The Sun. — London, England, 1859-07-20 00:00:00

MPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY). The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack •t five o'clock. CHANCERY COURT. Viscount SYDNEY brought down an answer from her Majesty in reply to the address to inquire into the system of taking evidence in the Court of Chancery. Her Majesty had considered the address and had ordered a Commission to issue for the purpose required. BURIAL OF SUICIDES. Lcrd BROUGHAM presented a petition from Leicester complaining of the conduct of a clergyman who had refused to buy a man who had committed suicide, although a jury had Ce:to a verdict that the unfortunate party was insane. etitioners prayed that, if the clergyman in question had acted in accordance with the law, that it might be altered so as to prevent a repetition of such a proceeding. THE RIOTS AT KINSALE. The Earl of RIPON said he had received a letter from Lord Massareene on the subject, expressing very great surprise- at the statement of the noble marquis (Clamicarde), and denying that the riot was of so serious a nature as had been reported. His lordship had,. however, ordered a strict inquiry to be made into the whCkle of the Circumstances. - - The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said he had obtained his information from the public papers, and had only asked if the statement of the amounts were correct. He had no other means of obtaining the information. THIRD READINGS. Tile following bills were read a third time and passed : --Herne Bay and Faversham Railway (Margate Exten sion) ; Mountsorrel Railway ; Somerset Central Railway ; Wear Navigation and Sunderland Dock, Wirrel Water and Vale of Llangollen Railway. CLERK OF THE COUNCIL BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. ATTORNEY AND SOLICITORS' BILL. This bill passed through committee, after a few verbal amendments had been agreed to. NEW BARRACKS AT GALWAY. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE asked whether any steps had been taken for the erection of new barracks at Galway, beyond the large expenses incurred by the pur &aim of land and the construction of a bridge. The Earl of RIPON said he was unable to hold out any hope that new barracks would be erected imme diately on the land referred to by the noble marquis. The subject was ,one surrounded with difficulty. Be admitted the desirability of improving the barracks at Galway, and he could only say the subject would receive the best consideration of the War Department. It had been found necessary before the land was purchased to hire a spot at the rate of £6O per annum for the purpose of exercising the troops. SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHS. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY presented a petition from bankers, merchants, and others of the City of London in favour of the establishment of direct lines of submarine telegraphs between Great Britain and her Ma jesty's possessions abroad. The noble lord urged the necessity of improving the existing arrangements of telegraphic communication. At present the lines visaed through many foreign countries, so that to the event of an outbreak in any of those States communication would be all at once interrupted. England was even now looked upon with jealousy by foreign States, and the dependence on Continental Go vernments was altogether avoidable by establishing iirect and independent submarine telegraphs. The cable might be taken from England to Gibraltar, without touch ing France, then to Malta and Alexandria. If the Go vernment were to issue tenders for the laying of a cable from England to Gibraltar, the commencement of an independent line to India, the greatest good, both politically and com mercially speaking, would be effected. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH thought it most ob • :;ectionable that this country should be dependent on foreign nations for the transmission of orders, particularly in time of war. We ought to have an independent communication, and he rejoiced to thinkthat her Majesty's Government had undertaken the establishment of an independent line to Gib raltar. There was another matter worthy the notice of the government, and that was that in the event of an invasion of this country the first step of the enemy would be to take pos session of the points at which the submarine lines were merged. These points were utterly undefended, and might ie attacked by means of a small boat. By obtaining posses sion of these lines the enemy would have the means of ascer taining the intentions of the Government, and of communi cating them to other countries, together with all the move ments of our armies. He should rejoice exceedingly at the establishment of a telegraphic comnumicationwith America looking forward to the probability that the two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon race would find it their inte rest and honour to draw much closer the bonds of connec lion which had existed between them, by acting on the principles of an offensive and defensive alliande. It was also desirable to establish a direct communication with the Western Coast of Africa, so that in the event of a war our ships might instantly spread along the route of commerce, and capture the mercantile vessels of hostile nations. He also trusted that the attention of the Government would be directed to the application of the power of the steam engine for the purpose of excavation. Earl GRANVILLE wasunderstood to say that the sub ject was one of great importance, and that the suggestions which had been thrown out would receive the due con sideration of her Majesty's Government. In the course of a short conversation which followed, which was all but inaudible, The Duke of SOMERSET remarked that it was no doubt desirable to proceed with the line to Gibraltar as speedily as possible, but the necessary surveys would occupy some time, and there were other reasons for not proceeding too hastily. The Earl of DONOUGHMORE inquired whether the Government had determined to lay down the line between Malta and Alexandria. Lord. WODEHOUSE replied that the subject was under consideration, but no decisive conclusion had been arrived at. Lord STRATFORD de REDCLIFFE said the subject was one of great importance, and the Government would be perfectly justified in making great sacrifices for the purpose of carrying out independent lines of communication. The subject then dropped. THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES. Lord STRATFORD de REDCLIFFE said he wished to say a few words before their lordships adjourned with re spect to the Danubian Principalities, and on a subject so iu portant he need not apologise for bringing it under the attention of the house. This was well known to be one of those matters, in connection with the state of the Turkish empire, which had been a subject of discussion in the con gress of Paris, and which was of a very serious character. It had come to his knowledge, generally, that some difficul ties had accompanied the arrangements of that part of the question which-related to the government of the country by a single prince, and indeed the question of the union was one of the most difficult connected with that matter. He would venture now to ask the noble lord (Wodehouse) what was the state of the negotiations as to that matter, and he (Lord Stratford de Radcliffe) might then form his own judg ment as to whether it would be necessary for him afterwards to bring the question under the consideration of the house. Lord WODEHOUSE replied that the question of the Principalities was in this position. After the election of Col. Couza as hospodar of both the Principalities, it was found necessary to have recourse to the different Powers who signed the treaty of 1856 to decide what should be done. The Con ference took the matter into consideration, and the result at which they arrived was that it was advisable that the Perth should upon this single occasion recognise Col. Couza as hospodar of both the Principalities. That would be an ex ception to the principle which was undoubtedly laid down by the treaty of 1306, which was, that there should be a separate host:Rider for Wallachia, and a separate one for Moldavia, bui it was thought that under the circumstances this should be regarded as an exceptional case, and that Col. Couza should be recognised as hospodar of both Prin cipalities: The Conference came to that decision before the late change of Government in this country. The protocol had been transmitted to the Porte, and the Porte had made some difficulty as to accepting it in the precise form in which the Conference had drawn it up ; but although this had caused some little delay, he thought they would be able to make the arrangement proposed. The basis of that ar rangement was the acknowledgment, not of the hospodarate of the United Principalities, but of a hospodar acknow ledged by the Porte for each of the two Principalities, be ing the same person in this single instance. That arrange ment, which had been adopted by all parties in the Con ference, would, he had little doubt, also be adopted by the Porte, but the arrangement was not yet completed. Lord STRATFORD .de REDCLIFFE said that the ex perience he had had in Turkey convinced him that this was a question fraught with the most serious consequences with regard to the Ottoman empire, and with regard to the rela tions between the great powers of Europe and the Ottoman empire established by the treaty of peace. He should very greatly regret it, for the sake of the important interests in volved, if the principle agreed to by the Conference were to be in any way lost sight of ; and if it were found necessary that the election of Col. Couza should be admitted sepa rately for both the Principalities, at least a very distinct security and guarantee should be given to the Porte that this was to be only an exception, and that the principle laid down by Cong ress should be kept in view herea ft er. Lord WODHOUSE wished the noble lord distinctly to understand that the recognition of Col. Couza was only proposed as an exceptional case, and one which was not in any way to alter the permanent settlement of things. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Lords' Amendments to the — London and South :Western Railway Bill were agreed to, and the bill was faltered for third reading. ..21'he following bills were read a third time and passed : unnalet and Leeds Road. changed from Leeds and Hunslet Lawton, Burslem , and Newcastle-under-Lyme -1▪ I'44,,!;.(l,tlidland Railway Id Burton-upon-Trent Bridge. third llewing bills were considered and ordered for r ung . ' Gloucester and Cheltenham T r a m way Abandonm en Lond on Jan tk . Kensington Station and North and South Swilly R a i iw ft l° ll Railway ; Londonderry and Lough Stockton and a lTal ; r M Ilalltra e th and Corsddaugg an arsh ; ineten Railway. BRITISH AND CANADIAN TELEGRAPH The adjourned d e b a teCOMPANY sumed by on t hi s bill, as amended, was re- Lord DIJNCAN.—Ii e sa i d an interview with the agent that since yesterday he had and he was happy to say that hela o d was preparing the bill, consented to striking out the clauses winch were deemed ob jectio nable. Healluded par ticularly to the clause which cofoefrraeia vi r the Treasury the power after the bill was proved, rentees to any amount. Under these . g Prospective gua fircuanstanees he had no objection to the bill passing. After some conversation the bill, as amended, wa s eon sidered and ordered for third reading. PUBLIC HEALTH ACT. Mr. LOWE, in moving the third reading of this bill, said that he objected as much as possible to compulsion with reference to subjects like the present. It had, however, been found necessary to vest the powers which the Board of Health possessed in the Privy Council, and the object of the present bill was merely, to make the posses.. sion of those powers perpetual, for at present it was only temporary and was about to expire. The manner in which these powers had been exercised had been most beneficial to the community, and he referred to the last visitation of cholera, when the steps that were requisite were promptly taken in virtue of these powers. He pro posed to confer by these powers the right of visitation, of ascertaining the qualifications of those employed to vacci nate, and of inspecting those localities where disease was suspected to exist. As a peace offering, he would withdraw the clause by which persons f a ili ng t o h ave their children vaccinated might be sued at law ; but he could not consent to the powers vested in a Privy Council being only tempo rary, al he considered it was reflecting on that body, and he would therefore persevere in conferring on it permanent - powers. Mr.'AYRTON strongly objected to this bill, in conse. quence of its proposing to confer permanent powers on the Executive. Besides it was not shown who was to pay for the enormous expenditure that might be incurred if these powers were to continue to be exercised without control and for an unlimited period. (Hear, hear.) With regard to vaccination, according to the provisions of t•.+• Poor Law Act, adequate provision was made for vaccination, and therefore he thought it quite unnecessary to confer these powers on the executive. He concluded by moving that the bill be re-committed. Mr. Williams and Sir G. B. Pechell opposed the bill. Mr. HENLEY said that a much larger principle was involved in the bill than was supposed by the right hon. gentleman who introduced it to the house. He objected most strongly to the power of visitation, by which domestic privacy would be invaded, and there should be a very clear case made out before the house consented to confer such unpopular powers. He thought that the powers might be continued for three years, but not longer ; and he sug t gested to the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Lowe) to accede to a compromise of this description. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE denounced the bill as one of the grossest jobs that had ever been attempted to be perpetrated on the house. He believed that it was only a Whig Go vernment that would propose such a measure, as it had not been attempted by a Tory Government. Having referred to the act of 1848, the hon. member contended that it was most unjust to attempt to pass this bill under present circumstances. The measure had not been fully discussed; there was no time in the present session to discuss it, and therefore the proper course would be to pass a bill con tinuing the powers to the Privy Council for another year, and next year they could give the necessary discussion to any proposition for rendering their powers perpetual. (Hear, hear.) Mr. COWPER said that much of the opposition to the present bill was founded on an erroneous impression which existed, that the measure was the same in its provisions as that introduced in the time of Mr. Chadwick. He agreed that the bill should be made permanent, as it would be the means of enabling the powers conferred on the Privy Coun cil being carried out more efficiently. If the house on a future occasion considered that the bill did not act well they could repeal it. With regard to the bill he maintained it was calculated to render considerable service to the public ; and he adverted to the provision by which parties were exa mined with reference to their qualifications to vaccinate. One of the great objections to vaccination arose from its being practised by unqualified persons, and this bill would obviate that objection. It was proposed by the framers of the bill to bring the recent discoveries of science to bear on a great epidemic, and it was a fact that 100,000 persons died annually from causes to which medical science might have beenapplied with success. Sanitary science had only recently attained to its present height, and it was only lately that the causes of many epidemic diseases which were ravaging families had been discovered. He concluded by expressing his conviction that the opposition to the bill was founded on an ignorance of its scope, or what would be its natural operation on the interests of the community. Mr. SOTHERON ESTCOURT strongly opposed the bill on the ground of its being permanent instead of tem porary. Mr. EDWIN JAMES opposed the bill, and alluded to what had occurred some time since at Croydon and Hitchen, where the Board of Health had fouled a stream, which resulted in the outbreak of a fearful epidemic in the former place. The effect of the bill would be to vest the whole power on this most important matter of the public health in the medical officers, for it could not be expected that the Privy Council would them selves interfere in the case of an outbreak of an epidemic. The result would be that local boards, finding that they were deprived of all power by the system of centra lisation that was sought to be established by this bill, would become apathetic, and the consequence might be most disastrous in the event of the country being visited by a formidable epidemic. (Hear, hear.) Mr. BASS opposed, and Mr. CoNimmam supported, the bill. Mr. LOWE replied. He complained that he had net received the support from hon. members on the opposite side of the house which he had a reason to expect from their conduct when a bill was brought in by Lord Derby's Government. Mr. SPOONER denied that his party was open to any censure for not giving the right hon. gentleman support on the present occasion , and strongly advised him to accede to the proposition for making the bill temporary and not per manent. The house then divided, when the numbers were— For the third reading Against it 95 Majority —6 The bill was then read a third time and passed. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS BILL. The adjourned debate on the second reading of this bill was resumed by Mr. S. ESTCOURT, who moved that the whole subject of the oath of declaration to be taken to qualify for exer cising municipal office should be referred to a select com mittee. Mr. SPOONER and Mr. NEWDEGATE opposed the bill, and severally contended that the abolition of the pre sent oath was calculated to injure the stability of the Church of England. Mr. BAXTER supported the bill. Alderman SALOMONS said that he would vote for the bill, and he considered the oaths in question as a useless ceremony ; and in making that statement he distinctly dis avowed any intention of injuring the State Establishment, which he considered could not suer in the slightest de gree from the proposed abolition. After some conversation the house divided — For the second reading l3O Against it Majority —B6 The bill was then read a second time. The house adjourned at half-past three o'clock till six o'clock. The house resumed at six o'clock. NOTICES OF MOTION. CRUELTIES TO SEAMEN.—Mr. M. MILNES. on Tuesday, the 2d of August, to move an humble address to her Majesty, praying her Majesty to enter into negotiations with the Government of the United States, for the purpose of preventing the gross cruelties now practised on merchant seamen engaged in the traffic between this country and the United States, and for bringing the offenders to justice. THE PEACE.—Mr. B. COCHRANE, on Friday, on going into committee of supply, to ask Lord J. Russell whether he will lay on the table of the house the despatches which have passed between himself and Lord Cowley and Sir James Hudson, since the conclusion of the peace between France and Austria. DEVONPORT DOCKYARD.—Captain L. VERNON, on Thursday, the 28th, to move for some returns relating to vacancies in Devonport Dockyard since December last, the dates when they had been filled up, and copies of all corre spondence with the surveyor to the navy. NATIONAL DEFENCES.—Mr. HORSMAN, on going into committee of supply, to move a resolution to the effect, that the expense of all works required for the national defence ' should be met by a fund specially provided for the purpose, and independent of the ordinary revenue of the country. WEST YORKSHIRE ASSIZES. Mr. W. LEATHAM asked whether the judges had re ported on the West Riding Assizes question, and whether the report would be laid before the house ? - Sir G. C. LEWIS said that he had not received any re port on the subject; but from a document which he found in the Home-office it appeared that the judges had conveyed to his predecessor their opinion in regard to the expediency of holding assizes for the West Riding; and they agreed in the unanimous opinion of the commissioners appointed by her Majesty that it would not be expedient, with a view to the administration of justice, to hold assizes in the West Riding. COMMISSIONERS FOR TAKING AFFIDAVITS IN THE CITY. In reply to Sir J. DUKE, whether commissioners had been appointed in the City for this purpose, Sir G. C. LEWIS promised to make inquiry and give an answer in a day or two. RE- ORGANISATION OF THE INDIAN ARMY.— THE INDIAN FINANCIAL STATEMENT. Mr. H. BAILLIE asked whether it was the intention of the Government to give the house an opportunity of ex pressing its opinion upon the re-organisation of the Indian army, or whether they proposed to settle the question with out reference to Parliament. Sir C. WOOD said that possibly it might be necessary to bring in a bill for the purpose, in which case, of course, it would be his duty to explain what was proposed to be done. If not, he should take some opportunity of making a state ment as to what course the Government intended to take. Mr. BRIGHT said he had not correctly caught the right hon. baronet's answer. Did he mean to say that he would fix a day for bringing the subject of Indian finance before the house ? • Sir C. WOOD—I have answered the question of the right hon. gentleman opposite, whether I would give the house an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the state of the Indian army. Mr. BRIGHT—Then I beg to ask the right hon. baro net whether he can fix a day when the whole subject of India can be brought before the house, in the statement which the Indian Government is expected annually to make? Sir C. WOOD, who spoke with his back to the gallery, and was very indistinctly heard, was understood to say that it was not in his power to fix a day. The annual accounts were not yet made up, and any statement which he could make without them would be most unsatisfactory. As soon as the accounts were ready they would be laid before the house. Mr. BRIGHT—The right hon. gentleman proposes to give papers; but surely all the facts which they contain could be embraced in his own speech. Will the right hon. gentleman say when the papers will be before the house ? Considering the time of _the session, I think I am entitled to ask that question. (Hear, hear.) Sir C. WOOD said that the completion of the accounts did not at all depend upon him, or the home Government. He had not the slightest disposition to postpone the state ment which he was expected to make. That statement would not be a very agreeable one, but it would be more satisfactorily made when he was in full possession of all the requisite information. Mr. BRIGHT—I beg to give notice that I shall repeat my question to the right hon. baronet on Thursday evening. MILITIA PRACTICE. Mr. H. BERKELEY put the following question to the Secretary for War :—" Whether it be true that the Wor cestershire Militia had been called out four times, had been embodied twice, and stationed at the two principal training camps, Aldershott and the Curragh ; that during the whol e of that time the men have never had a ball cartridge served out to them, and have the old Musket to carry about ; whether this is equally true as regards the North Glou cester and other militia regiments ?" Mr. S. HERBERT said it was true that the Worcester shire militia had been twice out in training, in 1853 and in 1859; and they had also been twice embodied, from Nove mber, 1854, to June, 1856, and from November, 1857, to May, 1858. They had been at Aldershott, and also at the Cur ragh. He found that 6,000 rounds of ball cartridge had been served out for practice. He, as Secretary for War, gave no orders as to the practice of any particular regiment. All he had to do was to honour the orders that were sent for material. It was quite true that at the time referred to the militia had not got the Enfield rifles • but now they had them, and he hoped that all the embodied militia would have them soon. The military authorities, the colonels com manding the regiments, and the generals inspecting where the militi a tHed:E regiments were quartered, were the persons to decide VI .ecr on th e na t ure o f t h e d r i ll to which they s h ou ld b e far and how it should be carried. . a E sk NF d I h L e p her ß t l h F e L E E nield rifle ri to fl i e n fur the ni W sh a ed r.") to ia t c h e e e ß i r i Pe tl i lel awEEr Brigade, the , l o 3 r t h t h i e n l s o t n . r a s it t e h u s a e 1 i s e a n d d o e i r g line S . HERBERT was u n d erstood to say the m li r n . that was the ono referred to, but he hoped that at t so t m th e e f latter atur e P eriod they should be able ,to replace thorn all with short I rifles. - - Mr. VIVIAN said it was desir a bl e that this should to k n own, that the volunteer rise corps now providing their own weapons should provide short on es . THE PEACE. Mr. HORS lAN gave notice that on Friday he Flculd rapaat his question xtft to whether any communication bad THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY' iVEIVING, JULY 20, :1859: been received from the Government of France on the sub ject of the peace. LORD J. RUSSELL'S DESPATCH TO THE COURT OF BERLIN. Mr. S. FITZGERALD asked whether a document which had appeared in the public journals, as a copy of the noble lord's despatch, and was stated to have been translated and retranslated, was authentic, and whether a copy of it would be laid before the house ? Lord J. RUSSELL said that there were some errors in the translation, and he should have no objection to give the despatch in an authentic shape, if the hon. gentleman would move an address for it in the usual form. Mr. FITZGERALD said he understood that a reply to that despatch had been received from the Government of Prussia, and that the noble lord had thought it his duty to answer that reply. Would there be any objection to lay those two documents on the table of the house at the same time ? Lord J. RUSSELL said the correspondence was not exactly complete. He must take a day two to consider whether that further correspondence should be given. ORGANISATION OF THE INDIAN ARMY. Mr. BUXTON called attention to the report of the com-, missioners on this subject, which recommended that the force to be employed in India in future . should be 80,000 Eu ropeans, and 190,000 sepoys—in all 270,000 men. The mili tary police would raise the total to nearly . 400,000. He did not question the propriety of the commissioners' recommen dation, but thought it essential that it should be discussed. The financial part of the question was a serious one ; no statesman looked without alarm at the financial condition of India ; and every authority concurred in stating that in Southern India in particular the occupiers of land were most grievously oppressed. It was most essential that our expendi ture in India should be reduced, in order to reduce the taxa tion. With an army of nearly 400,000 men this would be impossible ; such a force could only be maintained by means of loans. Besides, it would be a most dangerous experiment to put arms into the hands of 300,000 natives. It was said this danger was provided against by 80,000 European troops, but he doubted whether that was sufficient in the event of a mutiny. He believed they were increasing and not dimi nishing the risk of mutiny by putting arms into the hands of 300,000 trained natives. He challenged the noble lord the Secretary of State for India and the late Secretary of War to give him some information as to the reason for employing such an immense force in India. He rejoiced that he had to put the question to the noble lord, because if the noble lord differed in opinion from the commissioners, he would not shrink from saying so. As the case stood in the blue book, the proposition of the commission was con demned by the greater number of witnesses, and those of the greater weight ; it would lead to the ruin of the finances, and the misery of the rayas of Southern India, it would check education and public works, sacrifice the lives of English soldiers, weaken the strength of their home defence, and prepare the materials for another mutiny such as filled India with misery and ruin in 1857 and 1858. Lord STANLEY rose to reply, but The SPEAKER intimated that there was no motion be fore the house. Mr. BUXTON moved that the report of the commission be laid on the table. The SPEAKER—There is no motion before the house. Sir E. COLEBROOKE—I move that the hon.se adjourn. (Laughter.) Lord STANLEY said the hon. gentleman challenged him to state whether his opinion agreed with or differed from that of the commission on the subject of the amount of force to be employed in India. Upon that subject he did not think it possible for any one set of men in this coun try, whether civilians or military men, to lay down not merely what was the distinct and precise amount of force which at this moment was required to secure tranquillity in India, but what amount of force would be required when the tranquillity of that country was perfectly restored. (Hear.) He should not attempt to give a precise answer to the ques tion. When the hon. gentleman said that no argument had been adduced to show why 80,000 European troops were required, he did not know how they were to argue such a question, or how it could possibly be proved -that 60,000, 70,000, or 80,000 was the right number of troops to be employed otherwise than by taking the opinion of the most competent witnesses as to the amount. (Hear, hear.) But when the hon. gentleman said that the commissioners had gone against the evidence, he thought he could best satisfy the house on that point by reading a summary of the evidence. The noble lord read the opinions of the wit nesses, from which it appeared that with respect to Bengal they varied between 40,000 and 50,000, and for the whole of India they;varied between 60,000 and 80,000. No man in India or in England appeared to be more strongly im pressed with the necessity of maintaining a large prepon derating European force in India than Sir J. Lawrence. (Hear, hear.) No doubt a considerable reduction might and ought to be made hereafter when certain results had been obtained. When they had connected all their principal military stations in India by railway, when the comparatively newly-acquired territories had been consoli dated and accustomed to our rule, when that disarmament which was now taking place had been more extensively and effectually carried out, then, no doubt, so large a mili tary force would not be required. But if he took the actual population of India, the proportion of military men to that population was not so great as in the majority of European states. No doubt, in considering this subject,' the question of finance ought not to be left out of sight, and urgent in structions had been sent out to effect a reduction in the ac tual amount of native force, which was larger in amount than when the mutiny broke out. (Hear.) Those instruc tions were not sent out in consequence of any preconceived. plan. During the mutiny they were obliged to employ sol diers wherever they could find them, but he had reason to believe that a considerable reduction was now taking place in the number of Sikhs and other native troops. With regard to the expense, he ought to say that one European soldier was calculated to cost more than three native soldiers. The house would not expect him to enter further into the question which had been raised by the hon. gentleman. (Hear, hear.) Sir E. PERRY said the present force in India con sisted of 111,000 Europeans and 280,000 natives, being a force little short of 400,000 men. His opinion was, that the resources of India could not support such a force, and that the resources of England could not supply it. In the present state of the finances of India, instead of aug menting the force their course ought to be to bring it within what the country could bear. How was that to be done? By adopting such a course of policy as would engage the sympathies of the people of India on their side. His im pression, after an experience of eleven or twelve years' resi dence in India, was that their system of government could never succeed as long as it excluded so religiously from places of honour and profit the natives of India. (Hear, hear.) They gave to the rank and file of the native army more than double the pay of the Indian labourer, and provided for them excellent pensions, whilst they excluded every gentleman of rank and education. (Hear, hear.) Yet in those corps to which they admitted native gentlemen, there was greater efficiency combined with far greater cheapness. Native cavalry, drilled and disciplined after the European model, cost £lO2 per man. Native irregular regiments of cavalry cost only £35. Now, he said boldly, the native irregular cavalry were far more efficient than the highly-drilled and tight-laced regulars. Lieutenant Merreweather, General Jacob's force, and the ten regiments raised by Sir J. Law rence in the Punjaub proved that this was the fact. Other countries did not refuse to employ as officers the natives of conquered countries. He trusted the right hon. baronet would follow that course with regard to the army which he had indicated in reference to the civil service when in office before, and give a fair field to the legitimate ambition of the native gentlemen. (Hear, hear.) Col. SYKES said that the noble lord the late Secretary for India had declared himself at a loss for any basis on which to form an opinion as to the amount at which the force in India ought to be maintained. If the noble lord wanted a basis for an opinion he need only refer to the traditional policy of the East India Company, and he would find what the amount of force ought to be. The year before the Affghan war broke out there were in India 16,040 infantry and 3,711 cavalry of the royal army, a total of less than 20,030; the force was afterwards raised to 25,000 infantry and somewhere under 4,000 cavalry, still a total of less than 30,000. The Company's Europeans varied from 15,000 to 25,000, averaging about 20,000 ; so that the Affghan war was commenced and carried on with less than 50,660 Euro peans in India. In 1857, when the mutiny broke out, there were 25,098 infantry and 2,955 cavalry, a total of less than 30,000 of the royal army, and only 20,000 Company's Euro peans in India, yet that force crushed the mutiny, and took Delhi Cawnpore, and Lucknow before a single company arrived to their assistance. If 50,000 Europeans were enough to carry on the Affghan war and crush the mutiny, surely such a force was sufficient now, when than was not a single fortress standing that could hold out against half a-dozen battalions of any native prince with an army on foot. There were now, it appeared, 110,000 European troops in India and 21,000 at the depots here, chargeable on the Indian Government. Was the mainte nance of such a force reasonable or just to India or to this country ? He did not hesitate to say that India could not support more than 50,000 ; any increase above that amount would produce a corresponding deficiency in the revenue. Mr. SMOLLETT considered that the amount of force required in India would depend entirely op. the course taken by the India Government itself. Mr. BRIGHT would not detain the house man y mi nu t es . The debate was rather irregular, but it 'was one of the most important that they had had for a lor,g time. They were much indebted to the hon. member wiro introduced the sub ject and to the hon. member for r/evonport, for the manner in which they had addressed them. (Hear, hear.) He feared the right hon. baronet would think him pertinacious in pressing him on this matter, but the debate that evening must have shover, him there was only one feeling in and outside the house. He thought Parliamentary Re form was impc;rtant ' • he thought the home budget was important; but he did not know that either of them could match, in pressing and immediate importance with the subjezt which had that evening been introduced to their notice. (Hear.) For his own part, he never turned his attention to the affairs of India without sorrow and alarm. Ile begged to ask the right hon. baronet when he would bring the subject of Indian finance before the house. It was an unpleasant subject for a Minister, but the hon. baronet would best consult his own future renown and best consult the interest of England and of India by inviting the House of Commons in the most frank manner to the lest confi dence in all respects as to the difficult and almost insolvable problem with which he had to deal. The noble lord who had preceded him in office must well know that none of the offices filled by his colleagues could compare in difficulty with that which he had occupied for some twelve months. They all knew the intelligence he possessed, the industry he displayed, and the absence of pre judice which characterised him—(hear, hear)—but they must admit he had met with difficulties which he' could not entirely overcome. (Hear.) He warned the right hon. baronet not as a political opponent, but as a poli tical friend, to ask the opinion and the judgment of the House of Commons on the important subject with which he had to deal. He hoped the right hon baronet would not consider ho pressed this matter from any desire to worry him (hear, hear) ; he was only anxious that while so many members were in town, and while there appeared such a disposition to consider the suNect, they might have an opportunity of giving the Government the benefit of all the faculties they possessed. (Hear, hear.) Sir C. WOOD did not tlame the hon. gentleman for pressing him. He knew the interest he took in the affairs of India. He could aware him he was perfectly ready to take his advice, and to deal frankly with the house ; it was only from hir, desire to do so that he had so long postponed makin g his statement. He did' not wish to make it until the; house was in possession of full information. It w ould be easy for him to make a con cise statement on. Indian finance, which hon. members e the could not controvert for w an t o f i nformation, but he had postponed his state meat until th e h ouse was in possession of fialnlanthcoei.nHfoermhaatdi,oisnidhoenctohueldtablaee all before financial them n'lndian despatches he had received ; the only document he was waiting for was the last annual :return of expenditure and revenue. That w o u ld be laid on. the table on Thursday, and as soon as it was presented he would lose no time in 'making his statement. (Hear, hear.) With regard to the questiOn immediately be fore the house h c did not think it advisable then to enter into it, as he would have occasion hereafter to bring before them the great ques'don of the Indian army, and ho would be able to do so more effectually when he was in a position to state what the vig•ors of the Government were on the subject. The sub; j ect was intimately connected with the question of finance. It had been a source of constant and daily anxiety to him since he entered office, and he was not as yet able to see his way to any satisfactory result. He agreed with the noble lord that it was impossible now to fix the amount of the permanent force. The question, however, did not press for an immediate decision. They could not immediately dis miss the men they had enlisted—such a course would be most unjust, and of necessity one or two years must elapse before the army could be reduced to its normal state. (Hear.) He admitted the force must be considerably re duced. (Hear.) He had himself a strong opinion in favour of an irregular force—(hear, hear)—and when he left the Board of Control he was in correspondence with Lord Dal housie on the subject of putting down the regular cavalry and substituting irregular forces. He believed it would be much cheaper, and would afford a means of employment to native gentlemen. (Hear.) • The motion for the adjournment was then withdrawn, and the subject dropped. WINTER SESSIONS OF PARLIAMENT. Mr. C. FORSTER then rose to move that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, representing the incon• venience of protracting the session of Parliament during the summer months, and praying that her Majesty would be graciously pleased to provide a remedy for such inconveni ence by assembling Parliament for the despatch of business before Christmas. When he last brought the subject before the house the noble lord the member for London declared :he proposed change would be for the better, and the_then Leader Of the house, the righthon. member for'Buckingham. shire, admitted the arguments in favour of it were very strong. He should be very unwilling to do anything to interfre with the pursuits of any hon. members, but he thought they would feel with hitii that the busines of that house ought to be a matter of first consideration. With regard to the time at which this change ought to be made, he be lieved no time could be more advantageous for it than the present. Mr. EWART seconded the motion. Mr. BENTINCK ( who was received with loud cries of " divide") said he thought that if the speeches on the Go vernment and opposition benches were shortened there would be a great saving of time. Now, he thought that it was ab surd that the hon. gentleman (Mr. Forster) should suppose he could alter the nature of the house by such a motion as this. The whole system of the house was procrastination. Twenty questions were on the paper every evening ; two, perhaps, were discussed, and the rest stood over. And the idea of a fixed time for closing the session would be of no value. Hon. members were aware thatthe practice on Wednesdays, in order to throw over a troublesome question, was to talk against time. If the session closed at a fixed time, that would be done throughout the session. Mr. A. SMITH thought that it would save much time if the house sat in the first week of January. Lord J. RTISSLL did net understand the hon. gentle man who introduced this motion to have proposed that Par liament should rise at a fixed time. If he had done so, of course the answer was obvious, that in the case of any mea sure disagreeable to a small party, it would be in their power to govern the majority by obstinate procrastination. The hon. member, as he understood the matter, only pro posed that by means of an autumn sitting the house should be enabled so to progress with public business that their labours might terminate at an early period of the summer. No doubt in the six weeks which would be gained before Easter some progress might be made. This was certainly to be said in favour of the plan, that the business towards the end of the session would not be so much hurried as it now was by the desire of hon. members to leave town. He certainly thought that the effect of the plan could not be judged by the results of the late winter sessions, because they had invariably of late years been held for some spe cial purpose only, such as the passing of an act of indem nity to the Government for some temporary violation of the law. Therefore it was no argument at all to say that be cause nothing was done that nothing would at any future time be done. But he must say that he did not think the merely meeting somewhat earlier would give the house the relief,: the want of which was no doubt felt. They must bear in mind that the business of the house had of late years increased almost four-fold. It was a matter which should be considered by competent persons, whether some improvement ought to be made, whereby some of the forms of the house which caused the delay might not be al tered. For instance, at the commencement of a session, a certain number of days must elapse before a vote of supply could be taken, and certain other days must pass be fore the estimates could be laid on the table. Thus delay arose for which Government were not responsible, but which was in fact caused by the farms of the house. The house had a vast amount of work to get through—it transacted four or five times as much businesses any other legislative assembly in the world • on the whole that business was transacted well, though no doubt occasionally it was done with too great a hurry. He trusted, however, that the hon. gentleman having called the attention of the house to the subject, he would not press his motion. He might in conclusion mention as showing that it was no unheard-of state of things which the hon. gentleman sought to bring about, that a letter of Mrs. Hannah More's came under his (Lord J. Russell's) notice, in which, commenting on the accession of George 111., he said that the only fault she had to find with the young monarch was that his birthday was on the 4th of June, the result of which would be to keep people in town until that day, and perhaps, she added, even prolong the sitting of Parliament to that late period. (Hear.) Lord PALMERST ON said his hon. friend who made this motion exhibited great confidence in its receiving the sup port of the douse, a confidence which, however, the hon. seconder did not appear to share with him. There was one defect in the reasoning upon which his hon.. friend founded his motion. He had not advanced any public grounds, nor had he advanced any new facts, to justify a sitting before Christmas. He found a succession of winter sessions to give the following results. Parliament met 29th November, 1802, to 12th August, 1803; 22d November, 1803, to 31st July, 1804; 4th November, 1813, to 30th July, 1814; Bth November, 1814, to 12th July, 1815 ; 21st November, 1826, to 2d July, 1827 ; 6th December, 1831, to 16th August, 1832 ; 20th November, 1837, to 16th August, 1838 ; 23d November, 1847, to sth September, 1818 ; 11th November, 1852, to 20th August, 1853 ; 12th Dec., 1854, to 14th Aug., 1855; 3d Dec., 1857, to the 2d Aug., 1858. It wouldbe seen from this list that Parliament sat quite as long into the sum mer when it had a sitting before Christmas, as when it did not meet until the usual time in January. The times were changed, manners were changed, and Parliament had felt the pressure of the times. Everything was later than it used to be in the last century. People dined later, and, perhaps, they did not get up so early. (A laugh.) But you could not force them to get up at six and go to bed at ten, and you must adapt your Parliamentary proceedings to the changed habits of the country. With the assistance of the chair, he thought arran gemen t s m i g ht b e ma d e by means of which the progress of public business would be much facia ttcd. In any improvement of that kind he would most heartily concur, but he hoped the house would not accede to the hon. member's proposition, which was founded t, on mere temporary might grounds. Another summer ht not be so hot, the Thames would not always smell as it did at present, nor were therevery year to expect a sudden dissolution of Parliament. (Hear, hear.) Mr. FORSTER expressed his readiness to withdraw his motion, and follow the suggestion of Lord J. Russell, but an hon. member on the opposition side insisted on a divi sion. Ayes 4B Noes . 121-73 QUEEN'S PRINTERS' PATENT. Mr. BANES moved fora select committee to inquire into the nature and extent of the Queen's Printers' Patent for Englaild and Wales, so far as relates to the right of printing the Holy Scriptures; and to report their opinion as to thesropriety of any future grant of that patent. He was deeply attached to the authorised version. It was admirable and faithful and the noblest indorsement of the Saxon tongue, and although that version was not faultless, he sought no other. Lord Chancellor Clare declared against the exclusive right of printing the Bible, inasmuch as that would tend to restrict the circulation of a book intended for the instruction of mankind. Several other high authorities had expre:,sed similar opinions. A select committee of the house had also reported in favour of permitting the free printing of the Bible. The printing of the Bible was now thrown open to printers in Scotland, but under the super vision of a Bible Board, which had the,power of inflicting a penalty of £5OO in case errors were permitted to creep in. He thought competition was the best security for cheap ness and excellence; but some objected to this principle, so far as the Bibla was ancerned, because the Bible was at present sold at a Cheap rate and printed with accuracy, and also because ii, was important that the public sheuld have some guarantee as to the accuracy of the inspired volume. The increase in the number of Bibles printed in Scotland after the exclusive principle had been dme away with, was three-fold. (Hear.) The hon. member, after referring to the causes for the cheapness of the Bible, said that in 1801 the whole of the number of Bibles in existence was four millions, but within the last 50 years the number of Bibles in existence all over the world amounted to forty millions. He assured the house that accuracy was not the result of monopoly, as was shown from the introduction of the word " not," by which it was stated that " the righteous would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." There was no fear that inferior editions of the Bible would obtain currency ammo the public if the monopoly was done away with. In the first place, .the trade would take care of that ; and next, the Christian public could not be deceived as regarded the cor rectness of the Bible, as they were—no matter to what sect or party they belonged—all interested in the correct version of the Bible. Nor did he think there was any necessity for a British Board to regulate the printing of the Bible. The Bible was not given to this or that religious body, and he called upon the house not to restrict its publication to one particular class. He begged to conclude by moving for the appointment of a select committee to consider the question which he hanhus briefly brought under the con sideration of the house. Sir G. C. LEWIS said that as he came down to the house prepared to assent to the motion of the hon. gentleman he had not prepared himself with arguments with the view of discussing the question. He wished to keep his mind open respecting it. He must, however, say that he did not anti cipate any practical advantage would arise to the public, even if the hon gentleman succeeded in the object which he had in view. He admitted that the presumption was against monopoly, but he would ask whether they did not, in fact, enjoy all the advantages that could be desired if the exclusive privilege objected to was got rid of. Let it be recollected that the privilege in question applied only to the authorised version of the Holy Scriptures and the Prayer Book. There were no objections to the printing of the Hebrew version or the Greek version of the Holy Scriptures. The authorised version was published under the authority of the King's printer and the two Universi ties, and even in Scotland the Bible could not be published without the consent of the Bible Board. The Bible was not printed in Ireland. If the house came to the conclusion that the authorised version of the Holy Scriptures was not to be published under the special privilege now enjoyed by the King's printer and the two Universities, then it would be published in the same way as were the works of Shakespeare or Milton. At the same time, he ex pressed no opinion on the subject, although he might observe, that in the second volume of Blackstone it would be found that, both in law and equity, no doubt v: a$ entertaine3 as to the right of the King's printer and the two Universities to the monopoly in question. They would not be able to get Bibles cheaper if the monopoly w as done away with; and he might observe, that the pre se n t low price of existedth e B i betweenb Bible—namely, nam t e h l e y , K 9 i d ns . King—s's owingprinter to and the t tohte motion.t e sv rivalry v l r which Uni versities. He would not, however, object Mr. BLACK observed that the experiment had been tried in Scotland, and he must say he could not see much of a hardship in it; for a printer must, under any circum stances, be at the cost of correcting. Mr. T. CROSSLEY said, that as the patent would ex pire next year, it ought not to be renewed before the com mittee had reported on the subject, or else it would be of no use to have the committee appointed at all. The motion was then as to. MINISTERS OF THE CROWN. Mr. V. SCULLY moved an address for a return in chro nological order, of all Ministers of the Crown appointed since the 'Act of Union in 1800, with the dates of their re spective aces ptances of, and retirements from, office ; dis tinguishing Cabinet Ministers from those not in the Cabi net: And, similar return of all persons appointed to the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Chief Secretary for Ire land, and Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, during the like period. The document r ho'said, would itself be a most vain- able one, in a historical and political point of view, for it would how how very much the aristocratical element predominated in our Cabinets, and how few Cannings, Dis raelis, Cobden, and Brights we had had among the num ber. He had limited it to the Act of Union in order that it might be seen how many Irishmen had formed members of Cabinets since the year 1800. With the exception of about half a dozen titular Irishmen, or rather of members bearing Irish titles, as the Duke of Wellington, Lord Castlereagh, Lord Monteagle, and one or two more, it would be seen that no Irishmen had been members of Cabinets. Some of the most important offices in Ireland were in the hands of Englishmen, such as the head of the police, and other offices. The house could afford to laugh at this matter, but it virtually affected the interests of the country from which he came. That was an Irish grievance, and he hadlaid sufficient grounds for complaint. The English Whigs and Liberals had excluded them, the Irish Roman Catholics, systematically from office. It was said, why did not Irishmen of position and ability come into that house ? The reason was, that it would bar promotion. He con- eluded by moving the motion. Mr. M'CANN seconded the motion. Lord C. HAMILTON said the information was to be found in Thom's Almanac. Gradually the hon. member let out the real motive of his motion, viz., that he wished to put himself forward as a proper member for office. (Hear.) Had he not referred to the late member for Dover? How, said he, was he — silenced ? Was not the inference clear ? He had never heard an Irishman in that house who had not cried out " Justice for Ireland." He hoped that the Govern ment would not grant a return which for the first time would set.forth from what part of the United Kingdom a Minister of the Crown came, and what religion he was of. Mr. SCULLY—The noble lord has not read my motion. Lord C. HAMlLTON—Whatever the terms of the mo tion might be, the hon. member in his speech had directly referred to members of the Roman Catholic persuasion who had held office. But his great objection to the return was that the information asked for was to be found already in " Thom's Almanac" more fully given than it would be by the return moved for. Sir G. C. LEWIS said one of the usual motives which induced hon. members to move for returns was that the house was not in po'ssession of authentic information on the subject to which the returns had reference. That could not be the motive in the present instance, because there were in existence, not only the books of common reference to which the noble lord opposite had alluded, but many others, in which the names, paternity, and country of all. those Who had held office under the Crown were set forth, and there was no more difficulty in obtaining the information wanted than the meaning of a word by referring to " Johnson's Dictionary." Another usual object in moving for returns was to give the information the official stamp of authenticity which attached to any returns made to that house. But the house in, such cases did not sit in a judicial capacity, and if any hon. member on the authority of the common books of reference stated that such and such a Minister had held office at a particular time, it would not call upon him to pro duce legal evidence of the fact. With regard to the word ing of the motion, he did not think it was very clear, be cause it did not distinguish what kind of Ministers of the Crown were to be included. Did it include the Ministers of the household and those who held subordinate offices ? Did it include only those who held seats in the Cabinet ? If the latter, he would remind the house that the constitu tion did not recognise the existence of the Cabinet as a cor porate body, and the house had abstained from any formal recognition also. It wa,s'a mere conventional arrangement for the more convenient transaction of Ministerial business. The speech of the hon. member seemed to imply that his countrymen had not been eminent in Parliamentary and official life ; but no return was needed to prove the contrary —the names of Burke, Sheridan, Lord Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Castlereagh, Mr. Ponsonby, Mr. V. Fitzgerald, and Mr. Tierney were illustrations of eminence both in Parliamentary and official life, and that during a long succession of years and Parliaments. If it was the wish of the house that the return should be granted, he had no objection—(no, no) but ho thought its only result would be to cast needless labour on certain public departments, and to cause needless expense to the public. (Hear, hear.) Mr. V. SCULLY replied—He had not been able to find the information he wanted in any book whatever, and if it was given as he proposed it would be of great value. The motion was negatived without a division. BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS IN IRELAND. Mr. M‘MAHON moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend certain laws and statutes relating to the admission of banisters and solicitors to practise in Ireland. Mr. WHITESIDE was opposed to the measure because it was not asked for in Ireland, snd was not necessary. Mr. BRADY suppoited the motion. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for IRELAND(Mr. Ser geant Deasy) thought that no advantage could arise either to the profession or the public at large, from prolonging this discussion at this period of the session; and he therefore hoped his hon. friend would not persevere in pressing his motion. The house then divided, and the numbers were— For the motion .. 179 Against it 123 Majority for 56 RIVER THAMES. Sir G. C. LEWIS, in moving for leave to bring in a bill to extend the power of the conservators of the river Thames, said the object of it, which was to assist in the purification of the dames, would meet with universal satisfaction. (Hear, hear.) The bill was a very short one, and at pre sent he would merely move for leave to introduce it. Leave was then given. MEDICAL ACTS AMENDMENT. Mr. WHITESIDE obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the Medical Acts of 21 Vict., c. 9, and 22 Vict., c. PACKET AND TELEGRAPHIC CONTRACTS. Mr. BOUVERIE brought under the consideration of the house the petition of Sir William Russell, presented 18th July, and moved that it be an instruction to the se lect committee on packet and telegraphic contracts, not to I proceed to inquire into the mail-packet contract for the con veyance of mails between Dover and Calais, and between Dover and Ostend, until the petition of Sir William Russell, Bart., complaining of an undue election and return for the town and port of Dover, shall have been disposed of. The hon. member said the petitioner understood that a select com mittee had been appointed to inquire ieto the packet and tele graphic contracts whichthe Government had entered into for the conveyance of mails and messages, and that he was ad vised that there were circumstances connected with the con tract for the conveyance of mails between Dover and Calais of such a nature that the house should instruct the com mittee not to inquire into that contract. He (Mr. Bou verie) thought the house was bound, in justice to itself, its character, and to Sir W. Russell, to comply with the prayer of that petition. He would state the ground of sus picion which existed as regarded the purity of the transac tion in connexion with the Dover contract. Mr. Church ward was a gentleman not unknown to fame. He was a large employer at Dover, and had the command of 120 votes. In 1852 there was an election at Plymouth, and the com mittee who tried the election petition presented against the return of Mr. Mears, reported that certain voters who had polled for Mears had been bribed by this very Mr. Church ward. By other resolutions, other acts of bribery were proved. Now, he did not think there was evidence of inten tional fraud on the part titf the department, but, at any rate, they must be convicted of great incaution in giving a rever sionary contract, which was only to come into operation at I the end of four years, to a man who came to the depart meat with a tainted haracter, and who had been branded by a report of a committee of that house a notorious briber. That, then, was the issue which the committee would have to try. There were allegations in the petition of Sir Wil liam Russell, the truth of which would be best elicited by an election committee. According to the constitu tion of those committees, the judges would be few in number, and their responsibility therefore great. More over, the same judges would In present on each day, so that there would be no chance majorities, and they would have the assistance of counsel and witnesses upon oath, and every possible appliance for the purpose of enabling them to arrive at the truth. (Hear.) Could there be any doubt, therefore, that that was the proper mode of eliciting the truth ? Or that it was not an infinitely superior method to that presented by a select committee ? If the select com mittee arrived at a particular decision on the . question, Sir W. Russell would have an opportunity of laying his own evidence before it, but he complained that his case was likely to be prejudiced by the preliminary examination of tainted witnesses. The select committee, however, would be placed in the position of a court of appez.l from the elec tion, which was certainly not to be desired. He had spoken in the interests of Sir W. Russell—(cheers from the Oppo sition)—but he declared that, independently of all party considerations, if any man should tell him that he had a good claim to a resolution of the house, he would be, at any time, ready to de him justice. (Cheers.) It was for the interest of all of them, and especially for those who we re accused, that those matters should receive a full and search ing inquiry. The right hon. gentleman concluded by mov ing the resolution of which he had given notice. Sir S. NORTHCOTE said he was q uite as anxious as the right hon. gentleman himself that the truth should be ascertained, but it was only fair that they should have an opportunity of clearing themselves from charges which which had no founda tion in fact, a i n were brought forward ni g ht after night, n a osed t fohrm in which they could not b e met. If it were prop at m be some the select committee was to supersede the electron" commit tee, or to prejudice Sir W . Russell, reason for the distinction w hich the right hon. gentleman B had drawn between the two tribunals. But he could not see why Sir W. Russell could not bring forward any evi dence before the election committee, upon _. which he could found- the serious charges he had advanced Mr. eOWPER wis hed to revert to !he fact that the p e titioner, Sir Wm. Russell, says that his case will mate rially suffer if the inquiry s h o uld be first gone into before a se l ec t c ommittee. He therefore thought they should strain in a point to go int o the inquiry the most satisfactory manner. Mr. 'WHITESIDE said that the right hon. gentleman who made the motion said, as a lover of justice b he hoped the inquiry would be gone into in a judicial manner, and the first thing he had done was to impugn the composition of the committee, but neither that gentleman nor the gen. tleman who had last addressed them had succeeded in showing that the inquiry into the truth of the matter could by possibility affect the inquiry before an election com mittee. Mr. lIENLEY said the right hon. gentleman who had made this motion had not shown them in what way Sir W. Russell would be injured by the inquiry before the select committee. He thought if the motion were granted very great injustice would be done. Mr. COLLIER said he could not conceive that anything could be more satisfactory than that the parties should be examined upon oath, and not that the inquiry should take place before a committee of which the accused parties formed a component part. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he felt the appeal that had been made to them, and that they should not approach this question in a spirit of party, and that his right hon. friend had no other object in view in - making the motion than a desire to forward the objects of justice. Tho Government was most unwilling to show any want of confidence in the select committee, or that it was supposed to limit itself, to try the .merits of particular contracts. The question was whether, after the speech of his right hon. friend, they could step in and limit the inquiry before the select committee. He (the Chancellor of the Excheqiier) would be inclined to refer the petition of Sir William Russell to the select committee. He thought it would be the better courso so to refer the petition, and, as an amendment, ho should therefore move that the petition of Sir 'Win. Russell be re -ferred to the select committee on mail packet contracts. Sir F. BARING said, as far he could collect, the com mittee were opposed to the motion of the right hon. gen tleman. Mr. DISRAELI said he thought the Chancellor of the Exchequer could hardly suppose that the house would as sent to the proposal he had made. The members of the late Government had some claims upon the , consideration of the house, and especially as the Dover petition had very little chance of being decided in the present session. He thought the House of Commons could hardly permit itself to fall into the trap which had been l a id f or it by the right hon. gentleman. (Heaa, hear.) Lord PALMERSTON thought there was no sufficient ground, to interfere With the proceeding of the select corn- mittee which had bean appointed by the house. His right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer had suggested that the petition of Sir W. Russell be referred to the select committee, but after the statement which had been made by the member for Portsmouth (Sir F. Baring), he thought the amendment should not le pressed. Mr. BOUVERIE replied, after which • The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER withdrew his amendment, and the house divided upon the original motion, when the numbers were— For the motion 6l Against it Majority against the motion 162 The orders of the day were then disposed of, and the house adjourned at a few minutes past two o'clock. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST. The report of the directors, to be submitted to the meeting of proprietors on the 26th inst., has just been issued : The accounts for the half-year ending June 30, 1859, are subjoined, and show the following results : The amount of capital Taised to the 30th June, 1859, is £8,397,879, consisting of : Mortgage debt, £1,720,985 ; debenture stock, £397,100 ; preference capital, £1,661,240; consolidated stock, £4,618,554 —total, £8,397,879. The amount of capital outlay has been £246,038, of which £lBO,OOO has been in respect of this company's contribution to the Victoria station and Pimlico Railway, making £337,500 now charged on that account ; £24,984 for the new Henfield line, which is being rapidly proceeded with ; £15,419 towards the completion of the Norwood Junction sta tion ; and the remainder for the stations on the Uckfield and Mid-Sussex lines, and for sundry works and additional vehicles rendered necessary by the increasing traffic and the larger number of miles worked. The issue of the Four per Cent. Debenture Stuck proceeds satisfactorily, and powers have been inierted in the bill now before Parliament enabling the company to issue the whole or a portion of this stock in anticipation of bonds falling due. This will permit the directors to avail themselves at any time of a favourable state of the money market, and to issue debenture stock without the necessity of waiting until a proportionate amount of bonds falls due. The gross revenue for the half-year has been £365,686, being an increase of £21,116, as compared with the corresponding period of 1858. Of this increase £10,796 arises in the coaching traffic, £5,340 in the goods traffic, and the remainder from the 421 per cent. on the receipts of the West-end and Crystal Palace line, retained by this company as the allowance for working the local traffic on that branch. It is satisfactory to state that the in crease has been general and proportionate on every part of the company's system, with the exception of Epsom, where, by the opening of the South- Western Company's competing line, a loss of about £4,000 has been occasioned. The details of expen diture for the half-year ending 30th June are fully given in the subjoined abstracts : Miles run by trains .. 1,192,758 Total traffic receipts (excluding cartage) Maintenance of way Locomotive power Carriage and waggon department Coaching traffic charges Goods traffic charges (excluding cartage) General charges Law and Parliamentary charges .. Rates and taxes Government duty Toll to the South Eastern Railway Company £22,954 47,999 11,640 38,029 10,111 4,580 328 14,715 11,542 507 Total working expenses and renewals (excluding cartage) Cartage 7,960 Total Distinguishing the ordinary expenses from the amount expended in renewals and additions, and from the cartage, the general result of the compa rison with the corresponding half-year of 1858 w" stand thus : Half Year Ending June 30, June 30, 1858. 1859. Ordinary expenses £133,582 .... £150,284 Renewals and additions Total expenses (excluding cartage) .. s. d. s. d. Per train per mile Per cent. on traffic receipts 431 •• .. 461 Cartage 6,991 .. . . 7,960 Total £152,847 .... £170,365 Although there has been an increase in the total amount of working expenses, the cost per train per mile has been considerably reduced. The increase arises from several eauses. First, from the outlay incurred in working the West-end line, and from the fact that this outlay, so far as regards the local traffic, was not included as expenditure in the cor responding half-year, inasmuch as the allowance received from the West-end Company for such service was applied in reduction of working ex penses. This method of appropriation has been altered, as stated in the last report ; the allow ance will be found at the credit of revenue, and that sum must be taken into account in order to obtain a fair comparison. Secondly, from the larger number of miles worked over, namely, the West-end line from Wandsworth to Pimlico, and the Lewes and Uckfield line. Thirdly, from heavy repairs done to a large number of the loco • motive engines purchased in 1847 and 1848, which required and have received extensive renewals. The working expenses have also, to a small extent, been increased by the competition which has been forced upon the company ; but, looking to the general re sult, especially to the new traffic thus attracted to the line, and to the publicity given to the Brighton route to Portsmouth and the isle of Wight, it can not be sail to have operated prejudicially against this company. The Parliamentary proceedings of the session are drawing to a conclusion. The company's bill has passed the committee of the House cf Lords. The two bills promoted for a line from Leatherhead to Dorking were rejected by the committee of the House of Commons, as was also that omote by the Portsmouth Company with a view pr to relieving themselves from the restrictions imposed upon them by their act of last year. The bill containing per missive powers for the lease to the South-Western Company of the Portsmouth Railway, or for the amalgamation of those two companies, has received the sanction of the legislature. The directors regret that the differences which have unfortunately arisen with the South-Western Co aipany are still unad justed. The purchase of the Battersea to Norwood portion of the West-end of London and Crystal Palace Railway was sanctioned at the special meet ing held on the 9th of May last, and it has accord ingly been proceeded with, and takes e .i ff l e b ct from the mitt l e s d t te Ju t l t y le , and resolutions r e e r s e o a l t u in ti g on t delivered to the West-end of Londo sh n ewls andtoc 1 C c e r t 3 a sub a e l Palace shareholders in exchange for their shares in undertaking.ee m p o e r s t h the e proprietors that tn severalthe lastsehr connect some of then were infOrmed metropolitan promoted ra ilw N a v y i t s h w a view ith th t e o Victoria Station; one of these, an extension of the West London Railway, embracing all that is requi site, has bee n selected as the most desirable, and the bill authorising its construction has passed the com mittee of th e H ouse o f C ommons and will be laid before the special accompanyingmeeting. The line is shown on a plan the re port. There are also two short branches, forming junctions with the South-Western Railway at the Falcon-bridge Junction Station, and with the West•end line at Wandsworth•common. The directors have agreed, subject to the assent of the shareholders, to join the London and North- Western, the Great 'Western, and South-Western Companies, in providing the necessary capital. The estimated outlay is £300,000, and the proportion to be contributed by this company is £50,000, or £75,000 in case the Great Western Company do not elect . to capitalisd their guaranteed annual contri bution. In connexion with this now matured scheme for the admission of the North-Western and the Great Western Compani2s into the Victoria Station, the directors have under their considera tion the desirability of possessing themselves of the whole of that property, so that a general terminus may be erected more suitable for the requirements of all, and free from the inconvenience and compli cation attending the working of separate and inde pendent stations; and they are glad to have it in their power to inform the proprietors that, subject to their sanction, they have entered into an arrange ment with the directors of the Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway, the result of which will be that the whole of that undertaking will intimately be vested in this company. Agreements are in pro gress with the North-Western and Great Western Companies for the use by them of the requisite por tion of the West-end line and of the Victoria Sta tion and Pimlico Railway. A bill is now before parliament, promoted by in dependent parties, for a line from the Mid-Sussex Railway at Petworth to Midhurst. The directors have entered upon arrangements with the promo ters analogous to those concluded as regards the other portion of the Mid-Sussex Railway. The bill has passed the House of Commons, and will be laid before the shareholders at the special meeting, a s required by the standing orders of the House of ' Lords. The bill for a line from Norwood to Streat ham was rejected by the committee of the House of Commons, but there having been some misap prehension, efforts are being made to obtain a re , committal of the bill, with a view to its becoming law during the present session. The directors have every expectation that these efforts will be attended with success. . The net amount at the credit of the revenue ac- count is £115,955, out of which the directors re commend the payment of a dividend of 21 per cent. for the half-year, amounting to £115,464, leaving a balance to the credit of the current half-year of £491. One of the auditors, Mr. John Chapman, has ten dered his resignation, by reason of other more press ing engagements, and jt remains with the proprie tors to accept it, and to fill up the vacancy at the present meeting, should they see fit to do so. The directors next in rotation to retire at the first half yearly meeting in 1860 are Mr. William Coning ham, M.P., and Mr. Peter Northall Laurie. ADVERTISING COLUMNS. Yesterday afternoon a numerous deputation from the various metropolitan vestries and district boards, accompanied by Lord Fermoy and Mr. Edwin James, the members for the borough of Maryle bone, waited upon the Right Hon. Sir G. C. Lewis, at the Home-office, for the purpose of protesting against the bill introduced by Mr. Cowper, arising from the erection of the " Illuminated Indica tor" at Hyde-park-corner, having for its object " to restrict the erection of permanent structures in the carriage-ways of the metropolis," and to urge the Government to give its opposition to such measure. Lord FERMOY, in introducing the deputation , observed that it represented the public boards of most of the leading metropolitan parishes, and they felt that the bill introduced by Mr. Cowper was not only an attempt to infringe upon and restrict the local powers they enjoyed, but that it was in direct violation of the principles of the Metropolis Local Management Act. It was felt that, because one local board had thought proper to sanction the erection of an advertising column, to bring in a bill restricting all the other public boards from the power of placing up erections, however useful, was an act of public injustice, and ought to be resisted. In the borough he (the noble lord) had the honour to represent the local boards had positively refused to allow these illuminated advertising columns to be erected, and therefore there was no necessity to apply this act to them. The metropolitan parishes were exceedingly jealous of this interference with their local powers ; as it was; if this measure passed , it was the thin end of the wedge leading to centrali sation. (Hear, hear.) Sir G. Q. LEWlS—having been further addressed by Mr. C. Carr, from Marylebone, Mr. Beal, of St. James's, Mr. Robins, of Paddington, and deputies from the Holborn, Stra ,:d, and other district boards , to the same effect—observed that he could well und , ..,rstand the very natural and very proper jeal ousy with which the metropolitan parishes viewed any attempt to interfere with their local powers. He had no desire to give his sanction to the raw sure which had a tendency towards that which they appeared to apprehend, namely, centralit3a tion. At the same time, however, he could 11 0 , view this subject as one of the purely parochi al character which the deputation seemed to imply It was one which he thought involved a question of the public rights, and the public travelling through the public highways of :this metropolis had a right to be protected. He had some doubts as to the necessity of this bill, as he could not find, that by act of parliament any parish had the lega l power of causing the erection of these advertising columns. It would thus be his first point to.ascer tain if they had the legal right to do so. At al; events, it would have been better for the vestry °' St. George's to have removed the column at Hyde: park-corner, and thus have prevented the subjec t coming before parliament. He would give the sub" sect his best consideration. COUNTRY 111,112K8T8. LIVERPOOL—JULY 19. Our market was exceedingly dull this morning, and Oa a small number of buyers made their appearance. The cito: tations may be noted the same as Tuesday last for w hen Flour quiet. Oats and oatmeal dull, and rather lowe r ; Barley, beans, and peas unchanged. Indian corn attract e 4 a fair inquiry, at 6s 6d for Galatz, 6s 3d for Ibrail, and 2d for white per 1001bs. SHEFFIELD—JULY 19. 1 of At this day's market there was a moderate supply, wheat, but more than was required by buyers, and pricel gave way 6d, per load (ls 4d per qr.) A fair retail deroa ll a , for barley, at previous currencies. Oats held firmly, an also beans. Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...l6s 6d to 17 0 „,4 63 "White f) )9 ...18s Od to 20sn Beans ff ), . 18s Od to 210 - Peas, per qr 4Bs Od to 5 48 2 6 Grindino• u barley, per qr 33s Od to 3 5 ° ,'"A Malting ditto, „ .. 33s Od to 350 Od Oats If 24s Od to 323 %/- Millers' prices for flour—ls 6d, is Bd, and is 10d P er 141b. a 5 2 ,8 Hy, 80s to 85s; wheat straw, 28s to Ns; oat strata, to 365; turnips, 14sto 16s per ton. RICHMOND—JULY 16. We had a poor supply of all descriptions of grain to-dal; and a fair demand. Wheat ruled from 5s 9d to 6s 9d P e bushel ; barley, 3s 6d to 4s Od ; beans, 6s to 6s 6d ; oit 6 3s Od to 3s 6d. SUNDERLAND—JULY 16. a At this corn-market wheat was in small supply, prices ranged from 49s to 52s per quarter. There was ° to much passing in spring corn, oats being quoted at 26 5 to 22s per 24 stone ; beans, 46s to 48s per qr. ; barley , 305 320 per qr. LEEDS—JULY 19. of The weather is now wet and unsettled. Supp bes wheat are only moderate, and held firmly at fully tue il l 0 of last week. Barley nominal. Beans rather give Wa„Y a t price. Oats and other articles in very limited demana) former rates V - -----. Averages for the week : Wheat 2,604 qrs., at 47s 60 Beans 5O " 2Bs 2(1 8ar1ey......... " --s Od Peas ....... —..— " —s Od Oats 3ll „ 27 s 4d Rye — ~ —s Od Arrivals this week : Wheat Barley 2,953 qrs. Oats Peas Rapeseed Beans Linseed - -•• 370 ••• ]l5 ..1,053 NORWICH CATTLE—JULY 16. d p o till A very good show of store beasts to-day, comprising n o d shorthorns, and Irish. Sales were restricted, and Nv e „d to a poor attendance. 'Scots, 4s to 4s Gd ; shorthorns , 3s y er 4s 6d ; Irish, 3s to 3s Gd. Fat beasts, 7s Gd to 8s Oc. P stone. Gel t° Sheep—The pens were well filled. —Fat sheep, 7 0 8s 6d per stone, and all sold. Pigs—A good supply. Store pigs 23 s to 28 s ; fat P° Gs to 6s Gd per stone. [ADVERTIM3IENT.I—The following extraordinary without medicine, of indigestion (dyspepsia), flatulett' S i , ' constipation, nervous, bilious, and liver complaints, o'l4 as thma, consumption, and debility, effected by Du 13 3 7, t delicious health-restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, 10e .fof the least remarkable :—Cure No. 42,116. —Major Buttb. enlargement of the liver and total prostration o f streas ;ot Cure No. 36,418.—Rev. Dr. Minster of cramps, sPa5"-of, and daily vomitings. Cure No. 26,418. —Dr. 'arce."., of diarrhoea and debility. Cure No. 39,628.—Dr. Wurt%er„, consumption. Cure No. 32,880. —William Hunt, Eslt, barrister, of paralysis. Cure 46,270. —Mr. James Rober, timber merchant, of Fri mle y , of 30 y ears' diseased lux e spitting of blood, liver derangement, partial deafness. , 01 1. No. 49,832.—" Fifty years indescribable agony dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, o , 3 s se lency, spasms, sickness at the stomach and vomitingi i i,v, been removed by Du Barry's excellent food.—Maria Wortham Ling, near Diss, Norfolk." Cure No. 52,u 'iqr; The Dowager Countess of Castlestuart, of many year,sl-cof vous irritability, bile, and indigestion.—Cure No. ." the Right Hon. the Lord Stuart de Decies, of dysPePl.i. , -In tins, at Is. 6d. •,11b., 3s. ; 21b., ss. 9d. ; 51b 128.4,Y0t• 265. The lffib. and 121 b. tins carriage free, on. receipt (lop office order. Du Barry and Co., 77, Regent-street, IPII 601 Fortnum, Mason, and Co., 182, Piccadilly ' Abbist. f a' Gracechurch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; 63 , and 150, Ox t° te' street ; 330 and 451, Strand ; 49 and 60, Bishorlio, street ;. 85, Tottenham - court - road. Also at leo./ Bewley and Draper ; at Edinburgh, Raimes a nd t ot at Liverpool, Nixon and Thew ; at Manchester, Shar? th• Scott ; at York, Raimes, Blanchard, and Co. ; a t Sou ampton, Randall and Son. BIRTHS. M e er C RE ASY.—On the 17th inst., at Wimbledon, th e Professor Creasy, of a sou. 1 ~,,c l OO CUMMING.—On the 16th inst., at Altyre, Lady G° Lady of a son. the MUNSTER.—On the 18th inst., at 35, Rutland-gate, Countess 9f unster of a son „ s tet • STEWART.---,0/1 M the 18th inst , at 42, Belgrave -si l" Lady Octavia Shaw Stewart, .of a daughter. MARRIAGES. A i 41 --11 BOND—SHEPPARD. 0 the 19th inst., at St. la, Church, Hamilton-terrace, St. John's-wood, 8r.,.. 115 4" ft son of Erasmus Bond, Esq., of 347, City-road, for P - A iogf daughter of J. H. Sheppard, Esq., late of Re' Berks. 01 MANSEL—MONTAGU.—On the 19th inst. at at St. Tl l °_„ - s elf Church, Oxford-street, the Rev. Owen . Luttrell Igr,iso fourth son of Lieut.-Colonel Mansel, C.B , to . e i l i ato Catharine, youngest daughter of the late Li; rd I" - Montagu. DEATHS. oe CATES.—On the 18th inst., Grace, daughter of Cates, Esq., of Lincoln's-.inn-fields, and Wale' aged 19. T, CROFTS.—On the 16th inst., at Mailing House, neftr —e the Rev. P. G. Crofts, aged 85. „OD , FITCH.—On the 17th inst., Mr. W. S. Fitch, of IP B ' aged 66. e C GAUSSEN.—On the 15th i ns t., at Meesden, Bury, the A., Gaussen.o4 , KEATE.—On the 18th inst., Isabella Anne, w idow of fled Keate, Esq., late Sergeant-Surgeon to th e Queen, '° 69. - MEmrteznizEises.--, Esq., O aged n the 18th inst., at 24, Holborn-hill, 1:01, e tt ar r NUNN.—On the 17th i ns t., Philip Nunn, Esq., of 13 Hall,. Great Maplestead, Essex, aged 83. Le d PONVELL.—On the 18th inst., at Clapton, MiddlcsA titia Powell, aged 92. -- t ow LONDON : Printed and Published by MURDOII of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Stu; Office, - 14° V e Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the N ull Middlesex, Wednesday, July 20, 1859. i