The Express. — London, England, 1860-05-01 00:00:00

es the second readies, in the hope of improving It in can natter If it should be thought right to exclude from the • franchise all those who were not acquainted with political tha would exclude very mein who were of • higher older than the working claims ; and as to bribery sad eereption, it should be remembered that it wan not confined to the working claw , for without bribers amongst the higher classes there could he no bribed among the lower. The boo. member for Nerfon i appierml to he not only not satisfied with the exceedingly sloe progress the bill had mete, but thought they ought to ma e no progress in it at all until they hail recognised the claims of the rural clis tnets. He (Mr. Clay) hail no desire to depreciate the in• i telligence of the population of the rural districts ; but the boo. member should remember that in drawing a compari son between property and population he included in his cal ciliation mans large unrepresented towns, which if the liberal party Itch their wish would all be represented. For j hi. own part he w:s not prepared to quarrel with • bill which added from 1,800 to 2,000 to the constituency be . reorc-enteil, and for that if for so other reason be would give the meosure his cordial support. It was said that the p e .pl e erneapathetic in reference to the question of re form. but it must he borne in mind that in this country greet a lutir.4 agitation had always been co-existent with perods of distress and famine. At present no such calamity afflicted the country, and to that muse, coupled with the fart that reliance was placed upon the performance of the promise which the leading Matemien of the country had niaile to amend the representation of the people, he attri- holed the nehtference which existed upon the subject. The right hoe. member for Hertfordshire not only objected to the present 1011, but to any refers bill at all at this 'parti cular moment. He (Mr. (:lay), on the contrary, believed that they must have a reform bill, and he entreated the house to deal with the question upon the present bill in such • manner as would prevent future ilisointeut. He certainly did not concur with honourable mem bers opposite in believing that the effect of the bill would be to swamp the intelligence of the country by its uneducated numbers, but at the same time be thought it cleerahle to introduce a lodger franchise, which would add a clam of voters decidedly superior to the run of voters, i Hear, hear.) w )117. MILLS treated that boa, member. on the mi- Material side of the house would disabuse themselves of the impression that the prolongation of the debate was en tirely attributable to the factious opposition of the con servative party. On perusing a report of the speeches already made up to that evening, sines the debate mm be found that there had been altogether 43 speeches, of which le had been made by hon. gentlemen on that side of the house, and 25 by bon. esmilier a oppoute. Laughter.) Without attempting to my how many sperches hail been delivered in (airier of the bill and how many against it, he found that 12 con tained something in it. favour, 29 were altogether against it, and two ..nly --the speeches of the how. memberslor Pon tefract said Tiverton could he said to support it. He re that the conservative party hail not taken the course iss reference to the pretest bill which was taken by hx members oppoote last year in refersoce to the trill of the late government. If they had 1101111 so they would free tees accord at once of making the tnerunt the stalkill: rig or g lad party. Thos . had mato th e time whe n thopras at Mee which had leen kept rip not by the people est el but by parties in the house, should come to as ad, and the time had cone- when dames who had hitherto not bad the franchise should have it With regard to the course that should he adpted, all be mold say was that if they meld by possibility extract from this material • good mmenre el reform, he for one was inclintsl to do so, but if the hal abroad till he should g i ve his d ec id e d negative t o the third neibui: of the bill. Mr. LOCKE !Southwark) said he was anxious to way • few words, bemuse he believed that with the reeplica of • short speech from the hon. sod honed arinber far Nary - Maim so metropolitan member had addrimed the house is this debate. He behoved that or of theresers why the metropolitan menders hail been so inch adverted to was that tray of them were returned by the warldag dimes. 'They had boon 4811041711:011 as • den ohms who could sit be properly teased as legislators, and there W bean • companies rids throughout the debate between the wistrepolitan inssaben, who ware the representatives of the worms clear and the member who eprenested ▪ cortitsiseine He peaa.d that had bees done to show that the object of thi bill was a bad ob j ect, and that the very wont thing the bill could do was to woke all the inmehers like the metropolitan members. Now for his own part he rale wished that mice of the members of the beer were like the metropolitan members. If they could have • large net, and could include within it any le menden that it fell upon, he thought the metropolitan roombers would not at all mind the comparison. It was charged upon them that they did mot contain all the description of talent which was required in a legislator, but they would and amcwg them men high in poition, and who in their intellect woad well compare with others. They boated that they had among them the 'wads lord the member for the Cry of Loftloa ; they lonated that they had arms them gamest!' and admirals, and mss who had received the favour of their sovereign. They bed than an holl harrier who, when everybody elm our o seer= is the Crimea, showed bow onr i tsight be retreat, and ride a railway by which the wee adhe was made a hermit for dose sr u r ibsd. mdg naistion the risme of eminsnl min who had reperoie ed d esestitusec:r. He might speak of Mr. Tierney and Air Lobar Wren, and Mr. Brougham, the brother of Lord Brosibass, and others. Bat they were told that small met the beet members. Why the members for hs might be extended to hundreds, while the itan member. only numbered le. Same of these mall en were in the hands of patrons, and it was said the entrees selected members who would be of the greatest marries to the tountrv. He looked upon the patron of • borough in the sense light sa he looked upon the patron of, linnets° selected a person for the living not because he was • good divine, lot because he was a relation or a friend. It would be a great shame if among the representatives ofr these small boroughs, which returned ao large a part of the house, there were not • fair proportion of men who distin guished themselves ; but it ill became them to cut amne sia. upon the metropolitan members, merely because thaw were returned by a clam who be hoped would soon rani • large majority of representativ e . (Haar, hear.) It had been maid that the hill received little or no support from lim• irtlemen on the n i ini a t e rel Me of the house; but y the same thing might have bees alleged against the bill of the late government. With the exceptiou of the member for 'ambridgr, there was not one of the indepen dent supporters of Lord Derby's government who spoke that did not express more or less disapproval of the reform bill brought in by the right bon. gentleman the member for Bucks. It seemed to he a sort of law that whatever kind of reform tall might be brought in it most be opposed. Indeed it was not human nature to suppose it could be otherwise; but what the house had to look to were the main features of the measure that was sub mitted to them ; and it was precisely became the main feature of the Derby bill, namely, the non extensim of the fran.lim is boroughs, was dinar,- proved of, that the hill was thrown out. (Hear, hear.) In reply to the hon. and livened member for Sheffield the noble lord, if he )Mr. lock--; reinimilered right, stated that he should recommend a id. franchise in boroughs—Omar, bear) —and that being explained to the house hum mem ber were matisfied ; whilst out of the house the feeling that prevailed was not apathy, but a reliance upon the pre. miss of the noble lord. (Hear, hear.) The noble kali pre =lead loathing more ; whilst upon this question it non-extension of the borough franchise—that the division was taken upon the bill of the Late government. The right boisourelde gentleman the member for Bucks did not in the former debate ex roe the mine objection to the extensiou of the borough (=clime as was taken by some lion. gentlemen oppeite us the pre sent °ma'am. The opinion expressed by the right hon. gentleman on that occasion was undoubtedly in favour .4 the 6/. borough franchise. But what way the objection taken tow! Why, that it would swamp the constituency. Now, perhaps, loin. gentlemen opposite might object to his (Mr. Lecke .) constituency, a nd say it could not be worse. (" Haar, hour," (non the oppeition.) He did not supra they meant anvthinx persoual to himself —(hear, hear) ; then it must to that tho) objected to them became they WO. sired of the working clx... Well, the 6!. franchise would make little or no change in the character of his constituency. It had been mail that in the large metropolitan mach Marylelos e , Tower Hamlet., and Fiera= were no ele•tins, for not a pouter or a half of the voters cared to vote At all. Hut that was mit the cam in the berough of Southwark. At the last election there were Kenn ele-tors itti the register, sod the number pond was 7,17.2, which left 3,434. From that remainder must he deducted the ouni er of persous who bad left I their reed. Ome who were dead, thine who kept post- Mlle., or who Mere employed in the cust o ms, tho se wh o were doers to the iegister two or three times, mil others. TM per cent. of the registered minder ' or 1. O, mum be fie &al.l soogat from the 3,454, and that would ; lease ouly 2..04 who did sot vote. In inch • population ... Southwark it was ;writable that ninny persons would be away from home, soil considering all that, he • thought this wu a pilling quite equal to that of aa7 other large town or borough in the country. Therefore it must wit le mid that tiie winking dames of the metropolis, or id soutlisr..rk at all events, acre not alive to the import- owe of exereising the auffrage when it wile given to them. ' (Hear, hear i This deposed of me of the strongest ohjectmea which had hem raised to the eaten eon of the sueraze to hrge masses of tne popula- lion in borou.rlis. In the City of Loodou also , • very large propirtion of the electors had always been pollel Now. he (Mr. locke) did not wen to say that he entirely &wove' of this 1011. His . constituents desired that there should le a I..lger friliolow, nail he spool with them. , Hine id the wo r ki ng coo n w h o li ve d in loclgin.:. were of •' very superior and intelligent err- awn who did not chores • to lonises themselves with a here, helium of its I lot who were primps earnios their , oft:, or even rif. • week, as anglasers, or in different , trades requiring great le/amity and Writ. What could ' he theduegm of retreating the franchise to such mos as I thew! It was said that they would combine together. ' Why, pseple id PVI•TV WOW cambiae together for their own oatmeal. The landed piwprisern of this country , had can treat to‘etbi r. snit hating a majority in that home, in lel% they imposed the torn laws, and 'maintained them, (Mould is prove that a veer Wiliness was made to the consummates try the ball dues to peoodel. He was snaoms that " r a l-irl sh o u7 . go ht tato co mm itte e a....'. a. primible. They WWII all agreed or se esseseem of the suffrage ; sod in emunithse gentle. ra• n oppeate :night resume any fairy handier they plasm& 1 He.r, Is,ar. I I owl they wt.., to do es? Had I the onj is.; dr,i; wish for any rehire, bill at all? ("K.., li THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY -1, MIL ao," from the oppositioa) Then why had they themselves • brought in a reform bill! en They had withag fear from a 111. beaches ; for the marki ng classes under stood public questions as well es they did in that home. About twenty members rose ea the opp os iti on a id s , b u t ad jou Mr. K. MACAULAY moved that the debate should be rned. Lunt PALMERSTON. in espeeing to the edjoarnment, hoped that the debate weuld be proceeded with Ws day. Colonel DICKSON said there were several important Irish bills on the paper for that day. Wh en were they to be proceeded with! (A leagh.) Mr. V. SCULLY mid that 16 English members had spoken that night. This Reform Bill was becoming the great "social era "of the day. (Cheers and laughter.) Every hon. member Instead of addressing himself to the question, addreeed the hon. member for Birmingham. (Laughter.) This question of the English Reform Bill con cerned Irish members as much as their own; for when it was settled, all the rest would follow as a matter of course. It was complained that out of 16 metropolitan members only two had been beard; he should be happy to hear the other 14--(aughter) ;—and he hoped they would then patiently bear the whole of the Irish members. (Great laughter.) He quite agreed in the reproach which was cast upon Irish members, that they did not take a sufficient part in quer tions affecting the whole nation. (A laugh.) If they were too modest to speak upon this question—although he had himself no intention to take any part in the debate—he would overcome his modesty so far all to detain the house for a short time in order to express his opinions upon the bill. (lanoter.) Mr. HENNESSY mid he had a bill of very great import. awe relating to Ireland upon the paper, and he certainly could not give way for the Reform Bill. Sir J. ELPHINSTONE expressed a hoe that the hon. and gallant member f or S ou th war k (Sir C. Napier) would persevere in bringing on his motion to-morrow (this day). After a few words from Mr. Oltitten, The debate was adjourned until this day. CUSTOMS BILL Upon the order of the day bsiug read to consider this bill as amended, Sir Ff. CAIRNS moved to add the following clause : " And whereas contracts may have been made on or before the said day of 1560, for the delivery free of duty after that day of tools or commodities the duties of cut toms on which are hereby lowered or repealed, be it there- fore enacted that any person who shall or may, on or before the said day of , 1860, have made or entered into anv such contract or agreement as the purchaser or Consignee of such goods nr commodities, may and is hereby authorised and empowered to deduct from the sum payable by hint under such continct or agreement the amount of the duties which, if this act had not pasted, would have been payable in respect of such leo& or commodities." After a few wont from Mr. L.trie and the SOLICITOR OWNER t 1., The clams was agreed to. WAYS AND MEANS. The report Oa Ways sad Means, granting upwards of 11,000,000/. for her /4js_sVs memos, was brought ap. DWELLINGS FOR .. 4! . 017R1yG CLASSES (IRE- LAND) BILL The Lords' ainendmente wire considered and agreed In. METROPOLITAN LOCAL MANAGEMENT BILL Mr. Trrs obtained leave to introduce a bill for the better local management of the metropolis. The hill was read a first time. The house adjourned at ten minutes put one o'clock. PARISIAN PAPER HANGINGS, a t th e Mooed do 11. H. C=4 ONM .0, OIFORD. MAW cissi lo tie Moores DOUDNEY and" SONS' LIVERIES *ass maxim molimenis4o loolamea's ISO pH 0 =l4 s 0 0 II IS 0 DOMM 2 Y sad BONA , tallara,2=s i rest ; 11.1 1 001110- Ic .roads: ss 110 Laustardsitrest 17$0 COLOURID PLANNZL SHIRT& Bold by 1:112.111/11111 sod GLIINIT. 1114 Woad BZNSON'S WATCHZB. " Plefeetion of olooloadim.'—iforOwe Put Gold watebos, 4 to 100 Fulmer : illour i L , to SO salessa... • Said two stamp for &oon a Mulailod of every coostractlon of we ecrw mode. -7 1ra=siVrtw - U . - ports of the world.--SS sad )4, laidwato4AL LC. 141•011 shod 1140. RARMONIUMS—NEW MODEL.— CIAXNZ, UALa, ird ow, sal. bigialatroll& "L tarter Woe Iwo rover to skew, no ma so dreier to rontes--oWwww. DIESSIC and LUBIN'S LEAP-YEAR BOUOUST. b. N. bottlet.-4, New Itoodwlrwt, W. gbe erpreiso. TO OORIMPONDENTIS. &fathomed,. Intended for - The Sepreis" London Keening Paper, must be at the °Mee, 10, hourerleetreet, by Two o'clock ou the day of publication. ZATNAZICIF. Tem Bynum VICTIMS. Nears. Howe, Backstone. 110%1 sad Verne ; Nee. B. Whale, Mho IL Teresa, Mn . AND 00X *rem Buckaroo and Compton.—THY PILGRIM OF LOVX Maas. Chippendale i Compton Mho N. Terra. PRI NCIMICS. Tare Emma, MY RUSS OUT.—THE 100L1 115Y1301 ler. ?help*. Lu Atkluuwwnn,, and Ulu Heath. —had TIE SYLPH CUE. Mews. F. MAR a, Shore, sod lakes; Woes R. Leclerc% L Keeley, R. Leclerc% and IL ilewarL LYCEUM. TREI trams, NEXT Ot KIN. THE FORTY THIEVE& lißeles WI& Thompson, Class St Gem Z. haven. Isis THE -WHITEBAIT AT GREENWICH. Mr Dos.—Aad THE KIDDY ASHOB.E. Mu L Thospeos.—Oamummos at T. JAMEIrs . Tim Wixom A FRIEND IN NEED. Maim T. Noblams, Young, aid Dollord .N IS Munn!.—A LADY AND GENTLE MAN IN A PICULLAKLY PILEPLLEING PZEDICAIULNT.— Aid LIICILTZU BORGIA AT HONK AND AU. AMIGAD. nwrAinnA. ENGLAND —LUILLINI; o; a Jacobi. Mrs & Lain. —And TIE LOU 01 THE FERRY : or, The Demon of The Foneetand The Poor eteedeed, Mrs. L Yansold. HIGH WATKR AT LONDON BRIDGE. This D*T —Mornlag, I. VOL ....Afternoon, 1011. Me. To. Boaßow —Morning, Ilk ....Aft•roooa, llh. Ns. LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 1. Triz enemies of Parliamentary Reform are not ashamed to parade their own delinquencies as reasons why the patient unrepresented classes of their countrymen should once more be sent empty away. They have pursued the un-English and unmanly course of obstructing by the arts of delay a bill which they have not the courage to oppose openly, and now we are told their temporary success is a reason why the honour of the Govern ment should be sacrificed, and the great work of the session abandoned. The Reform Bill, it is said, stops everything ; public business is in arrear, the national revenue has to be adjusted, supplies have to be voted, and laws await reform. There is a complete legislative check ; so the bill must be withdrawn. This is the very sublime of impudence. The Reform Bill stops nothing, and it has been stopped for everything. As soon, however, as the Govern ment shows that although forbearing, it really means to do justice, the demand is unblushingly made to " withdraw the bill." The Government owes not the slightest con ' sideration to an assembly which refuses, whether frankly or meanly, to perform the very work it was elected to do. Adulterated and weakened as it was in its composition by the Government of the day, the House of Commons, which carried to Westminster the answer to Lord DERBY'S appeal to the nation, was elected to pass a measure of Parliamentary Reform. That is the work ex pected of it, and in the place of which no new-found zeal for special legislation will be ao cepted. If members who a year ago acquired the confidence of liberal constituencies have forgotten the professions they then made on the hustings, it is now time to recall them. If their Par liamentary experience has led them to form more Conservative opinions, let them avow the fact ; but let us have no more hypocrisy, no more double dealing. We are told that the plain common sense of the resistance made to the Reform Bill is that the House of Commons is not inclined to pass a mea sure which will entail its dissolution. A so flagrant breach of faith occurring in the transactions of civil life receives a plain common-sense designation ; it is called--swindling. A Parliament which despising such a course should keep its promise would not be entitled to the praise of heroism ; we should simply say that it had acted honestly. The time is at hand when the real disposition of the House must be made clear to every elector in the United Kingdom. The Government is bound in justice to itself and to the country to bring the question of Reform to a practical issue. It owes no forbearance to the obstructive*, by whatever name they are called ; and whether the result of their tactics be a session drawn out into the grouse season, or the prompt dissolution of Parliament, they will have themselves alone to thank for it. Sous public writers, who ought to know better, still insist upon a crietade against the new system of filling up the appointments in the Indian Civil Ser vice. This system, it cannot be too often repeated, is that any " natural born subject of her Majesty" between 18 and 22 years of age is eligible as a candidate, and the candidate who proves himself the best according to the opinion of the most able and impartial judges must obtain the prize. Years ago this system was tried in some four or five cases with eminent success by Mr. Caw- NINO, and the lads who won the prizes in his day nobly vindicated his sagacity. But in these , days the system is not confined to India. The officers of Artillery and Engineers have for some years been supplied in the same way. Happily j with respect to them the old patronage-mon gers have ceased to murmur. Practical experi ence has silenced them. Their gloomy anticipa tions have proved false, their misrepresentations of facts have no believers. The same result will no doubt follow in the case of India; in the mean • time the discussion has reached that stage in which "valued and well-informed correspondents" endea vour to impose upon the public by statements of sin gular inaccuracy. When 80 valuable appointments, which used to be valued in the corrupt times at 5,000/. each, are now open to the world, it is im mensely important that the public should be thoroughly informed as to the class of persons who are likely to obtain them. Every father of a family must be interested to know the conditions upon which his son may become a candidate, and, if possible, a successful one. Now, in the find place, it is admitted even by the sticklers for patronage that the lads who succeed are the best educated lads of their , time—that is to say, if tried by the test of an' English education. Besides the certainty that the lad who succeeds has a personal desire to go to India—for if he has none he need only sit in the examination-room and do nothing—besides in het having a turn for service in the Rest, the successful candidate must show that he has applied his mind with zeal and efficiency to his atodiea ; and these studies have been selected as the very beet which can be thought of by those who have considered the subject. It may be that the system of English educa tion at the great public schools, at the colleges and uni versities throughout the country is founded on a mistake. But so long as public opinion acts upon an opposite principle, a great public department may be excused from following. If India requires educated Englishmen at all, there seems little harm in supplying the best educated. At all events it is satisfactory to find that if India suc ceeds in obtaining such men—according to the pre sent popular standard of education—her chief men will be persons brought up in the same school as the noblemen and gentlemen who form our cabinets and rule the empire—as Mr. GLAD /mow; Sir CORNEWALL Lewis, Lord DERBY, Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT, Lord LYNDHURST, Lord Ezonr, and a host of others. A slight glance at the list of the successful candidates for Indian appointment', which may be seen at page 209 of the hist Civil Service Report, proves conclusively that the lads who obtain these prizes have undergone precisely the same coarse of training as the men who are now most eminent in Parliament, at the Bar, in the pulpit, in science, and in literature. And if this be so, it is surely a little unreasonable to de mend some better test for selecting Indian officials than that which would have obtained for the country every great statesman, from Prrr and CANNING to PEEL and PAELIERSTON, from WARHILV HASTINGS and WELLISLEY to Sir CHARLES TES YELTAN and Sir WIIALAII MAzthrizi.D. But it is said that this system of open competi tion shuts out the middloclaases. It renders these great prizes in the public service utterly inacces sible to any man of moderate means, and the public are told by one " well-informed" gen tleman that no boy has a chance of success unless his father has spent upon his education the sum of 3,0001. Acquaintance with the East is apt to develop the imagination. Certainly, the information of the author of this statement must be peculiarly Oriental. In the first place, if he had taken the trouble to turn to page 207 of the Civil Service Report he would have found that the candidates are, without exception, from the middle classes. Out of the 119 there are no fewer than 30 candidates the sons of clergymen, 6 are the sons of merchants, 6 of physicians, 12 are the sons of gentlemen, 7 are the sons of lawyers. The father of no boy was of a rank higher than that of a Lieutenant-Colonel or a Captain in the Navy. Again, if the schools at which the candidates were educated be examined, it will be found that only four came from Harrow and Eton—probably the most expensive schools in England ; the rest are from the old grammar schools which are found in almost every con siderable English town. To suppose that the edu cation of these young men cost 2501. a year whilst at school for the unusual period of six years, is simple folly. Even at Eton the annual bills do not exceed 200 f., but at Rugby and other schools the expenses are not more than 110/. Nor is this all. At every public grammar school there are foundationers. Thus at Eton there are seventy. They are elected by open competition, and a boy on the foundation costa his friends only a few pounds a year. The same system prevails at Westminster, Charterhouse, and Winchester, and of course at Christ's Hospital. In fact, out of three Blue-coat boys who appeared as candidates, two appear to have gone to India. But further, a rule prevails at certain schools that parents who live within a certain radius are entitled to send their sons as day boys. This privilege is largely used at Eton, at Harrow, at Shrewsbury, at Manchester, and es pecially at Rugby. In fact, a town has grown up containing residences for the parents of children attending school. But the same privilege prevails in Bristol, in Bath, in Chester, in Bedford, and numerous other places. In such towns, therefore, it would be much nearer the truth to say that a boy's education costs 250 pence than 2501.; and, in fact, it is demonstrable that no person, however "well-informed," could point to a single successful candidate in the last Indian examina tion whose education had cost 1,5001. But, as if to place his ignorance beyond question, the same " well-informed " person estimates the cost of an university career at another 1,500 f., which he makes up by a four years' course at 375/. a year. Now, it is a well-known fact, that three years is the ordinary university course, and that 2001. is the sum commonly allowed. This would require an expenditure of 600/. instead of 1,500/. But the briefest glance at the Report to which allusion has been made, or the smallest modicum of information upon the subject, would have convinced any fair-minded inquirer that in the present state of things it is scarcely ever necessary for a father to supply his son with the full allowance. There are so many scholarships and exhibitions, both at the grammar schools and at the various colleges, that a lad of moderate ability will be almost certain to obtain one. Of late years the prizes have been offered to any lad without reference to the place of his birth or his parentage. Scarcely a day passes without the University Intelligence containing particulars as to the mode in which candidates for Scholarships should apply ; and inviting boys from every quer ter to the contest. Annual sums of 301., 501., or even 1001., are no uncommon rewards, and instances are not wanting in which men now occupying the highest places have earned by their own abilities the means which enabled them to pass their under graduate career without trenching upon the family purse. In the presence of notorious facts it is somewhat surprising to find public writers so profoundly ignorant of the expenses of an English education. But this makes it the more important to show up this bugbear of expense, which, no doubt, prevents many parents from giving their sons the best education. Above all, it is essential to dissipate the delusion, that the middle classes, or even the lower classes, are excluded from all , share in the advantages of open competition, because the style of education required of success- I ful candidates is beyond their reach. Ws make no apology for again calling public attention to the gigantic fraud or farce that will be perpetrated in the religious statistics of next year's Census if Mr. Cuvs's Bill is allowed to pass in its present shape. While the new pro posal is open to the gravest objections we know of nothing that can be urged in its favour. If such an obnoxious scheme can in any way be explained or defended, the Government ought to be called upon explicitly to state the reasons which have led them to depart from the useful prece dent of the last Census. Till this at least is done the Bill ought not to be allowed to pro ceed any further. Mr. Cuva's Bill proposes to compel every person in the three kingdoms to state his or her religious profession. Now, such a de mand is utterly unwarrantable, even were obe dience to it possible. What does it really amount to It is neither more nor less than an intrusion of the civil power, not only into • department with which ; it has nothing to do—that of opinion—but into the , most sacred province of that department, that of I religious belief. This is as illegitimate in principle as it would inevitably be futile and vexatious in practice. What right has the Government to in quire into the religious opinions or beliefs of any man, woman, or child 4 The object of the Census is to obtain facts, not opinions, much less fictitious opinions. It may be said, perhaps, that the proposed inquiry relates not to religions belief but to religious profession, which is matter of public notoriety. Nothing, however, is further from the real truth. Under the guise of asking for a fact, the manifest object is to extract an expression of opinion—whether sin cere or not is of no consequence. On no other sup position is the proposal intelligible. It cannot possibly refbr simply to those who make what is called a public profession of religion—the members of the various dissenting bodies, and the com municants of the Established Church. These form but a fraction of the population, and their precise number can easily be ascertained without the complicated and irrelevant machinery of a general Census. Neither can the object be to ascer tain the number who habitually attend public wor ship. That, no doubt, is a fact which may be legitimately investigated, and the accurate know ledge of which is of general interest and permanent value. In the last Census, accordingly, inquiry was directed to this practical point, in order to ascertain the existing amount of accommodation for public worship, and the precise extent to which the people availed themselves of the provision. A useful index of the general average of attendance on public worship, as well as of the redundancy or deficiency of the provision for it in particular areas, was thus obtained. But the new proposal is of no such practical and useful kind. Instead of dealing with public facts of general interest and utility, it descends to the sacred ground of private convictions, asking in the most direct and inquisitorial way whether you have any religious opinions, and if so what they are. Such an inquiry is a novelty in this country. It is quite a new thing for the tax-gatherer to take you by the button and demand in peremp tory tones what particular persuasion you belong to. We venture to predict that the question will be regarded not only as new, but as in the highest degree illegitimate and offensive. If it be allowable, however, to compel a man to declare his religious convictions, we cannot stop here. The inquisitorial principle is of far wider application. If the inquiry, " What is your " religious profession 1" may be put, why not the inquiry, " What is your political party 1" And if the personal and prying system is applicable to religion and politics, why not extend it to morals, manners, and general deportment We shall then have such questions as, " What is your position in society ?" " What " club do you belong to 1" " What are your " habitual amusements r " What are your " favourite vices 1" " Are you a member of the " Temperance Society 1" "Do you smoke to " berm 1" Nay, if the plan were once adopted, there is no point, however minute, on which a paternal government, thirsting for curious but practically useless information, might not think proper to catechise its dutiful children. We protest against the whole system, and therefore against Mr. Cu Veil proposal, not only as an anomaly in legislation, but as an outrage against the rights and privileges of the people. If an Englishman's house, his private residence, is his castle, not to be invaded by the arm of the law, surely his per sonal convictions are equally sacred. But, if legitimate and expedient, it would be impossible to give effect to such a proposal. The attempt to carry it nut would be utterly futile. You may ask an impertinent question, but you cannot compel an answer, much less a truthful Answer. The returns Mr. CLIVE proposes to ask for would add nothing to our real information as to the religious state of the country, while they would inevitably inundate us with false and mischievous, because essentially false and misleading statistics. Religiously con sidered, the population may be divided into three great classes. First, there are what may be tech nically termed the professors of religion, compris ing the members of the various dissenting bodies and the regular communicants of the Established Church. These, though a definite and compact body, are the smallest class, a mere fraction of the whole population, indeed. Then there is the much larger and looser class, who on various grounds, from custom and association, from re flective or emotional conviction, are religious, or re ligiously inclined, without identifying themselves with any particular church. A large number of these attend places of worship regularly, many occasionally, and not a few rarely, if ever at all. Finally, there is an enormous mass who are utterly indifferent to religion, and never, except by accident, go anywhere at all. Now, how would Mr. Ciays's proposal affect these three classes ? The first would of course have no difficulty in re plying to the question, What is your religious profession ? But they are precisely the class whose reply is least important, because their numbers can be accurately ascer tained from other sources. In regard to the second class, the proposed Census returns would give us no reliable information at all. Many would resent the inquiry as impertinent, and decline, even under threats of penalty, to reply to it. Others would answer in terms so vague and ambiguous, if not ironical, as to give either no information, or information that would only mislead. But, if thus comparatively worth less in relation to the second class, the returns would be far worse than worthless, they would be wholly false and mischievous, in relation to the third. The vast outlying mass who are wholly indifferent to religion would in all likelihood be entered as Episcopalians, partly because few per sons would like to confess themselves in religion sans domicile, and would feel it more respectable to be put down as something ; partly because there would be an active church machinery at work in every pariah to sweepthe stragglers in, and partly because, where the matter was left to official routine, every man who had not formally tenanted from the Church would be assumed to be still a member of it though he had never once entered its doors during his whole life. Such returns would, of course, be worthless for all practical purposes. But though of no value to the country they might prove useful for party purposes to the Church. The bishops and high church clergy have recently appeared at considerable disadvantage in their opposition not only to the fair claims of Diasenters, but to the common sense and strong Protestant feeling of the country. The proposed fallacious returns will probably supply them with a political instrument that might be used with temporary effect. Swtrr tells us that it is in dis pute as in armies, where the weaker side sets up ' false lights and makes a great noise to make the enemy believe them more numerous and strong than they really are. The recent agitation in favour of Church-rates illustrates the great noise made by the High Church party to frightci i enemy, while the attempt to set up false lights manifest in this proposal for fictitious returns, do not believe that such an offensive, irritaMg, and mischievous device will be allowed ti succeed. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. ITALY. The Sardinian Senate, in its sitting of the 27th ult., voted the bill for introducing the Sardhadu oodea into the Einilian provinces by a inajoriq of 52 againat 8. The Perseseranza, of Milan, states that the A ua. trians are constructing a formidable bridge-head at Bogoforte, On the Po, not far from Mantua. The same paper states that General de Lamorieiere ar rived at Pesaro on the 24th ult. ; that the ten band had been ordered out to celebrate his arrival with music, but that most of the performer,, had remained away, for which neglect of obedience they had been thrown into prison. A few houses belon g . ' big to the municipality were illuminated in the evening, but the rest of the town did not follow• the example. The headquarters of the Neapolitan army under General Pianelli are said to have been transferred to Aquila, in order the better to con. cert measures with General Lamoriciere, who has encamped his troops at Spoleto. TURIN, Arse, JO. King Victor Emmanuel will arrive to-day at Pistoja. To-morrow him Majesty will proceed to Lucca and Bologna. Count Cavour and M. Fanti will go to-morrow to Bologna to meet the King. The rumour that the frigate Qoveruolo had been insulted by Neapolitan vessels is denied. The assembling of the Chambers is to be ad journed until after the pee in commemoration of the establishment of the constitution. The treaty of the 24th of March will be discussed after the boundaries of the States have been regulated with France. THE INSLIRRECTION IN SICILY. NArLss (vu thafoe),'AriaL 27. After the destruction of the town of Carini, the royal troops returned by steamer to Palermo. A fight between the insurgents and the soldiers has taken place at Alcano. More ambulances have been despatched to Sicily. Cbc Court. The Queen and the Prince Consort, accompanied by the Prince.* Alice, rode on horsebeek yesterday morning, attended by the Hon. Beatrice Bing and the Equerries in Waiting. Aufassce Owen delivered the third.), a series of lectures on Natural History at Bockingharn Palace, before the Prince Consort and the royal family. Prince Alfred, attended by Lieut. •Colonel F. Cavendish, west yesterday morning to Woolwich, and returned to Buckingham Palace in the afternoon. The titwee sad Privies Consort, accompanied by the Prinmes Mire sad Prince Leopold, took a drive in an open carriage and four in the afternoon. Colonel the Hon. A. N. Hood and Captain Du Plat attended on horseback. Her Majesty's dinner party hi the evening included the Duchess of seat, the Princes Alive and Prince Alfred. the Dachau."( Dore leach, the Saws Minister (Coast Vita. thine), the Ma:chimer of Aileslxiry, the Neal asd Counters of Dalkeith, lady Surma L. Melville, Lord George Lennox, lord Polwarth, and Major Cowell. The Duchere of Hamilton visited the Duchess of Kent yestenlay, at Buckingham Palace. At the Queen. Drawing.roont on Saturday, lady Sarah Linda.y wa■ in attendance upon her Majesty se Worms of the Be.idraniber. Mr. Bmtlierton, Reeeiver.General of Inland Revenue, and Mr. F. L ROAN had an interview yevterday with the Right Ron. Robert Lowe, M.P., Vice-Preaidetit of the Council for Education, at the Privy Council-office, White. hell. Despatchee were received at the Colouiabolßoe yeeter de, from the (Inventor of Gibraltar sad from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonia lolanda Yestenlay his Royal Highness Prince Alfred visited the East India Docks, in order to inspect the diagonal principle of ship-boilding u exhibited in Mr. Robert Tayleron'A iron clipper ship Fanny Rand. His Royal Highne.4 arrived a little before five o'clock, and was ac companied on 110A1111 by Colonel Cavendish, the Hon. Cum. modore Drummond, and Captains Cochrane, Macdonald, and Petrie. Mr. Taylerson, together with two or three of his fricoda, received the Prince on boanl, and then the royal guest and visitors having gone below and inspected the sides of the vessel, assembled on deck to hear Mr. Ihylerson's explanation of his new mode of shipbuilding. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, as General Commanding.in.C'hiet, held • levee yoderday at the Home Guards, at which there was • full attendance of dicer,. The duke is still suffering from gout. Lord and Lady Wensleydale had en assembly last evening at their residence in Park-street, Grosvenor square. La.ly Isabella Stewart has recovered from her recent indispotitino. Lady Churchill has left the St. George's Hotel. Lord Panmure will shortly leave Brechiu Castle fur Germany, where his lordship purposes snaking a short sojourn at some of the celebrated baths. —Montrose Reriem. The Hon. Richard Carendish's ball will take plate es Friday next, and not on Thursday, as announced yesterday. Sir John and Lady Thomhl have arrived at their remidenoe at Queen's-vitt, from Systen Ark mar Grantham. Mrs. W. E. Gladstone has issued invitations for a ".lance" es Thursday, the 10th, Lod Tuesday, the 15th upu at the (wally ruanAloo on Calltos•house•terrsoe. 1..41y Caroline Towneley gave her second hall this ...went, last evening, st her residence in Charles street. ou B.iturday last the Rev. John Barri:am Bell, M. A., was institated to the rectory of Kirkley, in Suffolk, on the presentation at John Vickennen Langhourne, of Lincol tisane, Esq. It iv stated in a letter from Jerusalem that a great number of foreigners had arrived in that city to attar I the religious ceremonies of Holy Week and of Foster; mad that among them were the Count de Paris and the Duke de Chartres. The younger prince attended all the immix, in the church of the Holy Sepulchre ; but the Count .le Paris, bring greatly fatigued by he recent espedi• tion in Egypt, could only be prevent at some 11 the most important. It is reported that the gosernnient hare signified their willirignem to tregraiate for the Great Eastern to take out the telegraph eshle about to be laid between Singapore awl Rangoon —an opportunity which it is presumed the di. rectors will be gL.I seize on auy rea.ooable terms. . . _ _ Thu duel between Mr. Pryor and Mr. Potter, of the American H..tise of Representatives, had been pre yeah...!, the latter being bound over to keep the peace. A Washington despatch say. that Mr. Ptyor's wife and five children were in Washington when he sent his challeup to Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter's wife was also in the city at the time, quite calm, saying she did not wish to say anything of the affair until it was over, and declared that she knew her husband to be a brave man. Mr. Pryor was also ander arrest. Tee P0.4111.“T ER-G WIER AL. —We (POSO under stand that for the ' , regent the Duke of droll, Lord Privy Beal, will take the duties of the Post•odice in the absence of the kid of Elgin. This temporary arrangement is made in omsequence ~ f an uncertainty as to the duration of the sold* sin's absence. The most recent advicee from China bring the intelligence that an ultimatum has hems sent in by the English and French representatives on the spot, to the Emperor, giving the Court of Pekin thirty days to determine whether it will accept and execute the treaty in its entirety, and comply with such other conditi.ris visa's oat of the late outrage se the allies judge fitting. If the news of the aeeeptanee of oar terms meets Lord F3itin on his mad, he will return to England to resume his office. If, on the contrary, our demands should not be complied with, his lordship will proceed to China on his arduous mission, and a successor will he appointed to the fence, which the public convenience will require to be provided fur. HUNGARY. Feldratigmeister von Benedek, the Commanding. General in Hungary, has issued a proclamation, which in substance is as follows :—" As a faithful veteran, and as a native of Hungary, I will con scientiotudy carry out the benevolent intentions a the Emperor. Confidence is necessary to the sue. cessful development of the organisation of Hungary, and I will therefore, iu the interest of the country, oppose with firmness and decision any attempt to disturb the minds of the people by means of demon. strations. I count on the co-operation of every man of honour in my efforts to serve and benefit my dear native country and the empire at large." The ap pointment of a military man—Lient. -General Count Louis Crenneville—to be Adlatus to General von Benedek and the somewhat menacing proclama tion of the latter have given rise to a report that Hungary will be placed under martial law should the resistance of its inhabitants to the will of the imperial government be continued. PEBTH, ATIUL 30, Noox. The requiem of the late Count Stephen Szedenyi has been concluded without any dis turbances having taken place. Great numbers of the inhabitants were present at the ceremony. The vault has been closed. Mourning flags have been exhibited in the Waiznogre&u. 10,000 persons were assembled on the occasion in the principal square of the town. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, MONDAY. Count Apponyi and Messieurs Murniann, &bodies, and Vay will, it is said, be appointed Councillors of State. SPAIN. MADRID, Ann 30. Manbal O'Donnell luta arrived at Aranjuet. SWITZERLAND. GENEVA, Aran, :O. 2,000 men of the Fo.leml troops occupying Geneva will be disbanded on the 10th May next, but will be replaced iinniediately. The Federal Council has resolved on the Mistime. tiona referring to the conference to be sent to M. Kern. THE BRAZILS. LISBON, Amin. 30. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's ship Magdalena has arrived, with date,. from Rio Janeiro to the 7th April. No political news of importance. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. Exchange on London firm at 2:4; on Paris, 362 to 384; on Hamburg, 730 to 735, on which places the Magdalena brings drafts amounting respectively to 490,0001., 3,200,000 frames. and 230,000 mar. Coffee, good first, 6,450 to 6,600 rein. Stock, 100,000 bags. The export of coffee since the depar ture of the last mail amount. to 104,274 begs, which is made up as follows :—The United States, 54,215 lags; Channel, 9,008 bap ; Harm, 114,750 bags ; Marseilles, 16,014 ; Mediterranean, 6,237. Freight was quoted at 30. Thu O f ficial °awl* of the kingdom of Poland publishes a ukase of the Emperor Alexander, which extends to the inhabitants of that cuntry, on the °erasion of the majority of the heir apparent, the pardon* IM regards con fiscation of property indicted on those who took part in the insurrection of 1831. Thin act of clemency in highly ap. proved of in Poland. In the Chamber of Depntie.s at Nassau three days ago the report of the committee on petitions for and against the Conconlat was presented, and gave rise to • very animated die-minion. The Chamber even tually adopted unanimously, with the exception of five votes, • resolution pnqsviod by the committee, requesting the government- I, to abstain from concluding a concordat or any convention of the kind with the Holy See ; 2, to regulate the relations between the Roman catholic church and the state by 111M1116 of a bill acconling the widest liberty of conscience ; and 3, to examine the question whether it 'mold not he desirable to come to • provisional arrangement with Rome reapecting the nomiaa• tioo to vacant catholic parishes. General de Failly l,tv anivial in Paris. He is the first of the generals of tlu• enoy of Italy who has re. turned to Fiance ; the others ore expected shortly to follow. It is said that thu Dowager-Empress of Russia is to come to Paris with the Emperor and Empress of the French on their return from Nice, and that else ts to psis the summer at Fontainebleau, where the palace is being prepared for her reception. A letter received by a high functionary in Paris cootaina (says the rat* 'rime curious revelations with respect to the participation of the monks of La Grancia in the late insurrection stPalermo. This letter states positively that the Sicilian authorities have ascertained that these warlike monks were false brothers--revolutionary agent, in het recruited by Ifazzini, end with the external appearance of being completely detached from the affairs of this world, assumed the 41nws a year since with a view to excite an insurrection. They had completely suc ceeded in deceiving the venerable prior of the convent and the other monks who were not their accomplioes. The day of the insurrection they seized the prior, and then gave the signal of the revolt by ringing the convent bell. The plot was well got up, although it did Out succeed.