The Press. — London, England, 1854-03-18 00:00:00

246 Lord Lovsisz followed a similar train of argu ment, quoting many passages from recently-published works to show the extent of the oppression under which the Greeks were suffering. Lord D. STUART bore testimony to the tolerance of the Porte, and the rapid improvement of all classes and races among its subjects. Contrasting the con duct and policy of Russia and Turkey, he remarked that the first move of the Czar, as the assumed pro tector of Christianity, had resulted in bringing war, accompanied by its worst atrocities, upon a territory inhabited by four millions of Christians. Lord CLAUDE HAMILTON trusted that no British soldiers were to be employed in putting down the struggle for liberty among the Greeks in Turkey. Mr. LAYARD eulogised the zeal and sincerity which the Porte had exhibited in the cause of improve ment under very great difficulties. Among these dif ficulties he assigned the highest place to the con sular system, as at present worked, and the protec tion accorded in the Turkish dominions to the hordes of criminals and adventurers from Malta or tbe lonian Islands who claimed and abused the privilege of being British subjects. Mr. E. BALL protested against the war, which he believed might have been stopped a year ago, and would be unpopular a year hence. Lord PALMERSTON submitted that the efforts of the British Government to improve the condition of the Turkish Christians must be tempered by discre tion, and restrained within the limits prescribed by a due reverence for the dignity of the Porte. Otherwise England would but imitate the aggressive conduct which they were so vigorously combatting on the part of Russia. The Sultan had already done much to place his Greek subjects on an equality with the Mahometans, and there was no reason to doubt his zeal in the cause. The war on which we were entering was to be waged on behalf of great prin ciples. It should not be diverted or perplexed by any exclusive attention to narrower issues. Mr. M. GIBSON objected to any attempt at estab lishing an English protectorate of the Greek Chris tians in Turkey. Such a task it was impossible to accomplish, and would involve the country in per petual and inextricable difficulties. Sir R. PEEL urged that the Greek movement for freedom had been in activity for many years, and that Turkey was sinking into decrepitude. The success of one race and the fall of the other might be delayed by the jealous interposition of other powers, but the result could only be postponed, not averted. Greek independence he believed must ultimately be estab. lished, tnd the Ottoman rule extinguished in Europe. But in the meantime we were right in fighting for the Mahometans, as our arms would be directed against a still more cruel and formidable despotism. Mr. DRUMMOND dwelt upon the perplexities and absurdities in which any attempt to protect the Greek religion in Turkey must infallibly involve us. The papers asked for were understood to be granted, and the subject dropped without having given rise to any substantive proposition. ABOLITION OF OATHS. Leave to bring in a bill substituting declarations for the oaths now required to be taken in a variety of legal, commercial, and professional transactions was asked on Tuesday by Mr. APSLEY PEILArr. The multiplicity of instances in which these solemn formalities were at present exacted resulted, he thought, in much irreverence and profanity, and led to a general familiarity with perjury. He proposed to enact aceordingly, that in all cases where conscien tious scruples were entertained a simple affirmation might be substituted, at the desire of the taker, who should still remain liable to all the penalties now assigned to the crime of pet jury, if it should be proved that he had affirmed a falsehood. The motion was seconded by Mr. HADFIELD. Lord PALL ERSTON consented to the introduction of the bill, admitting that oaths might advantageously be dispensed witl► in many cases where they were now required. Upon important occasions, and in judicial proceedings, however, he considered that the attesting formality should be maintained with the utmost solemnity. He approved, also, of the precaution inserted in the bill brought forward on the subject in another house, by which it was left to certain tip . pointed authorities to decide upon the nature of the alleged scruples, and determine whether effect was to be given them. Mr. HUME approved of the measure. The ATTORNEY GENERAL explained the provisions of the Government bill, which he hoped would soon come down for consideration in that, house. He also detailed the contrivances by which they hoped to relieve scrupulous consciences on one hand and baffle the attempts of intending prevaricators on the other. On proceeding to a division, leave was obtained to bring in the bill by a narrow majority of one—the numbers being 109 to 108. THE PRESS. THE PROPERTY OF NUNS. Mr. 'WHITESIDE on Tuesday moved for leave to introduce a bill designed to secure to females under religious vows the free exercise of their rights as regarded the disposal of property. The hun. and learned member remarked that the law already re cognised the possibility of undue influence under certain relationships, such as those between lawyer and client, guardian and ward, dm. &c., and sought to counteract the effect of that influence by avoiding the conveyances of property effected by those parties. This principle he wished to extend to persons living under spiritual guardianship. But, instead of an nulling grants and conveyances made by a nun in favour of the convent in which she was secluded, he proposed simply to shift to the parties claiming property under such instruments the onus of show ing that they had not been obtained by undue in fluence. Mr. Moonn resisted the motion, arguing that the effect of the bill would be altogether nugatory, ex cept in so far as it inflicted pain and inconvenience upon the inmates of convents. Mr. BOWYER also urged that legislation was un necessary. The proposed bill, he remarked, contra vened the recognised principles of jurisprudence, inasmuch as it compelled parties to a suit in law to prove a negative. Mr. J. O'CONNELL and Mr. LUCAS offered further arguments against the measure, which Mr. MALINS defended. Lord PAI.MERSTON reminded the house that a com mittee of inquiry into the state of conventual estab lishments had already been agreed to, and suggested that any actual legislation should be postponed until the report from that committee were ready. If, how ever, the supporters of the bill would stay its further progress until the house saw what came of the committee, he would raise no objection to its being brought in. Mr. WHITESIDE assented to this course. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL dwelt upon the legal working of the bill, which he thought would prove awkward and unmanageable. Mr. NAPIER thought legislation much called for, but admitted that it would be better to wait for the report from the committee. On a division there appeared—Ayes, 68; Noes, 40 : majority, 28. Leave was then given, and the bill brought in. TESTAMENTARY JURISDICTION BILL. The second reading of this bill was moved in the House of Lords on Tuesday by the LORD CHANCELLOR, who expressed some surprise at the opposition it had encountered. He admitted, nevertheless, that the measure had been drawn up in haste, and expressed his intention of referring it, when read the second time, to a select committee. Lord Baouousx commented upon various details of the measure, and lamented the loss and injury it would inflict on the practitioners, both advocates and proctors, of the Pi erogative Court—men of the ut most integrity, who were entitled to the highest con sideration. He trusted that the house would see that it would be false economy to deny fair compensation to those gentlemen. The Bishop of St. Asaph, the Earl of Hatrowby, and Lord Feversham urged many objections to the bill. Lord Sr. LEONARD'S was favourable to the transfer of the jurisdiction of the Prerogative Courts to Chancery, which was not now-a-days so dilatory a court as people seemed to fancy ; but, though he ap proved so far of its principle, he would not pledge himself to support its details till he saw the state in which it came out of the hands of the select com mittee. He thought it a most unwise step to bring real estate under the operation of the act, and ex pressed his regret at the destruction of the practice of a large class of men who had devoted their lives to following this branch of the profession. Lords WYNFORD and DONOUGHMORE also remarked upon the injustice which the bill would occasion among members of the legal profession. The Lonn CHANCELLOR briefly replied, after which the bill was read a second time, and ordered to bere ferred to a select committee. ENDOWED SCHOOLS. Mr. PELLATT moved, on Thursday, an address to the Crown, praying for the appointment of a royal commission of inquiry into the state, average number of pupils, discipline, studies, and revenue of endowed schools of England and Wales ; also of the endow ments for scholars, their number and revenue ; like wise of all bequests of libraries, and endowments for their support; the character, numbers, awl condition of the books ; the number of the librarians and their salaries ; with the view of increasing the educa tional and other advantages to the public in general. Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved the previous question by way of amendment. The motion, he contended, would lead to very great expense, and to interference with the proceedings of the commission appointed last year, SATURDAY, Mr. HUME suggested that the motion should be withdrawn, which, after a short conversation, was agreed to. COASTING TRADE BILL. Lord STANLEY of ALDEILLEY, moved the second reading of this bill by the Peers on Thursday. Its object is to throw the coasting trade of the country open without restriction to foreign vessels. Lord COLCHESTER would not oppose the motion, but denied that the benefits anticipated to Sow from the repeal of the navigation laws had been realised. At the same time he was satisfied with the retalia• tory powers contained in the bill. After a short debate the bill was read the second time. MORTMAIN. Mr. HEADLAM, on Thursday, obtained leave to bring in a bill to consolidate and amend the laws of mortmain, and the laws regulating gifts for charitable or religious purposes. The chief okect of the mea sure, as explained by the honourable gentleman, was to exempt from the operation of the Statute of Mort• lake all gifts of land for the sites of schools, churches, or chapels, to whatever religious denomination be longing. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, on behalf of the Govern ment, expressed his assent to the principle of the measure. PAYMENT OF WAGES BILL. The second reading of this bill, having been moved at Wednesday's midday sitting of the Commons by Mr. C. FORSTER, was opposed by Mr. HUME, who contended that the Legislature had no right to inter fere between masters and men. The measure, he believed, would be practically unworkable, was perilous to trade, and designed to remedy a merely local grievance. Mr. CRAUFURD urged that any attempt at legislation should be preceded by an inquiry into the existing relationship between employers and employed, and moved as an amendment that a select committee should be appointed for that purpose. The amendment was supported by Mr. HEYWORTIT. Mr. Deunisiosn resisted it on the ground that it blinked the real point at issue. The labourers, who were helpless, and complained that their masters defrauded them, came to the house for redrew . . The necessity of protecting the employed against their employers had been acknowledged for centuries past. It was notorious that the truck system wag made the means of fraud under which the operatives suffered severely. He supported the bill, denying that it interfered in any degree with employment or wakes. Sir J. WALMSLEY believed that serious abuses existed which the bill might remove. Mr. BOOKER and Mr. BRUCE also supported the bill. Mr. BRIGHT feared that the measure would only aggravate the evil and crowd the manufacturing districts with a population of informers. The true and only corrective to be found for any evils now existing in the treatment or payment of the operatives must be looked for in their own sense of right and interest, and in the force of public opinion. Mr. FORSTER replied to the objections urged against his bill, which he offered, if the second read ing were passed, to refer afterwards to a select committee. Lord STANLEY opposed the bill, believing that its principle was unsound, that it was unnecessary, and would prove inoperative. Legislative interference with employment was a difficult and dangerous task, and should be made the rule, not the exception. It was a matter more than doubtful whether the open ing of shops by the masters must necessarily be injurious to the men. He knew that in many agricultural districts it had been the practice for the landowners to establish shops for the con venience of their labourers ; and, if this were not to be done by the manufacturers, the same restriction ought to apply to the agricultural districts. (Hear, hear.) Mr. MOTFATT supported the amendment ; Mr. PACKE and Sir B. HALL approved of the bill. Sir G. GREY gave a partial support to the measure, some of whose provisions were similar to changes whose expediency he had himself recognised when in office. A division was taken after some further discussion, when the motion for the second reading was affirmed by 166 votes to 56-110. The bill VMS read a second time, and ordered to he referred to a select committee. SLIGO ELECTION. The report of the select committee appointed to inquire into the allegations of Mr. Somers's petition, complaining of irregular proceedings in the matter of the petition against Mr. Sadleir's return for Sligo. has been presented to the House of Commons and printed. 3he committee report that the main allegations of Mr. Somers's petitions are proved ; that Mr. Gethin, solicitor, of Sligo, being instructed by Mr. Sadleir's agent to make inquiries as to the solvency of the sureties to the petition against Mr. Sadleir's return, employed for this purpose James Simpson, a farmer, and Henry Simpson. relieving officer of the Sligo Union ; and that at a meeting at Gethin's office, at which the three were present, Gethin and James Simpson offered the father of one of the sureties 501. to induce bint to procure Ne signature to