The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

MML II ! lIIPICPrt^r 462 proposition had been sanctioned by repeated majori ties, the opposing minority had urged their antago nism with a pertinacity against which no private member could struggle. He charged the Govern ment with co-operating in the factious opposition offered to the inquiry, and, declaring that he did not intend finally to abandon the subject, left the ques tion in the hands of the house. Lord J. RUSSELL repudiated the charge brought against the Government, contending that the course they had pursued with regard to the motion was justifiable in itself, was warranted by precedent, and strictly accordant with the fortns of the house. Sir J. PARINGTON thought the withdrawal of the motion judicious, but trusted that the success obtained by the minority on this occasion would not induce them to reiterate the process. The discussion afterwards related chiefly to the conduct of the minority and majority respectively in their treatment of the question, and was somewhat prolonged. Among many members who spoke was Mr. DRUMMOND, who gave notice of his intention to move hereafter for an address to the Crown to inquire into the conventual establishments. The Pope, who was the aggressor, had not ceased operations. He said, " Have this realm of England I will," and by every convent established he made a little enclosure from the Crown of England and attached it to him self ; but (said the honourable gentleman) "he shall have no more inches if I can stop him." Mr. D. Seymour's amendment, and the motion on which it was supervened, for nominating Mr. Walpole on the committee, were then withdrawn. The ground being thus cleared, it VMS moved that the order for appointing a committee of inquiry should be dis charged. The supporters of this motion had given it up, but Mr. Craufurd, when the question was put, insisted on dividing the house, but succeeded in ob taining only a single vote in the negative against 100 ayes. The order was then discharged. THE MILITIA. A royal message was on Monday night conveyed to both Houses of the Legislature, acquainting them that it was her Majesty's intention, in consequence of the war, to call out and embody such portions of the militia force of the country as occasion might re quire. In the Peers the message was considered, and an address in reply voted on the same evening. The Duke of NEWCASTLE having moved this ad dress, Earl GREY inquired whether those men who had volunteered to serve in the militia would have the option of retiring from the force, seeing that the terms under which they had enlisted were now al tered? The Duke of NEWCASTLE replied that it was in tended at present to embody 15,000 men, and only those regiments would be selected for the purpose which had expressed a wish and a readiness to be embodied. It would not be necessary to embody whole regiments, and leave of absence would be given to those men to whom it might be inconvenient to serve. At the same time he added, there was the greatest readiness on the part of the militia regi ments to serve. After a short conversation, Earl GREY expressed his satisfaction at hearing that, in the mode pointed out, the strictest faith would be kept with the men who had volunteered. The address was agreed to. By the Commons the message from the Crown was taken intotconsideration on Tuesday, and a loyal address in answer duly voted, after some interjectional remarks by Mr. HuME. SOLDIERS' WIVES AND CHILDREN. Replying on Thursday to a question from Lord St- Leonard's, The Duke of NEWCASTLE stated that large sums had been collected in the churches and elsewhere, upon the Day of Humiliation, for the relief of the wives and chil dren of the soldiers now on active service in the East In the first instance the Government deemed it desirable to give more of a national character to the distribution of the funds so collected than would be the case by means of a voluntary association. It had, therefore, been intended to issue a royal commission to dispense the funds, as in the case of the Patriotic Fund in the last war. But a great part of the money having been 'mid over to the association, it was thought that to issue a royal commis sion under such circumstances would be to enter upon a species of rivalry with the voluntary association which would certainly be misunderstood. That intention had therefore been abandoned. But, if a general action took place, the Government would issue a royal commission for the distribution of whatever funds might be col lected for the relief of the widows and children of those who fell. MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL. This bill, as well as the Manning the Navy Rill, was read a second time on Thursday. There were many objections and suggestions urged upon its details by Mr. Horsfall, Mr. Dunlop, Captain Scobell, and other members. Mr. CARDWELL, in replying, expressed himself gratified by the tone and spirit with which the bill had been received. The object aimed at was, not codification, but consolidation of Mh... pr...r.-- THE PRESS. the law, and he was happy to say than many of the suggestions had already been anticipated. CHARGES ON REAL ESTATE. The second reading of the Real Estates Charges Bill was moved on Thursday by Mr. LOCKE KING " He said that under the present state of the law the heir or the devisee to a real estate which had been left to him mortgaged , had a right to claim payment of that mortgage out of the personal estate of the deceased owner. From this system great hardship often arose. It fre quently happened that the whole of a deceased's personal estate, which was all that stood between his widow and the younger members of his family and destitution, was entirely swept away, in order to swell up still more the already disproportionate share of a single heir or devisee." Mr. MALINS contended that the bill in its present shape would go to disinherit the heir-at-law. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL, after pointing out some amendments which were necessary in the bill, con sented to its second reading, upon the understand. ing that the first clause should be considerably modified. Upon a division the second reading was carried by a majority of 166 to 124-42. PUBLICITY OF EXECUTIONS. The Bishop of OXFORD on Monday presented to the Peers a petition from Aylesbury praying for the abolition of capital punishments in public. His lordship spoke at some length in favour of executions being intramural, in the presence of the sheriff and other official parties. He expressed an opinion that the Executive had legally the power of altering the existing practice; and he asked the Government whether they would take the subject into their serious consideration ? The Earl of ABERDEEN doubted whether the Execu tive had the power which the right rev. prelate attri buted to them, and feared that executions in private would not be satisfactory to the public. Many cases might arise where it would be most impolitic to have recourse to the practice. Those who were most con versant with criminal jurisprudence were notfriendly to the proposed change. Lord CAMPBELL said that by the common law capi tal punishments must be before the public. The Executive had not the power of ordering them to take place in private, and be was sure that if the experi ment was made the public would not endure it. After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM and the Bishop of OXFORD in reply, the subject dropped. DRAINAGE BILL. The second reading of the Draining of Lands Bill was moved on Wednesday by Mr. K. SEYMER. Mr. CHRISTOPHER opposed the bill, moving as an amendment that the second reading be postponed for six months. Sir J. Trollope, Sir J. Shelley, and Sir W. Heathcote, having spoken briefly in favour of the measure, Mr. HENLEY considered that it contained provisions which rendered it highly distasteful to the ' farmers, and hoped that, if read a second time, it would be referred to a select committee. Lord PALMERSTON gave a cordial assent to the mea sure. The subject of drainage was most important, and no objections had been urged to the bill that could not be removed by amendments in committee. Mr. CHRISTOPHER having withdrawn his opposition, the bill was read a second time, and ordered for com mittal on Monday. IRISH LANDLORD AND TENANT LAW. Two bills on this subject, entitled the Landlord and Tenant (Ireland) Bill, and the Leasing Powers (Ireland) Bill, passed through committee in the Peers on Thursday, after a long explanatory state ment from the Duke of ARGYLL, and a discussion on ♦arious clauses of its former measures, which occu pied their lordships for some hours. There was a division on an amendment to the 116th clause, but both bills went through committee without under going any serious alteration. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. The select committee which has been sitting upon the subject of the business of the House of Commons has made a report, suggesting a simplification of some of the forms at present ob. served with respect to bills, and proposing the abolition of the hebdomadal motion for adjournment to Monday. In the main, however, the committee seems to prefer trusting to the good sense and right feeling of members, and the effect of the evi dence given by the Speaker and others, respecting impediments to the despatch of business. There are still fourteen questions necessarily put in the House of Commons upon every public bill that is passed, exclusive of the proceedings in committee and of debates upon amendments. In reference to the practice of rail ing various subjects of debate on going into committee of sup ply, the speaker says in his evidence :—" I think the practice certainly has been carried to a very inconvenient extent, espe cially of late, when members have not been contented with merely moving amendments to the question ' that the Speaker do leave the chair' on going into committee of supply, but have given previous notice of their intention to ' call the attention of the house' to questions before the Speaker leaves the chair, which has caused very great delay and inconvenience. Many topics may thus be debated by the house at the very same time, 'nth out its being able to give an opinion upon them. Some of those subjects may refer to the conduct of the Government, and require a member of the Government to take part in the debate; but, as no member of the Government can speak more than once upon the same question, and as all these subjects are brought forward upon one question, it frequently happens that the house is obliged to listen to ex park statements which cannot be answered." 711. 10 — your ..- - FRANCE. SATURDAY, . Sortign RA' Colonial ittelligtnte. The Ulm screw-ship, of 100 guns, was launched at Rochefort on Saturday afternoon, the same day that the Royal Albert was launched at Woolwich. The uniform of the new Imperial Guard is to be precisely the same as that of Napoleon's celebrated Old Guard, with the exception of the queue, and some other innovations made necessary by the change of fashion. _ _ The interest on Bona du Tresor is reduced to :le per cent. for bonds of three to five mouths, 4 per cent. of six to eleven mouths, and 41 per cent. of twelve months. All the French diplomatic and consular agents who may have been obliged, on account a the war, to leave their posts and return to France, are to re ceive for six months, dating from their return, a special allowance varying according to their grade, and calculated at from 50,000 f. to 60,000 f. for am bassadors, 15,000 f. to 40,000 f. for ministers plenipo tentiaries, and 2,400 f. to 14,0001. for agents of lower ranks. At the end of the six months, the agents who may have served for more than ten years may be allowed the pay for non-active services. M. de l'ersigny leaves Paris for the country, where he will remain for two months. M. Baroche is to be ad interim Minister, and will probably retain the place permanently. The once famous Albert, ouvrier, the member of the Provisional Government of the Republic, who has been detained since 1848 as a prisoner of state at Belleisle, was lately removed on account of the state of his health to Vannes, and subsequently to Tours, in the prison of which place he has been since the oth inst. GERMANY. Austria has addressed to Russia a new note re questing her to evacuate the principalities, and pointing out, it is alleged, an eventual catus belli. The Vienna Gazette states, that, in consequence of the great concentration of troops on the north eastern and eastern frontiers of Austria, 95,000 recruits will be raised. The Austrian Government continues to carry out the mobilisation of the army with activity. The corps sent to the frontiers of Galicia is commanded by General Count Schlick. An account has been published of the receipts of the Austrian Treasury for 1853. It shows a falling off of 56,000,000 florins. The amounts subscribed to the new Austrian loan of 3; millions are said to have been 2,000,0001. at Amsterdam, and 500,000!. at Frankfort. The negotiations between Russia and the Berlin Cabinet for a treaty of commerce have completely failed. All that has been agreed upon is, to give facilities to commerce on the frontiers. _ The Prince of Prussia has been prevailed on, at the especial request of the King, to return to Berlin on the 7th June, the anniversary of the death of their father, a day always observed by the Royal Family. The betrothal of his Royal Highness Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia with the Princess Maria Anna of Anbalt Dessau was to have been celebrated on Wednesday, at the palace of Chariot tenburg. Several German Governments, including Hanover, Wurtemberg, and Bavaria, have sent in their adhe sion to the Austrc-P.-ussian treaty. Other German Courts, especially that of Saxony, where Russian sympathies have always prevailed, have formed as yet no decision. SWEDEN AND NORWAY. The following letter appears in the Moniteur of Monday last : " STOCKHOLM, May s.—Our situation is assuming here a more warlike aspect every day. Public opinion desires that we should attach ourselves to the Western power s. The opportunity is too favourable for squaring our ac counts with Russia. The Government shares this view of seeing the case. It continues its armaments. There is a wish to conclude an offensive and defensive alliance with France and England. Our infantry is composed of 85,000 men, the cavalry of 5,569, and the artillery of 4,910; in all 94,080 regular troops. Gothland and the other provinces could furnish 21,000 men. Thus the entire army would pre- sent &total of 116,000 men. The ambassadors or the foreign powers do not leave the King. The English ambassador had a private audience of his Majesty on the 3rd inst., the Prussian had one yesterday, and to-day the ambassadors of France and England were received by his Majesty." Norway will derive large benefits from the blockade of the Finland coasts, especially as regards the timber trade. The supplies hitherto drawn from the latter by Denmark, Holstein, and other Baltic ports, are completely cut off, and these supplies must be made good from Norway, or from the Silesian, Lithuanian, and Posnanian forests. ITALY. The trial of sixteen persons accused of the murder of Count Rossi has been concluded in Rome. The following have been found guilty :—Luigi Grandont IS RI I