The Press. — London, England, 1856-06-21 00:00:00

JUNE 21, 1856. Mr. H. HUGHES opposed the motion, on the ground that the system of the national board had in twenty-four ye ars won the confidence of the people, and proved eminently successful. Mr. NAPIER observed that the scheme of the na• tional system was an experiment, but under it a na tional education was not obtained, and Mr. Walpole asked that the system should be extended. The motion did not propose to add any restrictions ; it would remove restrictions, so as to include other schools and make the system a really national one. He asked that the same principle might he applied to the Protestants of Ireland as had been applied in England, and even in India, where no exclusive con dition was attached to educational grants. The Church Education Society, under the present rules. were placed in a worse position than any other reli gious class in Ireland, whereas they ought to be in as good a position as their brethren of the Church of England. _ _ _ Mr. - DEASEY hoped the house would not accede to this motion, which would place Roman Catholics in the same condition as they were in before the Na tional Board was established, and introduce a bitter internecine war amor.g religious sects. Mr. DE VERE moved the adjournment of the debate. _ _ Mr. DISRAELI said the month of June was now far advanced, and there was not much prospect of the house coming to a decision upon this question if the debate were adjourned. Considering the attention the subject had received, and the great ability with which it had been discussed on both sides that night, he hoped the hon. member would withdraw his mo• tion. The house, however, divided upon the question of adjournment, when the numbers were:—For the ad journment, 32; against it, 184—majority, 152. The house then divided on the original question, and the numbers were : For the motion ll3 Against it Majority against Government The announcement of the numbers was received with loud cheers. PEACE PRESERVATION (IRELAND) BILL. Upon the house going into committee upon this bill, clauses 1,2, and 3 were agreed to. On clause 4. Mr. 1. BUTT moved that the operation of the bill be limited to two years. _ _ _ Mr. HoasmAN said he still preferred five years to two, but as there was undoubtedly some weight in the objections which had been made to the form of the bill, he was ready to assent to the amendment of the hon. member. The amendment was then inserted. Mr. NAPIER thought the Government would have acted more wisely if they had adhered to the term they originally proposed. This and the remaining clauses were then agreed to, and the house resumed. POSTAGE STAMPS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply to Mr. Whiteside, said the Government intended to renew the contract with Messrs. Bacon and Fetch ; but a clause would be introduced that, if the work were not done to the satisfaction of the Government, they might put an end to the contract at a month's notice. The present system of printing would be continued. Mr. WHITESIDE inquired whether the contract was the result of a public tender or of a private agreement ? Mr. WILSON Raid that in a matter of trust, and where the lowest tender would not necessarily be accepted, the Government deemed it more desirable to give the contract to Messre. Bacon and Fetch. Mr. WHITESIDE then moved for various returns relating to postage stamps, envelopes, &c. MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS' BILL. Mr. CowPER, in reply to Mr. Wise, said Govern mentintended this session to proceed with the Medical Practitiuners' Bill, as amended by the select com mittee. THE TRANSPORT SERVICE. Sir C. Wool), in reply to Mr. Stafford whether it was the intention of the Government to give pen sions to the widows and children of captains in the transport service who had lost their lives during the period their vessels were employed in the service of the Crown, replied that there was no intention to give pensions to those persons. The captains of transports could only be regarded as a portion of the crews of merchant vessels. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS (SCOTLAND). The LORD ADVOCATE, in reply to Mr. W. Ewart whether any bill would be introduced for extending and reforming the system of municipal elections in the burghs of Scotland, said that no such measure was in contemplation at present. The Railway, Canal, and Traffic Bill,when brought up for the second reading by Mr. BLACKBURN, was opposed by Mr. BLACK, supported by Mr. LowE, and tle amendment " for that day six six months " agreed to without a division. The bill was conse quently lost. THE PRESS. HOUSE OF COMMONS-WEDNESDAY. NAWAB OF SURAT'S TREATY BILL. Sir F. KELLY having moved that the bill be read a third time, Mr. V. SMITH objected to the form in which this question was brought before the house, that of a private bill, and proposed, on behalf of the Indian Government, that, if the bill were withdrawn, the whole pension of a lac and a half of rupees (or 15,0001.) a year should be paid to the descendants of the Nawab for the lives of the parties. Sir F. KELLY declined to accede to Mr. V. Smith's proposal. Mr. CARDWELL, chairman of the committee, ad ♦ised that the pension should be regarded as heredi tary ; but, as it was by no means clear who were the heirs of the Nawc.b, that it should be placed in the hands of trustees, to be paid to the boni-fide claimants. Ultimately the bill was ordered to be read a third time. MR. BAILLIE'S MOTION. Mr. BAILLIE, in reply to Major Reed, as to whether he still intended to bring forward his motion on the subject of " Enlistment of Soldiers from Neutral States," said : Having heard from various quarters that it might be in- convenient to the public service to enter at the present moment upon any discussion of American affairs, I intend to give up that motion. (Cheers.) At the same time, I wish distinctly to state that I have in no way changed the opinions which I originally formed upon the subject. They have, on the contrary, only been confirmed by the papers which have been laid on the table by her Males y's corn mend, and, if I withdraw my motion, I only do so because I would not wish to pursue a course which might be thought to be injurious to the public interest. Mr. G. H. MOORE said in that case he should take the sense of the house upon the question on the first opportunity. DWELLINGS FOR LABOURING CLASSES (IRELAND) BILL. The house then went into committee upon this bill, the clauses of which, with the addition by Colonel GREVTLLE of two more giving " a right of appeal against the decision of the justices," and providing "that landlords and agents, if justices of the peace, should not take part in hearing or adjudi cating upon any complaint under the act," were discussed and agreed to. POOR LAW (IRELAND) BILL. Mr. NAPIER, in moving the second reading of this bill, explained that it was meant to remedy the defects of the present system of poor-law elections, which gave unlimited facilities for forging votes. As an instance, at the election of the poor-law guardians in Dublin in 1855, no less than eight hundred votes given in turned out to be for geries. The present bill would enact that no person should be entitled to vote for a greater amount of rent or tithe than the rated value of the property; that non occupying ratepayers should give a full de scription of the property in respect of which they claimed to vote, and of their interest therein ; that proxies should be limited to five years, and a book of property voters be male out in each union ; that objections to the right to vote might be made in writing, together with other provisions, having for their object the maintenance of the rights of pro perty and the interests of morality. . . Air. J. D. FITZGERALD moved that the debate be adjourned, and this motion was agreed to. NATIONAL EDUCATION (IRELAND) BILL. Mr. C. FORTESCUE, referring to the vote on Tues day night, on the subject of national education in Ireland—which he termed an unfortunate vote, ob tained by accident, and which, so far from aiming at a slight modification ol the existing system, would directly subvert it—stated that it was his intention to submit a resolution to the house to support the national system of education as it stood, and inquired whether the Government would fix an early day for the purpose. Lord PALMERSTON said he quite concurred with Mr. Fortescue as to the evil effects of the decision on Tuesday night, and that the vote did not repre sent the real sentiments of the House of Commons. He thought the matter of such importance that no unnecessary delay should interpose between its re consideration, for which be was ready to fix Monday next. HOUSE OF LORDS—THFRSDAY. OATH OF ABJURATION BILL. The Earl of DERBY announced that if the Oath of Abjuration Bi.l now before their lordships should be rejected, he would bring in another measure, with the view of expunging from that oath all the pas sages relating to the Pretender, and otherwise remo delling the formula so as to suit the changed cir cumstances of the present times. The noble earl laid on the table a copy of the proposed bill. The Factories Bill was read a second time on the motion of tl a Earl of DERBY. The Sardinian Loan Bill was read a second time. The house then went into committee upon the Police Counties and Boroughs Bill. Clauses Ito 10 were agreed to. Clause 11, on the motion of Earl 583 Powys, was postponed. The remaining clauses were agreed to, and the bill reported. SIR WILLIAM WILLIAMS'S ANST'ITY BILL. When the order of the day was read for the third reading of General Williams's Annuity Bill, Lord MALMESBURY called the attention of the house to the irreparable loss which the family of Captain Thompson has sustained by the death of that gallant officer, who had been its chief support. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE could only say on the part of the Government that the services of Captain Thompson were worthy of the admiration of the country, and that the circumstance mentioned by Lord Malmesbury should be made known in the proper quarter. HOUSE OF COMMONS—THURSDAY. NEW MEMBER. Mr. Biggs took the oaths and his seat for the borough of Leicester. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS (SCOTLAND) BILL. On the order for going into committee upon this bill, Mr. G. DUNDAS complained that there had been no discussion of the principle of the bill, and moved to defer the committee for six months. The amendment, upon a division, was negatived by 102 to 49, and the house went into committee upon the bill, the clauses of which were agreed to. The report on the Peace Preservation (Ireland) Bill was agreed to. NATIONAL EDUCATION (IRELAND). Mr. WALroix inquired what course the Govern ment intended to take with reference to any motion for rescinding the addrees to the Crown on the subject of National Education in Ireland, voted by the house on Tuesday. Lord PALMERSTON replied that, assuming the motion of Mr. C. Fortescue to appear to the Govern ment to be otherwise unobjectionable, they should support it, or any motion tending to reverse that decision. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Sir G. GREY, in reply to questions from Mr. T. Hankey, Mr. Newdegate, and Mr. Hadfield, said he intended to ask the house to give a second reading to the City of London Corporation Bill, if possible, in the course of next week. He would give notice of the day. Lord PALMERSTON added, that as other business intervened to prevent the Wills and Administration Bill being proceeded with on Monday, as previously arranged, his hon. friend the Solicitor-General would bring it forward on Thursday next. SUPPLY.-ARMY ESTIMATES. On the order for going into a Committee of Supply, Captain L. VERNON moved a resolution that it would be to the advantage of the service to employ general officers from the scientific corps on the staff of the army. Mr. F. KEEL said it would be of no advantage for the house to adopt this resolution. The Executive should be left perfectly free to make its selection, and it would be made without regard to the arm of the service. The resolution was not pressed, and the house went into Committee of Supply upon the remaining estimates for the military and ordnance services, which were agreed to after a miscellaneous dis cussion. In bringing forward the ordnance estimates, Mr. MONSELL briifiy explained the extent of the reduc tions upon the charges for clothing, provisions, forage, and other branches of the department. The result showed a saving of about half a million on those items of expenditure. Colonel LINDSAY, before the vote for the Scientific Board passed, questioned the Chancellor of the Ex chequer whether the establishment of an institution in the metropolis devoted to naval aryl military science would receive the consideration of the Govern ment. Sir G. C. LEWIS replied that the matter was de serving of, and should receive, the consideration of the Government. COALI i' (PORT OF LONDON )BILL. On the order for the second reading of this bill, Mr. LowE moved that the order be discharged, upon an engagement on the part of the coalownera and shipowners of the north of England that they would make arrangements which would render the continuance of the measure, introduced for the relief of the coalwhippers, and which had had a good effect, unnecessary. . _ Mr. FENWICK and Mr. INGHAM gave assurances to that effect. Mr. GLADSTONE proposed that the assurance from the coalowners and shipowners should be laid in writing upon the table. He moved that the second reading be deferred for a fortnight. Mr. LOWE said he was satisfied with the assu• rances he had received, but he had no objection lay on the table such a document as would be sat factory to the coalwhippers. He did not oppose amendment of Mr. Gladstone. The amendment was then agreed to. n to the