The Press. — London, England, 1857-05-30 00:00:00

MAY 80, 1857. c omrnodating itself to the changing necessities of the age. The Sale of Poisons Bill was read a second time. Mr. Shepherd's Disabilities Bill, intended to enable t'ie Rev. Mr. Shepherd, who had been ordained in the Scottish Episcopal Church, to hold an English benefice, was read a second time, Lord SHAFTESBURY intimating that on a future occasion he would move that the bill be referred to a select committee with a view to the introduction of a general measure. The report on the Probate and Administration Bill was brought up and received, after speeches from Lord STANHOPE, who protested against the right of appeal proposed to he granted in testamen- tary matters to their lordships' house, instead of to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ; and from Lord MALMESBURY, who urged on the Lord Chancellor the necessity of granting some compen sation to proctors for the losses they would sustain by the operation of the bill. DIVORCE DILL. The Bishop of OXFORD asked permission before the discussion on the proposition to abolish the action of damages for criminal conversation was resumed, to move a proviso at the end of the 43rd clause, excusing from penalty or punishment any clergyman who might refuse to remarry persons during the lifetime of those from whom they were divorced. After some discussion the proviso was negatived on a division, the numbers being:— , .. Contents 26 Non-Contents 7B Majority On clause 44, relating to the action for criminal conversation, considerable discussion arose, during which the LORD CHANCELLOR said be thought that this action ought to follow and not precede the proof of the wife's guilt. Lord LYNDHURST moved an amendment, the effect of which was to abolish the action altogether. Lord ST. LEONARD'S proposed a tine on the adulterer. The Bishop of OXFORD thought that if facilities were given to divorce a more distinctly criminal character should be given to the act of adultery ; Lord WENSLEYDALE defended the action for criminal conversation as one coeval with the law of England, while Lord CAMPBELL declared it to be a disgrace to the law. Ultimately Lord DERBY suggested an amalgatio❑ of Lord St. Leo nard's and Lord Lyndhurst's amendments, so that the effect of the clause would be to provide that it should not be competent for any person to bring an action for damages for criminal conversation, but that whoever should commit adultery with a mar ried woman should be deemed guilty of a mis demeanour, and be subject to fine and imprisonment. This suggestion was adopted, and the clause as amended was agreed to. The remaining clauses and the preamble were agreed to. The house then resumed, and the bill was re ported. Their lordships i then adjourned till Thursday next. HOUSE OF COMMONS-THURSDAY. NEW WRITS. On the motion of Mr. HAYTER, new writs were ordered to be issued for the county of Kerry, in the place of 111 r. Henry A. Herbert, who had accepted the office of Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ; and for the borough of Reading, in the place of Mr. Henry Keating, who had accepted the office of her Majesty's Solicitor-General. THE IRISH CONSTABULARY. Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD, in reply to ➢lr. Hassard whether the Government intended to introduce into Parliament a bill for the redistribution of the con • stabulary force in Ireland among the several counties, said he had no doubt that when his hon. friend the Secretary for Ireland rseumed his place in that house he would introduce a bill upon this subject. 3IILITARI SCHOOLS. Sir J. RAMSDEN, in reply to Lord Burghley whether the Government would allow the sons of those adjutants of militia who are retired officers of the line to be admitted to the military schools on the same terms as the sons of officers of the army, said that if the officers referred to had voluntarily retired on hallpay, had received the difference, or had sold their commissions, their sons would not he eptitled 'to admission to those schools on the same footing as the sons of officers of the army; in other cases they would be. TORTURE IN INDIA. Lord C. HAMILTON rose to ask the President of the Board of Control whether any investigations as to the practice of torture in Bombay and Bengal were instituted by Government in 1854, similar to those which led to the Madras report of April, 1855 ; and whether the resuits of those investigations would he laid before Parliament. Mr. V. SMITH said that no commission had been issued in the presidencies of Bengal and Bombay , THE PRESS. because the late Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie, had thought it better to act at once. The clauses in the penal co le, which were now under considera tion by the Legislative Council, would apply to all parts of India. The papers referring to this subject would be laid upon the table as soon as they were copied. JOINT. STOCK BANKS. Mr. HEADLAM asked whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce a measure during the present session of Parliament to regulate the con struction of joint stock banks, and more especially to apply the principle of limited liability to such establishments? Thd CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER answered in the affirmative. NEUFCHATEL. Mr. KINNAIRI asked whether the Government had received any conclusive information relative to the signing of a treaty bringing to an amicable conclusion the differences between the kingdom of Prussia and the Swiss Government with reference to Neufchatel ? Lord PALMERSTON : I am happy to be able to inform my hon. friend and the house that a treaty has been acceded to by both the Swiss cantons and the King of Prussia, which I believe was actually signed a few days ago, and that the question in dispute between them may be considered as being sails. factorily settled. Mr. ROEBUCK called attention to the subject of our relations with Brazil. He referred to the Act (Lord Aberdeen's) of 1845, authorising our ernizers to seize suspected vessels in Brazilian waters and under Brazilian guns, which had created, he said, great indignation in the minds of the people of Brazil, and he urged that, as the slave trade had been put an end to there, and had utterly dis appeared, the slave• traders having been expelled, and the trade itself having been denounced by the Brazil in Government as piracy, that act, which had the effect of impeding our commercial relations with Brazil, should be repealed. He moved for a select committee to inquire into our relations with Brazil, and into the policy of repealing the Act of 1845. Lord PALMERSTON observed that Mr. Roebuck bad erroneously assumed that the Act of 1845 was still in operation, whereas it had been suspended by mutual agreement for some years past, and for all practical purposes was a dead letter. That act, be said, hail been justified by the conduct of the Brazilian Government with relation to the slave trade ; they had neglected repeated warnings, and refused to do anything to stop that trade according to treaty. In 1850, upon an intimation that the 1 rovisions of the act would he enforced, an assurance was given by the Brazilian Government that measures would be taken to put down the trade, and the act was suspended ; but, instead of the promised measure, the trade was prosecuted to the utmost extent. The act was consequently put in operation, and produced its proper effect; and when our Government found that of Brazil was in earnest, the operation of the act was suspended, and had continued so until the present time. Nevertheless, it would, in his opinion, be most dangerous to repeal the act, there being parties at Rio prone to protect and encourage the slave trade. He therefore entreated Mr. Roebuck and the house not to take a step that would be misunderstood by the Brazilians, and have the effect of renewing this hateful traffic. Mr. BRAMLEY-MOORE supported the motion. Mr. DISRAELI obset ved that the motion was a very strong one, inasmuch as it proposed to take the management of our diplomatic rela►ions with a foreign power out of the hands of the Government, and thereby implied a want of confidence in the Government. He understood that Mr. Roebuck did not represent any particular complaint on the part of th . e Brazilian Government with reference to the act in question, and he understood from Lord Palmerston that the act was at this moment in suspense by mutual agreement between the two countries, and under these circumstances he could not support the motion. At the same time, the sub• ject was one which, in his opinion, ought to interest the house. _ _ Lord J. RUSSELL said it appeared that for some time oar efforts to induce the Brazilian Government to exert itself in putting down the slave trade had failed ; but, by increased vigilance on our part and more stringent measures directed by the Foreign office, the trade was put an end to, owing to its being found to be a losing concern. Believing this to be the real state of the facts, he desired to leave this question in the hanls of the Government. Upon a division, the motion was negatived by 312 to 17. ADMIRALTY 110ARD. Sir C. NAPIER moved for a select committee to inquire into the constitution of the Board of Ad miralty, with the view of rendering it more efficient, and better adapted to the various duties it has to perform. He said there was scarcely a naval officer to whom he had spoken who considered that the 527 Board was constituted as it ought to be, and this had been admitted even by Loris of the Admiralty themselves. He appealed to the recorded testimony of witnesses, especially the late Sir George C ickburn, to the same effect, and urged the divided and uncer tain responsibility of the Board, and the contradic tory orders issued, he said, by the different members, who worked in separate rooms and intermeddled with one another. Sir Charles dwelt upon the evils consequent upon the constant changes at the Admi ralty, which in his opinion led to much unnecessary expenditure in the dockyards, and explained in detail the reform which he considered would render the department more efficient, by simplifying the system, economising the management, and fixing responsibility—viz., he would place the Vice- Admiral of Great Britain over all the dockyards, and would give to the Rear-Admiral authority over the victualling and medical departments. He was con vinced that the adoption of such a caurse would effect a great saving throughout the service. He would make the First Lord Minister of Marine, if a civilian, and Commander-in-Chief if a seaman, and would give him authority over the Vice and Rear Admirals. If a civilian, it would be necessary that he should have the assistance of the Captain of the Fleet, and he would give him the further aid of two other assistants. The motion was seconded by Mr. BENTINCK, who insisted that the practice or placing a civilian in the highest post at the Admiralty was anomalous and unjust. Mr. OSBORNE said Sir C. Napier's chief objection to the Board of Admiralty seemed to be the want of permanence in the First Lord, although no other head of a department was permanent, and these changes were incidental to a pariiamentary Govern ment. It was somewhat inconsistent, Mr. Osborne observed, that Sir Charles should in 1846 have applied for a seat at the Board of Admiralty which he wished to blow up in 1857. The Board in 1846 was presided over by a civilian First Lord, and some of the greatest improvements in the navy had been introduced by civilians at the head of the Admiralty. Sir G. PEcuEt.r, supported the motion ? which was opposed by ➢lr. KEn. Admiral WALcorr advocated the appointment of a board of scientific men to consider improvements suggested in shipbuilding. Sir C. WOOD defended the present constitution of the Board of Admiralty, which he thought better than the scheme of Sir U. Cockburn, or that proposed by Sir C. Napier. It was not advisable, in his opinion, thst the F►rst Lord should be necessarily a naval officer. Sir C. NAPIER having replied, the house divided, when the motion was negatived by 152 to 35. LAND TAX. Mr. MACKINNON moved for a select committee to consider the eipediency of a more equitable adjust ment of the land tax, and of allowing a further redemption of the tax, and to determine whether any means can be found to render the impost more bene ficial to the revenue of the country or the reduction of the National Debt. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER trusted Mr. Mackinnon would not press his motion, and reminded the house that a motion identical in chat acter had been already presented and discussed in the current year, shortly before the dissolution. The question, he submitted, had been frequently and amply inves tigated ; and he believed there was no ground for undertaking further inquiries. Mr. MACKINNON then withdrew the motion. Mr. Mooae obtained leave to bring in a bill on the subject of tenant-right in Ireland. Mr. FAGAN moved for and obtained leave to in troduce a bill to promote the study of the medical and surgical science in the Queen's University in Ireland. Viscount RAYNHAM moved for a select committee to inquire into the operation of the act passed in 1853 for the punishment of persons convicted of aggravated assaults on women and children. Sir G. GREY admitted the desirability of finding some method to repress the offences in question, but doubted the utility of the proposed committee. On a division the motion was lost by 84 against 125. Mr. HUTT moved for and obtained leave to bring in a bill exempting all buildings and lands occupied by scientific and learned societies from county, borough, parochial, and other local rates. Mr. DODsos moved for and obtained the appoint ment of a select committee to inquire into the opera tion of the excise and customs duties on hops. The Joint stock Companies Bill was read a second time. The report from the Committee of Supply on the Army Estimates was brought up awl agreed to. The Princess Royal's Annuity Bill was read a second time. . The house adjourned at half-past twelve o'clock.