The Press. — London, England, 1856-07-26 00:00:00

JULY 26, 1856. rat6ings in arlinnunt. HOUSE OF LORDS-MONDAY, JULY 21. REGISTRATION OF TITLES BILL. Lord LYNDHURST, expressing in the strongest terms his regret that so many important bills in both houses should have during the session been lost or abandoned by the Government, asked whether the commission on the Registration of Titles Bill had yet made their report ? The Loan CHANCELLOR replied that they had not, and further said that if the report were not presented before next session he should introduce a limited measure for the registration of deeds. THE RAJAH OF COORO. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE inquired why the Rajah of Cuorg was compelled, against the recom mendation of his physicians, to return to India by the East India Directors, and whether payment of his allowance were stopped while he remained in England ? • The Duke of ARGYLL said the Rajah of Coorg was considered a prisoner of war. He had asked and obtained a year's leave to come to England. That time had expired, and he had asked for further leave; but withholding such permission could not be considered an act of tyranny on the part of the East India Directors. The East India Company also considered it objectionable that persons in the R ijah of Ccorg's situation should spend their revenues England. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH thought the conduct of the East India Company very ungenerous and unwise. He was of opinion that the law officers of the Crown should inquire into the matter. OITE RELATIONS WITH THE BRAZILS. The Earl of MALMESBURY rose to move for copies of any correspondence that had lately taken place between her Majesty's Government or the British Envoy at Rio and the Brazilian Government. It appeared that owing to a correspondence, which he could not describe in any other terms than as ill judged, the Brazilian Government were greatly offended with the Government of this country, and the discussions that had taken place in the Repre sentative Assembly of Brazits apgpared to threaten a dissolution of the amicable reflitions between the two countries. The noble earl then alluded to the lately published note of Mr. Jerningharn to the Bra zilian Government, in which Mr. Jerningham accuses the Brazilian Government of laxity in putting a stop to the slave trade, and threatens to put the act of '45 in force : He might not be in order if he were to read the sup• posed despatch, as published in the public journals, but he did not exaggerate the fact in characterising it as most un courteous. He had hoped that, from the moment the noble earl entered the Foreign-office, a certain style which pervaded the correspondence of that office would be at an end. The style he alluded to commenced in the year 1830, and continued to the year 1841. It then disappeared, but it began again in the year 1848, and continued to the eud of the year 18.51. It was a very peculiar style. Whatever the circumstances, the stereotyped despatch opened by ex pressing the unqualified displeasure of her Majesty's tiovernment, and concluded with some menace. The Minister of Foreign Affairs always sounded his trumpet from the highest note in the gamut, and the consequence was he could never use any other note without descending in the scale. He did not think that was a judicious mode of conducting our foreign affairs, because strong nations retaliated by insolent replies, and weak nations retained a dislike to the English Government rankling in their minds, and, perhaps, leading to a dislike of the Englfsh people. in the present case the Brazilian Government, Chambers, and Emperor had exhibited great indigna tion at the tone of Mr. Jerningham's note. The act of '45 was suspended in 1852, and he (Lord Malmesbury) had every reliance in the good faith of the Brazilian Government. In conclusion, the noble earl called upon Lord Clarendon to restrain the rude and mischievous zeal of his subordinates. The Earl of CLARENDON admitted that such a note had been sent by Mr. Jerningham, but only on authentic information that slaves were being landed in large numbers off the coast of Pernambuco. The Brazilian Government were much mortified at Mr. Jerningham's note, and had addressed a remon strance to her Majesty's Government. He had replied that of course there was no intention of insult, but that the letter was intended as a friendly hint to put the Brazilian Government on its guard. The President of Pernambuco had since been re moved from his post, and after the explanations given, he (Lord Clarendon) trusted there would be no ill will felt towards England. The correspondence amid not be printed before next year. THE FORTRESSES OF ISMAIL AND RENI. Lord MALuEssußv asked Lord Clarendon whether thit fortresses of Reni and Ismail had been dis mantled by the Russians, whether any other fort• resses would be erected on that river, and, if so, whether the treaty of Adrianople would prevent Turkish troops being stationed there ; when the new THE PRESS. Russian Minister might be expected to arrive in this country; and, considering that Lord Wodehouse had now been resident some little time in St. Peters. burg, whether any representations had been made on the subject of the continued absence of the Russian Ambassador from London ? Lord CLARENDON replied he had no doubt that the fortresses in question had been dismantled, the Russians conceiving that they had a right to treat them as they chose up to the time of handing them over to the Turks : I understand the Russian Government to say that they considered that they had a right, until the boundary of the frontier was marked out, and until the country had been given over to the allies, to demolish any fortresses on the Danube in the same manner as the allies had to demolish the fortresses at Sebastopol. But there is this very great distinction. Since the peace has beau signed, nothing has been demolished by the allies, nor any set of aggression committed ; whereas the dismantling of these fortresses took place after the peace was signed. We being in possession of Eupatoria, of Kinburn, and, more par ticularly, of Kertch, we might, in retaliation, have de stroyed all the public works of those places, but we con sidered that, as soon as peace was signed, the places became Russian, and it would have been dishonourable on our part to meddle with those works ; and, on the same principle, we contend that Russia had no right to meddle with these Danubian fortresses. Such, my lords, is the opinion of her Majesty's Government on this subject. In the case of Kars, the Russian Government had stopped the destruction of all works at the conclusion of peace. With respect to the arrival of a new Russian Minister, information had been received that Count Creptowich had been appointed to the Russian Legation in this country, and might be expected about the end of the month. Unavoidable circumstances had delayed his Excellency's arrival. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH regretted that there should be even a glimmer of a misunderstanding between England and Russia as to the performance of the treaty. The Earl of CLARENDON said the fortresses of Ismail and Reni were not named in the treaty. The Earl of DERBY thought that an additional instance of neglect : The chief value of these territories no doubt consisted in the fortresses, and the omission to name them is, I repeat, an instance of great neglect on the part of the noble earl. The noble earl admits that in this case Russia has been guilty, if not of a breach of faith, yet of a breath of understanding, which does not seem to augur very well for the continuance of the peace negotiated by him What I wish to know, however, is whether the noble lord has received the same answer from the Russian Government with regard to his remonstrances on the subject of these two fortresses which he says has been received from them with regard to Kars? The Earl of CLARENDON replied that the terri tory ceded by Russia on the banks of the Danube was not ceded principally on account of these two fortresses, nor did they form the most im portant part of that territory. The object was to prevent Russia from having any access to the Danube, and that object would be secured. As to the point mentioned by the noble earl, he had not received any conclusive answer with respect to the fortresses of Ismail and Reni. CONSOLIDATION OF THE STATUTE LAW. The LORD CHANCELLOR called the attention of the house to the second report. of the commissioners for consolidating the Statute Law. The commissioners had suggested, and the Government next session intended to 'propose, the appointment of an officer who should perform with regard to public bills duties analogous to those now performed for private bills by standing counsel, with this difference, that be would be appointed by both houses. The result the com missioners had arrived at was that the whole of the Statute Law might be reduced from 15,000 to 300 acts, while some were so sanguine as to tl.ink that it might be brought within 200 or 250 acts; and that, instead of being contained in forty, it might be comprehended within three or four moderately sized, volumes. The noble and learned lord concluded by formally laying on the table one of the bills, which was read a first time. FORMATION, &C., OF PARISHES BILL. On the motion of the Earl of SHAFTESIITIRY, the house went into committee on this bill. Clauses Ito 8 were agreed to. Lord PORTMAN moved the omission of clause 9, which empowered a bishop, upon application from the minister and churchwardens of a church, to direct that a portion, not exceeding one-half, of the alms or voluntary contributions collected in the church should be applicable to the maintenance of the minister and service of such church. Their lordships divided three times, when the clause was struck out by a majority of 22 to 20. The bill then passed through committee. BISHOPS' RESIGNATION BILL. On the order of the day being read for the third reading of this bill, Lord REDESDALE renewed his opposition to the measure, and moved that it be read a third time that day three months. A discussion aroso as to the negotiations which had led to the resignation of the Bishops of London and Durham, when their lordships divided, and the bill was ultimately read a third time by a majority of 28 to 15. HOUSE OF COMMONS—MONDAY. BANK CHARTER ACT. Mr. TrrE gave notice that early next session he should move for a select committee to inquire into the operation and effect on the commercial and financial interests of the country of the Bank Charter Act. REVIEW OF THE SESSION. Mr. DISRAELIbeg to g ive notice that on Thursday next, or any other time which may be more convenient to her Majesty's Ministers, I shall call the attention of the house to the conduct of business during the present session, and make a motion for a return of the bills withdrawn during the same period. Lord PALMERSTON Perhaps the right hon. gentle= man would make his statement on Friday. Certain business has been fixed for Thursday, and it would be more convenient to take the discussion on his motion on the following evening. Mr. DISRAELI: Very well, sir, I shall make my statement on Friday. REVISION OF STANDING ORDERS. Colonel VVitsott PATTEN brought up the report of the Standing Orders Revision Committee, many of the recommendations contained in which were agreed to. Upon the following regulation—" That this house will not receive any petition or proceed upon any motion for a charge upon the revenues of the East India Company, without the recommendation of the East India Company, sanctioned by the commis sioners for the affairs of India," Sir E. PERRY moved as an amendment that it be left out, contending that the order proposed by the committee would be a denial of justice to the people of India who desired to appeal to that house. Mr. V. SMITH supported the order. Colonel WILSON PATTEN proposed that the words providing for the recommendation of the Directors of the East India Company, and the commissioners of the Crown, should be left out, and that the sanction of the Crown alone should be required. Sir F. KELLY thought the matter involved in the order was worthy of the most serious consideration, and he warned the house against agreeing to it with out the fullest discussion. At this advanced period of the session he thought the question should not be entertained. _ . Mr. CUIDWELL thought the resolution as amended was wise and just; but as previously worded he thought it was open to much objection. By this re solution the people of India would not be shut out from a remedy; but, on the contrary, it would enable them to secure a remedy by constitutional means. The order as amended was agreed to. THE GERMAN LEGION. Mr. MURROUGH, having given notice of his inten tion to put a question relative to the furnishing of the huts of the officers of the German Legion at the public expense, diverged into the matter of the late riot at Aldershott, and amid several interruptive cries and callings "To Order," the hon. gentleman proceeded to ask whether, " when English subjects were bleeding from the dirks of foreign hirelings, he was not justified in calling the attention of the house to the subject; whether these assassinations were to be left unexplained, and the morals of the army, and indeed of the country at large, corrupted by a band of German brigands? " Lord PALMERSTON explained that beyond the common hut furniture always supplied by Govern. ment the officers of the German Legion, in considera tion of their short stay in the country, bad been granted a soldier's bed and mattrass. In further reply to Mr. NEWDEGATE, the Noble Lord said it never was contemplated that they should, while here, be employed on "active duties," or in any manner in which British troops might unfortunately be employed. The German troops were here merely as a resting-place, until measures could be taken for disbanding them. CRIMINAL APPROPRIATION OF TRUST PROPERTY RILL. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in reply to Mr. Hadfield whether he intended to proceed with this bill in the present session, said that, having added a provision to put an end to the fraudulent appropriation of trust property, he feared it would be too late to carry such a bill in the present session, and he should therefore propose it early in 1857. REGISTRATION OF TITLES TO LAND. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in reply to Mr. J. G. Phillimore, said that the subject had been under the consideration of a commission appointed for the pur pose. They had taken great pains with the question, and be hoped to bo able to introduce a bill early next session with relation to it,. THE BURNING OF THE " EUROPA." Lord Per.xzarron, in reply to Captain Archdall, said that her Majesty's Government were perfectly