The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-13 00:00:00

4SB HUSTINGS EXPENSES. Mr. WINE on Wednesday moved the second read ing of his Hustings Expenses Bill. The precise fund from which the expenses of the hustings at elec tions should be defrayed might, he urged, be deter mined in committee. At present he asked the house only to affirm the principle that the charges in question should not fall upon the candidates. The bill was opposed by Mr. Packe, Mr. Deedes, Mr. Miles, Sir G. Heathcote, and Mr. Henley, chiefly on the ground that it would encourage sham con tests. Lord PALMERSTON confessed that he was not very much disposed to support the bill, which would go a very little way to establish the principle. The ex penses from which Mr. Hume proposed to relieve candidates were either small, in which case he did not carry out his principles; or they were large, which it would be unfair to cast upon counties and boroughs. Mr. Hnme, he thought, would do best to withdraw this bill, and if, upon reconsideration, he could introduce provisions free from objection, the house would, no doubt, give them its best atten tion. Sir G. GREY dissented from the principle of a bill which would transfer these expenses from members to their constituents. On a division the bill was thrown out by a majority of 154 to 57-97. MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS' BILL. The motion for going into committee on this bill was on Wednesday opposed by Mr. CRAUFURD, who moved as an amendment that the bill should be com mitted that day six months. In the course of a brief discussion on this amend ment Lord PALMERSTON observed, " that the effect of this bill would be to give, as it were, a parliamentary sanction to a number of persons not suffi ciently qualified. He believed that the medical profession required legislative interference, and although, owing to antagonistic views, little assistance could be obtained from the medical body, some general leading principles might afford a guide to improvements. What was wanted was a uniform system of education and a uniform test of qualifi cation, twenty-two different bodies having at present the power of giving diplomas, some of them running a race of competition against each other. A near approach to im provement might be made by a system of registration; but this bill put the cart before the horse." The house divided, and the bill was lost by a ma jority of 118 votes to 69-40. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' BILL. The committal of this bill having been moved on Wednesday, Mr. T. DIJNCOMBE suggested that the measure should be referred to a select committee. Mr. BRIGHT moved an amendment to that effect, recognising the conciliatory spirit in which the ques tion had been treated by the framer of the bill (Mr. Sotheron), but declaring his conviction that, if passed in its present shape, it would create much dissatisfac tion among the operative classes in the manufacturing districts. A somewhat prolonged discussion ensued, in the course of which a great number of members spoke briefly, the majority supporting the amendment. Mr. SOTHERON consented to refer his bill as pro posed. His object was to encourage the formation of friendly societies, and he trusted thatwhen under the consideration of the select committee the law might be placed upon a satisfactory footing. As showing the importance of the subject, he stated that at the present moment there were 20,000 registered friendly societies and 10,000 unregistered, averaging from 100 to 2(X) members apiece. The bill was then committed pro formd, and or dered to be referred to a select committee. THE ORANGE RIVER TERRITORY. An address to the Crown was on Tuesday moved by Mr. ADDERLEY, praying for a reconsideration of the late order in council ordering the abandonment of the Orange River territory at the Cape. His ob ject was to assert the right of the people of England to have a voice in the disposal of the territories of the Crown, instead of leaving the question altogether to the discretion of the Colonial-office. In a speech of considerable length the hon. member questioned both the legality and the expediency of the proposed step. The Government, he contended, had entered into engagements with the inhabitants of the terri tory on one side and the people of England on the other, which they would violate if the country were now given up. The Crown had no right to assert a sovereignty and afterwards renounce it at will. What was given up was a very different thing from that which had been assumed. Possession was taken, but allegiance renounced—the Crown claimed a right, but repudiated a contract. To a great empire like ours, he argued, all abandonment of terri tory and reduction of limits was fraught with peril, endangering the loss of a prestige which shielded it from assault. The territory in question was also valuable on its own account, and promised, according to recent discoveries, to become auriferous. The motion was seconded by Mr. LIDDELL. THE PRESS. Mr. F. (PEEL contended that there was nothing in the British tenure of the Orange sovereignty which forbade its abandonment. It was a conquered terri tory, and had been always administered as such, the inhabitants being left under the government of their own laws. He proceeded to vindicate the policy of the step, which had been taken with the view of saving troops and expenditure, by rendering the frontier of the Cape colony better defined and more easily defensible. Sir J. PAKINGTON could not concur in the motion. He believed that the original occupation of the Orange River territory was inexpedient, and, when himself holding office as Colonial Secretary, had in tended to take measures for its abandonment. Mr. VERNON SMITH also opposed the motion. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL discussed the legal ques tion which had been opened by Mr.Adderley. Colo nies were of two classes—those acquired by occu pancy, and those gained by conquest. In the former the dwellers might claim the rights and privileges of subjects, and could demand protection, a constitu tional organisation, and other benefits from the mother country, which the central Government were not entitled to withdraw except under mutual con sent, and by an act of the Legislature. Over con quered colonies, on the other hand, the Crown held an absolute sovereignty, so far as to be able to re tain or resign possession at its discretion, and by a simple exercise of the royal prerogative. This, he contended, was the case with the territory now under question. Sir F. THESIGER conducted a legal argument in great measure to the same fesult, but believed that the English Crown had never possessed a sovereignty, properly so called, over the Orange River territory. There was nothing beyond an independent treaty contracted with the native chiefs. Still he thought that it would be better to sanction the abandonment of the district by an act of Parliament, for the sake of removing any doubts on the subject. Mr. J. G. PHILLIHORE having spoken against the motion, Mr. ADDERLEY, yielding to the array of authorities who had pronounced against his resolution, de clined to press it, and the motion was, by leave, withdrawn. GAMING•HOUSES BILL. This bill passed the second reading on Thursday, on the motion of the ATTORNEY•(iENERAt, and without opposi tion, or even remark. The bill recites the act of ti and fl Victoria giving power to the magistrates to authorise the police to enter houses suspected to be common gaming houses, and arrest all persons found therein, and providing that where cards or instruments of gaming are found in a room it shall be primd facie evidence that the per sons in the room were playing. The bill then proposes a penalty of 1001. on persons obstructing the entry of the constables, or securing the door by a bolt, bar, chain, or other contrivance ; and where there is such obstruction, or the place is found fitted with means for unlawful gaming, or for concealing or removing instruments of gaming, it shall be prima facie evidence that that is a common gaming -house, and that the persons found there were un lawfully playing. There is also to be a penalty of 201. on giving a false name or address before the magistrates in these cases, and a penalty of 1001. on a person keeping or assisting in conducting a gaming -house, or knowingly per mitting his premises to be so used. The magistrates may require persons apprehended in the house to be sworn and give evidence, though it may tend to criminate themselves ; but those who make a full discovery are to be freed from penalties. Half the penalties are to go to the informer, and half to the poor rate. An appeal to the quarter ses sions is to be allowed. If the informer neglect to proceed with the case, the magistrates may authorise another per son to prosecute in his stead. CHIMNEYSWEEPERS' BILL. This measure, which has passed the House of Lords, and is now before the Commons, imposes a penalty of 101. on every person who compels, or any master sweep who knowingly allows, any person under the age of 16 to use or assist in the business of a chimneysweeper, the proof of age to rest on the party complained against. BILL FRAUDS. Mr. Dianv SFvxoun on Tuesday moved for leave to bring in a bill to make fraudulent dealings with regard to bills of ex. change felonious in certain cases. He quoted the opinion of Baron Alderson, given on the occasion of a recent trial, to the effect that the state of the law was disgraceful with respect to fraudulent dealings in bills of exchange, which should be treated as felony, and said his bill was intended to carry out the views of that learned judge. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said the evil complained of waa a serious one, and he should offer noopposition to the introduction of the bill, but he reserved his opinion as to the details, which, he feared, would be full of difficulty. Leave was given to bring in the bill. THE MORTALITY OF LONDON during the past three weeks has been high, and the last return manifests a decided tendency to increase. The deaths, which in the last two weeks of April were respectively 1,193 and 1,211,r05e in the first week of May to 1,263. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1844-53 the corrected average is only 1,046. The increase is owing in part to a great depression of the mean tem perature, which fell from 52.6 deg. in the third week of April to 43.0 deg. in the fourth. SATURDAY, Foreign anti (colonial 4uttiligentt. FRANCE. General Baraguay d'Hilliers is recalled from Con stantinople, ostensibly to assume an important com mand under the Emperor at the camp of St. Omer. General Daumas is spoken of in Paris as likely to be the new ambassador at the Porte. Some surprise has been felt in Paris at the pro longed absence of ➢i. Hubner, the Austrian ambas sador. He left for Vienna on a week's leave of ab sence, and has been absent more than three weeks. The situation of the Bank of France Is considered so satisfactory, particularly with regard to the amount of specie in the coffers, that the rate of interest, which had stood at live per cent. since the 21st of January, was reduced on Thursday last to four. The stock of bullion has increased 4,000,0001. since February. GERMANY. Several conferences have taken place in Vienna lately between Count Buol, the Earl of Westmore land, and M. de Bourqueney, at which conditions were agreed upon, to be offered by Austria to Russia, after the former has occupied Bosnia, the Herzego vina, and Upper Albania. The conditions were said to be found acceptable by Baron Meyendortf. They were regarded as being probably the final attempt of Austria to restore peace before she declares herself. The Archduke Ferdinand Max is shortly to visit England, to return to Queen Victoria, in London, the visit made by the Duke of Cambridge to the Em peror of Austria in Vienna. The Austrian Government has opened a subscrip tion at Frankfort and at Amsterdam for three mil lions and a half sterling. The new loan was issued by the Messrs. Rothschild on the Bth, at 751 per cent. The state of things in Montenegro must, it is stated, inevitably lead to some kind of intervention on the part of Austria, Russia having almost forced Austria to make common cause with the Western powers. The following intelligence is vouched for as authentic by the Wanderer of the oth inst. " A Russian army corps of 70,000 men is to be posted on the frontiers of the Bukovina and Transylvania. Within the last few days the local Russian Government has given orders to the governors of the different districts to make the most speedy preparations for the new troops, which will be placed near Herza, liurduscheni, Falliceni, Botos cheni, and Tergul•Frumos, in the circles of Njemzu, 3 / a sh* Roman, and Bacan. The first part of these troops, consisting of two infantry divisions and a few companies of Cossacks belonging to the 2nd and fith army corps, will cross the Pruth and enter Moldavia at Liptacheni, in the direction of Herza. With these first troops there will be eight batteries of twelve guns each." Count Bonin, the Prussian Minister of War, has been replaced by Count Waldersee, commander of the Federal troops at Frankfort. Count Bonin passed for being anti-Russian. SWEDEN. Sweden continues her warlike preparations. Five fresh batteries of artillery have been ordered to be put on the war footing. The national sympathies are decidedly in favour of the Western powers. At a banquet in the park, on the Ist of May, the Swedish House of Yeomen drank with enthusiasm the health of Admiral Sir C. Napier. ITALY. The health of the Pope is still very unsatisfactory. On the 24th ult. his Holiness was anxious to be present at the funeral mass performed at the Sixtine Chapel in honour of the late Queen of Portugal, as is customary in Rome on the demise of any Cathol►c sovereign ; but was not strong enough to do so. It is stated from an authentic source that the sequestration of the estates of 160 persons in Lom bardy, and 29 in Venice, has been superseded. TURKEY. A dissidence is said to have broken out between Lord Stratford and General Baraguay d'Hilliers in Constantinople. It appears that the latter was desirous of protecting the Catholic Greeks, who were ordered to quit Turkey on the 15th of April, whereas Lord Stratford was opposed to exceptions, and ex pressed his opinion that all Greek subjects, without inquiry into their religion, should be expelled. Redschid Pacha inclined towards Lord Stratford. This seriously vexed the French Ambassador, who, in uniform, proceeded to the palace, and, in an inter view with the Sultan, complained of his Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Sultan called the latter, and remonstrated, and urged strongly against the line of policy adopted. Redschid Pacha withdrew, and im mediately tendered his resignation, which was not accepted. Subsequently we learn that the dispute had been adjusted. Certain individuals named by General d'Hilliers will enjoy his protection, these persons being Catho• lies and Greeks. It is on account of this dissidence that the Emperor of the French has superseded the general in his am bassadorial functions.