The Press. — London, England, 1858-06-26 00:00:00

and LucAN's) was again postponed, because Lord DERBY was still absent. A Bill amending the Matrimonial and Divorce Act of last session being on the paper, Lord Rm'DESDALE took occasion to notice that in the new Court lately nine divorces had been granted in one day, or at the rate of one in eleven minutes. This express-train speed in unmarrying couples argued, in his opinion, either carelessness in the Court or collusion be tween the parties. Lord CAMPBELL wrathfully rebuked this attack upon a judicial tribunal, and in the eagerness to defend his " order" as a judge overstepped the limits of order in the House, and was in consequence obliged to shut up at the very moment when his eloquence was in the highest state of ebullition. _ _ _ Afterwards, the Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition from the Society of Friends against Church-rates. A new " whip," it appears, has gone forth for a popular prununciamento on this question, en atlendant the debate now fixed for Friday next. The "Friends," in responding to this stimulus, had acted with a consistency for which they deserve all credit. Intending to at tack the Church, they showed a corresponding disregard of reverence to the other estates of the realm, and in their petition refused " humbly" to pray the Peers to comply with their request. As this particular irreverence happened also to comprise an informality, the Broadbrim petition was ignominiously rejected. TiitrasnAr. 'j.-• , -ft t•tr , *JO), ii • Last week much talk had occurred, in Par liament and the papers, respecting the case of the Regina Cali. This was a French vessel, en gaged in conveying a large number of negroes. as free labourers, from Africa to one of the French possessions in the West Indies. On the voyage an emeute had taken place, in which the Blacks had massacred the officers and crew, with a single exception, and afterwards surrendered the ship, which they did not know how to navigate, to an English cruiser. In alluding to this transaction in the House, Lord Guar had carefully paraded his opinion that the French officers and sailors on board the Regina Cali had not been mur dered, but simply "killed" by the niggers— implying, of course, that the Blacks were perfectly justified in employing any violence to release themselves from proximate slavery. As the Noble Earl contended, it was a clear case of "killing no murder." To-night Lord MALMES BURY produced some official documents proving that the negro labourers had been taken on the ship with the full consent of the Liberian Government, and that the subsequent outbreak on board the vessel arose altogether from a casual squabble between some of the emigrant pas sengers and the black cook. Lord BROUGHAM afterwards explained, in a long speech, the legal machinery of his Transfer of Real Property Bill; but ended by withdraw ing the measure for the present session. This result was not unexpected. For many years past his learned and eccentric Lordship has laid on the table a regular series of bills, designed to reform the law from top to bottom, from the tribunals of Equity to the County Courts. Incessant tin tinnabulation has been consequently produced; but the Legislature have learnt to regard with proper insouciance these mere runaway rings. FRIDAY. Lord ALBEMARLE asked the House to affirm a truism, which his Lordship has more than once before in previous years expended much elo quence in explaining and advocating. The reso lution placed before the Peers set forth that a large infusion of British-born settlers in Hindos tau would improve the revenue, and promote the prosperity of this country, and provide a useful barrier against future insurrections. Of course it would. But the preliminary problem remains unsolved. How are they to be governed ? In the hundred years that have elapsed since the victory of P..ney, the normal _proportion of Earopean residents attracted to Hindostan has been far beneath the number of inhabitants in the single city of Melbourne, of which the first atone was laid barely thirty years ago. The Noble TAM recommended unanimous assent to bibl"itttroposition that English settlers wonld ast very beneficial in India, but forgot to butention by what gentle persua sion he hoped to induce a sufficient colony of bold Britons to locate themselves amid the burning plains of Ilindostan. This omission somewhat marred the utility of the resolution. which was in other respects unexceptionable. R E . S ge llBt4B. t The Duke of BUCCLEUCTI afterwards called attention to the state of the Thames. Their Lord sl.ips perfectly sympathized with his observations on the subject, and agreed that the time had come when it was essentially necessary that some thing should be done. But as the pursestrings are held in " another place," it was thought best to wait a few days, and see what the Commons might propose to attempt by way of purifying the metropolitan river. -44,0111. lr HOUSE OF COMMONS. - vodu , MONDAY. The agitation for the repeal of the remaining " burden on knowledge" has been rather un lucky in the choice of its champions. When the abolition of a tax is urged by members who con fess that, if relieved from the impost, they would extend their manufacture, or carry to profit several thousands per annum, now paid over to the Excise, such advocacy is naturally regarded with suspicion by the House. But the arguments for the repeal of the paper duty possessed a vitality which no trading influences could kill. As a manufacture, it was manifest that by the application of mechanical contrivances, which awaited only legislative sanction for their accom plishment, a valuable export trade could be at once created for the community. As a raw material for literary productions, the ultimate quality of the perfected article was shown to depend upon the margin of profit left between the wholesale price of the unprinted reams and the selling price of the periodical. This issue of course comprised the quality, as an educational agent, of journals which circulated by millions, and formed the intellectual element of nine-tenths of the whole community. A Ministry including among its chief members such athletes of litera ture as Mr. DISRAELI, Sir E. B. Lyrrox, and Lord STANLEY, of course reponded to the appeal. Mr. GitisoN's motion accordingly elicited a pro mise, which the CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER will faithfully redeem when another year's finan cial plans have to be arranged, for the final abolition of the paper duty. Sonic votes belonging to the Education Esti mates were afterwards passed, with much less opposition than had been experienced in former sessions, and with a tacit confession from the champions of Voluntaryism that the longer their principle was tried the more conspicuously was it found wanting. TUESDAY. The House put itself on its purgation. Seine Members, especially those of the "long robe," were believ4 or rumoured, to have advocated in the Legislature the rights of certain Indian princes, for whom they had also received a retainer as advocates before the judicial tribunals. This was challenged by Lord Horium as equivalent to corruption " twice removed." Mr. IVurraslDE accepted the motion as simply enunciating a principle on which the professional Members of the House had invariably acted. Some other legal Members objected to the resolution as casting an imputation on the profession which it did not deserve. Mem bers generally were invited by Lord HOTILAM to determine, among the various inflections of the subjunctive mood—first, that such corrupt in fluences might or would exist, and secondly that they neither should nor ought to exist. Mr. BOUVERIE, by moving the " previous question," gave the House an opportunity of evading the direct issue, which nevertheless wa s accept ed by a fair majority ; and when the question was put challenging a direct positive or negative there were but 27 Members bold enough to record an absolute " No" to the resolution setting forth that it was contrary to the usage, and derogatory to the dignity, of the Commons for any 3fember to bring forward or advocate any measure for which he may have received a honorarium in any shape, either before or after its introduction in the Legislature. bin tiaiffw "1"-, The usual day sitting wu very usefully occu pied in clearing off encumbrances. Lord GoDE- Kiel' had mortgaged some hours of legislative leisure for the discussion of his Bill compelling the registration of all commercial partnerships. Mr. COLLIER, as second encumbrancer, claimed a lien on Wednesday's sitting for a Bill to shorten and cheapen the scrutiny of votes before an election conunittee, if the primary mortgagoe happened to be paid off in time. Both claims, as it turned out, were duly liquidated —number one, by a compromise under which the Bill was withdrawn for the present, upon an understand ing that the Government would aid in referring the whole question to a select committee next year • and the other by a division, in w hi c h t h e further progress of the Bill was negatived by a crushing tnajority of 125 against 87. THURSDAY. Lord STANLEY brought forward for second reading No. 3 of the India Government Bills. As founded upon resolutions which had already been amply discussed and unanimously adopted, the provisions of this measure required no vindi cation. The Noble President of the Board of Control accordingly restricted his speech to a brief but luminous exposition of the objects which his proposed system of Indian► administration was designed to accomplish. Following his ex ample, other Members on both aides curtailed their eloquence, reserving all objections upon points of detail to the committee, and allow►ng the bill to be read a second time without oppo sition. This stage has never been reached by any of the numerous propositions on the subject brought forward by preceding Administrations. The question has thus advanced through a most important stage in its progress to maturity. During the discussion Mr. Bimini. made his long-threatened speech upon the abstract prin ciples of Indian government. With a power of invention which the Abbe SIEYES might have envied, the Member for Birmingham outlined the plan of a complicated constitution suited, as he believed, for the very peculiar conditions of Government required when an European power intends to rule and control a multitudinous com munity " comprising twenty different nations, " speaking twenty different languages." As the foundation for a working enactment, his scheme, as the Hon. Member himself confesses, might not be altogether expedient. Even if he had the power he would not abolish the Gover nor-General for another year or so. But his administrative system for Inlia he nevertheless considers inexpugnable, and the new constitution for our Oriental dominions is carefully put away in a pigeon -hole, to be brought forth when the Member for Birmingham becomes Premier• by some " bold figure of speech "—to use his own illustration—with a complaisant majority in the House ready to experimentalise at every Ward upon the crude theories and "ague abstractiell of the Manchester School. unit FRIDAY. ,t. r A morning sitting disposed of a few clauses in the Universities (Scotland) Bill. In the evening the subject of Thames mud was stirred for nearly two hours. Lord Jo:ix MANNEas, in the course of the debate, declared that the question was undergoing careful consideration by the Govern ment, who were prepared to ask the House for enlarged discretion, if the present powers of the Executive were found insufficient. The CHAN CELLOR of the Exam:lmm, combating this state ment, hinted that no difficulties about money would be allowed to stand in the way. As further consolation to honourable members, Mr. DISRAELI promised that strenuous efforts should be made to abbreviate the session, and allow them to escape as soon as possible from the neighbourhood of the polluted stream. The new Government of India Bill was after wards discussed in committee, and successfully fought up to the seventh clause. Mr. CHICHESTER FonrEscrE moved an amendment, providing that the Indian Secretary of State should do no-thing without his Council. Lord PALMERSTON pro posed two amendments : first, that the Council should consist of twelve, instead of fifteen mem bers; and secondly, that the whole body should be nominated by royal sign-manual instead of being partly elective. All three amendments were pushed to division, and all three were rejected by very large majorities. Thus far the Government have carried their Bill unharmed through the rocks of Opposition. Fur ther progress stands suspended until Thursday next, when Mr. GLADSTO i X,E Will - try whether he can succeed better than Lord PALMERSTON as an amender of the thesauri, lii;proposing that the first members of Council should be named in the act. 111