The Press. — London, England, 1857-02-21 00:00:00

176 HOUSE OF COMMONS: WEDNESDAT. JUDGMENTS EXECUTION BILL. On the order for going into committee, Mr. H. Iluoms moved to defer the committee for six months, on the ground that the bill would in juriously affect the administration of justice and the principles of procedure in the courts of common law in Ireland. Mr. WHITESIDE contended that the bill would create greater evils than it remedied, and recom mended that the whole subject of the execution of judgments should be left to the future department of justice. The bill was opposed by Mr. Bland, Colonel I)nnne, Mr. *Cann, and Mr. INP Mahon, and sup ported by Sir J. Fitzgerald and Mr. Warren, who thought there was uo ground for apprehending that it would work injuriously for Ireland, and believed that its effects would be salutary for all parts of the kingdom, Mr. NAPIER thought that the Government should take charge of a matter so important. Upon a division, the amendment was negatived by 127 to $O, and the house went into committee upon the bill. The chairman was, however, ordered to report progress, the committee to sit again that day week. The house again went into committee upon the Chief Constables Bill, the clauses of which were agreed to. The Public Health Supplemental Bill was read a second time. EDUCATION. Sir J. PAKINOTON, in moving for leave to bring in a bill for the promotion of elementary education in cities and corporate towns, explained concisely the principles upon which it was founded, and the cir cumstances under which he brought it forward. The bill, he said, was so drawn that it did not contravene or reverse the decision of the house last year on the resolutions moved by Lord J. Russell, which, as he understood that decision, practically expressed dis approbation of the plan considered as a whole. The two important provisions of that plan were that it should be compulsory and that it should be general. The bill lie desired to introduce was in these respects exactly the reverse—it imuld be permissive and local. Sir John Pakington then observed that, whether it was extensive or limited in its operation, the bill em bodied principles the establishment of which he held to be of primary importance—namely, first, religious freedom and toleration ; secondly, that there should be local contributions; and thirdly, local manage ment and control of the funds. A combination, so far at least as Manchester was concerned, had taken place between the religious and secular parties in this question, the basis of which was that the reli gious party consented that the rates should be ex• tended to the benefit of the secular schools, and the secular party were willing that the rates should be extended to schools where religion was taught, on one condition—that the money contributed by the ratepayers should not be directly applied to doc trinal teaching. Religious teaching would therefore be left upon its present footing, subject to the con dition that children should not be compelled to learn creeds or catechisms to which their parents objected. The rate would be in aid of existing schools. Free schools might be established by the school com mittees, who might also admit a proportion of free scholars into the other schools. The framers of the bill, he added, were anxious to make it clear that there should be no interference with the manaze ment or control of the existing schools, except in cases where it was unavoidable. His belief was that if Parliament adopted the principles of his bill it would promote not only the intellectual, but the re ligious improvement of the people. Mr. CowrEa did not clearly understand the nature of the compromise, but it appeared to him that, with regard to the religions part of the question, the turning point would be whether schoolmasters of denominational schools were to be prohibited from giving doctrinal instructions to the children of their own denomination ; and what was meant by doctrinal teaching ? He believed that moral duties could not be taught apart from doctrinal teaching. He admitted that a compulsory measure was impracticable, and that there were valid reasons for confining the opera tion of the bill to cities and towns. Lord It. Czett. considered that this was an attempt to introduce the thin end of the wedge, which had so signally failed on former occasions. His objection to all these measures was that the authors were in too great a hurry. The existing system had been in operation only four years. Mr. ConnEs said the objection of Lord It. Cecil surprised him. It was more than twenty years since the question of education had been launched in that house. It was not contemplated, he observed, that the money raised by the bill should be applied to religious teaching, but that parties in connection with churches or chapels might set apart a time for religious teaching in the schools,—a plan already adopted. When the question came to a practical test it would be found that all the fears about the THE PRESS. religious difficulty (or, as Mr. Cobden afterwards explained himself, the difficulty of separating doc trinal from secular teaching) would prove a.bugbear, if the matter were set about honestly and in earnest. Mr. HENLEY disagreed with Sir J. Pakington as to the effect of the decision of last year ; in his opinion, it expressed dislike of the principle of doing away with religious teaching, which should not be con fined to certain hours of the day, but be spread over the whole teaching. This was the real difficulty. The effect of Sir John Pakington's bill would be to give the money of the ratepayers to schools where no religion was taught. Lord J. RUSSELL approved the making this a per missive and local measure. He believed it to be the interest and duty of the country to make national education compulsory and general ; but he was quite aware that, owing to the great difference of opinion in the country upon this point, such a plan could not be carried, and he was afraid that the prospect of carrying this measure was not very encouraging. According to this bill religious instruction would be given as at present, except that the rate would not be directly or professedly for doctrinal instruc • tion. This being so, it did not appear that Sir J. Pakington had made any dangerous concession to the secular party. He believed that the school was the best place for religious instruction, and that the schoolmaster was a fit instructor; but if a rate was levied he did not think a particular kind of doctrinal instruction should be given in the schools. He heartily wished success to the measure. The motion was ultimately agreed to, and the bill read a first time. WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE-THE BUDGET. Mr. GLADSTONE gave notice that, on the motion fin• going into committee of ways and means on Friday, he should move the following resolution : That this house will not agree to any addition to the rates chargeable by the Customs' Duties Acts of 18.5:), upon the articles of tea and sugar. HOUSE OF LORDS.- TuUESDAY. THE " ARROW." Lord GRANVILLE, in reply to Earl Grey' whether any Orders In Council sanctioned the two Colonial Ordinances (lately printed) for the registration of vessels on the Chinese waters, said that there were no Orders in Council respecting the ordinances. They were confirmed by her Majesty :with the advice of the Secretary of State. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE moved a resolution declaring that the system under which her Majesty's Indian territory is now administered is no longer suitable to the condition and prospects of that vast empire, or for the development of its resources and the improvement and welfare of its inhabitants. He supported his motion ny describing the cumbrous and inefficient machinery by which India is at present governed, insisting that the time had arrived when the administration of that country should be with drawn from the grasp of a mercantile company, and placed upon a simpler and more practical basis. The Duke of ARGYLL defended the Indian Govern ment, commenting upon the great progress already effected, and the remedial measures now in contem plation for the benefit of the inhabitants of our Ori ental empire, and concluding by asserting that dis cussions upon Indian affairs should be taken upon substantive propositions, and not upon abstract reso lutions. The motion was negatived without a division, and their lordships adjourned. liii THE LAW OF LIBEL. Lord CAMPBELL gave notice that on Thursday next, the . 2(ith instant, he would move for a select com mittee to consider whether the privileges now enjoyed by the reports of proceedings in courts of justice may be safely and properly extended to reporti of pri ceedings in the two Houses of Parliament, and to any and what other assemblies or public meetings, under any and what conditions and restrictions. THE WAU WITH CHINA. The Earl of DERBY read the resolution which he meant to lay on the table on Tuesday next, and of which he had already given notice. It was in these terms : That this house has heard with deep regret of the in terruption of amicable relations between her Majesty's sub jects and the Chinese authorities at Canton, arising out of the measures adopted by her Majesty's Chief Superin tendent of Trade to obtain reparation for alleged infractions of the supplementary treaty of the Bth of October, 1843. That iu the opinion of this house the occurrence of differences on this subject rendered the time peculiarly unfavourable for pressing on the Chinese authorities a claim for the admittance of British subjects into Canton, which had been left in abeyance since 1819, and for sup. porting the same by force of arms. That in the opinion of this house operations of actual hostility ought not to have been undertaken without the express instructions, previously received, of her Majesty's Csovernment, and that neither of the subjects adverted to in the foregoing resolutions afforded sufficient justification for such operations. SATURDAY, HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY. WAR IN CHINA. Mr. LABOUCHERE, in reply to Lord C. Hamilton, said that no instructions superseding those of Earl Grey, in Nov., 1847, whereby offensive operations against the Chinese were peremptorily forbidden without previous sanction from this country, had been sent to Hong Kong. DANISH DUES. Lord PALMERSTON, in reply to Sir J. Graham, stated that no agreement had yet been come to with the Government of Denmark respecting the commu tation of the Sound Dues, but he expected that an arrangement would be concluded very speedily, in which case the Government would have to submit to Parliament the provisions necessary to bring it into effect. PERSIA AND RUSSIA. Lord PALmEnsroN, in answer to Mr. Layard, said her Majesty's Government had no knowledge of the treaty reported to have been concluded between Russia and Persia on the sth of January. CITY CORPORATION. Sir G. GREY, in answer to Mr. Hankey, said that he wished, before introducing a bill for the reform of the City of London Corporation, to ascertain what propositions on that subject might emanate from the corporation itself. COUNTY FRANCHISE. Mr. LOCKE KING moved for leave to bring in a bill assimilating the county franchise to the borough franchise in England and Wales, by giving the right of voting to all occupiers of tenements rated at the annual value of 101. The hon. member contended at much length for the expediency and justice of extending the franchise to the large class whom his proposed bill would allow to enjoy electoral privileges. _ _ _ Lora PALMERSTON declined to consent even to the introduction of a measure which there would be no chance of fairly discussing and passing during the present session. He had no objection to extend the county franchise upon any judicious elan that might he suggested. The present bill was, - however, in his opinion, faulty in many respects, and he saw no reason for inaugurating any comprehensive scheme of parliamentary reform. Lord JOHN RUSSELL saw no reason why the ques tion should be postponed. He obQerveil that the Government seemed to act upon the principle of shirking all subjects of importance. He saw no immediate prospect of carrying a large measure of parliamentary reform, and he should therefore sup port the motion then before the house. _ _ - Sir J. GRAHAM announced that he had surrendered the principle of " finality," and was ready to support any safe and prudent extension of the franchise. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT opposed the bill, partly be cause he disapproved of some of its provisions, but chiefly on account of the position of the Government and the existing antagonism of parties in the house. The house divided, when the motion was negatived by 192 to 179—majority, 13. MINISTERS' MONEY (IRELAND). Mr. FAGAN sought leave to bring in a hill to abolish the tax imposed in lieu of ministers' money on eight corporate towns in Ireland. Leave was given to bring in the bill. MAYNOOTH. Mr. SPooNER renewed his annual attack upon the Maynooth grant by proposing a resolution that the house should "residue itself into a committee for the purpose of considering the acts for the endowment of the College of Maynooth, with a view to the with drawal of any endowment out of the consolidated fund, due regard being had to vested rights and interests." He reiterated the arguments which had been so often presented against the continuance of the grant, and exhorted the house to purge itself from all complicity with an act that was, as he con tended, a national sin. The motion was seconded by Mr. KENDALL. Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Bowyer, Sergeant O'Brien, Mr. Moore, Mr. H. Drummond, Sergeant . Shee , and Lord Palmerston having spoken &pima the motion, and Mr. Kendal, Mr. T. Chamber., Mr. Newdegate in its favour, Mr. SpooNtn replied, and the house divided— For the motion 139 Against 167-8 COLONEL TULLOCH. Lord PALMERSTON, in reply to Sir A. Campbell, said that the Government were now in communica tion with Sir John WNeill and Colonel Tu!loch with respect to the acknowledgment to be made to them for their services in the Crimea. It would not be advisable to grant to Colonel TnHoch military rank. LAW OF COPYRIGHT. Mr. T. CHAMBERS gage notice that on that day fortnight be would move for a select committee to consider the present state of the law of copyright. SIR R. PEEL'S SPEECHES. Sir C. NAPIER gave notice that on the navy esti mates he should bring the. speeches of the hoe. baronet the member for Tamworth relative to the I