of supply, a resolution in reference to the insufficient accommodation provided for assistant surgeons on board ships of war, but The SPEAKER ruled that having spoken on the motion before the house, he could not now move his amendment. SUPPLY—NAVY ESTIMATES. -- The first Tote proposed was 137,2461., for the salaries of officers and contingent expenses of the Admiralty-office. On the motion that that sum be granted, Mr. STAPLETON urged upon the government the im portance of considering the punishment of flogging in the navy, with a view to its entire abolition, and the substitu tion of some less rovoltina and demoralising mode of msin taining discipline. Sir J. GRAHAM was desirous that every possible check upon the undue exercise of Corp nal punishment in the navy should be imposed. The subject lead occupied the attention of all the different Boards of Admiralty that had existed during the last ten years, and the result was, that every check that experience could devise had been established, and was rigidly carried into effect in the administration of this description of punishment. In the first place, care had been taken that it should not be inflicted in hot blood, by requiring Hist 24 hours should elapse between the sentence and the punishment. Then the number of lashes was limited to 48, and it was required that all the circumstances of the offence and the punishment should he recorded and returned to the commanding officer of the station, and re mitted to the Admiralty, to be then revised by the naval officer of the board, anti to be brought by him periodically under review by the head of the department. And for some yeah past it had been the practice of the Admiralty, in forming their opinions of the merits of commanding officers, to be guided very much by the efficient discipline they had maintained with the smallest amount of corporal punishment. (Cheers.) With regard to the substitution cf imprisonment, it should be remembered, that in ships not over-manned, to imprison any of the crew would be to in crease the labour, and thus inflict unmerited punishment en the rest. He should rejoice if corporal punishment could, consistently with the maintenance of discipline, be still further restricted, but he entreated the house to weigh well the danger that might result, before they pronounced in favour of its total abolition. Sir G. PECIIELL referred to the offices of Vice-Adnii ril and Rear-Admiral of Great Britain being held by the two Admirals of the Fleet who had MI. a year more than other admirals. There were only these four places to be given among twenty or thirty admirals, and he thought they ought not to be all sir/snowed up by two officers. Sir J. GRAHAM explained that the holding of the offices of Vice-Admiral and Rear-Admiral of Great Britain and Admiral of the Fleet by the same o ffi cers was in the re rent instance accidental. The offices of Vice-Admiral and Rear-Admiral of Great Britain were filled up by officers who were selected for their distinguished services, while the rank of Admiral of the Fleet was reached by seniority. It so happened that Sir Brun Martin and Sir (Marge Cock burn had been chosen for the former offices, and had since attained the rank of Admirals of the Fleet by seniority, which was not likely to happen again. Mr. HUME drew attention to the question of good ser vice pensions which were given by seniority, and one of which would fall next in succession to Captain Lambert, who it was by no means clear was not the cause of the Burmese war. He thought that no officer should be placed on the list without previous inquiry as to his services. He begged to confirm the statement of the right hon. baronet (Sir J. Graham) as to the determination of the committee on the army and navy to retain the offices of Vice-Admiral and Rear-Admiral of Great Britain, which were the only offices of dignity and reward in that service ; and he only regretted that there were fewer places of honour in the navy than the army. The hon. member then urged that the whole establishment of the Admiralty should be pl ,ced under one roof, and complained of the badness of the accommodation provided for the Admiralty charts and the hydrographic department. He thought the time was come when his right hon. friend ought to turn it in his mind when he should bring the whole Admiralty department under one roof. There were not many things he should wish to borrow from France, but there was one thing in that country which he admired, aid that was, that the whole of the revenue department was concentrated in one building. A gnat portion of the Ad miralty-office was taken up with the apartments of the heads of the department. He thought that if residences were provided for them elsewhere they might, witk a little addition to the building, concentrate the whole business there. Then the changes which took place on the change of every administration was a great evil, each party that came is being anxious to serve their own friends, and look ing to that object rather than to the efficiency of the service. The present First Lord of the Admiralty knew more about the business than any other man:, but, when the Duke of Northumberland got into office, the gallant admiral the member for Gloucester, who had a plan for manning the navy, was removed, and the noble duke was obliged to have recourse to strangers:He did not grudge the sum asked for, because 157,0001. was not too much for the management of 7,000,0001. Sir'J. GRAHAM said, his hon.:friend:bad raised several points, and he would first discuss the point in which, in his position, ho was personally interested, namely, the occu pation of the house. He believed his hon. friend was a member of the committee on salaries. He (Sir J. Graham) was summoned before that committee, and he certainly, at that moment, considered nothing less probable than that he should be again First Lord of the Admiralty. His opinion was asked as to this house, and he stated that not only from his own experience, bat from what Lord Spencer had stated to him, he thought that considering the duty of that particular board, it was indispensable that there should be resident at the Admiralty the number of mem bers which constituted aboard; namely, that there should be at least two lords of the Admiralty and the secretary. That was the case when circumstances were somewhat dif ferent from what they were now, but when they looked at the present state of things, when messages came by the electric telegraph in five minutes, in many cases requiring an immediate answer, there was the greatest advantege in having the decision of the Board of Admiralty with dis patch. Then it was recessary that the business should be commenced early—before ten o'clock in the morning, and it was necessary, if they were to have a parliamentary government, that the different departments should be re presented there ; and as they often did not get away from that house till 2 o'clock in the morning, it would be impos sible, if they had any distance to go, to be at the office by half-past 9in the morning. Re agreed with his hon friend that it was not well to have an entire change of the naval board. The late government thought proper not to supersede Captain Milne, and he, too, thought it best to keep him in office, and so with re g ard to Admiral Parker. He did not thick, however, that any government could satisfactorily conduct their affairs without an intermixture of their political friends, but this touched a large question, which he could not now enter upon. With regard to ano ther point he agreed with his hon. friend. He conceived that true economy was generally to be found in efficiency, and he might go further, and say he thought the concentra tion of all the Admiralty departments into one office would be advantageous. Hi/ hon. friend referred to another country. In that country they had immense advantages ; be believed they ' had double the number of clerks. [M r . Hume—No.] However, the hon. member must make up', kis mind to vote a very large sum indeed, if he wished to remove the whole of the department from Somerset-house to Charing-cross. Mr. VERNON asked whether it was intended to make any further use of Goldner's preserved meats in the navy, and whether any other contract had been entered into for that purpose. Sir J. GRAHAM said there was no quantity of Goldner's preserved meat now in store ; there was no fresh contract entered into, nor about to be entered into, for a further supply and no preserved meat was now used in the navy, except in very small quantities, as comforts for the sick. He might add that steps had b een taken to proceed against Mr. Goldner and his sureties for the penalty. Capt. SCOBELL complained that so large a proportion of the promotion was by party influence. He spoke in the presence of three admiralties, who were well ewer s of the truth of this statement, and that there were hundreds and thousands of officers in the English navy who had no hope of promotion. Who represented the army there ? No one but the Secretary at War. Would not the same thing do with regard to the navy ? The First Lord of the Admiralty should not be a political character. It was impossible for him to act independently in promotions if he were a politi cal character. Sir F. T. BARING said he felt it his duty to give solemnlya complete contradiction to the statements of the hon. and gallant member. He could assure the house dis tinctly and solemnly that while he was in office promotions in the navy were not made the means of political patronage, either for rewarding one side, or for gaining the other. He believed he might say fairly, that he never promoted any one on political grounds at all. The vote was agreed to. The next vote was 34,9391. to defray salaries in the iciest- rifle department. Mr. E. ELLICE said it appeared strange to object to a reduction, but there was one in this vote which he thought was not wise. In the report on the navy expenditure in 1848, there was evidence that the survey of our coasts was M a moat disgraceful state. Indeed, the hydrographers said as regarded the coast of Scotland, they knew more of the coast of Otaheite. There was a diminution in the vote by about 15,0001., and was the survey to be postponed to save so paltry a sum as that? That led him to make an observation with reference to the publication of charts. That subject was before the com mittee, and it was stated that surveys were completed and Rent to the Admiralty, where they remained for six or seven years without tieing published, and therefore useless. The nydrogrApher said he was responsih:e for the correctness of the charts, and he could not bring his mind to let anything go out of the office till he had looked at it, and that his time was taken up with hi+ duties of Barbour toaster, but as a new department, the tidal harbaur depattinent, was to he created, he would Fare three-f itirths of tae time now de. Toted to that office. The surveys, however, still remained in the office. Since 1811. thirty-seven charts bad been com pleted and sent to the Adtiiir,:ty, of which Indy eißht t en had been published. He thought somethin4 should be done to remedy this state of things , . Sumo of these charts had been published wi!ltin a mo::th, while others remained in the office six years. _ _ Sir J. Glatt AM said the latter part of the observatiotui of the hou. member justified him in the statism he had made. It was said there was a large accumulation of sur veys made some time ago, nod not yet pub:ished. Now, what was the use of a survey unless it was tested, mid if it was not tested they could not publish it, and it thee did not publish it it was of no use. Ile thought that the allow ances made to the surveying officers were much too large, and be had taken steps to reduce them. When he was at the Admiralty, years ago, a certain officer was employed in surveying the river Themes. When he returned to the office, after a lapse of 22 years, he found that same officer still employed sure eying the river Thames. (Laughter.) Mr. HUME thought it was a very discredi able circum stance that any of our coasts should still remain unsurveyed. The right lion. gentleman (Sr . James (izahain) had alluded I to a chart which had oeen made ten years age, but which had not yet been publ she d. Now, that chart had very probably cost 10,0601., and a p sltry sum of 4S 01. more for engraving would have given it to the public. What the right hoe. gentleman ouglit to do wou'd not be to stop the surveys, but to employ more persons is the hydrographic department. (Heer, hear.) Sir J. GRAHAM said that if they required Admiral Beaufort, the hydrographer, to authenticate a chart which he had nut himself verified, he would resign his office. Ile (Sir J. Graham) had asked for the vote for only 6 months, in order that he might have time to see whether any im provements could be introduced into the department. Atter some further conversation, in the course of which Mr. litue expressed a hope that the price of the Natti..ra Alnumack would be reduced to 20. fid., the vote was agreed to. On the next vote—namely, a sum not exceeding 134,2301. for her Majesty's naval establishments at home Mr. TUFNELL drew attention to the subject of the wages paid to the shipwrights and other i.ttierans in the royal dockyards. 01 late there had been a considerable rise in the remuneration of labour generally ; and he was convinced that in no private establishment men could be kept at such a low rate as is. a day, the amount paid to the Queen's shipw rights. Mr. COLLIER concurred in the observations of the hon. gentleman, and said he understood that men had left the dockyard at Dovonport. Sir J. GRAHAM assured the committee that the sub. jest had occupied the most serious attention of the board. It was the duty of the government to see that no more was spent than was absolutely necessary ; and he was happy to say that, not only was there n t a single vacancy in the dockyards, but that the men were all w e ll satis fi ed. It should be recollected that in case of oecidente they were allowed half-pay and medical attendance ; and if the dock yards were justly administered, promotion would be open to every one employed in them. (Hear, hear.) In fact, the late Surveyor of the Navy had risen to that important office from the station of an humble shipwright. (Cheers.) These were considera'ions that must weigh with the men ; but, at all events, the board were certainly not prepared to increase the rate of wages. (Heer, hear.) Captain BOLDER() wished to bring under the notice of the house the case of the assistant-surgeons in the navy, to whom great injustice had been done. In 18;0, he pro posed and earned a resolution in the house, which declared that the accommodation provided for the aesi.dent-surgeons was inadequate and insufficient to secare the full benefit of their peolos.iunal services. The right Lon. gentleman (Sir F. Baring) gale him an assurance on the part of the government that he was disposed to carry that r es ol u ti on in to effeet,anil he knew the right hon. gentleman was perfectly sincere in making that deciara . ion. He did not bring the subject forward whilst the late government were in office. Ile was anxious to test the present Board of Admiralty on this question. A memorandum had been issued which was extremely offensive to the assistant-surgeo n s, and was con sidered an insult to the whole medical profession of the king dom. It was therein ordered that assistant-surgeons who had served more than thtee years, and had passed the examina tion for surgeons, should rank next to naval surgeons, and mess with the ward-room officers. So far so good. But now came the pinch. They were to be allowed cabins when the snare on board would permit. Thus the whole matter was left to the Admiralty, in spite of the resolution of the house. From a return which he had received frsm the Mediterranean station, it appeared that of twelve assistant surgeons who were named only five had received cabins, and of these five only two shared in those little a•lvantages which were enjoyed by the other officers in the ward-roem. It was than the Admiralty bad carried out the resolution passed by the house in 18.30. The result of the existiog system was that the elite of the studeats in the medical calleges of Lon don, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, shunned the navy ; they would not consent to go for three years into a cock-pit, where study would he almost impossible. How would the government obtain assistanesurgeens in the event of a sudden war ? He believed the state of things would he similar to that which existed is 1809, es described in a lec ture lately delivered by Sir George Barringall at Edin burgh. In the evidence of Mr. Guthrie, which was quoted by the lecturer, it was stated that at th a t period qualified assistant•surgeons could not be obtained, and that, instead of raising the price, the Admiralty deteriorated the article, and took medical officers of an inferior description, who acted solely order a warrant similar to that of a boat swain. As an illustration of the working of this system, Mr. Guthrie mentioned that a man who was violently drunk having been fastened down while lying on his back, had an emetic administered to him in that position, and the surgeon not knowing, or not remembering, that the posi tion of his patient ought to be changed, death took place within two hours. Was it desirable to risk a repetition of such scenes by disgusting young men with the service ? He had further to complain of the injustice of dividing the assistant surgeons into two sections, and would like to know by what authority it was done. Admiral BERKELEY said, as one who was a member of the Board of Admiralty in 1850, he could not help thinking that the hon. and gallant gentleman must almost be disposed to regret the course which he then pursued. How would he like, as colonel of a regiment, to have his regiment regulated by *Laval officer ? Tho majority in favour of the alteration was very small, and every naval officer voted in the minority. He (Admiral Berkeley), however, assured the house at the time that, wherever cabins could be afforded to assistant-surgeons, without trenching on the comforts of the men or impairing the effi ciency of the ships, they should be provided ; and, in con tradiction to what the hen. gentleman had stated, he beg ged to say that that pledge had been redeemed. The hon. gentleman had spokon of the cock-pit. He almost doubted whether he knew where it was. At present surgeons (as was understood) were not placed in that part of the ship; but there was a time when surgeons were in the cock-pit; and it was no alight circumstance that it had produced such men as Sir William Bur net, Sir James Anderson, and Sir James Clark. The hon. member had quoted other cases to which he was not able to give an answer, further than that he had full reliance in the discretion and judgment of the surveyors of the navy. The gallant member was endeavouring to create dissatisfaction in the navy by exciting the assistant-surgeons against the mates, their superior officers—the mates, who wanted quietness as much for their studies as the surgeons. And he could assure the gallant officer that the gun-room was much more noiry than the ward-room, seeing that the young marine officer was generally either a fiddler or a fluter, and seriously interfered with studies of the mates in navigation. (A laugh.) As to scarcity of candidate., he could assure the gallant officer that 54 had been appointed in two years. The fact was, that the assistant-surgeons were well paid, and exceedingly well off. Mr. HUME regretted that all the naval officers in the ►ouse severally supported the governmeat in preventing the assistant-surgeons of the navy from receiving the treat ment of gentlemen. He trusted that the gallant officer op posite would persevere until justice was done by the go vernment to this intelligent and ill-treated claw of officers. Mr. OSBORNE said that the division to which the gal lant officer had referred was a surprise : and on that occa sion the hon. member for Montrose admitted that it was a question of details—the fact being that it was solely a question of space. The gallant member opposite had also referred to a lecture on the state of the navy delivered in 1809: but how much had been done for naval medical officer. since that time? A commission, comprising the most distinguished names, among others the Dikes of Wel lington and Richmond, had sat in 1811, and their report with reference to this point was that there were insuperable practical difficulties in the way of providing separate cabins for the assistant surgeons. Since that time separate mess-rooms had been provided for the mates, assistant-sur geons, and passed clerks, when they objected to messing with the midshipmen. In 1851 further improvements had been effected, and were still going on ; but he persisted in the observations with which he had started, namely, that the favourable division of 1850 was a surprise, and that the question was one of details, which should be left to the discretion of the Admiralty. Captain BOLDERO vindicated his motives in bringing forward the subject, and Captain SCOBELL defended the present regulations. It should be recollected, he said, that every cabin must contain a gun, and there was nothing hampered ships more in clearing for action than a multitude of cabins. In his opinion, the assistant surgeons were very well off. After a few words from Mr. rxeeoee, the vote was agreed to. The next vote was, 22,7611., to defray the naval establishments abroad. In answer to a question from Mr. ii.VME, Sir J. GRAHAM said that the increase in the expenses of the dockyards at home was a necessary consequence of the increase in the number of men voted. 683,648 t, wages to artificers, &c., at home. Mr. HUME asked whether the men in the dockyards were trained to the management of great guns ? Sir J. GRAHAM said that the whole of the dockyard men were so trained, and had already exhibited great efficiency. Vote agreed to. 3.3,5661., artificers, &e. abroad. Agreed to. 1,023,0111., naval stores fur building and repairing ships, &c. Sir J. GRAHAM (in answer to Mr. Hume) said he had been surprised, after the accusations directed ~gainst him when at the Admiralty before for reducing the stores too low, now to hear an accusation of an opposite character. The increase in the present estim :tes arose not from an actual increase cf stores, but from the inereased price of iron, timber, copper, and other artich; is iron the in• crease was as much as 70 or SO per cent. Captain SCOBELL made some remarks on the name. of our vessels of war, and the motion was then agreed to.