The Press. — London, England, 1856-08-02 00:00:00

728 to the House of Lords, when the following speech was delivered by the LORD CHANCELLOR, in her Majesty's name : My Lord4r and Gentlemen, We are commanded by her Majesty to release you from further attendance in Parliament, and at the same time to express to you her warm acknowledgments for the zeal and assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to the, discharge of your public duties during the session. When her Majesty met you in Parliament at the open. ing of the session, her Majesty was engaged, in co-opera tion with her allies, the Emperor of the French, the King of Sardinia, and the Sultan, in an arduous war, having for its object matters of high European importance ; and her Majesty appealed to your loyalty and patriotism for the necessary means to carry on that war with the energy and vigour essential to success. You answered nobly the appeal then made to you ; and her Majesty was enabled to prepare for the operations of the expected campaign naval and military forces worthy of the power and reputation of this country. Happily it became unnecessary to apply those forces to the purposes for which they had been destined. A treaty was concluded by which the objects for which the war had been undertaken were fully attained ; and au honourable peace has saved Europe from the calamities of continued warfare. Her Majesty trusts that the benefits resulting from that peaoe will be extensive and permanent; and that, while the friendships and alliances which were cemented by common exertions during the contest, will gain strength by mutual interests in peace, those asperities which in• herently belong to conflict will give place to the confidence and good will with which a faithful execution of engage ments will inspire those who have learnt to respect each other as antagonists. Her Majesty commands us to thank you for your support in the hour of trial, and to express to you her fervent hope that the prosperity of her faithful people, which was not materially checked by the pressure of war, may continue, and be increased by the genial influence of peace. Her Majesty is engaged in negotiations on the subject of questions in connection with the affairs of Central America, and her Majesty hopes that the differences which have arisen on those matters between her Majesty's Go vernment and that of the United States may be satisfac torily adjusted. We are commanded by her Majesty to inform you that her Majesty desires to avail herself of this occasion to ex press the pleasure which it afforded her to receive during the war in which she has been engaged numerous and honourable proofs of loyalty and public spirit from her Majesty's Indian territories, and from those colonial pos sesNions which constitute so valuable and important a part of the dominions of her Majesty's Crown. Her Majesty has given her cordial assent to the Act for ran lering more effectual the police in counties and boroughs in England and Wales. This Act will materially add to the security of person and property, and will thus afford incr lised encouragement to the exertions of honest in dustry. Her Majesty rejoices to think that the Act for the im provement of the internal arrangements of the University of Cambridge will give fresh powers of usefulness to that ancient and renowned seat of learning. The Act for regulating Joint-stock Companies will afford additimal facilities for the advantageous employment of capital, and will thus tend to promote the development of the resources of the country ; while the Aces passed relative to the Mercantile Laws of England and of Scot land will diminish the inconvenience which the differences of those laws occasion to her Majesty's subjects engaged in trade. Her Majesty has seen with satisfaction that you have given your attention to the arrangements connected with County Courts. It is her Majesty's anxious wish that justice should be attainable by all classes of her subjects, with as much speed, and with as little expense, as may be consistent with the due investigation of the merits of causes to be tried. Her Majesty trusts that the Act for placing the Coast Guard under the direction of the Board of Admiralty, will afflr I the groundwork for arrangements for providing, in time of peace. means applicable to national defence, on the •occurrence of any future emergency. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, We are commanded by her Majesty to thank yon for the readiness with which you have granted the supplies for the present year. My Lords and Gentlemen, Her Majesty commands us to congratulate you on the favorable state of the revenue, and upon the thriving con dition of all branches of the national industry ; and she acknowledges with gratitude the loyalty of her faithful sub j acts, and that spirit of order and that respect for the law which prevail in every part of her dominions. Her Majesty commands us to express her confidence that on your return to your homes you will promote, by your influence and example, in your several districts, that continued and progressive improvement which is the vital principle of the well being of nations ; and her Majesty fervently prays that the blessing of Almighty God may attend your steps, and prosper your doings, for the welfare and happiness of her people. _ _ On their return, the SPEAKERremi to the house her Majesty's Speech, and the session was brought to a close. THE PRESS. ) I RESUME OF THE SESSION. THE first point to be considered in summing up the result of the present session relates to the measures • rejected, abandoned, or withdrawn. The Ministry, on division, received six direct defeats on—The Ap- pellate Jurisdiction, the Testamentary Jurisdiction, the Church Discipline, the Partnership Amendment (Nos. 1 and 2), Public Health, and Civil Service Superannuation, Bills, as well as defeats on the questions of Education (Ireland), on the Site of th e National Gallery, and on Maynooth ; while the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, the Agricultural - - Statistics, the London Corporation, the Scotch and Irish Paupers' Removal, the Juvenile Offenders (Ireland), the Education (Scotland), the Wills and Administiation, the Criminal Appropriation of Trust Property, the Dulwich College, the Irish Court of Chancery, the Juries (Ireland), the Bankruptcy ( Ireland), the Metropolis Local Management, the I Burial and Vaccination, the Queen's Colleges in Ireland, the National Gallery Bills, and many other measures of capital importance, introduced prin cipally by members of the Government, were abandoned or withdrawn. Among the bills which have received the Royal assent are the Exchequer bills Funding, the Annuities, the Joint stock Banks (Scotland), Sir W. F. Williams' Annuity, the Reformatory Schools (Scot land), the Juvenile Convict Prison (Ireland), the Public Health Supplemental, the Draughts on Ban kers, the Factories, the Industrial and Provident Societies, the Joint•stock Companies, the Grand Juries, the Police (Counties and Boroughs), the Mercantile Law Amendment, the Drainage (Ireland), the Grand Juries (Ireland), the Statutes not in Use Repeal, the Encumbered Estates (Ireland), the Coast Guard Service, the Bishops of London and Durham Retirement, the County Courts Acts Amend ment Bills, and a few private acts.' The houses assembled on the 31s4January. The Commons sat for 109 days, extending over 8381 hours, while 3" no houses" and 7 " counts-out " occurred; the Lords sat for 88 days, extending over 2231 hours. The divisions in the Lords have amounted to 23, in the Commons to 103. The resume of the more important events of the session is as follows : JANUARY. 31st. Parliament opened by the Queen in person. The Address, moved in the House of Lords by the Earl of Gosford, and seconded by the Earl of Abingdon, and moved and seconded in the Commons by Mr.Byng and Mr. Baxter, was agreed to in both houses without an amendment. In the Lords, the speech was closely criticised by the Earl of Derby. FEBRUARY. Ist. Mr. Lowe, the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, brought in bills to amend the Law of Psrtnership, and for the Incorporation and Regulation of Joint-stock Comps nies and other associations. Read a first time. 4th. Mr. Lowe brought in a bill for the abolition of Passing Tolls and the Regulation of Local ])ues upon Shipping. Read a first time. Mr. Whiteside and Mr. J. D. Fitzgerald brought in a variety of bills for the reform of the Court of Chancery and the abolition of the Encumbered Estates Court in Ireland. Lord Duncan (for the Lord Advocate) brought in several Scotch bills. sth. On the motion of Lord Palmerston a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. W. Ley on his retirement from the office of clerk-assistant to the House. Sir G. Grey brought in a bill for the improvement of the county and borough police, which was read a first time. Mr. Brotherton's motion for the " early closing " of the house was lost by 11l to 50. 7th. In the House of Lords Lord Lyndhurst, in a most able speech, moved that the letters patent purporting to create Sir James Parke a baron of the united kingdom " for life " be referred to a Committee of Privileges. The motion was carried, in opposition to the Government, by a majority of 138 to 105. Mr. Collier brought in a bill to transfer the testamentary jurisdiction of the Ecclesiasti cal Courts to the superior courts of common law and the County Courts. A motion by Captain Scobell for a select committee to inquire into naval administration was lost by 171 to 80. Bth. Earl Granville brought in a bill appointing ft vice president of the Committee of Council on Education. The Partnership Amendment and the Joint-stock Compa nies Bills were read a second time. 11th. Brief discussions took place in the House of Lords respecting the Crimean Commissioners' Report, the Wens leydale Peerage, and an alleged discrepancy between cer tain diplomatic notes from Colonel Rose and Lord Strat ford de Redcliffe. Sir C. Wood proposed the navy esti mates, and several votes were agreed to. Itlth. A Committee of Privileges met ; and the inquiry into the Wensle,dale Peerage was proceeded with. Mr. Napier proposed a resolution upon the subject of the amendment of the laws. At the suggestion of the Go vernment it was slightly modified in its terms, and the motion was then agreed to. 14th. Sir F. Kelly brought in bills for the consolidation of the Statue Law, and of the laws relating to bills of ex change and promissory notes. Sir J. Shelley moved for a return of the ages, itc., of the Irish judges. The motion, though vigorously opposed by Mr. Napier and others, was carried by 132 to 121. SATURDAY, 15th. Mr. Roebuck introduced the subject of onr rela tions with America, and a brief debate ensued, which was shared in by lord Palmerston and Mr. Disraeli. The Chancellor of the Exchequer brought in a bill to amend the act relating to the superannuaticn of the civil service. 18th. The Committee for Privileges on the Wensleydale Peerage sat again. The Court of Chancery ( Ireland) Bill was read a second time in the Commons, and referred to a select committee. _ 21st. The Earl of Derby brought under the notice of the house the relations between the Commander-in -Chief and the Secretary for War. Sir J. Walmsley brought on his motion for opening the National Gallery and British Museum on Sundays, which was lost by 376 to 48. 92nd. The Committee of Privileges met again, when a motion by Lord Cvlenelg to refer certain questions to the judges was lost by 142 to 111 ; and one by Lord Lyndhurst, declaring the report of the committee to be that neither the letters patent nor the writ of summons issued to Lord Wensleydale could entitle him to sit and vote in Parlia ment, was carried by 92 to 67. In the other house the Chancellor of the Exchequer made a financial statement and moved certain resolutions—one of which related to a loan of 5,000,00 U. The army estimates were discussed, and several votes taken. 25th. Sir F. Thesiger moved that the Local Dues on Shipping Bill be read a second time that day six months. After a long discussion the debate was adjourned. 20th. Lord Palmerston withdrew the Local Dues on Shipping Bill. 28th. On the motion of the Earl of Derby a committee was appointed to inquire into the subject of the appellate jurisdiction of the House of Lords, with a view to its im provement. Mr. Muntz proposed a motion with reference to our monetary system, which was opposed by the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, ani was lost by 115 to 68. The case of " Talbot v. Talbot" was brought under notice by Mr. J. G. Phillimore. 29th. The Earl of Albemarle moved for returns relative to torture in India. Mr. Roebuck moved a resolution condemnatory of the appointment of a board of general officers to report upon the report of the Crimean Commis sioners; but, after a long debate, " finding himself in a minority," he withdrew it. MARCH. 3rd. Mr. Layard called attention to the state of our rela tions with Persia. The army estimates in supply. 4th. Earl Stanhope proposed an address to her Majesty on the subject of a national portrait gallery.— Agreed to. Sir De L. Evans moved for a select com mittee to report upon the expediency of abolishing the sale of commissions in the army; but, atter a debate, withdrew his motion sth. Sir W. Clay carried the second reading of his bill for the abolition of Church rates by 221 to 178. tlth. Lord John Russell moved a series of resolutions on the subject of national education hut, after a lengthened debate, withdrew them, in order to their being discussed in a committee of the whole house on the 10th of April. 10th. The Government carried the second reading of the Counties and Boroughs Police Bill by '259 to 106. Lovll Palmerston consented to the appointment of a committee to inquire into the Local Dues on Shipping Bill ; and Mr. Lowe, in consequence of an informality, withdrew his Partnership Amendment Bill. • 13th. Sir C. Napier brought forward his motion for a committee to inquire into the operations of the Baltic fleet. Sir James Graham replied, and the motion was ul timately withdrawn. 14th. Parliament adjourned for the Easter recess. 31st Parliament reassembled, and Lord Palmerston an nounced that a Treaty of Peace had been signed on the pre vious day at Paris. APRIL. let. Mr. Roebuck brought on a motion with respect to the salaries of the county court judges, but ultimately withdrew it. Sir G. Grey introduced a bill for the reform of the corporation of London. 4th. Sir J. Graham having brought under review the conduct of Sir C. Napier at Acre, the house went into supply, and continued upon the estimates all the evening. Bth. Mr. Muntz proposed a resolution with respect to the equitable adjustment of the income tax, which was lost by 194 to 63. The Lord Advocate introduced his Scotch Education Bills. _ _ . 9th. Mr. M. Gibson moved the second reading of his Oath of Abjuration Bill. Sir F. Thesiger proposed. as an amendment, that it be read a second time that day six months. After an able debate, the bill was read a second time by 230 to 195. 10th. A long debate upon the first resolution in Lord J. Russell's Education Bill took place in committee, Mr. Henley having moved as an amendment " that the chair man do leave the chair." The debate was adjourned. 11th. The adjourned debate was resumed, and, after a protracted discnssi,m, Mr. Henley's amendment was car ried by 260 to 158. 14th. The subject of torture in Madras was discussed in the House of Lords at the instance of the Earl of Albemarle. 15th. Mr. Spooner carried his motion that the house should go into committee to consider the grants relating to the endowment of Maynooth by 159 to 133, and he sub sequently obtained leave by 159 to 142 to bring in a bill upon the subject 16th. Mr. Fagan lost his Ministers' Money (Ireland) Bill, on second reading, by 201 to 121. 18th. The Marquis of Salisbury brought forward the question of secondary punishments. Sir Erskine Perry drew attention in the Commons to the increasing annual deficit in the revenue of India, and the house afterwards went into supply. 21st. The Lord Chancellor's Church Discipline Pil was lost in the Lords by 41 to 33, the amendment having been moved by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Parliament adjourned over two days, in order to be present at the naval review at Spithead.