The Press. — London, England, 1858-03-27 00:00:00

Whatever Is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publics• Lion, but us a guarantee of his good faith, We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do not avail ourselves. Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a remittance or • reference for payment in town. THE PR - vbt I)%tirxig+ LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1858. POSTSCRIPT. THE CHINA MAILS. The Colombo steamer, Captain Field, arrived at Southampton yesterday afternoon with the mails from China, Ceylon, ite. ; those from Calcutta having been lost in the Ava. She left Alexandria on the 13th; Malta, 17th; Gibraltar, 21st. The Colombo brings 107 passengers, among whom are the following from Lucknow :—Lady Inglis, Mrs. Bruene, Mrs. Ruggles, Mrs. Apthorpe, Captain Law renc ieut. Powell, and Lieut. Cook. The Queen has been pleased to appoint Wm. Lawrence, Esq., F R.S., to be one of her Majesty's Sergeant Surgeons in Ordinary, in the room of Benjamic Travers, Esq., deceased. A deputation, headed by 'Viscount Goderich, waited on the Home Secretary yesterday afternoon, to represent the evils of the present beerhouse system. After several speeches from the members of the deputation, Colonel Wilson Patten suggested that the judges should make a repo' t o 11 t. 3 nions on the state of drunkenness as causing an increase of crime. Mr. Walpole said he thought Colonel Wilson Patten's suggestion a very good one. He thought they were all agreed upon the fact that great evils arose from the present state of beer• houses. The suggestions which had been made, with a view to a remedy, bad been various, and there fore it was impossible for him to give an opinion at present. He had caused the deputation to be put off until this day, the last before the Easter huii• days, so that he might be able to take the matter into consideration during the recess. Soon after the recess he should be prepared to bring in a bill on the subject. The deputation then withdrew. CAMBRIDGE C. FIRST CLASS. Trin. LSSICAL TIIIPOS. SECOND CLASS. M`Gregor ) Trin -hall Idasheden f Idagd. Dalby l Trin. Lu clock J Jesus Barff Trin.•hall Green John's Watson Caius MariHier 1 King's Worthington Corpus Leighton Emmen. East 1 Trin. Mowatt f Sidney Lindsay Trin.•hall Holland Trin. Potts 1 John's Robertson J Jesus _ . Donne 1 Trio. Lupton ) John's Swete Csius Smith Trin. Heppersbnll John's Lnmhy Magd. 0 King's _ Butler ' John's ll'elelloan I Trin. Barton 1 Emman. Stanwell j John's Chrbt's Bull 1 Emmen . Martineau 1 Trin.-hall Fisher ) Trin. Henniker f Trin.•hall Budge Trin. The sen•ices of the Chapel Itnyal, St. James's, will, on Easter Sunday and the following Sundays, until further notice, he celebrated in the German Chapel, Marlborough-house, at 8 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. A SCPPLEMENT to the London Gazette of Tuesday announces the appointment to the Order of the Bath of a number of officers who have distinguished them. selves in suppressing the Indian mutinies. The new K.C.B.'s are Colonels Cotton, Mansfield, and Seaton. THE MILITIA, according to a new return, consists of 37 regiments in the United Kingdom whose quotas are complete, and 127 whose quotas are incomplete. The number of men requires to complete the quotas is 15,851, and there are 10,323 men whose service expires within six months; 0,620 men are required in England, 1,041 in Scotland, and 4,281 in Ireland. VICE-ADMIRAL MARTIN, First Naval Lord of the Admiralty, accompanied Rear-Admiral the Hon. George Grey to Portsmouth on Thursday, and inducted him into his office as Superintendent of the Dockyard. TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS iS the estimate of the sum required to be voted for the educational and scientific brunches of the army—viz.. for the surveys of the kingdom and for the topographical depart ment—" on account." SS, MARCH 27, 1858 LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE. HOUSE OF LORDS. MILITARY BaLRACKS. Lord PAtiMlTßEmoved for some returns respect• ing the expenditure incurred upon the construction of military barracks. Much misapprehension, he observed, had arisen on the subject, which it was very important to correct, since the effect was to in terfere seriously with the recruiting services. The noble lord entered into various details, exonerating the late Administration from the charge of negligence or incompetence in their arrangements for providing barrack accommodation for the soldiers. After some remarks from the Duke of CAMBRIDGE the returns were ordered. Several bills on the paper were advanced through a stage of progress, and their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. CHELSEA BRIDGE. In reply to Sir J. V. Shelley, Lord Joint MANNERS stated that the new CLelsea Bridge would be opened to the public on Monday next at the lowest possible tariff of toll that was compatible with a due regard to the provisions of the Act of Parliament. THE WESTERN BANK OF SCOTLAND. Mr. BRADY inquired whether any criminal pro ceedings were to be instituted against the directors of the Western Bank of Scotland. The LORD ADVOCATE said that no information bad come into the possession of the Government of a nature to warrant any such proceedings. COIIPENSATION TO PROCTORS. Sir W. HEATHCOTE asked what means had been adopted by the Government to bring under adjudica tion the claims of the several parties who may be entitled to compensation under the Probate Act of last session. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that a commission had been issued to investigate the subject, which was of much importance, as involving claims exceeding in amount 250,0001. THE INDIA BILL. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then moved for leave to introduce a hill to transfer the govern ment of India to her Majesty. The separation of the authority of the East India Company had, he observed, been decided by the late vote of the house, and he and his colleagues had, in deference to that vote, determined on introducing the present mea sure. Under any circumstances, it was not without precedent that a Government suddenly installed in office should take up a great question as it was left by its predecessors. The Administration of the noble lord had done this when it adopted the SeLasto pol committee. The Company fell through no fault of its own, but through the inscrutable circumstances of time, change, and progress. For a long time past every one must Lave felt that the foundation of the power of the East India Company was sapped. The object be had now to accomplish was to combine the energy and rapidity of an imperial government with the experience and tried knowledge of the Company. It was proposed to appoint a Secretary of State for India, assisted by a Council of India, and with the power of appointing a vice-president. The Council was to consist of eighteen members, nine of whom would be nominated by the Crown, and the other nine be elective. The nominated members would all be required to have some special qualification. Each of the civil services of the three great presidencies would be represented. The repre sentatives would be required to have served in India ten years. A fifth member would be taken after ten years' service from the residents or political agents at the native courts. The four other nomi nated members would represent the Queen's tary service, and these of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras. The first would be required to have served five years, and the three others to have served six years. The names of all those first appointed would be inserted in the bill. As for the elective moiety of the Council, the qualifications for the first four would be that they must have served the Queen in India, no matter in what capacity, for ten years, or have been resident there for fifteen years. The constituency would consist of all those who have held a commission or been in the civil service in India for ten years, or who were proprie ters of 3,0001. India Stock, railroads or other property, or of 1,0001. Company's Stock—the holder in the last case only to have one vote. He calculated this constituency at about 5.000. The remaining live elective members would be chosen from persons engaged in trade with India for five years, or resident in India for ten years. Each of the great towns of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Belfast would return one of these members, and the constituency ought to he, as he was convinced, after long consideration, the same as the parliamentary constituency. He proposed that their names should in the first instance be inserted iu the bill. He read the names of many of those whom it was proposed to insert in the bill, which were Sir J. Currie, Mr. Doring, Sir R. Montgomery, Mr. Pringle, Sir Claude Wade, Sir J. Pennelather, Colonel Beaumont, and Colonel Vivian. Of those intended to represent the Indian constituency, he would name Mr. Mangles, Captain Shepherd, Sir J. W. Hogg, and Mr. Prinsep. Six members of the Council would have the power of summoning a meeting at any time. The members would be at first appointed for two, four, or six years, and permanently for six years. They would not sit in Parliament, and would have a salary of 1,0001. a year. The distribution of patronage would remain the same as now, the Queen doing directly what she now did indirectly. The patronage now exercised by the Company would belong to the Council. There would be still, as now, of least for the present, two armies in India. The expenses of Indian Uovernment would be paid out of its revenue; provision was also made that the state of the revenue should be laid before Parliament, and a system of credit would be established. But he was bound to say that he felt great anxiety on the subject of Indian revenue. The financial system applicable to the colonies did not apply to India. A royal com mission was to be issued, which should visit India, and examine and rep rt on its financial condition throughout all its establishments. He had inserted a clause for the appointment of such a commission in the present bill. He trusted that the house would allow the bill to be introduced, that its pro visions might be studied during the recess. He believed that it would effect a most benefieitil change in the government of India, and open a new era of prosperity to that country. Replying to Mr. Elliot, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the bill would not interfere with the power now exercised by the Governor-General. Lord PALMERSTON gave his full consent to the introduction of the bill, on the understanding that his opinion was fully reserved as to the details. Mr. GILPIN objected that the people of India were not represented by the bill. Mr. R. MANGLES said that he should oppose all attempts to deprive the East India Company of its power, but if the bill passed, he and his fellow•direc tors would do their best to promote the efficiency of the new Government. Mr. WHITE thought that the people of India ought to have been represented. The measure con trasted favourably with that of the noble lord (Pal merston), but was not, he feared, free from detects and omissions. Sir 1:. PERRY said that the preseut bill mainly differed from that of the noble lord in the increased number of the Council and the introduction of the elective principle. In the application of this princi ple class interests were too much regarded. Mr. BLACK claimed a member of the Council for Edinburgh. Mr. VANCE claimed another for Dublin. Some further discussion, of miscellaneous cha racter, took place, in the course of which various suggestions were thrown out, and questions asked by different members on points of detail, eliciting successive replies from Mr. Disraeli. Ultimately the motion was agreed to, and leave being given, the bill was brought in and read a first time. The second reading was then fixed for Monday the 19th of April. THE SUEZ CANAL. Mr. GRIFFITH, after explaining at some length the advantages, and insisting on the practicability - , of constructing a ship canal across the Isthmus of Suez, inquired whether the present Government intended to throw any obstacles in the way of the scheme. Mr. DIsRAFLI said that there were no political objections of any sc•rt against the construction of the canal. On scientific and commercial grounds, however, he apprehended that the project could not be successfully carried out. _ . The house adjourned at half. past eight o'clock, until April 12, over the Easter holidays. It is rumoured (says the Worcester Chronicle) that our excellent chairman of the County Quarter Sessions, Sir J. Pakington, will resign that otliceat the ensuing sessions, in consequence of his inability now to spare the time necessary fur the proper con duct of the business. A story has been circulated during the past week of an elopement in high life. But we give no further currency to it, having been informed, on good authority, that no foundation exists for the rumour. _ . It is now positively stated that the new Covent garden Theatre will open on the 15th of May. The reports to this effect, which have been flying about for some time, have been treated by most persons as idle rumours, not to be talked of seriously ; but now the intention is publicly advertised by the management. On looking at the building in its present. state, it still seems incredible that it can anyhow be finished in so short a time, but mote im possible things have lately been achieved.