The Press. — London, England, 1856-07-12 00:00:00

654 perfectly legal, and to which the consent of the Crown must be given before the bill became law ? Upon a division the second reading was carried by 101 to 142. The bill was then read a second time. Mr. R. CURRIE, in reply to Mr. Roebuck, said he should persist in the motion of which he had given notice, to refer the bill to a select committee. The house then went into committee upon the Encumbered Estates (Ireland) Bill, and afterwards proceeded through the other orders. JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES BILL. On the motion of Mr. LowE, the Lords' amend ments to this bill were considered and agreed to. CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL. Leave was given to Mr. DEEDES to bring in a bill to amend the Criminal Justice Act of last session. APPROPRIATION BILL. This bill was brought in by Mr. WILSON, and read a first time amid the cheers of the house. HOUSE OF LORDS-TUESDAY. CRIMEAN INQUIRY. Lord PANNURE, in reply to the Earl of Lucan, stated that the report from the Crimean Commission of Inquiry was not yet presented to her Majesty, in consequence of the indisposition of the Commander• in-Chief. He could not specify any date on which the document could be laid before the house. SCUTARI MONUMENT. The Earl of HARRINGTON asked : Ist. On whose authority was the Scutari monument undertaken? 2nd. Who selected Baron Marochetti to undertake the work ? 3rd. From what fund was the payment to be made? 4th. Why was the work not subjected to public competition, so that the sculptors of Eng land, France, Italy, and Germany might have sent models, and an obelisk have been produced that would have immortalised our warriors and the sculptor for ages to come? Lord PANMURE, in reply, denied that the monument alluded to partook of an historical character, being purely a tribute to the memory of the gallant men who had fallen in the war. In erecting it the Government had only followed the public wish, for the funds had been voted by the House of Commons, and in selecting Baron Marochetti they had been guided by his previous reputation. The foremost artists of this country had nothing to complain of, as they bad over and over again declined to compete for public works. He (Lord Panmure) believed that Baron Marochetti's work would, when erected on the spot intended, be a complete success. Neither was it fair to treat him altogether as a foreigner, seeing the number of years he had been settled in this coun try ; nor could the work be looked upon as strictly an English national work, seeing that the monument was intended to commemorate the French and Italians who had fallen in the war as well as the English. He (Lord Panmurel took upon himself the responsi bility of Baron Marochetti's appointment, and felt sure that he would produce a work of which the nation would approve. HOUSE OF COMMONS-TUESDAY. PUBLIC HEALTH BILL. On the order for the second reading of this bill, Mr. KNIGHT moved to defer the committee for three months, objecting that the bill differed ma. terially from the bills of 1848 and 1851; that the remedial clauses in the latter were omitted; that it repealed the existing right of appeal; and that it doubled the amount allowed to be raised on mortgage. Mr. PAUL seconded the amendment. Mr. COWPER defended the bill, which, he said, remedied ambiguities in the present law, and made necessary alterations preparatory to dealing next year with more important matters—the organic changes in the constitution of the Board of Health. If any of the clauses of the bill nould appear to re quire much discussion, he was willing to postpone them until next year. After a debate, in which Mr. HENLEY, Mr. BAINES, Mr. T. GREENE, Mr. BARROW, and Mr. T. DUNCOMBE took part, the house divided, when the amendment was carried by 73 to 61. Mr. COWPER then said he should introduce a con tinuance bill for one year. Two bills for regulating the Court of Chancery in Ireland (the Receivers and Court of Appeal Bill) passed through committee. BISHOPRIC OF NEW ZEALAND. Sir J. PAKINGTON gave notice that on an early day next session he would move an address to the Crown praying that an annual salary of 6001. be paid to the Bishop of New Zealand, together with the arrears of such salary which had accrued since its discon tinuance. WEST INDIES. Mr. J. EWART asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the geological survey, now understood to be making of the West India Islands, would pro bably commence in Jamaica? Mr. LABOUCHERE said a scientific person of expe rience had been appointed and sent out. The THE PRESS. gentleman selected would go in the first instance to Trinidad and afterwards to Jama'ca. . tiiiiiii '''. , . . .. APPELLATE JURISDICTION BILL. Lord J. RUSSELL said that he observed among the orders of the day, "The Appellate Jurisdiction ( House of Lords) Salaries and Retiring Pensions Committee thereupon." He was cert inly surprised that this bill should be placed upon the orders of the day, seeing that only yesterday there had been a very long discussion on the subject and a division, which showed that a great portion of the house did not concur in the proposal of the Government. Much of the principle of the bill depended on the. amount of the salaries to be granted to these apnel• late judges ; and he therefore hoped the Government had no intention of going on with so important a bill to night. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was impossible to introduce a clause into the bill fixing the amount of the salaries without a previous reso lution in committee of the house. That resolution would not fix the amount of the charge, but would merely enable a clause to be brought up in com mittee on the bill, in which the amount would be fixed. It was the ordinary form observed by the house, and he trusted that no objection would be taken to it. Mr. M. CHAMBERS trusted that objection would be taken to it. Sir J. PAKINGTON : Would this preliminary form pledge the house to the amount of salaries ? The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER : Not at all. Mr. CARDWELL wished to know whether, by this resolution, the maximum of tha salaries would not be fixed? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that the resolution would be in general terms, and would fix the amount of the salaries. NATIONAL GALLERY SITE. Lord DRUMLANRIG appeared at the bar, and read the Queen's answer to the address of the house on this subject, in which her Majesty informed the house that she had directed a commission of inquiry for the purpose desired by the house. NAVAL OFFICERS. In the evening, Captain Sconer.i, moved a resolution, that the dis• advantageous position of the captains, commanders, lieutenants, and masters of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, and of the retired captains under the orders in council of 1840, 1851, and 1856, and of the senior commanders and lieutenants of her Majesty's navy, is worthy of the early and favorable consideration of the Board of Admiralty. Sir G. PECHELL seconded the motion, which was supported by Admiral WALCOTT, who insisted that there was no justification fur withholding half•pay from these officers. Sir C. WOOD observed that it was not in the power of the Admiralty to grant these officers half-pay. With respect to the old naval officers, a great deal had been done for them of late years, by increasing the rate of half-pay, and he did not see why more money should be voted for that purpose. Sir C. RAPIER and Mr. M. CHAMBERS having spoken in support of the motion, Sir M. BERKELEY against it, and Captain SCOBELL in reply, the house divided, when the motion was negatived by 38 to 31. LIEUT.-COLONELS IN THE ARMY. Colonel LINDSAY moved an address to her Majesty, praying that she will be pleased to take into con sideration the injury inflicted on those lieutenant colonels of the army who attained that rank before the 20th of June, 1854, and who have been super seded by the retrospective action of the warrant of the oth of October, 1854. The gallant officer was proceeding with his argu ment, when the house was counted out, at nine o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS-WEDNESDAY. CIVIL SERVICE. On the order, moved by Lord GODERICH, that the house resolve itself into a committee upon the civil service, The .CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER rose to give such an explanation as, he thought, might induce Lord Goderich not to press his motion. Since the discussion upon the resolution of the house, he said, a considerable number of examinations and appoint ments had taken place, and the practical result of the system up to the present time had been that two persons had succeeded in obtaining certificates where one failed. The number of candidates nomi nated since May, 1855, up to July, 1856, was 2,390, and of these 1,055 were examined in London, and 693 in the provinces, making a total of 1,748 persons examined. Certificates were granted to 564 persons on the London examinations, to 445 persons on the provincial examinations, and to 61 persons on the reports of heads of departments, making a total of 1,070 persons to whom certificates were granted. The number of certificates refused on the London examinations was 318, and on the provincial 238 ; making a total of 556 certificates refused against SATURDAY, 1,070 granted. Therefore, the result was as nearly as possible that two persons succeeded in obtaining certificates to one who failed. Lord Goderich pro. posed to carry the system of open competition still further, so that, whenever a vacancy occurred in a public office, any person might offer himself as a candidate ; the plan at present being, in the supe rior departments of the Government, that, when ever a vacancy occurred, candidates were selected by the head of the department, and subjected to competitive examination. The house, he thought, would see that this system offered securities for good appointments, it being the interest of heads of departments to obtain the most efficient subordinates. With respect to the Secretary to the Treasury, he, not being the head of the department for which the nominations weie made, had not to the same extent that interest; and that class of appointments required some additional security. Having con. sulted the Civil Service Commissioners, he could state that the result of their experience was that examination by competition, where the number was not too large, produced, on the whole, more satis factory effects than any other mode, and their expe rience favored the gradual extension of the principle of appointments by competitive examination. There was some practical difficulty in laying down one universal rule that should require all candidates to undergo examination in London, and he thought means might be found of having examinations in the other capitals, Edinburgh, Dublin, and perhaps in Wales and Cornwall. He trusted that this ex• planation would satisfy the house that it was the sincere wish of the Government to give as much effect as circumstances permitted to the principle of . . competitive examination for appointments in the civil service. Lord GODERICH said, hearing this statement, he should not proceed with his motion, undertaking, however, to bring forward his motion again should Government fail to act up to the spirit of the Chan cellor of the Exchequer's speech. TENANT RIGHT (IRELAND) BILL. On the order for going into committee upon this bill, Mr. G. H. MOORE said that there was no reason. able hope that time could be found for considering the details of this measure during the present ses• sion. He should move that the order be discharged. He was willing to leave the Government in full possession of the advantage they had so honourably achieved:— Of the personal explanation which I have been fortunate enough to elicit from the Irish Secretary it would be superfluous cruelty to say one word, because, though it waa most exceptional in tone and temper and was rather offen sive than defensive, to attempt to refute it would be some thing like the undertaking of a well-known alderman "to put down suicide." If the right hon. gentleman should on any future occasion feel it his duty to oppose any measure of mine, I only hope that he will accompany that opposition with arguments and statements such as those he had advanced against this bill. According to the explanation which the right hon. gentleman had been ordered by the Government to make, the Government had voted for the second reading of this bill because they acknowledged the justice of its principle; but they opposed its further progress because they whaled to prevent that principle being carried into operation. It might be said that I had no reason to complain of this course, because it was precisely the course which the Government adopt with their own bills; but, as nobody that I know takes the slightest interest in their bills, while a whole people take a deep interest in this bill of mine, I may be permitted to object to the parity of proceeding. It is to be hoped (concluded Mr. Moore) that during the recess the right hon. gentleman will devote himself to a study of the geography of Ireland and of the habits and wants of the Irish people, of which he seems profoundly ignorant, and perhaps next session he will be able to furnish the house with some ideas of his own as to the justice of the princi ples on which this bill was founded. Instead, too, of engaging himself in importing into Ireland a scheme of English legislation which was as unacceptable an importa tion as himself, he might well employ his leisure in devis ing some scheme for the reformation of those Irish mem bers by whom he was at once supported and besieged. The hon. member concluded by moving that the order be discharged. Lord PALMERSTON said, his opinion! upon this question had never been concealed. Upon general principles he considered it undesirable and highly objectionable that Parliament should interfere in transactions between parties who made terms with each other ; but that it would be the duty of the Government respectfully to consider any measure upon the subject which might be brought forward next session. The order was then discharged. JUDGMENTS EXECUTION, &C., BILL. On the order of the day for going into committee on this bill, Mr. F. FRENCH moved, as an amendment, that the house go into committee that day three months. Mr. M'MAtioN supported the amendment. Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD said, that the principle of this bill had his support, and that of the Solicitor-