The Press. — London, England, 1855-12-08 00:00:00

THE PRESS. DECEMBER 8, 1855. MOTIONS FOR NEXT SESSION. THE day f.r the opening of Parliament having been formally fixed, it may be convenient that members and the public should know what Notices of Motion are alrealy upon the book. The following is a transcript, completed up to the time of our going to press : Lord JOHN RUSSELL.—To move an address to the Crown humbly requesting that the country may be immediately saved. Lord JOHN RUSSELL.—To move an address to the Crown humbly requesting that the only means for effecting the above-mentimed ob ject may be at once adopted—namely, his being empowered to form a Moiihtry. Lord JOHN RUSSELL—To move the appointment of a select com mittee to inquire and report to the House what Lord Somers would have t . one if he bad been sent to Vienna with self-contradictory in struct ons to neAutiate in a language he did not understand. Mr. COSDEN.—To move that in all future cases where the Order of the Garter shall he conferred, a piece of plain blue calico shall be used instead of the ribbon at pies - mt employed. Mr. NIiALL.—To move, as an addition to Mr. Cobden's motion, that in all cases where the new Knight of the Garter shall be a Dissenter, a disshnting minister shall perform the religious part of the service in stead of the Bishop of Winchester. Mr. HENRY DRUMMOND —To move that upon the pedestal of the new statue of Sir Robert . Peel, in the City, there shall be inscribed the record that the price to which enlightened legislation has brought the quartern loaf is now elevenpence. Mr. MURROUOH. — To introduce a bill for the entire remodelling of our army, navy, and civil service. Mr. APBLEY Psti.m.—To move an address praying that in aid of the war an extra tax be laid upon every article used at table, except china and glass ware. Mr. WILLIAM WILLIAMS, or any other Member who may be sitting under Mr. A. Pellatt.—To move that the Speaker be instructed to ap prise Mr Pellatt that he ought to keep his hands to himself, and not to be perpetually smashing the hat of the Member before him Sir CHARLES NAPIER.—To move that Sir James Graham be placed at the bar, and generally blown up until further notice. Sir JAMES GRAHAM.—To move that Sir Charles Napier be expelled the House and the service, fined 50,0001., and have his new cocked hat taken away. Mr. OTWAY.—TO move that after the visit of the King of Sardinia, who is also King of Jerusalem, to her Majesty, it is manifestly illogical that the Baron Rothschild should not be permitted to take his seat in that House. • Mr. BRIGHT.—TO move that smoking be allowed on the part of members of the House, during the debates, much inconvenience hav ing arisen from the practice of driving Members to the smoking-room, as, upon their return, they have frequently replied to speeches that have not been delivered. Mr. OLIVIERA. — To move a tax of forty per cent upon beer, spiritu ous liquors, tea, and every other potation except claret. Mr. BROTHERTON.—To move the repeal of the income tax, and that its place be supplied by a tax upon all butcher's meat and all other killed food, including pickled whelks. Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEV. — To move for the closing of all chapels and churches on Sundays, during the time that right-minded people are attending the worship of nature and art. Mr. HarrErt.—To move that it shall be highly penal for any Mem ber of the House, during the present session, to quote the insulting proverb. " Let Wells alone." Mr. EWART.—To move, that in order to effect a satisfactory corn. promise between those who think that certain criminals ought to be hanged, and those who think that society has no right to defend itself in the complotest manner, all persons hereafter convicted of capital crimes shall be hanged for one hour by a cord round their waists Sir J. W. Hooo. To move that a gold medal and a sum of £l,OOO be presented to the Chairman and Directors of the Honourable East India Company, as a small token of the admiration entertained by the House and the nation for the wisdom and humanity with which India is administered. In the event of more than five new insurrections breaking out before this motion can came on, the medal to be silver and the sum 4500 only. Mr. HADFIELD —To move the abolition of the Church of England. Mr. VINCENT SCULLY.—To move that whether an Irish Member is talking against time or not, it shall be breach of privilege for the gal lery not to report him in full, and in the very first person. Mr. W. J Fox —To move that his own letters, signed " Publicola," in a certain weekly newspaper, be read, hebdomadally, immediately after prayers, at the sitting of the House, as instruction to his fellow members. Mr. BOWYER.—To move for a copy of the Austrian Concordat, and that it, and an Ainsworth's " Latin Dictionary," may be printed with the votes, in order that upon another occasion he may able to ex plain to the House the real meaning of the document, as be understood by Cardinal Wiseman. Mr. Trrs.—To move a large measure of Administative Reform, and at all events to move, as an instalment thereof, that the policeman in the Octagon ll of the House of Parliament be not permitted to buy ginger pop lathe stall keeper, over whose proceedings he ought to exercise strict vigilance. Mr. JAMES WILSON.—To move that it be an instruction to the Metropolitan police to take into custody all persons who shall address to ary Member of the present Administration the irreverent inquiry " Who's your Hatter?' 1169 A LATE SCENE AT THE B----D OF C---T---L. The BIGHT HONOURABLE THE PRESIDENT OF THE INDIA BOARD seated in 4fficia4 dale. His watch it before him. lie keeps nervously glancing al it. PRESIDENT : How vexatious that I should have to meet these people alone. Why will secretaries be ill and out of the way ! I think half the natives of India are cooing over here on purpose to torment me. Thank heaven ! there's two. I hope those fellows have been lost in the fog. I'll stop but five minutes more. Five minutes ! The time of a Cabinet Minister is not to be trifled with. Where's my hat ? Ah, that's right ! now I'm ready—(elands with his watch in hand). SERVANT CAWS. SERVANT : The Vakeels from Nagpore. PRESIDENT : Vakcels ! vakeels ! what sort of things are they ? SERVANT : Things, sir ! They are coffee-coloured gentlemen in :ndian costume. PRESIDENT : Well, then, you will say to them that I have an ap pointment at this very time with the agents of the Maharanees — mind how you pronounce that word—the Maharanees of Nagpore— and that if these—what you call them ? SERVANT: Vakeels 1 think they called themselves. PRESIDENT : If these Vakeels want to see me they must state their business in writing, though they had much better go to the India house. (Exit SERVANT.) How do I know who these Vakeels may be ? They may be Thugs, or something of that sort, come over to assassinate me. Time's up ! Now, if there was but a back way! But ra make a rush fur it. As the P RESIDENT reaches the door SERVANT enters. SERVANT : The Vakeels, sir, say that they are the persons who have an appointment with you. PRESIDENT : Then why didn't they say so at first, instead of coming in such a—what shall I call it ?—such an anonymous manner. Well, show them in, then The VAKELLS enter, and gravely salute the PRESIDENT. He motions them to be seated. PRESIDENT : There's a chance for me yet. Perhaps they can't speak English. (Addressing them.) You are The represtattatives of the Maharanees of Nagpore ? FIRST VAKEEL (in excellent English): Yes, Sir ; and we come to press on your attention the facts of the memorial we had the honour to address you. PRESIDENT : That memorial has received the careful consideration of her Majesty's Government, and of myself in particular. 1 have made some notes on it. which will show you that it is impossible for me to support it. (Looking about.) Bless me, what can I have done with those papers ? I had them in my hand not two minutes ago. How very provoking. Gentlemen, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I think one of you must be sitting on them. Will you let me see your chairs? (They rise.) No ! not in my pockets ! Could I have thrown them behind the fire ? Impossible ! Oh, I see ; I put them in my hat. Now we shall get on. I will begin by referring to my objections. First VAKEEL : We are most anxious to hear them. PRESIDENT: In the first place, you talk about millions sterling. Now, I know that in India you count by what they call rupees—so many to crores and lees. Every one has heard of those terms. A thousand to a crore, I think, and ten thousand to a lac— First VAREEL : If you will allow me to explain—Ten thousand rupees to a lac, and ten lacs to a crore. PRESIDENT : Exactly ; I knew it was ten something ; but I never can remember about those crores and lacs. My principle is correct. We must keep up the Indian names. They tend, you see—ah! ahl— to keep up a kind of official. You perceive my meaning ? First VAKEEL: We hope that objection will not be thought fatal to our memorial. PRESIDENT : Then about these Maharanees—widows as we should call them? (The V AKEELs' signify assents. I don't understand why they din't burn themselves when their husband was buried. I know they used to do so. If they have violated the Hindoo law they musn't come to us for justice? First VAKEEL : Will you allow me to observe that the rite suttee has for many years been human ely pro hibited b y the t ermed British Government. PRESIDENT : That may be so or may not, I won't commit myself to an opinion just now. But if so, it only shows what a humane Government you live under, and how grateful you ought to be for it. Second VAKEEL : May the Government of her Majesty the Queen be just as well as humane. PRESIDENT : There is another point. The late Rajah had several wives. I don't understand why they are not all prosecuted for bigamy. And then as to the annexation of the country. I really cannot see what you have to complain of. The Company is always annexing. It is a very regular proceeding. There is no end of precedents for it. I don't know exactly—but I suppose there's a statute or a char ter, or something of that kind for it. Gentlemen, I've done, I think I have explained myself fully. But if you should want any further explanation, I beg you to go in future to the India-house. Her Majesty's service will not allow m e to em p loy my time about the affairs of places I never heard of b& fore. The PaEstrawr bows at the VAZZELB, wle Miro cutotiskai al his profound knowledyi rf Indies €%faire. " WhO's your Hatter?"