The Press. — London, England, 1857-06-27 00:00:00

VrotteVings in Variiannnt. HOU3E OF LORDS-MONDAY. SALE OF OPIUM IN INDIA. The LORD CHANCELLOR, in reply to the Earl of Shaftesbury as to when the opinion of the law officers of the Crown upon the legality of the trade would be given, said that the case was now under considera• tion with regard to the facts, and so far the matter was suspended ; but he could inform his noble friend that there was no desire on the part of the Govern ment that any delay should take place. CRIMINAL LAW CONSOLIDATION. The LORD CHANCELLOR, calling the attention of the house to the third report of the Statute Law Commission, introduced eight bills which bad been prepared by the Statute Law Commission for the codification of the law. These related to larceny, including burglary, malicious injuries to property, forgery, offences relating to the coinage, the game laws, libel, and the laws relating to accessories to offences ; but several others were in course of preparation, and would in due time be introduced. The Chancellor entered at some length into a detail of the arduous and important labours of the com missioners, and believed that, as the result of their work, the fifty volumes of statutes would be ulti mately reduced to two or three. Lord BROUGHAM and Lord CAMPBELL joined in the approbation expressed of the commission, and the bills were read a first time. CATHOLIC CHARITIES. Lord An roan then moved for returns respecting Roman Catholic Charities, which he withdrew upon the explanation of the Loan CHANCELLOR that the Roman Catholic Charities Bill would shortly be brougtt under the consideration of their lordships, and if that bill passed into law, the returns moved for by the noble lord might be procured in future, but at present it was impossible to procure them, as the commissioners had no jurisdiction over the charities. MINISTERS' MONEY. Their lordships then went into committee upon the Ministers' Money Bill. Lord CLANCARTY moved that the committal of the bill be deferred for six months; but cn Lord DERBY protesting against the measure, and throwing the whole responsibility of it upon the Government, the noble lord withdrew his motion, but gave notice that he would repeat it on the third reading. Lord Wicxxow moved that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners of Ireland should be heard by counsel at the bar; but this motion was negatived without a division, and, in spite of several pro tests and much expressed disapprobation, the bill went through committee, and their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS• NEW MEMBER. Mr. D. PUGH took the oaths and his seat for Car. =when, in the room of Mr. Davis, deceased. THE ROCHDALE ELECTION COMMITTEE. Colonel FRENCH, referring to the exclusion of members from the proceedings before the committee on the petition of Mr. Newall, which met on Satur day, inquired of the Speaker whether a select com mittee appointed by that house possessed, either directly or indirectly, such power. The SPEAKER stated that the rule had been dis tinctly laid down that unless the committee were a secret one members were privileged to attend com mittees. THE ISLAND 01 PERIM. Mr. V. Swim, in reply to Mr. J. White, said the Island of Perim, in the Straits of Bab el•Mandeb, was first occupied by the Indian Government in 1799; it was afterwards abandoned for a brief space, but its possession by the Indian Government had remained undisputed ever since its first occupation, and it bad merely been reoccupied for the purpose of establishing a lighthouse. OATHS BH.L. On the order for considering the Oaths Bill as amended in committee, Mr. S. FITZGERALD moved the addition of three clauses—the first disabling persons professing the Jewish religion from holding the offices of Lord Chancellor, Lord Keeper, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, or any post in the Ecclesiastical Courts of England, or Ireland, or Scotland; a second incapacitating them from presenting to benefices in right of office; the third disqualifying them from advising in the appointment to offices in the Established Church. lie bad been informed, be said, since he came to the house that her Majesty's Government did not intend to offer any opposition to these clauses. Lord PAIIIERS . TON said he had thought the con tingencies contemplated in the clauses so unlikely to happen that it was scarcely worth while to make provision against them in any Act of Parliament; but, being extremely anxious that the bill should asps, if the admission of the proposed clauses would th., THE PRESS. tend in any degree to render more likely the passage of the bill, her Majesty's Government would think themselves deeply responsible if for slight reasons they opposed them. Not attaching any importance to the provisions, but considering them unobjection • able, he should not therefore object to their adoption. After a short conversation, in which Sir F. The siger, Mr. Dillwyn, Mr. Wigram, Lord Blandford, Mr. Newdegate, Mr. Bentinck, and Mr. C. Gilpin participated, the clauses were agreed to, and ordered to be added to the hill. CIVIL ESTIMATES. The house then resolved itself into a Committee of Supply on the Civil Service Estimates. The first vote, of 102,8511., to complete the sum necessary for the works and expenses of the new Houses of Parliament, gave rise to a long discussion, chiefly with reference to the allowance to Sir Charles Barry, and Sir H. Wruzuonev moved to reduce the vote by 20,0001., but the proposition was rejected upon a division by 175 to 65. In the course of the discussion Sir B. HALL, in reply to inquiries, admitted not only the decay of the stone, but that, notwithstanding the galvanising process, the rust was eating into the iron in the roof of the building. Upon the vote of 15,1451. for the Department of Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues, Mr. CAIRD, according to notice, proposed to reduce the vote by 1,4811., the excess beyond that of last year. The hon. member also entered at some length into the debateable question of the mismanagement of the royal forests. He said the management of this department involved the treatment of a capital sum of not less than 12,000,0001. sterling:— The sum which was brought under the criticism of Parliament was only one-fifth part of the money expended on the Woods and Forests ; and it was a remarkable circumstance that while during four years that portion of the expenditure which was annually brought under the criticism of Parliament had increased 1,0001. a year, the part which was not brought under the criticism of Par liament had increased to 27,0001. a year. The gross aver age receipts of the whole revenues of the Crown under the management of this department amounted t, 390,0001. a year, and during the last year the gross expenditure in the collection and management of that sum, including the usual expenditure on landed estates. such as that for build. ings and improvements, was 130,0001., or not less than 33 per cent. on the total amount of revenue received. Since 1852 the gross hereditary revenues of the Crown had in creased very considerably. From the sum of 376,8001., to which they amounted in 1852, they bad risen in 1858 to 404,5001., showing an increase of upwards of '27,0001., and now there was actually paid over a balance to the credit of the Exchequer less by 2,0001. than there was in 1853. He found that last year the Forest Department realised 64,8001., and that the cost of collection and management was 45,5001., leaving, therefore, 19,3001. as the revenue from 120,030 acres of land. He might be told that 20,000 of these were composed of land of a very inferior quality, but taking the acreage at 100,000, and as the total amount of profit was 19,3001., those 100,000 acres might be said to have realised something less than 3s. 10d. an acre. And what was the case with respect to the extent to which the royal forests supplied our dockyards with timber ? Why, of 550,0001. worth of timber bought annually for use in our dockyards the royal forest did not supply 1.50 th part. The fact was that our ships were not built of British oak. The best oak came from the Continent—from Italy, and from the forests of Central Europe. It was justly held a matter of importance to make ourselves independent of a foreign supply of any article ; but in the case under consideration it was impossible that a crop which in a country like this required 150 years to bring it to maturity could ever be a profitable one. As guardians of the public purse the house were bound to investigate this subject. The gross income derived from these sources was. 410,0001., and if the charge for management were reduced to fifteen per cent., and if the income could be increased by ten per cent., the clear net revenue would be quite equal to the whole amount paid over to her Majesty in the Civil List. The motion was ultimately withdrawn, and the vote, as well as several others, was agreed to. On the report of the Committee of Supply, Mr. Cowsx called attention to the want of ac commodation for the administration of justice in the sheriff courts in the city and county of Edin burgh. Sir J. Oottxr corroborated the statements of Mr. Cow as. The Loan ADVOCATE said there could be no doubt of the evil, and the Government hoped next session to propose a general measure that would remedy it. The report was agreed to. Sir G. GREY moved the second reading of the Reformatory Schools Bill. The house divided upon the question, and the second reading was carried by 154 to 6. Leave was given to Mr. EvAss to introduce a bill for the incorporation of Public Charities. JOINT-STOCK BANKS. Mr. LowE, in a committee of the whole house, moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the law relating to joint-stock banks. The object of the bill was simply to extend to joint-stock banks the opera tions of the act passed last session with reference to joint-stock companies. In future, therefore, joint stock banks might be formed like any other joint stock company, by a memorandum, and the applica- SATIJEDAY, tion of the few simple provisions contained in the act of last session. There would be a register of the shareholders, which would be prima-facie evidence of the persons who were to be called upon to contribute. Such a bank would be liable to certain powers of inspection by one-fifth of the share holders ; and in case it came to be wound up, as soon as it was handed over to the court which was to wind it up all actions against the shareholders would be stopped. It was proposed to retain the present limitation of shares in joint stock companies to 1001., and the proposed bill would not make any alteration in the law, which at present required the liability of shareholders of joint-stock banks to be unlimited. The house then went into committee. Mr. MALINS, Mr. ROEBUCK, and Sir J. SHELLEY expressed regret that, it was not proposed to give these banks limited liability. _ _ Mr. HENLEY hoped that the bill would prevent shareholders making away with their property. Leave was given to introduce the bill. The remaining business having been despatched, the house adjourned, at twenty minutes past one o'clock. HOUSE OF LORDS-TVISDAY. VEXATIOUS BOTTS. Lord BROrOHAY obtained leave to introduce a bill, similar to that which he had introduced last session and the session before, to prevent vexatious litigation. The bill was read a first time. DIVORCE DILL. The third reading of the Divorce Bill was dis cussed at some length, the first amendment being one moved by Lord REDESDALE, which, if carried, would have deprived the new court to be established of the power of granting divorces d vinculo. Lord CAMPBELL deprecated any such restriction ; Lord MALMESBLRY supported the amendment, and con demned thole provisions in the bill which attached penal consequences to a conviction for adultery. Lord WicELow also lamented all the evil conse quences which he foresaw might flow from any act which affirmed the dissolubility of marriage ; but Lord BROUGHAM reminded the house that marriages had always been dissoluble, and that, as a matter of course, if certain conditions prescribed by a standing order of that house were fulfilled, a divorce was granted. He did not believe that there would be any great increase in the number of divorces after the passing of the bill, to which he recommended their lordships to agree, with the exception of that clause which entailed the punishment of the adulterer otherwise than by a pecuniary fine. Lord CARNARVON and the Bishop of OXFORD also spoke in favour of the amendment ; but, after a reply from the Loa') CHANCELLOR, it was rejected by a majority of 57. Two other amendments were negatived without a division ; but one, moved by the Lonn CHANCELLOR, striking out the words " fine and imprisonment," to which Lord Brougham had objected, was carried by a majority of 20. Another amendment, moved by Lord NELSON, and supported by the Bishop of OxFoito, pro viding that the re-marriage of divorced persons should be only a civil marriage, and that the clergy should not be compelled to solemnise such marriage, was also defeated, principally upon the suggestion of Lord CAMPBELL, by a majority of 28, as was one almost similar moved by the Bishop of ExETIR. On the question that " the bill do pass," the Bishop of OXFORD once more protested against it, and divided the house, but was defeated by a majority of 21. The bill therefore passed. The Roman Catholic Charities Bill was read a second time. The Smoke Nuisance (Scotland? Bill was read a third time and passed. Their lordships adjourned at ten minutes to ten o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS—TrEsnAr. FINSBURY PARR. On Lord R. GROSVENOR moving the second read ing of this bill, Mr. WILLIAMS (Lambeth) moved that the bill be read that day six months, on the ground that parks were of a purely local benefit, should be made by a local subscription, and not by grants from 6overn ment, which in this case proposed to give 50,0001. towards the expenses of the park. A long and animated debate ensued, in the course of which Sir GEORGE GREY and Sir CHARLES WOOD strongly opposed the amendment. Lord PxLmEttsvox frankly acknowledged that the Government had agreed, if the bill were brought in, to propose to Parliament to grant 50,0001. towards this object, and he defended the arrangement upon the point that Parliament ought to take a larger and more liberal view of these things, and that the whole country wa , : interested in these metropolitan improve ments. " London belonged to the empire at large, and it was quite a perversion of terms to suppose