The Press. — London, England, 1855-07-28 00:00:00

JUNE 28,1855. roct6ings in arliatncnt. THE TURKISH GUARANTEE. On Monday a series of explanations was given by various members in the Commons of the reasons for their vote on Friday. Mr. S. WORTLEY, who did not vote, began the debate on the bringing up of the re port by complaining that he was taken by surprise, that he went away at an early period of the evening expecting nothing more than a conversation on the subject. He admitted that then there was much in the conversation that was objectionable, but feared the consequences if it went forth to the world that so serious an arrangement was nearly overturned. The friends of Russia would take advantage of it to point it out as an indication of a misunderstanding with France, and a hesitation on the part of England to wards granting the supplies needful for success. Mr. BRIGHT denied that there had been any sur prise, when the first speaker against the resolution intimated his intention of dividing the house upon it. There was nothing of which Parliament should be so jealous as its control over the system of subsidies. He repeated the objections to the Convention, as sub jecting Turkey to a direct control by the Western powers. For the division, it might correct any exag gerated notion which the noble lord at the head of the Government might entertain as to the extent of the cenfidence reposed in him by the Honse of Com mons. Mr. DEEDES defended his vote in favour of the Convention, thinking the political questions involved of greater moment than the financial. Sir DE L. EVANS argued that even a delay in this matter might be of serious inconvenience to Turkey, and diminish the confidence of France. The nation had granted loans to Russia, Austria, and Portugal, yet neither of those nations had gone to ruin. There was no country of which it was more unjust to assert that she could not repay the money than Turkey. Mr. LAMM) inveighed against the conduct of Mr. Gladstone, who had led the country into war, and now took every opportunity of embarrassing it. The finan cial difficulties of Turkey were in great part owing to the coarse taken by that right hon. gentleman him self on the occasion of her former demand for a loan. Those difficulties were, besides, increased by the sums she expended in reforming her army, and pla cing herself in a sound position. He claimed for Turkey the credit of being just in her pecuniary transactions even to generosity, and read one or two letters testifying to the increase of the Turkish trade and the development of her resources. He called special attention to the state of Asia Minor, where the Russians were assuming a threatening attitude which would nullify the taking of Sebastopol, even if we so far succeeded. Mr. GLADSTONE charged Mr. Layard with having propagated opinions in old times which had deeply injured Turkey. He defended the conduct of the opponents of the measure, declaring that they had acted without any preconceived plan, and in strict accordance with the duties and precedents of Parlia ment. He denied that his opposition to the scheme arose from financial reasons, which were limited to five millions—his reasons were political, looking far f award to the French alliance, in respect of which every line of the proposed treaty contained embar rassment and difficulties. The joint guarantee ex tended over forty or fifty years, during the whole of which our connection with France in respect of it was to last. The terms of the treaty appeared to be objected to, whatever opinions might be entertained as to its principle, and he entreated the Prime Minis ter to see what he could do towards its amendment. They must, he believed, tolerate much of the mischief of the bill—he only implored that the poison of the joint guarantee might be taken out of it. Mr. STUART WORTLEY explained. Mr. JOHN MACGREGOR, though he disapproved of the joint guarantee, thought that the refusal of the Con vention would effect so much mischief in France, where our principles of Government were not under. stood, would afford so much opportunity to Russia for misrepresentation, and would be so misunderstood in Germany, that he was not prepared to reject it. The resources of Turkey were increasing so fast that little was to be apprehended in a financial point of view. Mr. KTRIC had voted for the Convention, thinking that if we had paid the whole of the money it would be no more than a return for the far larger expendi ture of France in the objects of the war. Mr. LAING denied that the rejection of the Con vention would have injured the French alliance, when the reasons for such rejection were founded on its maintenance. The Emperor of the French could not have misunderstood the purport of the vote. Mr. CAYLEY admitted the objections to the mea sure, however it was framed, but did not think that they balanced the inconvenience of its rejection. We could not afford, after what bad passed at a certain period of the year, yet further to endanger the rep u TH PRESS. tation of representative government in the eyes of foreign nations. After Mr. CROSSLEY had observed that he hoped the Government would profit by the lesson given them, and Mr. Muwrz and Mr. Parmws had re- pelted that the inconveniences of accepting the Convention were far outweighed by those of reject ing it, the report was agreed to. ORDNANCE SURVEY OF SCOTLAND. Lord SEvtiotrit, on Monday, complained that a Treasury minute had been issued directing a general survey of Scotland on the scale of twenty five inches to the mile for the lowland and six for the highland districts. This was in direct violation of a pledge given by the Premier, that only two counties should be surveyed on the twenty-five-inch scale without further communication with Parliament. It might be all very well for the landlords to have their estates surveyed at the public cost, but that coat would not be less than a million sterling. A conversation followed, in which the LORD ADVOCATE and Lord PALMERSTON approved the twenty-five-inch scale as one from which maps on a large scale might be constructed; while those on a higher scale could not be constructed from a one inch map. The course adopted was in accordance with the opinion of many scientific men, which had been obtained by extensive circulars. Lord Palmers ton added some explanations of his pledge on a former occasion. Ultimately, it was understood that the matter should be referred to a select committee next session. IRISH TENANTS' COMPENSATION BILL. This bill has shared the fate of so many others. On Tuesday Lord PALMERSTON stated that he should not proceed with it, for a multitude of reasons—the number of clauses that yet remained for discussion, the re-enactment of the 14th clause, and the great chance that the bill would be rejected b) the Lords. He was not, he said, personally favorable to legisla tive interference in transactions between man and man; but as the Irish people seemed to have set their hearts on a settlement of the question, the Government bad waived some of its own objections to the measure and taken charge of the bill, in the hope that it would be met by other parties in a simi lar spirit of concession. Some discussion followed, the withdrawal of the bill being strongly objected to by some Irish mem bers and as strongly applauded by others. Some explanation was given of the reasons of the memorial forwarded to Government touching the re enactment of the 14th clause, which memorial rested mainly on the absence of members of the Government from the division in which the clause was negatived. Lord PAIMERStON added that there was no difference of opinion in the Ministry on the subject. The withdrawal was simply due to the period of the session. EDUCATION. The vote in supply for 296,9511. for educational purposes, brought on a discussion on Thursday evening. Sir G. GREY explained the details of the vote, stating that in the past year 262 schools had been erected or improved—great attention, involving much expense, had been paid to the education of schoolmasters—and eleven normal schools built or enlarged, and sixty-ftve industrial schools were re ceiving assistance, in place of forty-two, at the close of 1858. Mr. BARNES moved to reduce the vote to 283,0001., the sum at which it stood last year, complaining that the money was spent, not on the children of the poor, but on those of the middle classes. After two or three members had spoken in favour of the vote, Sir J. PAKINOTON observed that he found no fault with the amount, though he did not quite approve of the distribution. He praised the great care now given to the education of schoolmasters, whose training, however, he thought did not reach sufficiently low. He hoped that the poorer districts would in future have their fair share of the grant, and said that no school ought to receive public money which refused to admit a child on account of religious differences. Mr. HENLEY thought the grant ought to be extended rather than diminished, objecting at the same time to the over education of schoolmasters. Mr. MIALL objected to State interference, which reached the children of yeomen and small farmers, while it failed to reach the dense mass of poverty and ignorance, whence crime usually sprang. Mr. COBDEN said that this assertion was begging the whole question. He was not altogether satisfied with the distribution of the money, but admitted that much good had been done, considering the difficul ties. He did not believe that the schoolmasters were over-educated, and thought that such opinion arose from want of appreciation of the advantage of education. He thought that the friends of the voluntary system would do better to endeavour to improve the present plans, instead of attempting impossible notions. The low physical condition of the masses was the great obstacle to education. Looking to the iibecal tone which had been assumed 705 by the Conservatives, he trusted that some general measure would he agreed upon—till that was done a Minister of Education would be quite useless. After Mr. HADFIELD had objected to all State inter ference, and some other members had spoken, the vote was agreed to without a division. A similar vote of 215,0001. for Ireland was likewise agreed to, after complaints, on the one side, that the increase for Ireland was not in proportion to dist for England, and, on the other, that needless ex pense was incurred in farming schools. LIMITED LIABILITIES BILL The discussion for going into committee on this bill occupied nearly the whole of the morning sitting on Thursday. Mr. Moira opposed it as a theoretical delusion, which would ruin those who availed themselves of it., protesting that the opinion of large traders' profits was altogether founded in error. Enormous sums had been lost in canals and railroads under the sys tem of liabilities. Mr. GLYN likewise opposed any measure on the subject until it was duly considered in connection with the bankruptcy laws. Mr. STRUTT opposed it as likely to lead to over speculation and panics like that of 1825 ; Mr. SPOONER, because he thought it would induce the poor to trust their money to managing directors, who would waste it. Mr. Henley, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. 'V. Scully, and others, urged that it was now too late in the session to give it a lair consideration. To this last objection Lord Pia.maiterox replied that it was not his fault if members make long speeches, and that he would urge on the bill night and morning, even if they sat till September to pass it. Mr. E. Ball, Mr. J. Macgregor, Mr. Bouvene, and Mr. Laing supported the bill, as carrying out the grand principle of individual combination, and partially requisite to the circumstances of the country. The motion for going into committee was carried by 121 to 40, hut the Chairman reported progress upon the first clause. The Metropolis Local Management Bill was read • second time in the Lords on Tuesday, after a short discussion of little importance. The Earl of Shaftesbury's Religious Worship Bill, which had been greatly modified, was read a third time and passed in the Lords on Monday. In reply to a question from the Earl of Amur, on Monday, Lord CLLRENDON stated that the Turkish army at Kars was in an excellent condition ; that the inhabitants displayed the be't spirit ; and that, after their late failure before the place, the Russians had sent for some heavy guns, which they could not bring up on account of the rains. There was no fear whatever, he added, that the town would be taken by a coup de main. Such, at least, was the opinion of several British officers there present. The Church Rates Abolition (No. 2) Bill was withdrawn on Wednesday by Sir W. Clay, who stated that at the present period of the session it would be impossible to pass it. A SINGITLAR TELEGRAPHIC ERROR, according to the Independance Beige, was very nearly involving in serious mischances General Castellan, at present commanding the army of Lyons. He received a telegraphic message from Paris, in which, by the substitution of que for de, the " death of the Empe ror" was announced, instead of that of a distin guished companion in arms. General Castellan, it is said, after some hesitation, decided to dictate to his soldiers a proclamation full of noble sentiments and sympathies, but in which, regarding the army sa the only palladium of order and of society in Paris, he traced out as their first duty that of acknowledg ing the head of tie elder Bourbon "as the saviour and sovereign of France." The error, it is said, was discovered in good time, but not before the pro clamation had been submitted to several of the supe rior officers at Lyons. The Emperor, it is added, only smiled when he heard of the affair. Tint forthcoming launch of the magnificent Renew ship, the Marlborough (181 ), at Portsmouth, is exciting mach interest. The dockyard artisans are busily en gaged erecting accommodation for those who may be favoured with a berth. A state cabin is being eracted for her Majesty and the Royal Family oppo s'te the port quarter of the Marlborough, with a balcony surrounding, and a covered entrance with steps leading to the state-room, which will be taste fully decorated ; alongside, and lower, is a standing for the commanderin•chief, the admiral supennten dent, and their friends. There is also accommoda tion for military and naval vi.itors, the officers of the dockyard, and the mayor and corporation HER MA.reery has sent to the General Military Hospital, Portsmouth, for distribution among up wards of thirty selected sick and wounded sol diers, a number of silk pocket and neckerchief% and neckties, hemmed by herself and the ladies of the court, together with anst-alings, OP