The Press. — London, England, 1854-08-12 00:00:00

AUGUST 12, 1854• STATE OF THE REVENUE. Inquiries being urged on Wednesday by Sir H. WILLOUGHBY respecting the financial prospects of the autumn, and especially whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer designed to adhere to the principle of making the year's income meet its expenditure, a id, if not, to what mode or extent a loan would be raised, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER took this opportunity of giving a supplementary exposition of the existing state of the public finances. First, he endeavoured to explain away the unsatisfactory ap pearances of declining revenue presented upon the face of the last quarterly balance-sheet. The de crease, he contended, was merely nominal, or rather comparative, and arose from accidental circumstances, by which considerable sums got to be includedin the r3turn to which they did not properly belong, and thus caused an apparent falling off. As to the gene rat state of the revenue, he saw no reason "to retract o • qualify any statement which he had made on the 81 of May, when presenting his budget to the house, a id, in fact," up to the present moment was entirely satisfied with the state of the revenue and finances of the country. Proceeding to detail, the right hon. untleman said:— " In point of fact, the revenue of the last quarter, ending the sth July, although they were comparing the revenue of a time of war with that of a time of peace, of times of dear mane) , and cheap money, dear bread and cheap bread, still the revenue of the second quarter of this year, from its permanent sources, if fairly estimated, was equal to the permanent revenue of the previous year, notwithstanding, also, the great reduction of taxes which had taken place. (Hear, hear.) He had from the first admitted that it would be impossible to raise the new taxes within the year, and that, therefore, some temporary adwances of money would be absolutely necessary for the present. The House of Commons provided the Government with taxing powers, which, when available, would provide a surplus revenue equal to the expenses of the war, as they were then esti. mated. When these taxes should be received, they would, he had no doubt, be fully equal to meeting the expenses of the war, and, if the country should be so happy as to have peace before next April, the revenue would enable him to liquidate all the expenses of the war without the addition of one farthing to the public debt of the country. (Hear, ilea•.) The total addition to the expenditure between the btli of April and the 29th of July, a period of about sixteen weeks, as compared with the corresponding period of 1653, was about 3,500,0001. These figures gave him reason to suppose, so far as they went, that there would not be that extravagant departure from the estimates which undoubtedly took place during former wars. As to the actual state of tie finances at the clove of the year, he could not of course speak with confidence, because confidence in the present state of affairs would be only presumption. The provisions which the house had made with respect to the means for meeting the expenditure of the war had been liberal and ample, and he thought it quite possible that he might not b compelled to use these powers even to the full amount. At the present moment he might state the case, in round numbers, thus ;---4,000,0001. of Exchequer Bonds had been negotiated, and 3,000,000/. of the money on these bonds had been received. There yet remained unexhausted a power of issuing Exchequer Bills to the amount of something like 6 )0,000/. or 700,00 W. The amount of Exchequer Bills was at present lower than usual, being about 10,500,040/. With respect to the balances of public money, these were also in a satisfactory state, and he was not in the least expectation of being under the necessity of calling upon the Bank for the use of any funds which were properly its own. On the sth of April the balances of the Exchequer were about 2,000,0001. ; on the sth of July they had risen to 3,1310,000 ; and on the 10th of October he expected they would amount to about 4,500,0001. After that amount was reached, he did not think it would be necessary to take any special measure with a view to art increase of the Exchequer balances." THE CAMPBELL MONUMENT. Lord CAMPBELL on Thursday complained of the continued exclusion of the statue of the poet Camp bell from Westminster Abbey, arising from the exor bitant fee (2100 demanded by the dean and chapter for its admission. The present Premier, the late Sir R. Peel, Lord J. Russell, and many other distin guished personages had attended the poet's funeral, and he hoped that they would either use their in fluence with the dean and chapter to obtain a with drawal of their demand, or be prepared next session to propose a grant to secure the erection of a statue which had now remained five years in the artist's studio waiting admittance to Poets' Corner. The Earl of ABERDEEN fully sympathised in the almiration of the poet's talents, and the respect ex p eased for his memory, but suggested that a contri bution from those who shared these feelings, to which he would bear his part, would be more appropriate than a grant of the public money. The chapter had not., as most such bodies had, large funds to draw upon, and were compelled to make these exactions to keep their magnificent abbey in repair. • THE SLAVE TRADE. Attention was called by Mr. HUMS on Wednesday to the report lately presented on the subject of the slave trade in Cuba. The hon. member urged the necessity of making renewed application for the fulfilment of the treaties with Spain for a total sup pression of the trade to Cuba, the only place, he said, where Slaves were now carried. He acknowledged THE PRESS. that everything had been done by her Majesty's Go vernment that could be done with the Government of Spain, but all efforts were defeated by the venality of the Cuban authorities, countenanced by members of the Royal Family of Spain who were connected with the trade. Lord J. RUSSELL lamented that, after so much bad been done by Great Britain, France, the United States, the maritime powers of Europe, and lately by Brazil, to extinguish the slave trade, it should be still carried on under the protection of Spain at Cuba. Measures, however, had been taken of a most stringent nature for the liberation of all negroes recently brought into the island, and for the infliction of penalties upon offenders. Unfortunately, it. was too true that the venality of official persons opposed obstacles, and it was notorious that Queen Christina derived a con siderable profit from the traffic in slaves. A change had, however, taken place in the Government of Spain, and General Concha had been appointed Governor- General of Cuba. There was every disposition to put down this trade on the part of her Majesty's Govern ment, who would keep a watchful eye on the sub ject, and exert every effort to accomplish the great object of putting a total stop to this abominable tarmac. Alluding to the new governor of Spain, the noble lord said : " With respect to Espartero, the Due de Victoria, at pre sent at the head of the Spanish Government, I may observe that, having long known him, I have reason to believe that a person of greater integrity, or of more liberal views on every subject, could not be found ; and I am quite sure that he will discountenance the slave trade, and that anything like that venality and corruption which has hitherto been the curse of Spain will meet from him the severest re probation. (Cheers.)" Sir G. PECHELL recommended the employment of a stronger naval force on the coast of Cuba, with screw-steamers of small draught. THE AUSTRALASIAN COLONIES. Replying to a question put by Sir J. Pakington on Tuesday, Sir G. GREY said that three communications had been received from South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, coutaining the new constitutions agreed to by the Legislatures of those three colonies. All of them in framing their constitutions had exceeded the powers given to them, and it was requisite that they should have the sanction of Parliament before they would have force. The communications were being printed, and in the meantime the governors of those colonies had been written to to say that the matter was under consideration. THE PROPORTIONS IN THE MILITAPY AND NAVAL SERVICES who are returned as married in every 100 of each class are 25 officers and 15 men in the army ; 30 officers in the navy, and 24 seamen ; while two officers in 100 and one man in 100 are widowerh in the army, and one officer and one man in the navy. The proportion of bachelors in civil life is 31 in every 100 persons of the age of 20 and upwards. Among the officers of the age of 20 and upwards serving in the army, 71 in 100; among the men, 82 in 100; among the officers in the Royal Navy, CO in 100; among the seamen, 60 in 100 are returned as bachelors. PRINCE RADZIWILL, of the Prussian service, being on a visit to Plymouth on Tuesday last, accompanied Major-General Sir Harry Smith to the Hoe, where the General Commanding in-Chief in the Western District inspected the Ist Somerset Militia, under the command of Colonel Lord Viscount Hinton, and the 2nd South Devon, under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel Sir J. B. Y. Buller, Bart., M.P. At the con clusion of the inspection, Sir Harry and the Prince briefly addressed the officers and men. Sir Harry then called upon the troops to give three cheers for the Prince. " Prussia," be said, " was a brave and gallant nation ; they stood by us at the battle of Waterloo, and would stand by us again." The Prince and a distinguished party afterwards lunched with Sir Harry and Lady Smith, at the governor's house, Mount \Vise. In the evening the Prince dined at the Engineer and Artillery mess, and on Wednesday morning left Plymouth. He paid a visit to Ports mouth Dockyard on Thursday. EXTENSIVE EXPERIMENTS are now being made, by order of Government, to test the effect of shot made from antimony upon wooden as well as iron surfaces. As far as they have been tested, the destructive effects of these balls are far greater than those arising from iron ones, for, as soon as the surface is struck, the metal, owing to its great brittleness, breaks, and the various particles become widely spread. The authorities seem to be much pleased with the success which has attended these experiments; and an im mediate supply of antimony balls is to be despatched to our fleets in the Baltic and Black Seas. A NUMBER OF POLICE-OFFICERS belonging to the metropolitan districts, specially appointed for active duty at the seat of war, took their departure on Mon day evening last from London, en route for Scuth ampton, thence for Constantinople, and finally to settle at Varna, or any other place where their ser vices might be more required. The corps consisted of about twenty of the finest men in the force, who volunteered to go upon foreign service. 751 RESUME OF THE SESSION. THE Parliamentary Session which will this day be brought to a close differs from its predecessors of the last nine and-thirty years, in that it has been emphatically a War Session. Not a week had elapsed from the time of its assembling before the " Eastern question " became the great topic of our senators; and from that time forth it formed the most engrossing subject of their debates. Parliament having assembled upon the 91st of January, the House of Commons has sat since that period upon 125 days, extending over 045 hours, whilst the House of Lords has sat upon 100 days, extending over 208 hours. The average du ration of the daily sittings of the Commons, therefore, has been something more than 71 hours, and of the Lords 2 1745 hours. The vicious habit of sitting past midnight, although not carried to the extent of last session, has still been prac tised largely by the Commons, especially within the last month, when three o'clock in the morning has been no un common hour of adjournment. Their sittings past mid night have amounted to 85 hours, or 10f days of eight hours each. The Lords have only offended in this respect upon three occasions, and their total hours past midnight amount to but 3f. The "no house " phenomenon and the " counts out," so often looked to with hope by the reporters, have been very rare. Of the former there have been two and of the latter four. Two of the " counts out" lime been the result of sheer inanition at past one o'clock in the morning. The total number of divisions in the Commons has been 232 as against 260 in the previous session ; and in the Lords 27 as against 25. Subjoined is a résumé of some of the more important events of the session : JANUARY. 31. Parliament opened by the Queen in person. The address (which was moved in the Lords by the Earl of Carnarvon and seconded by the Earl of Lucie, and moved in the Commons by Lord Castlerosse and seconded by Mr. Hankey) was agreed to without an amendment. In the course of the debate a discussion took place with regard to the alleged interference of the Prince Consort with mili tary appointments and the affairs of the Foreign-office, which resulted in a successful refutation of the charge. FED &CART: 2. The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought in a bill to alter the mode of providing for certain expenses now charged upon certain branches of the public revenue and the consolidated flid. 3. Mr. Cardwell brought in two bills with reference to merchant shipping. 6. The Msrquis of Clanricardc drew attention briefly to the Eastern question. Lord J. Russell introduced the Oaths Bill. 7. The Earl of Hardwicke directed attention to the state of the navy list. Mr. 1. Butt brought forward the question of the " conduct of Irish members," as it had been described in the Times of the previous day, and ob tamed the appointment of a select committee on the subject. 8. Mr. Hudson vindicated himself from a charge made against him incidentally last night by Mr. T. Duncombe, in his absence. 9. A discussion, at the instance of Lord Lyndhurst, upon the consolidation of the statutes. 10. In the Lords a discussion arose on the Eastern question, and the propriety of withdrawing the proposed Reform Bill in the face of a threatened war. Lord J. Russell brought in two bills directed against corrupt prac tices at elections. Mr. Baines brought in a bill to amend the law of settlement and poor removal, which led to a long and interesting debate. 1:1. The Leader of the House of Commons introduced the new Reform Bill. 14. The Marquis of Clanricarde moved an address to her Majesty for information respecting the cessation of diplomatic relations with the Court of Bt. Petersburg. The motion, though ultimately withdrawn, led to a long and important debate, in which all the most prominent members of their lordships' house took part. N. The Lord Chancellor drew attention to the state of the law relating to testamentary jurisdiction. The select committee on the conduct of Irish members was nomi nated. 17. A debate in the Lords upon national education in Ireland, which was raised by Earl Fitzwilliam, led to the appointment of • select committee. Mr. Lavard called attention to the state of the relations of this country with Russia and Turkey : a long and animated debate followed, and it was at length adjourned. 20. The adjourned debate was resumed by Mr. Cobden, and closed with a speech from Lord Palmerston shortly before two o'clock in the morning. 21. The Manchester and Salford Education Bill, the second reading of which was moved by Mr. Adderley, was rejected by 10.5 to 70. 23. The Lord Advocate brought in the Scotch Education Bill. 24. A long debate occurred in the Lords upon a series of resolutions with respect to the war which were moved by Lord Beaumont, but were in the end withdrawn. The army estimates went through committee in the Commons, and several votes were agreed to in the naval estimates. 27. The Lord Chancellor brought in • bill to amend proceedings in the courts of common law. The navy esti• mates concluded in the Commons ; and several Ordnance votes taken. 2s. Mr. T. Chambers obtained the appointment of a select committee upon conventual and monastic institu tious by a majority of 186 to 119. I I I 1 111111 ME