The Express. — London, England, 1853-03-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. • ROUSE OF LORDS.--.Turnity, MARCH 13. The Los) CNA:us:4cm took his soot St 5 o'clock. PETITIONS PRESENTED. TYR DIVISION IN TA• Qr.= DAMPLIZN.— ,Ry Lora LYTTELTON, from two rural donserks th e di rKeee a y Chichester, complaining of the decision in %I le Q ueen T . OWEICI OY EXAMINEES (CoruT Or CNA 4E71E4) Dint.— By Lord BROUGHAM, from solicitors, c nmplaining of the qualification clan in this bill. SOCI•LIPM.—AIIO. from Mr. Roo Jer e O wen , pray i ng that his system might be inquired in Anwientom 111 E JEVs TO P oogrAsigNr,—Dy LODI SAYE, a" SEI,K. from 'kW Jrd, sigma by the. Arch aestoutt, mayor, soveral Aldens en , mem b er , o f th e •C owft Council, solicitor., bankers, er AI other respectable inhabi tants ; and by the Doke of 7 4RWCASTLE, from SJuth ampton and Birmingham, in favour of the admission of Jews to parliament. SLAVE TRADE (SOH Alt, IN AItADIA) SLAVE TRADE (NEW GR.\ NAGA) (SILL. 0* the motion of t' ,e Kir: of CLARENDON these bills term severally read a Ir Avail time. INDEMNITY BILL—DESIGNS ACT EXTENSION DILL. Oa the lobo& of Lord STANLIT Of ALDILLIT, these bill. wore tread a woad time. GRAND JURY MISS (IRELAND) BILL. Thisbillpagoed through committee. IN LAND REVENUE OFFICE B I LL.—COM MONS INCLOSCRE (No. 2) BILL. Vane bills were severally read a third time and passed. OFFICE OF EXAMINER (COURT OF CIIANCEItY) BILL. On the motion of the Loau CtiaNciLLun, the report es this bill was brought up, with amendments, and agreed to. GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER RAILWAYS. The Earl of M. LMESBURY, pursuant to notice, rose to call the attention of the goverment at to • correspondence which had taken place between a Mr. Spence and the Board of "Erade on the subject of a bridge on the North Shields Railway. It was just a fortnight ago that he called attention to the danger arising from the want of management of the railways in this country, and urged that some arrai.g-tnent should be made over which the government iturritt preside, with a view to diminish the risk and loss of life to which the public were now subjzeted. Although he then felt sure that he was not exaggerating the dangers he described, and which might be averted by a proper and prudent in terference, he did not expect that his opinions and state- meats would have been so soon and so fatally confirmed as they had been during the interval which had elapsed. During the last fortnight five acci tents had taken place, occasioning considerable ioss of life end injury to passen gers and railwey servants-- ne an :he South Eastern line ; another on the Berwick and Newcastle line ; another on a branch of that line ; another on a branch of the Manche', ter line; and another on the Beistil son Drain:l.oam line. Eleven persons had suddenly lost their liver, and forty persons bad been seriously, and aeon of them perhaps ir remediably, injured. did not think, theref are, that he should be considered importunate in presenting biota( It again on this subject. Many of these accidents, he believed, had occurred from mismanagement and want of care, as also from the want of some presiding sicena which w•buld keep in order the directors of compact. • and the mana,:ers of the railways. And ha trusted that, if their lordships and the government were satisfied that be was right in his deduc tions from this facts be should state, as there was no political question involved in this matter, they would give their at tention to some means of remedying, it possible, a system which was now carrying terror throughout the country. It appeared frith the evidence of Captain Wynne that one at least of the recent accidents—and he could go much further but for the fear of wearying their lordships-- was to be attributed to the state of the road, which was not such as to admit ut the speed employed. It their lordahipa agreed with him on this point they could hardly help fol lowing him in his conclusion, that it was necessary that some superintending power should overlook the state of these roads, to assure the public that they were in a fit state to travel upon. In asking far this he was only seek ing for that which was absolutely necessary, and jut, and fair ; and he was not going at all beyond the pale of what English subjects were generally bound to do, when placed in an analajous position. Ile could not conceive any act of tyranny in a railway company having its line reported on' by • government inspector. and being compelled to make it secure ; it was only what might occur upon every road in the kingdom. Every common nail and bridge might be in dicted if out of repair, and the magistrates were hound to see that they were properly repaired. There were two other points with which a superin tending power might interfere. He thought the maximum speed at which a train could travel combined with safety might be ascertained, and declared ; and he also considered that • minimum should be declared as to the time of starting between trains. There were instances last summer—particularly with reference to the excursion trains —of their starting within five minutes of eachcuber, which had been evidently the reason of several accidents having ogwred. it was the duty of the government to consider w h et h ei y7:l these three points, they could not, without k m of time. „,,: themselves more authority than they now borosood. In 'ti akiom • such a course , he was sure they would te supported by public ;pinion, and they could not do any act which would be more ::"Di`itillte IA this country. (Rear, t orn the speech of his noble hear.) But he did not glean, friend the other night, that there w. 14 ,nny chance of the government interferin;; and he was ton: !hat a committee of the House of Comtuuns was sitting on the subject. Now, although he bad a great respect for the House of Commons and its committees, he knew that many subjects were sent to committees from which they hardly ever emerged, and nothing could be more fatal to many impor tant questions than to refer them to committees of either house. He should infinitely prefer a commission of scien tific persons uncenneefed with railway companies, who could ascertain the maximum rate of speed which would be safe, both en the broad and narrow gorges, and the mini mum time of starting between trains; as also how far it would be well that the government should interfere in com pelling railway companies to have their rails and carriages in • safe and proper condition. Such a commission might also receive suggestions of new inventions made to improve railway carriages and mechanical operations applicable to railways. Nine out of ten of such inventions inn be worthless ; but if • commission would examine snob laves boss they might select and discover among them some great improvements wbla , might tend to the safety of the public ; and net improvements might afterwards be recommestled to railway es. He thought that with reopen In the pens ha bM men dosed government might intedin within wain; lee the report of the committee. The ISM be shunt mom mad would he for that ac the *nor bens of pediment to ap=t • commienion. STANLZY of AIDIELEY concurred in deploring the frognesey of railway acrin:tti and (1417 felt the im petus* of adopting some mons o f ?femme& But die Beni gelds. wpm to the row ask, amid= mint en that %be inject was annosnod The sabiost bad bees before sesnodve goverwraests sad the bet government, after • yeses rape - rime, bad bass able to suggest nothing better than • committee el the Saw of Cannon list nesooitt oe Mum* was an 2tai with of man sir and bad bad lho aetlmose noises solendlie pones who had deviled Oa time sit alesedis is she Win. lie was net pampered to way dolor it weed be hester if penerassonnitstoator sew Zi a t ima nt [hie own be sonnbasod, thanes To d th= mast hew the saint shoorinno the nerenns of seek regulation as might be dews tar their guiduses Their lordships wadi concur with Yin On the meat was not the peeper time to 'sprain an updates when the whole subject was under anideratios is aserhat re, and by as useful • tribunal, be wenn in &Wan say, as had ever been appointed b ataribler WON of the kind, or as could be outainsd by the Wang elf commission. With respect to the sable lord's ata question, he had only to say that immediately on the intimation of the maiden% • governance* frepater had bees mat down. but his report had net yet been mak ow estriesee of his having bad to leave town shartlyrtless, to In quire into the ceases of another accident. (Hon 111. would oily say, in conclusion, that he deplored 's as the notile lord the frequency of these accidents; but he mast beg to caution their lordships against tee hastily adopting • policy, which might only aggravate an evil which they were all anxious to avoid. Lard BEAUMONT thought that the time was rapidly approaching when legislation for the protection of railway passengers would be as absolute necessity. The Earl of OLENOALL, who was but imperfectly audible, attributed the majority of railway accidents to im perfections in the iron, which no precaution could perfectly guard against. But there was • large balance in witch the railway management was to blame. Economy in the loos. motive department was now the great point to be achieved in railway manage ment , o and one of the expedients was to have immense trains drawn by one engine. In this sue accideu:s append from deficiency of power; but there was another evil, that when the train caste to • " siding " this engine was not strong enough to " shunt " completely, so that several trucks were left standing beyond the aiding, and in the way of the traffic. Sometimes the trains were too krog for the siding, and this was a fruitful source of andsties. lie thought that the number of killed anti wounded in railway accidents might be very much diminished by hare ing the seats placed longitudinally in the carriages, instead of transversely, as at present, as much of the injury arose from passengers knocking their heads against each other. The shape of the seats was also a cause of the broken legs. A ponderous wag writing in one of the papers had ridiculed his noble friend's proposal, and asked was he going to sling the passengers like hones, but the fact was that the hones had much the best of it in a collision. They never heard of an accident happening to a horse, and the reason was that he had never another horse before him ti knock his head against. (A laugh.) Ile felt convinced that if the alterations he suggested were made then would be a great diminution in the amount of injury from railway accidents. The Earl of lIAPiROWBY said that all these accidents arose either from ezeiss of economy or excess of speed, to both of which tf , railwdy corr.panii a were driven by the application of th,• principle of competition to them, a thing which was wholly iicon...iwut with the safe performance of their functions. biros of speed was to be attributed to the comp' `Rion n the broad old nariew `swiss, tl:e litter attempting to equal the speed of the other by patios Illterteool engines on the rails and thus unsettling the line. The fact we, that each line should have a datrlet exclusively to itself, the saint at on the confiner:Aldine*. If t'Sey wished to increase safety they must dirr;nish speed, and to de* that they Meat destroy the 'pint of competition which they themsotem had created. As for responsibility, the companies were ender responsi bility enough, seeing that every accident was a heavy ex 'pease to them. Ile believed teen were some instances in which an accident had resul'„ed in an expense of 30,0001. There would be no safoty as long Si there was competition. The Earl of WICKLOW thought that the five months of unceasing bad weather we bad had went far to account for the present tregurnev of accidents. Another cause was the gradual deterioniti , m of the line and wulks, which, in many eases, the coeur.ny had not the funds to replace. He trusted the company would be able to effect some good, but he was bound to say that he expected better from their labours. Lord SIONTEAGLE said that attempts at improvement bad been made trona year to year without producing the slightest beneficial result. A great many of the accidents on railways were attributable to the want of punctuality, and yet they had it on eminent authority that railway trains could be made to go with the accuracy of clocks. (Hear.) If the railway companies were obliged to make returns to the government of the times of starting, whether accidents occurred or nut, it would do more to prevent those accidents, iu his opinion, than many of those operose and ingenious plans which bad been euggeo'ed. (Hear.) The Earl of MALDIESBURY was glad that this subject would receive the attenticn of the government. Ile thought he had proved that many accidents were owing to the state of the roads, and trains travelling too fast upon them. When the roads were is a bad state the speed of the trains ought to be diminished. He wished to know whether the I committee would look upon it as one of their duties to coa -1 eider any mechanical prepositions that might be offered to them. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said the committee would consider any suggesticca or receive any information that bore on the subject of inquiry. Lsrd BROUGHAM hoped that diligent inquiry would be made into the proceedings of the couva in Scotland in uterine.) to these railway accidents, from which, without at all straining the law, the happiest results had, he believed, been already obtained. THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 1853. For the second reading 73 Fee the amendment The bid was consequently lost. PUBLIC BUSINESS. HUDDERSFIELD ELECTION. Mr. WALI'OLE brought up the report of VA", select com mittee on the Huddersfield election, which b e a w e d to t h e following effect :—" That William Roams r,ee m pt oo s um . field, Esq., wae not duly elected at the last election to serve las member for the borough of Huddersfield, and that the said election was void, and that the said N. It. C. Stan field bad been by agents guilty of bribery. That voters named Radford, Dodson, and Simian, had been bribed by colourable payments in a bill to one Hallowell—:hat treat ing had been general, systematic, and extravagant—that GO or 70 public-houses had been opened—that refreshments had been supplied without limit, and that the equines of that item alone had been 1,0001., and that the only person. who furnished such refeshmeats were, with one exoecnion, voters. It did not, however, nppear that such treating was carried on with the knowledge of the said W. It. C. Stalls field, Esq. That a system of treating prevailed at Hud dersfield, and which, as at influence on the voters, was as corrupting and debasing as direct bribery." ------- CIRENCESTER ELECTION. Mr. LASCELLES brought up the report of the select committee on the Cirencester election, which declared that the Ito". Ashley George John Ponsonby was duly elected a member for that borough. CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES. Sir D. L. EVANS postponed a motion which stood in his name on the paper relative to the correspondence be tween Gre:.t Britain, the United States, Spain. and Fraice, on the threatened attacks on Cuba from the United States, until after aster. COUNTY COURTS. Lord BROUGHAM, in moving for returns with respect to the superior courts similar to those which had been given with regard to the county courts, took ceeasion to correct * statement which had gone abroad with respect to the sums recovered in the county courts as contrasted with the enormous amount of law taxes in the superior courts. He bad stated that 272,003/. was levied last year in the 'forts of law taxes. Ho had also stated that 600,0001. was the amount recovered in the county courts, which ought to have been 800,0001. ; but there was also a sum of 100,0001. paid into court which was to be added to this 600,0001., and a further sum of 300,0001., which was settled without the parties coming into court at all making a sum of 1,200.009/., all resulting from the benefits of the local jurisdiction which had been established in this country. Thus 17 per cent. of the whole amount recovered in the county courts was extracted front the poor suitors in the other courts in the shape of law costs. Ile trusted that the local jurisdiction of Scotland would be assimilated as far as possible to the system in England. BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY (SCOTLAND) DILL: Lord BROUGHAM, in moving the first reading of • bill for the improvement of the law of bankruptcy and insol vency in Scotland, said tt.at his object in proposing the measure was to amend the bankruptcy and insolvency law of Scotland. by substitutinir for the existing system a law compounded of the best parte of the present law of England and Sc gland. He had no doubt that the result of the in quiry about to be instituted on this subject would aid in substantiall7; establishing some such system. If they gave to Scotland a 11111011111% under which the bankruptcy law would be administered in court by judges—if they gave to her the inestimable blessing of official assignees and the advantages which resulted from the three classes of certificates, they would confer a great benefit on the mercantile community there. He did not know whether the whole of the English system could be adapted to the forms of the Scottish law; but if it could, it would render great service to the whole mercantile body. (Hear ) The bill was then rend a first time. AUSTRALIAN MAILS. Lird WHARNCLIFFE gavenotice that on Thurs day he would ask the noble lord at the head of the Post office whether the government intended to make arrange ments for the more certain transmission of the mails to Australia, and whether it was their intention to take any steps to enforce the contract which had been made in re ference to the transmission of these mails. The house adjourned at 7 o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TUESDAT, MARCH 15. The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hoar. PRIVATE BUSINESS. _ _ The report on the Redruth and Chasewater Railway Bill wu brought up and agreed to. The East Anglian Railway and the South Eastern Rail way (Reading Extension, Re.) Bills were real a second time and committed. ISLE OF WIGHT RAILWAY BILL. The order for the second reading of this bill having been read, Mr. VANSITTART rose to move as an amendment that it be read a second time that day six months, and urged that a railway communication in the Isle of Wight was not required, and that the landowners generally were opposed to the scheme, which was brought forward by private specu lators for speculative purposes only. Mr. 6rooxxa seconded the amendment. Mr. LAINO contended that there was no ground :for de puting from the usual course of referring the bill to a committee up stairs to judge of its merits, and of the grounds on which it was opposed. 1,610 ratepayers and voters of the island had petitioned in favour of the bill, and only 152 against it. Colonel lIARCOURT intimated that as he found public opinion in the island divided on the subject of the bill, he as one of the members for Newport should remain neutral. After a few words from Mr. Courrox and Sir R. Iriume, in opposition to the bill, the house divided: For the second reading Against it The bill was consequently lost. LONDON AND MID-WESTERN RAILWAY BILL. Mr. OLIVIIRA moved the second reading of this bill. Sir R. INOLIS had no intention to oppose the motion, Ins hoped some assurance would be given that the pro moters would keep the railway at such a distance from the Observatory of the University as should obviate all danger of interfering* with the Wenn& observations carried on there. lir: OLIVEIRA could enure the hon. baronet the mem ber for the University of Ozford that he and the proinoten of the bill would consult the interest of the University of °abed in every respect. He stated that the uni venitr eatimprities, as well as the municipal authorities, were to the bill; mad. as • lover of scions,, he wnbl be the er.d mesa le leaden be any way with so motel sad veleabie SS ieetitsties es the Observatory. The bill wee than read a second time sad ordered to be committed. LONDON (WATFORD) SPRING WATER ORPA:ix, _ Sir B. HALL sieved the illeeMi MAO Uhl* be said Its was sorry to undentaad was le be seeing that the object of the hill was* MOM Se the - WhabNeuM of the metropolis that which was se mai seeded, eeetion in the supply of water. The mem, wee not new the house for the first time. The ems& reading bid bum w eird last year by 196 votes whit 66, and it bra bees re bored to a committee, but at too late a ceLied of eee- Ilea to allow that committee to repast. of Br bill on the present occasion weht three =id hewed in the maintenance of the exhale te4; aced the chief of those opponents was the boa striolast lir the ?ewer Hamlets (Sir W. Clay), who was the gas= et Me of the water companies with which this When midi himeee. The water supplied by those essameim weather Is PIN sad bed in quality, and by dews which they Ni gehMlembeeed site their acts, eelegetities beams this hes elbiemeny pseventcd. la eladeare, the hes„ geode s= ebeervedf that all the penmen, of tbe bill required was that it should be read a soma time, aid sent to a com mittee up stain, to be there Judged of at its merits. Mr. HALSEY moved that the bill be read a sewed time that day six months. The scheme weld hi met itqarioes to the landowners and nalll-mess of the district from which the water was proposed to be taken, and be called upon the house to protect the. not only from the direst spoliation which such a measure would occasion, but indi rect spoliation in being put to the expense of opposing it in committee. Lord D. STUART hoped the house would not, by reject.. ing the bill, pronounce, in regard to that important neces sary of life, water, against the principle of unrestricted assapetition. The existii 3 water companies had obtained by the bill of last year much more favourable conditions than they had any right to expect ; and it was moat statue seeable, that because they wars compelled to go a little higher up the Thames for their supply, that they should desire to prevent the inhabitants of the metropolis from obtaining water from a yet purer source at a more reasoa able rate, in order that they themselves might continue S. saki their monopoly and continue to poison our stomachs. (• Hear," and cries of " Divide.") Lord PALMERSTON intended to vote on this bill se seeding to the answer he had given to an hon. friend of his the other day. It appeared to him that parliament by the act of last session bad impoeed on the present water com panies obligations for the supply of the metropolis, which would be necessarily attended with considerable expense, and which were to be carried into effect by works that would require a certain lapse of time for their completion. It would not, therefore, be in accordance with the fair un derstanding of that act, that the house should, before the expiration of the time within which those works were to be completed—and until they had seen whether by means of those operations a sufficient supply of water could be pro vided—it would not be fair either to the parties concerned or the existing water companies to sanction a bill of this nature. lie should also say, in reference to what had fallen from the hon. baronet the member for Marylebone, that whatever objections there might be to the quality of the water now supplied, that which this company proposed to furnish was not tree from objections in that respect—(hear, hear)—and as it was proposed to draw it from the chalk formation, it would be r.ccessiry to alter its quality by means of processes which, for so large a quantity as was required for the supply of this metropolis, it would be difficult to carry into effect. Ilcsi :es this there were good ground.: for believing that th, operations of this company %wild deprive some important public works, of the supply of water necessary for carrying them on. (Hear, bear.) fht house then divided: COUNTY RATES AND EXPENDITURE BILL. Mr. PACKS gage notice that incom m ittee on the Conaty Rates and Expenditura Bill he should more to strike out the clausts relating to lunatic asylums. ME TROPOLITAN POLICE. Lord D. STUART gave notice that after Easterhe should move for a select committee to inquire into the general ma nagement and maintenance of the metropolitan police. REFORM IN THE CORPORATION OF LONDON. Sir B. HALL said that he had on a former occ as ion stated that he should, previouvly to the Ea•tcr rcceu, give notice of a motion for leave to bring in a Lill to reform the corporation of London. (Rear, hear, and cheers.) Find ing that the subject kad net been taken up by the govern ment, he now begged to give notice that on an early day after Raster he should move for leave to bring in a bill to ext..nd the municipal franchise in the City of London to all ratepayers, in the same manner as was dune by the Mu nicipal Reform Act ; to limit the period of filling the office of alderman; to diminish the number of ward•, and to allow the corporation to choose the Lord Mayor from any one of their own body if they so chose, and not as at present solely from the aldermen. COUNTY RATES AND EXPENDITURE BILL. Sir J. PAKINGTON gave notice, that on the motion for going into committee on this bill to-morrow (this day), he should move as an amendment, that the house go into committee on Wednesday, April 13. Ile should make that motion most reluctantly, and he hoped the right lion. gen tleman the member for Blanchester would be induced to postpone that stage of the bill. THE RYE ELECTION. - - ---------- Sir J. PAKINGTON gay. notice that to-morrow (this day), before going into the orders of the day, he should call the attention of the house to etrtaM difficulties connected with the proceedings of the committee appointed to in9aiire into the late election for the borough of Eye, under the v & 6 ic., c. 101 LAW OF PARTNERSHIP. Mr. EWARfwasunae7;to;sitOii;e notice of his intention, after Easter, to move for a select committee to inquire into the law of partnership. WESTMINSTER-BRIDGE. Sir DE LACY EVANS begged to ask the Commis sioner of Works whether it be his intention to proceed with the bill which was prepared by the late government for the reconstruction of Westminster-bridge ; and, if not, what is intended in respect to the ruinous and dangerous state of the present structure. Sir W. MOLESWORTH admitted that the state of Westminster-bridge was ruinous and almost dangerous. The late government had come to the determination of pulling down the present bridge and constructing a new one on the same site. After much consideration he had come to the conclusion that that determination was a wise one, and that the site ought not to be altered, and although it was probable that the future exigencies of the traffic of the metropolis would no doubt require two more bridges to be constructed—one at Charing-cress, and another at Lambeth; yet he thought Westminster-bridge should be retained. He intended to proceed on the determination of the late government, and had received plans of a bridge. As Westminster-bridge was so near the Houses of Parlia ment, he thought it should be so constructed as to be worthy of its locality, that it should be a low and wide bridge, and constructed at right angles to the river front of the Houses of Parliament. TILE AUSTRALIAN STEAMER. SirJ.PAKINGTON begged to put a question to the first Lord of the Admiralty with reference to the circumstances under which the Australian steam packet had returned to Eugland ; and as the subject was one which concerned the seety of the public, he wished to say a tew words in expla nation of it. the right hon. gentleman would recollect that in the last few menthe three steam packets belonging to the Australian Mail Steam Packet Company, had left for Aus tralia; namely, the Melbourne, in November; the Adelaide, in December, and the Australian in February. The Mel bourne was obliged to put back, the Adelaide was also driven back and put into Plymouth, and the other day the Australian, after several trials, was obliged to put back under circumstances which it was only providential did not end in her total lees. lie wished to ask what degree of control or authority the government exercised over the Aus tralian Mail Steam Packet Company by virtue of the con tract they had entered into to carry the mails, and whether any steps would bo taken by the government under the ex traordinary circumstances he had stated. Sir J. GRAHAM said he was not surprised that the right hon. gentleman should call the attention of the government and the house to the facts in question, and he was sorry to say that the performance of the service by the Australian Mail Steam Packet Company under their contract was very unsatisfactory. The government had power to impose penalties for the non-performance of the service, and the late and the present Board of Admiralty in all cases where equity seemed to require it bad exacted those penalties. The present Board of Admiralty, since he (Sir J. Graham) had presided over it, had in more than one ease called on the company to pay penalties, and they intended to per severe in that course. The contract had been submitted to a committee of the government over which the Postmaster General presided, sad be should wait until their report was received. As soon as that was received, he should state the course the government intended to take. SIR J. BROOKE. Mr. HUME begged to ask Lord John Russell whether, "as Sir Junes Brooke his petitioned the House of Com mons to do him justice, and has applied to her Majesty's ministers for their support," it is the intention of the go vernmsnt to institute any inquiry into the proceedings in Borneo, before Sir James Brooke leaves England / Lord J. RUSSELL said it was not the intention of the government to institute any inquiry into the proceedings in Borneo before Sir James Brooke leaves England. (" Hair, hear," and cheers.) ATTORNIES' CERTIFICATE BILL. • Lord R. GROSVENOR said that owing to an omission of two or three words in the notice which he had given for the introduction of the bill for repealing the duty on at tornies' certificates, the bill was informal, and he therefore to move that the order for the second reading of the tieligoe:l3th April be discharged; and he should move fur leave to bring in the bill again. The order was then discharged Lord R. GROSVENOR moved for leave to bring in the bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he did not intend to take any advantage of the mistake which had been made ; but as the bill related to the taxation of the country, there should not be alterations made in it without notice. He did not intend to oppose the reintroduction of - - the bill. Lord R. OROSVENOR then gave notice of a motion for leave to bring in the bill.____._— —.— INHABITED HOUSE TAX. Mr. W. MICIIELL asked the Chancellor of the Ex chequer whether it was his intention to introduce in the course of the present session any measure for the alteration or repeal of the Act 14 and 15 Vic. c. 36, relating to the In habited House Tax. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said ho did not know to what particular amendments of the Inhabited House Tax the hon. gentleman referred ; but in any event it was consistent with his duty to consider any question on the subject before he made his financial statement. Mr. MICHELL then gave notice, that if on the financial statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Inha bited House 'fax was not repealed, he should move that all the acts (which the hon. gentleman enumerated amidst I much laughter), imposing that duty, including the 14 & 15 Vie. c. 36, be repealed. REGISTRY OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MAR- RI AGES IN :I RELANV. Mr. COGAN begged to ask the Secretary for Ireland whether it was the intention of her Majesty s government to introduce any measure for a general registrat on of births, deaths, and marriages in Ireland, in accordance with the recommendation in the third report of the Registrar-Gene ral of Marrive in Ireland. Sir J. YOL NO said a bill for the purpose was in prepa ration ; and although there were difficulties in the way of a general registration in Ireland which did not exist in Eng land, he hoped to be able to introduce the bill this session. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Mr F. SCULLY begged to ask the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether any Roman catholic chaplain had been yet appointed to the convict establishment in Western Australia, and what was the amount of his salary. Mr. PEEL had not heard of any appointment having been made of a Roman catholic chaplain to the convict es tablishment in Western Australia. All the information on the subject would be found in the parliamentary papers re lating to convict establishments. With regard to the salary, it was payable out of a parliamentary grant, and the Trea sury hail consented to assign a sum of 2001. a year for that purpose ; but the governor had reported that the number of Itomun catholic convicts was so few that such a sum for the performance of the duties of the chaplain was unneee%sary, and the late Secretary for the Coloni s had wehorised payment of 1001. a year. CONSOLIDATED PUNT) BILL. - - - - - - On the motion of Mr. iirtLeorr, this bill was read a third time. CONSOLIDATED ANNUITIES. Mr. MOORE said that in consequence of the chance of Irish members at the assizes, he should defer his motion on the subject of the Consolidated Annuities until after Easter, and, in order to In a definite time fur bringing it on, Do should postpone the motion till Friday next. BOROUGH OF CANTERBURY._ Mr. HER SEYMER rose to move for an address for a commission to inquire into the state of the borough of Can terbury. He said that be did not now propose to the home to take any conclusive or final steps with regard to the borough of Canterbury, or, as in the case of Great Yar mouth, to disfranchise any of the electors, but he wished to ask the house to coincide with the unanimous opinion of the members of the committee on the Canterbury election, that some further inquiry was necessary. The course he proposed to take was much cleared by tho consideration that it was the general desire of the house to put an end to bribery and corruption. (Loud cheers.) He thought he heard an hon. gentleman opposite say "It was all hum bug," but at al! events he could not but say that the election committees had done their duty. (Hear, hear.) He contended that the report of the committee showed ex trnsive bribery. It said, "A system of corruption by means of colourmen's tickets prevailed at the last election and the previous elections in the city of Canterbury generally." These words appeared to hint to amount to a system of ex tensive bribery. Ifs had done his du.y in bringing the case before the house, and he now left it to the house to per form its duty. Mr. MALINS said the justice of this case would not be met if the inquiry was limited to the last election. They had most decided evidence before them that during the last 50 years the practice of giving:colourmen's tickets was used as much on one side as the other. He thought the house would come to the conclusion that there was but one pos sible remedy to avoid the repetition of these practices, which was in futuke to prevent tho franchise from brine centinued in or descending to persons whose poverty was BO great. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said, fir he it from him to rise to oppose the motion of the hon. gentleman, or to say that the house was not both anxious and sineere in the desire to put down corruption. He contessed he was not competent to form an opinion on that point. Ito should be able to form an opinion if ho saw a good Reform Bill introduced, but until he saw that, and the way in which the house ex pressed itself on the bill, ho would not express an opinion with regard to the anxiety of the house to pu t down corruption. A conversation arose, out of an objection mule by Lord John Manners, as to tther the address was in accordance with the decision of the committee. Ultimately the address was eg,eed to. THE WRIT FOR BLACKBURN. Mr. W. FATTEN moved for a new writ for the borough of Blackburn; maintaining that th 3 requisite notice having been given, the writ c-uld not be any longer suspended, and must be now issued, unless bribery and corruption could at once be proved. Sir J. V. SHELLEY opposed the motion, on the ground that time had not been given for sufficient inquiry, and moved as an amendment the reference of the matter to a select committee. Mr. DEEDES, u chairman of the Blackburn committee, was for altering the law, if neersrary, but not for interfering with the power given to a committee unier the existing law. Lord J. RUSSELL pointed out the cations cantles open to the house in similar cases, with regard to which he would yield to their decision ; bat if he was required to give a de cision in the case in question, he should be inclined to vote for the amendment. Mr. Bouverie, Mr. Barrow, and Mr. Wortley opposed the amendment, as introducing an inconvenient and dangerous system. Mr. Iluvwoon said a few words on the part of Black burn, and Mr. Bass attempted to say a few words against ;hut was not listened to. Clt.mately, after a brief reply from Mr. W. l'arraN, Sir J. SUFLLEY yielded to the advice of that hon. gentleman, and agreed to withdraw Ilia amendment; upon which tae original motion wan agreed to. BOROUGH OF BRIDONORTH. _ _ Colonel FORESTER movad for a new writ for the borough of Bridgnorth. Sir J. V. SHELLEY considered that the present case stood in a different position to the lest. The evidence had been printed, and was before the house. According to that evidence a system of corruption appeared to exist in the borough, sod he accordingly moved, as in the preceding case, a reference to a select committee. Mr. Bouveatz and Mr. FRENCIL opposed the amend ment on the ground of the purity of the borough, and the inadequacy of the motion to meet even the opposite case. Mr. COBDEN asked if there were a dozen members in the house who were ignorant of the true state of the bo rough under discussion ? If there were any such, he would refer them to a little book with which they were all fami liar, which gave all their biographies and the character of the constituencies for which they sat, and in that book, under the head of Bridgnorth, they would find some in formation as to the character of that borough. In " Dod's Parliamentary Companion"—an authoritative work amongst them—they would find under Bridgnorth " Constituency, freemen and burgesses, and 884 houses of 101. ; population, 7,610; registered electors, 717. In some degree under the influence of the Whitmore family." (Laughter from the opposition, and "hear, hear.") This was the very mild way n which Mr.Dod made up his genteel little book, but should he (Mr. Cobden) tell them what had been said of this bo rough on oath? The Hon. F. W. Cadogan was sworn and examined by the committee, and what was the nature of his evidence ? Now, this Hon. F. W. Cadogan was the un seated member for the borough, be it remembered. ("No, no," from the opposition, and an hon. member, " The wunielossful candidate.") Well, the unsuccessful candidate —that meant the same thing. (Hear, hear.) What he wanted to show that house was what was the evidence of a man who had run the gauntlet of an election for this bo rough. Mr. Cadogan said in his evidence—" I certainly shall not stand again unless they (the Whitmore family) went to a liberal being there. The Whitmore interest may get any one into the seat they please—they might re turn their own footman." (Hear, hear.) This was the description of the borough, given on oath by an hon. gen. tleman who had canvassed it himself. (Hear, bear.) The hon. and learned gentleman who was chairman of the com mittee hail forgotten to give any information on that point ; he had talked of bribery and corruption, but the question was whether that was a real representation, where people living in the neighbourhood had the power of re turning anybody they pleased to that house, even down to their own footman (" Hear, hear," and cries of " Question," and " Divide.") That was the question, and until it was discussed he and those who voted with him did not intend to divide. (Hear, hear.) His hon. and learned friend (Mr. Bouverie) was under great apprehension that if they had a committee there would be no evidence. Why, how had evidence been ob tained in other committees. The house summoned wit nesses, paid their expenses, and they came to give evidence, and hon. gentlemen who composed the committee, gentle men of all shades of opinion, examined them. And though it occasioned an expenditure of time and money, he thought a committee of the House of Commons was as good an or deal as they could resort to for brining out the truth in any matter of this kind. But with regard to the difficulty of getting evidence he had a letter which would show that if the committee were once appointed evidence would be forthcoming. This letter was from a respectable per son of Bridgnorth. (Cries of " Name, name," from the opposition.) H. produced the letter on his own authority, as a member of that house—(hear, hear), — and as coming from a respectable and responsible party, who, if the committee were appointed, would come for ward and substantiate what he wrote. (Cheers.) The hon. gentleman then read the letter, which stated that the reasons why more names were not attached to the petition for inquiry were, Ist, that the time was too short ; 2nd, that Mr. Whitmore's tenants were afraid to sign; 3rd, that the publicans were a numerous body in the town, and it was ISM likely that they would sign in favour of purity of elec lien • 4th that many electors hesitated to do anything that " would tend to bring disgrace upon the borough ; sth, that Many were implicated in the corrupt practices, and of course did not wish to expose themselves and the system by which they profited ; and, Gth, that many were afraid of the Win ence of the Whitmore family—but, it added, if a committee were appointed plenty of evidence would be forthcoming. It would be seen then that there would be no great diet ashy in procuring evidence, and he (Mr. Cobden) would engage that there should be evidence forthcoming if the committee were appointed. Something had been said as to the character of the petitioners. On this point the writer of the letter stated that two of them were manufacturing capitalists, who paid 1501. a week in wages, the only two manufacturing capitalists in the town. The letter showed that the character of the borough of Bridgnorth was equal to that of Sudbury—but in ono respect it was peculiar and different from many corrupt borough., for it combined within itself all the different forms of corruption— bribery, treating, intimidation, and family industries so overpowering that the gentleman who possessed it could, if he liked, return his own footman. In the fare of these facts, he thought the argument, that they would be subjecting the borough to temporary dis franchisement by delay, fell to the ground ; for, as the member was returned by the Whitmore influence, and not by the constituency, no harm could result to the borough ; and seeing that the character of Bridgnorth was notoriety., he hoped the house would not, by refusing iaquiry, take a course that must strike at the root of purity in the electoral system. Sir J. GRAHAM intimated that had the hon. member for Westminster pressed his amendment to a division in the Blackburn case, he should have taken the same course as his noble friend (Lord J. Russell), and voted for it; but as' the hon. gentleman had withdrawn it in obedience to what appeared to be the wish of the house, and considering that It was of the utmost importance that they should act with justice and impartiality, he could not consent to the with holding of the writ is the Bridgnorth case after they had determined not to withhold it in the Blackburn case. It was true there was in the present case the speciality of a petition praying for inquiry, which there was not in the other, but that petition was by no means numerously signed, nor did it contain any allegations which were not hruught before the election committee and investigated by them. Again, time had been given to lay the evidence before the house in the Bridgnorth came, and the ehn i small of the committee had stated distinctly that the party most competent to speak upon the subject, and who had given his evidence in the moat candid and distinct manner, had, speaking of 20 years, denied that corrupt practices existed. Under all the eir eumstalicis therefore, if the question were pressed to a division, he should vote for issuing the writ. Mr. II U DI II was sorry his lien. friend (Sir J. Shelley) h.,1 iili.:cooen amendment in the pr,vioti case; but th..t. v. 19 a 1 reaso:t why the guvcrnment senuld join in re (using inquiry, Nobtru they had proaf of the existence of undue influence. Mi. I.ll.lta.l...Ll;oldierved that the hist. gcnteman oppo site (Mr. Cobden) had based his whole argument on one fact—that one of the witnesses had stated that the Whit more family possessed not only considerable but predomi nant influence in the borough of Bridgnorth, and that Mr. Whitmore, who he described as the patron of the borough, could return both members, or, if he liked, his own foot man. He (Mr. Disraeli) could only say—and the authority on which he spoke was open to every one—that was one of the public journals of the highest character, in which he happened to read a few weeks ago an account of the adven tures of the candidate for the honour of representing Bridg north. The gentleman in question was a man of high social position, who had been long a member of that house, and one who had held a high official post, and was prima facie entitled to the confidence of any constituency, but not trusting to his known worth, his high social position, or the reflected lustre of part of his official services, be went to Bridgnorth and offered himself as the friend of the gentleman who was described as having such dirge influ ence in the borough. Mr. Geo. Hope, the candidate he referred to, went to Bridgnorth and sto od upon that info. once—and not only that, he was the guest of Mr.Whitmore, at Arley Castle—was introduced by that gentleman to the constituency at a public meeting—but after canvassing the town he was obliged to confess he could make no way what ever, because his poatical opinions, though favourable to the present government, he believed—(a laugh)—were not those which met the sanction of the electors of Bridgnorth. In the face of such a fact, it was rather too much for the hon. member for the West Riding to get up and, in his authoritative manner, to mako the house believe that Bridgnorth was the mere rotten borough of a family, and that the free exercise of the electoral right could cot take place. There was not the slightest authority to be given for; that assertion, which had been proved within the last few days to he without foundation. The report of the evidence showed that the Whitmore family exercised some influence in the borough, and perhaps they did; but because they did, the hon. member said they might return their own footman. The other evidence was that of a disappointed candidate—a gentleman who, like all disappoiated candidates, wished only to account for a result not over pleasing to himself. This was the only appearance of evidence which had been adduced for the unqualified statement of the hon. member, while it was shown clearly that the asserted patron and master of the borough bait in vain recommended a gentleman who has every claim on the constituency, except that his political opinions were not in accordance with theirs. (Hear, hear.) Sir H. WILLOUGHBY, as a member of the elec tion committee, fully concurred in the statement of the chairman (Mr. Bouverie). After a few words from Mr. H. HERBERT and Mr. •—. • BALL,. The house divided— For the motion Against it 6O--134 THE SHIP VIOLET. Mr. WHALLEY stud that with reference to a motion, of which be had given notice, to bring under the notice of the house the petition of Samuel Massey Cross, and to move an address for copy of correspondence between her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Drummond Hay, the Consul at Tangier, relative to the cap ture by pirates of the ship Violet, in October,lB6l,being the subject referred to in the petition of Samuel Massey Cross. Re should not be under the necessity of troubling the house, as the government had taken the cue into their consideration. COURTS OF BANKRUPTCY IN IRELAND. Mr. CAIRNS moved for returns of the name of every commissioner in bankruptcy in Ireland appointed under the statutes 6 Will. IV., c. 14, and 1 Viet., c. 48, or either of them, with tho date of the appointment and the amount of salary ; and of the name of every officer (other than a commissioner) connected with tho Court of Bankruptcy in Ireland, and appointed under the same statutes, or either of them, with the date of the appointment, the amount of salary, and the duties of the office. Also returns of the number of commissions of bankruptcy in Ireland issued since the act 6 Will. IV., c. 14, came into operation, specify ing, in a tabular form, the total number in each year; the number in each year attributable, by the residence of the bankrupt, to each county in Ireland; and the number out of each yearly total is which a final dividend has been made ; of the total amount of assets divided among credi tors in each year under commissions issued since the act 6 iVill. IV., c. 14, came into operation; of the number of commissions superseded in each year by reason of a compo sition having been accepted under the 151st section of the act 6 Will. I V., c. 14 ; and of the number of days in each year on which every commissioner appointed since the act 6 Will. IV., c. 11, came into operation, has sat for despatch of business, the places where the sittings have been held, and the hours of the day during which the sittings have been generally continued. Also returns of the specific fees which by any statute, or any order or practice of the court, are required or authorised to be paid under each commission of bankruptcy in Ireland; of the total amount of fees which have been paid in each year since the act 6 Will. IV., c. 14, came into operation, specifying what portion of such fees has been paid in to the. " bankruptcy awl compensation fund account," and showing the disposition made of fees which were not so paid in ; of the amount to the credit of the "bankruptcy and compensation fund account" at the balancing thereof, in every year since 1836, with the total payment out of the said fund during the year preceding ; and of the amount now standing to the credit of the same fund, with the charges on or sums payable out of the sumo, a respect of salaries or otherwise. SELECT COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE. Mr. EWART rose to move for a select committee to in quire whether the constitution and action of the select com mittees of the house might not be improved by generally diminishing the number of members composin.c such com mittees, and by making provision for their giving more undivided attention to subjects submitted to their considera tion than they are able to do under the present system. He thought that the select committees were unfortunately constituted, as it constantly happened that one member was sitting on several of them, and it was not possible fur him to give his attention to them all. It was also the habit to place certain members on all the select committees. For instance, his hon. friend the member for Montrose was scattered over a great many of them, and they were generally filled by the most distinguished members on both sides of the house to the exclusion of young members, who, if they were mixed with the more experienced mem bers, might have their talents beneficially exercised. lie thought the number of members on select committees might be reduced. The number used to be 36, and he (Mr. Ewan) had made a motion by which they were reduced to 15; and he thought that nu - nber might be further reduced to 9, except in particular cases. The uncertain mode of choosing members for select committees was also objection able, and he thought that they might be nominated by a kind of committee of selection, as was done in the case of other committees. He only threw out these suggestion s; but he was sure inquiry was desirable, and with that view he made his motion. . . . . I Board of Health, and to inquire into the operatson of the Tidal Harbour Commissimers, and to report wii, rim a " inconvenience or any benefit had resulted from the mode of proceeding in regard to private bills adopted by tfo..e com missioners respectively, and whether the earns took( with advantage ho extended to other chases of private ! winces. Mr. W. PATTEN objected, first that it would almost impossible to get a committee at this period of 105 year, and, secondly, that the board of Trade was deco is , teeea tigatiag the principal points cumplain,l of by Lie hon. member. Ile (Mr. Patten) admitted, however, that this present system required alteration, and would at the proper time urge the subject on the house. Mr. WHALLEY expressed himself satisfied with this solution of the question, and withdrew his motion. NATIONAL GALLERY. Colonel MURE nominated as the select commit ee oaths National Gallery—Col. :Shire, Mr. Labouchere, I .rd moor, Mr. Stirling, Mr. Mikes, Mr. Multiage, Ewart, Mr. Goulburn, Mr. Baring Wall, Mr. Raikes Liu rie Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Vernon, Mr. Marsh3ll, Sir Willis” Mules. worth, and Mr. Charteris. Sir J. PAKINGTON drew attention to the fart that alit committee, with two or three exceptions, had all hem chosen from the ministerial side of the house, Mr. W. PATTEN suggested the addition of :.r Egerton. . . . . Colonel MURK explained that those gentlemen ad been selected who had token snot interest in the ein •• n, and that several hon. gentlemen on the ether se. had de clined to serve. Alter some conversation the nomination of the nmittc• was postponed till Thursday. Mr. C. BERKELEY gave notice that on th t• day he should move that it, be an instruction to the e.•!, ntee to enquire into the expenditure that had taken p! ein the purchase of pictures. THE RAJAH OF SARAWAK. Mr. W. PATTEN (in the absence of Mr. 1), :nmond) moved for n copy of a despatch dated the 6th of ,v ember, 1862, from Sir J. I'akinfmn to Sir J. Brooke. DANK '01: ENGLAND. The SOLICITOft-oEN 7;4 for yeti:, ns fro nt the Bank of England of the numbers of writs in stringaa lodged during the last five years; the number , of duns that h :re bt.,n warned oil; and tho numbers of i.i =Cone arising on sucii warnings ; and of the uumlxr .it .aeounte of stock ; and how many or the average, as near -, can be readily ascertained) are in the names of two or mar.: holders. Agreed to. IRISII MUNICIPALITIES. Mr. FORTESCUE moved for returns, with r. spent to all towns in Ireland which were included in schedules H and I of the Irish Municipal Corporations A d, 3 & 4 Vic., c. 108, and also all other towns mot so inch. ed, but possessing town commissioners under the act 9 (ice. c. 82; stating the income and expenditure of the t• con com missioners, under the several heads, pursuant to *he act 3 & 4 Vic., c. 104, a. 137, for the year 18.5'; where the town possesses no property or income, stating the fact; and, where the property of the former c • potation has been transferred to " municipal eommission.••••," or to the board of guardians, under the act 3 and 1 VI. C. IA a. 15, 16, 15, and 19; statiag the amount so tr...isferred, and now vested in such ' 4 munic:pal commissioners," or guardians of the poor. And, with respect to towns under the act 9 Geo. IV., c. 82, stating the numb:— of town commissioners in each, the date of the last elect; lief the town commissioners, and whether or not a poll o i s taken at such election; the number, designations, ands. erica of all officers and servants of tho town comrni,sion,r. in each town ; whether or nut an extraordinary rate h.., ...er been levied under the power given by the act 9 Oro. IV., c. 82, s. 45; and the number of persons in each such 1. , ..rn occu pying houses valued to the poor rate at 51., 8/., and 201. re. spectivels. Agreed to. FOREST OF WIIICHWOOD. Mr. WILSON obtained leave to bring in a bill fir afforesting this forest. AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS BILL. On the second reading of this bill, Mr. HENLEY hoped the government would t keinto consideration the cases of persons who had soine:i.ncs been imprisoned, on the warrant of a single justice, I . as lung a period as two years, for not finding sureties to Keep the peace. Mr. H. BARROW had the greatest objection to , o 3 severe a punishment being inflicted by a summary jur;Wict.on without a power of appeal. Mr. FITZROY said a few words in reply, and The bill was read a second time. JEWISH DISABILITIES BILL This bin wi amended was considered, and or.kred to be read a third time. UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) BILL. Tile house went into committee, and leave w e given to bring in a bill to regulate the appointment of pr lessors to lay chairs in the Scotch universities. THE CONSOLIDATED LOAN FUND. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in laying on the table the accounts of this fund, observed that, how ever doubtful some of the undertakings might hive been which had been assisted by it, it would be imp usible to withhold their tribute of admiration at the skill and ability with which the commissioners had conducted their opera tions, by which they had made a profit amounting to nearly a million and a half. These commissioners, it should be borne in mind, were unpaid, and were assisted by the able services of Mr. Brickwoud, the secretary, and Mr. Barton, the solicitor. (Hear, hear.) Mr. DISRAELI said it had been his lot to censure some of the undertakings of the commissioners, but he had always borne his testimony to the officers of tne commis sion. (Hear, hear.) The house then rose at eleven o'clock. Zhe eicoreb:l. TO CORRESPON DRNTB, Tile papers brought by the Overland Mail tell us there is little to communicate to the great British public this month. "Itis a flat mail," say the Indian caterers for news; but what seems insufficient to stir the blood of an Indian, living in a country where all things take a colossal shape, may be found, upon examination, to yield a little mild excitement to quieter mortals, whose scope of vision presents to them objects of mere ordinary magnitude. The Eused up " Indian editor may possibly give his nglish brother a tolerable meal out of the crumbs which are not highly spiced enough for his own pampered palate. Let us examine the despised in telligence, and see whether we cannot extract from it something, which, though "flat" to our Indian friends, may cause us to feel interested. First, we learn that our troops are in possession of Pegu. Sad that the valuable columns of a newspaper can relate nothing more striking than this. A glance, indeed, at the map of Pegu shows it to be a land of agricultural capabilities—that it is intersected by countless branches of the Irrawadi, a first-class Asiatic river. Travellers, too, say that it was the granary of the Birman empire—that it contains val leys of the highest fertility and beauty, and that it has numerous elements of natural riches. There are, in fact, reasons which might almost induce us to conclude that in any other country but India the annexation of Pegu might have been considered an event. Then again, we read that the Aeng Pass, which, while in the possession of the enemy, cut off the connexion between our troops in Arracan and those in Prome, has been taken by our men, although defended by three thousand of the enemy, in a fort'• fled position, five thousand feet high. Surely this is something. Yet it seems, in the eyes of the Indian journalist, that the fit of the gout, which he tells us has afflicted Lord Governor FITZ( LARENCE, is more important. How are we to account for the general apathy with respect to events which, if they happened in any other country in the world, would excite Euro pean attention ? How is it that the annexation of half a kingdom goes for nothing in India, while in any other part of the world it would create intense inte rest? How is it that the ailments, or the removal from their various poets of worn-out old gentlemen, arc matters *of greater importance in In dia than the destinies of millions of natives, or the transfer of millions of square miles? The answers will be found in the system by which India is governed. With all our civilisation, with all our professions of philanthropy, in spite of the general mildness of our Indian Government, it is still a cer tain, fact that India is governed not for the benefit of the 120,000,000 of natives, but for that of the few hundreds of the subjects of the QUEEN who monopo lise the civil and military administration of the country. Many of the best informed writers on the subject of India do not scruple to assert that under the unchecked despotism of the Mahommedan rulers the condition of the natives was better than under the mild rule of Joni: COMPANY. There is such a wide distance be tween European and Asiatic modes of thought, be twecn the occidental and oi icntal life, that the greater number of Europeans, who go to India. PRIVATE BUSINESS. give tip the task of making any impression on the nati ves it Mr. WHALLEY moved, pursuant to notice, for select connntte to examine tho returns made to the house by tho despair, and simply look upon the cou!ory o ne it in laclJAv.! Canatuitiouers, and the Commis' mcrs of the which they arc to acquire money and distinction, and 6eend Ed!Col ;1;' ■eme " Gazette," is published every Ttteeday and Friday ei;:ht, in time for post. Alsettiseisentsbit:nded tor " The Earross," London Itte...ing rarer s artst be at the ();.^l.:, JO, Bouvecie-etreet, by Two o'eLsek us rho nay of pabLication. MGR WATI:ii AT LONDON BRIDOPI. Tus Dar—Monne& 6h. 49i Afternoon, 6a. 661. to-nonnow—Morning. 64. Um— Afternoon. 6a. 440. LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16. Mr. SOTHERON admitted the evil which had been alluded to by the bon. gentleman, but thought the remedy wu difficult. At present the plan if obtaining members for select committees was not satisfactory. He believed some thing might be done by lessening the numbers appointed to serve on such committees down to 9 or 7, with the power of making the number 15 on very important questions; but he - hoped the house would not again adopt the plan which had been followed this year in two instances, of making select committees to consist of 30 and 31 members. The available number of members to serve on committees was not too great, for when exemptions on the score of office, age, and other matters were reckoned, the number available was not more than 400. This session the pressure of private busies was very great. The number of election petitions (of which notice was given) was originally 85, of which in one way or another about 40 had been disposed of, leaving between 30 and 40 to be tried, and which would require some 150 members after the holidays. There were 345 private bills entered, of which some had been disposed, but upwards of 200 remained, and as there was a resolution of the other house that no private bills should be read there a first time after sth July, it left a very short time for those bills to pus through all their stages in this house. As the election petitions would take away 150 members, there would be very few available for the carrying on of private business. The hon. gentleman was understood to suggest that the motion should not be pressed. Lord J. RUSSELL concurred in the suggestion of the hon. member who had last spoken, that the motion should not be now pressed. He thought it would be better if it were made in rather more general terms, so that the com mittee would not be exclusively confined to purposes which he considered most desirable, but that they might also con sider other suggestions with reference to the mode of coo ducting the business of the house. He quite agreed with his hon. friend, that it would be desirable, now that so many subjects were referred to select committees, that the number of members on select committees should be smaller than they were at present ; and he hoped, at all events, that his hon. friend would have a small number on his own select committee. There would be a great advantage likewise in members at tending constantly to the subject to which they were ap pointed. That v-se a far more difficult question whom it was expected that the house should name on committees, and without whose authority perhaps the report of the committee would not be considered of great value. There was another point, the practice which now prevailed of ap pointing a committee early in the session, the members of which attended constantly during the greater part of the session and heard all the evidence, and then, about the middle of July, when the chairman came to put the resolu tions, out of the 15 originally appointed only about seven attended, and as four of these constituted the majority the report at last was the opinion of four of the members. He thought if the committees were obliged to report within a certain time, or that a certain proportion of the members should be required to attend to agree to the report, they might attain considerable advantage. Mr. RICH bore testimony to the defects of the present system. Lord 11. VANE thought it desirable that the number of members on select committees should be lessened, which was one mode of decreasing the evil. He approved of the motion generally, but thought it should not be pressed at present. Mr. EVELYN DENISON asked if it was the intention that members should bo obliged to serve if they were ap , pointed on select committees. Then suppose an important question, such as that of India, were they to take 8 or 9 member..., a majority of whom were to be young members, and were they to carry the same weight with them which a committee appointed at present would carry 3' • Mr. 1.1 WADI said his object in bringing forward the motion oa, to improve the internal machinery of the house fir conducting the business; but in accordance with the I expressed wish of so many members he would withdraw the t motion. 1