The Sun. — London, England, 1862-03-26 00:00:00

- IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS—YESTERDAY. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at five o'clock. THE REVISED CODE. Petitions against the Revised Code were presented by Lord Cranworth, the Earl of Derby, Lord Kingsdown, the Bishop of Worcester, Viscount Dungannon, the Marquis of Bat'n, the Earl of Devon, Lord Redesdale, Lord Calthorpe, an d several other peers. - EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN AND CHIL.DREN BILL. This bill was read a first time. SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM BILL. The Duke of BUCKINGHAM moved the second read ing of this WY which was to enable the trustees of the museum to some of its treasures to the Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1862. Lord O VERSTONE said he thought this bill required seriolla attention. In the approaching summer, when a gTeAt number of foreigners were expected to visit this c Auntry, he thought that it was highly objectionable that the interesting museums and galleries of the metropolis should be denuded of their great attractions. He thought that instead of such being done, it would be of the highest importance that the various attractions should be arranged in the highest order, and therefore he was of opinion that some further explanation was necessary before the present bill was agreed to. The same demand as that which they were now considering had been made to the, trustees of the National Gallery, but after full considerafAon the authorities thought it would be incon sistent comply with the request. Re did object to the second reading of the bill, but he thought the subject should not, be hastily disposed of. Earl GRei.NVILLE agreed that it would not be desir able to denude our public galleries, but he did not think that because the National Gallery had refused to lend some of its pictures, the trustees of Sir John Soave's museum should be precluded from lending some of its treasures to the coming exhibition, as last year not more than 2,000 persons visited the establishment. The bill was then read a second time. POLAND. The Earl of CARNARVON rose to call the attention of their lordships to the present state of Poland, and also for the purpose of inquiring of her Majesty's Government whet:nor Prince Gortschakoff's circular letter of the 20th of March had been communicated to them. The noble lord com menced his observations by alluding to the difficulties of the subject which he was about to bring under the atten tion of the house, and he thought that cold indeed was the heart of that person who did not feel a sympathy for Po land, whose sons had borne up under every difficulty, as nothing had ever sunken their courage or devotion to their country. It wee said in one of the petitions presented that evening that - England had looked with indifference on the partitions PA Poland. That was false as a matter of history. Englanee never did look upon those partitions with indiffer ence, out had frequently protested against them, and had Pro,cested against the revocation of the constitution. We tad never acquiesced by deed or word in the revocation of the constitution. The first, second, and third partitions of Poland were effected on the pretext that Poland had be come a dangerous neighbour. Even now we heard it said that Poland was dangerous to her neighbours, and that was alleged in order to justify the revocation of her consti tution. The extraordinary fatality had happened to her that whilst in her early days she was the source of trouble and constant anxiety to her neighbours, so since ahe had been destroyed and incorporated with other countries she had become a still greater source of anxiety, not on ly t o h er neighbours but to Europe. England was directly con cerned in the qneetion of Poland. She was interested in preserving the balance of power which at present existed among the various states of Europe, and he ventured to say that the incorporation of Poland with other countries was a source of as great mischief to Europe generally as to Russia. It was a mischief to Europe in this way—that country which was designed as a restraint against the aggression of Russia on Europa; Was no more. Russia by seizing Poland had crossed 'the German frontier, and held an attitude some thnes threatening to Austria. It was a painful task to dwell upren these matters, but he trusted their lordships would think he had said nothing which would give offence to Russia. As far as he had studied the question he did not believe that the Polish nation was at the present time ripe for entire independence, but he thought that they had so far disciplined themse:ves through great calamities and great trials as to entitle them to some extension of constitutional liberty. He would be an imprudent man who predicted the restoration of the Polish kingdom as an impossibility, but looking at recent events in Europe there was no well-grounded rea son f or b e li eving that such a ntingency would arise at present. At the same time these who, with the best intentions, but the worst judg ment, had held different language, and encouraged the Polish people in illusory dreams, had done poor service to the cause they desired to advocate. Equally for Poland and Russia he regretted the continuance of the present doplor ablo state of things. (Hear.) iHe regretted the language in which Russia and her policy had been stigmatised, as she did not deserve it. It was no light thing for the Emperor of that kingdom to have undertaken the task of emanci pating the serfs, nor was it any light thing that the nobles and the great proprietary classes had co-operated in carry ing out that measure. For many years past it had been the practice for the nobles of Russia to meet occasionally in assembly for conference, and the Emperor had now gone so far as to consult these assemblies, and place before them matters of the highest national importance for the purpose of obtaining their advice. Looking at all these things it was evident that a more liberal view prevailed in Russia than informer years, and he could not believe that this libe rality on the part of the Government would be confined to Russia, but that it would be extended to Poland. He had a right to assume that this policy would be lasting ; for, look• lug back, they saw that three successive rulers, the Emperor Alexander, the Emperor Nicholas, and the present Em peror, had promised to give a constitution to Poland. Those three emperors had, in succession, acknowledged their duty to that people, and pledged their honour, and taken the oath of fidelity, not only as Emperors of Russia, but as Kings of Poland. There 'Are, no doubt, classes in Russiaunfavourable to Polish liberty ; but it would be an injustice to the present ruler of 'chat country to say that he was indifferent to the voice, of truth, or that the benevolence which he had shown in the emancipation of the serfs would not be ex itended to his subjects in Poland, a course dictated not only by generosity, but by every principle of sound policy. Earl RUSSELL—I must do the noble earl the justice to say that he has spoken on this painful subject not onlywith great ability but with great prudence. (Hear.) I rejoice to observe the measured and terapeeate manner in which he has spoken of the government of Poland. But, however the noble lord may be at liberty to speak, I feel that one who bolds the office of Secretary of State for Foreign Af fairs is more restricted than anyooe else in giving an opinion on such a subject. (Hear, hear.) Any member of this or of the other House of Parliament, any organ of public opinion in the press, may avow sentiments with regard to the go vernment of Poland, may point out what may be deemed oppressive in that, sy,,tem, and may protest against the mea sures of Russia more miler than one in my position. Your lordships must remember that any official language which is used cannot fail to be futile and undignified, unless, on the one hand, it be such as is likely to be received as satis factory and agreeable by the Court of Russia, or unless, on I the other hand, it be maintained by material assistance to the Poles. (Hear.) I have therefore been very cautious in the official language which I have employed on this sub ject. As the noble earl justly says, Poland has from her first partition always met with sympathy in this country, yet at the same time no English Government or Prime Mi nister has at any time held out the prospect of material as • sistance to the Poles. A ter the last partition, in 1791, Pitt spoke of it in terms of abhorrence nearly as strong as those which were used by Fox, but neither he nor any other Mini ster thought it was the duty of this country to interfere save by an expression of opinion. It is therefore in the same spirit that I shall make some observations which occur to me on the speech of the noble earl. It has been justly said by the noble earl that this is a matter which occupied a prominent place in the deliberations of the Congress of Yienna—not sc much, indeed,during the regular conferences Ile in conversations and correspondence between the Minis ters of the different States. That was a period, we all know, 'when the interests of peoples were not so much regarded as th ose of the great sove re i gns o f A us t r i a , R uss i a , an d p" l 'sia, whose armies had produced such an effect in Eu 7Pe bY their predominant strength. Lord Castlereagh 'might the b attle in the interests of Poland with as much energy Poesible ; but as th e n o bl e ear l j ust l y says, what ever', effort % 1 , Et could make and what ever success h e m i g ht have expect e d from Elba. Th were interrupted by the return of Napoleon . a r r angements e of 1815 therefore were in this respect very h„, ' jerfeet. The noble earl justly says that by the Treaty e l Poland was united to Russia by constitution. Ent tb elina ei . e It was united by conet but fallacy in that expression. Alexander no part of those conces omens made by the E mperor to Poland were enu merated or sanctioned by th e Congress of Vienna, and not b e h therefore they could obli te lief greys to he within the terms of European Ze l di n. (near ' ) In lend t the la Polesn d 18 02 32 a vast insurrection occurred ind n P e e enri, a. urretion. tile claims of -n-'llee• Their resietance deavoured to obtain their was overcome ; the Russian b takmasinsprevailea, and the Em peror of Russia held that 3' I representation, to g a lieu _ Em the Poles to nationa°nal and to those privileges which ar, the Emperor Alearme hoe promised were altogether forfeited. My noble friender (Lord Palmerston) contended, and wit h , as I think, so und and superior arguments, against that. preposit ion. Those Papers were produced last year in Parl iament, and Parliament has bad an opportunity of seeing with holy pinch ability and with how much perseverance my noble fr iend att.-niptell to im press upon the Russian Government the e trictity of the ob ligations which Russia had undertaken. 'flint was not pushed any further, and the 'constitution of theh controversy Tiro Emperor Alexander was not given to the P o l e s. con stitution intended by the Emperor Nichola s was , I bc leve, never enjoyed by. Poland. But at the commenc emen t o f the reign of the present Emperor a change took place affecting B essia—one of the greatest changes perhaps whi c h h as oc currod in modern times, I mean the change mule by the rea_peror with regard to serfdom in the dominions subject to his rule. After that change was made various events and circumstances took place,and the Russian Ambassadors at this and the other Courts of Europe were in -tructed to state to the different Governments what were the intentions of the Emperor. The noble earl has stated most truly that these intentions comprised a Council of State which should be provided with members not belonging to the official hier archy, meaningf by that some ludep en d en t mem b ers whose advice sh1: 41 1 c 1 b e asked by the Government. Another artic-le was to secure municipal councils, which were to bo Jective. A third provision was for a council upon eccle ' siastical matters, and with that council was connected the subject of education, I must say that I think those pro positions wise, and not only wise but likely to lead the way to the enjoyment of greater privileges by the Poles when they should have had the benefit of national administration, and when, by education, they should have been raised in tho scale of nations. (Hear, hear.) The circular despatch was read by the Ambassador of the Emperor of Russia,but no copy of it was left. However, it soon afterwards became public, and I will read a passage to show the spirit in which these propositions were meant—a spirit highly honourable to the Emperor, and demonstrating the benevolent views with which he acted : " The solemn act of emancipation inaugurated by the manifesto of the 19th of February attests the profound soli citude which our august master devotes to the wellbeing of the peoples whom Providence has confided to him. Russia and Europe have se en i n it a p roe f th a t, f ar f ro m evading or postponing reforms demanded by the progress of ideas in itiative and of interests, his Imp er i a l M a j es ty t a k es the and pursues it with perseverance. Our august master ex tends the same solicitude to his subjects of the kingdom of Poland, and has not wi s h e d th a t a painful impression should arrest the course o f hi s generous intentions." i That was a voluntary declaration on the part of the Empe ror of Russia. It showed, in the first place, that he did conceive himself bound by the general provisions of the Treaty of Vienna to Europe to give a liberal and generous Government to Poland, and in the next place it showed that Poland was a country to which especial care would be given. Unhappily Poland, when she has excited our sym pathy, has generally excited our sorrow. There happened those painful events to which the noble earl has referred, in which the Poles by appearing in the streets in great crowds wished to manifest their attachment to their nationality, but at the same time excited apprehensions, not unreason able, that tranquillity might be disturbed. I took oceision in the other house to state that while I thought them appre hensions not unnatural, it was the duty of the Goveanment to give notice that no crowds would be permitted—that to attack an unarmed multitude by means of soldiery, with out notice, was an act of rigour and cruelty, and from that opinion I cannot depart. (Cheers.) The Prince who then commanded at Warsaw did me the honour to write a letter to a person in this country, who communicated the letter to me, endeavouring to show that due notice had been given to the people by proclamations. I am convinced that Prince Gortachakoff felt great interest, I believe almost affection, towards the people over whom he was placed, and that he did not intend to aet with harshness and cruelty. At the same time I cannot depart from my opinion that the acts then committed produced irritation which was but natural and justifiable under the circumstances. (Hear, hear.) Matters proceeded. The people paraded the streets. National hymns were sung in the churches, Upon that subject the Russian Government was extremely susceptible. I had some of these hymns sent over and translated. One at least, if not more, was sanc tioned by the Emperor Alexander, but the hymns were cer tainly addressed to the national spirit, excited the Poles to maintain their national character, and evidently had refer ence to some period when they should maintain their cha racter as an independent nation. I cannot wonder that the Russian Government should wish to prevent such hymns being sung. But the way in which the people were shut up in the churches, and then let out, as described by the noble earl, appears to me to have been utterly unjustifiable. I have no doubt that a deep feeling of anger and resentment was t heconseqnence, and that it p ro d uce d national irrita tion, dejection, and alarm. At the same time, we must not only regard the circu ms t ances which makeus look on Poland with compassion, but als o the original intentions of th e Russian Government, and what may be expected from them. ith regard to the state of siege, I do not think it possible for any foreign Government or any individual 'to say what measures a Government ought to take in order to preserve its own internal tranquillity. (Hear, hear.) Whether those measures be taken at Warsaw, whether they be taken in Hungary, or whether they be taken in the United States across the Atlantic, if the Government says such measures are necessary to secure obedience to the law and to keep the State and society together, I think credit should be given to the Government as knowing best what is necessary for its own internal tranquillity, and that, at all events, it is not for other Governments to interfere. (Hear.) But, with regard to a state of siege, it must always be deemed a temporary measure, and I cannot but hope that before long some relaxations will be made. I quite admit that at the end of four months the mitigations are trifling ; but it shows a feeling on the part of Russia that such a mode of government cannot be kept up, and that they are looking to a return to a better state of things. There are other circumstances of a hopeful character, A Pole (the Marquis Wielopolski) was summoned to St. Petersburg to give advice to the Emperor, and, if general rumours are correct, the advice which he gave was'very wise, and well befitting a man who takes a great interest in his own coun try, while thinking it hopeless to sever the connexion be tween it and Russia. He proposed that there should be a civil government for Poland, entirely separated from the military government; that the civil governor should be a Pole; that the offices of the administration should be filled by Poles ; that the laws of Poland should have their free course, under a Polish administration; that the people should enjoy as many privileges as were consistent with their con dition ; and that the troops should never be employed ex cept in cases of public disturbances, or against external vio lence. That proposition was not adopted by the Russian Government of the period; at the same time, it was not wholly rejected or thrown aside. On the contrary, much favour was shown to the distinguished man who gave that advice, and it was courteously and graciously received by the Emperor. I see no reason to doubt, or at all events to despair, of advice of that kind being taken at some future time, and that the Poles will have the benefit of a govern ment of their own nationality. Now, a country subjected to foreign sway may be reconciled to it by a government of that kind. There was a great instance of this in the go vernment of Italy under the first Napoleon. He had the supreme military command over Italy ; but he did not place there a French administration and a French government. On the contrary, Italians of distinguished talent were placed in the government of Italy. By that means the people of Italy were reconciled to the foreign power of Napoleon. But there are other circumstances that justify us in locking for some mitigation of the grievances of the Poles. Tho Em peror of Russia has granted to all his subjects who were in the state of serfdom an emancipation from that condition, and we may look forward to the period when all these men will be free. Now, no one can expect that the change will stop there. When this class settles in the towns and cities of Russia, it is quite impossible that the monopoly of power by the nobles can be maintained. Indeed, a great portion of the nobles ha ve d ec l ared their wish to slLtrewith those who were serfs, but who will be their fellow-subjects, all the ad vantage s and:all the privileges that can be attained under a freer government. And when the Russian people have ob tained a government more in accordance with the views and general system of Europe, must not that have a great influ ence on the condition of Poland ? If the noble lord, who has paid so much attention to the subject, will refer back to the year 1831, he will find the feeling prevalent among the Russians was, not only that the Poles were in rebellion and insurrection against the Government of Russia, but that it was unjust and unfair that the Poles should, since 1815, have been in the enjoyment of greater privileges than the Russians possessed themselves. There was a sort I of national envy in regard to the Poles and the privileges they possessed. But if the Russians once come into the enjoyment of greater privileges and freedom, so far from having a feeling of hostility to the Poles, they will be glad to see theta also in the enjoyment of civil and religious liberty. Not only my observation of the past, but my ex pectations of the future lead to this result. But I must end as I began, by saying that while nothing could give me in dividually, or the Government collectively, greater satisfac tion than to see happiness and peace prevail in Poland, I do not think any immediate interference, and still less con stant remonstrance with the Government of Russia, will /fleet the object proposed. (Hear, hear.) I am very glad that the noble lord, who has spoken with so much discre tion and so much ability, has called your lordships' atten tion to the subject; but I do not think anything immediate can be done, though I do trust that, as in other parts of the world oppression is gradually decreasing, so it is decreasing in Poland. The Earl of CARNARVON briefly replied, and Their lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. MEW MEMBERS. Mr. MoRRITT took the oaths and his seat on his elec t iou fur the North Riding . , and Mr. J. R. Mills fur Chip-, ping Wycombe. PRIVATE BUSINESS, The Berwick-upon-Tweed Harbour Bill and the Fros terly and Stanhope Railway Bill were read a third time and passed. Tiro following bills were considered and ordered for third reading : Coventry Poor Act Amendment, Daventry Railway, and Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax Junction Rail way. THE REVISED CODE. A very largo number of petitions were presented against the Revised Code, and ono was presented in its favour amid with a in T t T o t : INLAND LEVENUE. Air, neatsF he w ould, _ ov ' ALL gave notice that on this day fortnight to iturtii, il! e for the appointment of a select committee mode of collecting the inland revenue, . view. t o a p., , 4. public service. - ca ' l ' economy in that department of the Colonel STUART aA--' THE DkIILITA it, TRLAIN CORPS. whether the Military 1:„,,` 1 i t he Secretary of State for War Tote when and for what purchase corps; if the fori ll oo7: 41 to b.ow a purchase or non reasons the change was made; if tiatter, to explain on What principle officers were allowed Q e '° g© from the THE StYN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY - EVEN' NG, MARCH 26, 1862, line into the Mililary Train, and vice verse; also to what extent commissions are sold in the Military Train ? Sir G. LEWIS said that the corps in question was the same as any other in this respect. THE TAEPING 3. which could determine, or ought to determine, this ques tion. The question of expenditure was not one which should govern the decision of the house ; but when they came to the appropriation of the money so liberally voted by Par liament, it was important to see that the money was so spent as to produce the results which Parliament had in view. This consideration forced itself upon the Govern ment last summer. Government was in connexion with a vast number of persons in various parts of the country engaged in education—drawing their sala ries from the Government, and to a great extent inde pendent of those managers with whom they are more immediately associated. Government had to consider whether this gigantic system of centralisation might not be checked, and whether to a greater extent local manage ment and control could not be given. The Government also considered the report of the commissioners, and what they said as to the present system being pli cumbrous, and costly, and the Government also came d totheconclusion that the results were by no means commensurate. Then they set themselves to work to revise the code, and the result of their deli berations was laid befcre Parliament some time previous to the prorogation, with the fall expectation that it would produce the criticism which it had produced during the recess. The heads of the department to which this matter wes entrusted had received deputation after deputation on the subject, and had read ell the pamphlets which had appeared. In fact, he had scarcely ever known a subject which had been more thoroughly dis cussed, whether in or out of that house. The Government thought that the principle which they ought to maintain was, that the money voted by Parliament for the promotion of education should be contingent upon the success of the machinery employed, as tested by results. To this principle he understood his right hon. friend to assent. The right hon. gentleman (Mr. Walpole) in his speech pointed out what he deemed the four advantages of the present system, but ho failed to show that the Revised Code would not sus tain these advantages, nor did the right hon. gentleman in any of his resolutions ask the house to say that the Revised Code would affect the religious instruction given in the schools under the present system ; and as to taunting the religious bodies on the subject, he thought that it would be reproaching them to suppose that they would be less atten tive to religious education when they ceased to be paid for it than they were when they were paid for it. In schools in connection with the Church of England no difference Would be made under the Revised Code; and as to discouraging voluntary efforts, he held that the effect of the Revised Code would be exactly the reverse of what the right hon. gentle man anticipated; for the supporters of schools would be more and not less anxious and interested. The very cer tainty of the grants heretofore had operated as a check rather than an impulse to a voluntry effort. He attached quite as much value to these voluntary efforts as his right hon. friend could do. Those represented by his hon. friend the member for Leeds were entitled to the thanks of the country for the efforts they had made unaided by any Par liamentary grant. Amongst those not unwilling to receive Government aid large voluntary contributions had been made ; and many such schools would have been established by benevolent people, even if there had been no Parlia mentary grants. He could not see how voluntary efforts would be checked by efficiency being made a condition of grants. (Hear, hear.) As to discipline and cleanliness, schools whore these qualities were not found would not be entitled to a grant; and as to the test of how the children turned out in life, it would bo impossible to follow them and to make the grant dependent on the issue of such inquiries. Ho was not disposed to underrate what had been done by the present system. Ho remembered and took part in the efforts of the Marquis of Lansdowne and Lord Rus sell, to whom the right hon. gentlemen had referred. Ho remembered the jealousy with which these grants were at first regarded, and the danger the system then ran of almost annihilation at the hands of the majority of that house. As to the results, it was a fact which stood broadly out in the report of the commissioners, that not more than one-third of the scholars could be said to be efficiently educated ; but he cared not to state the precise proportion ; wh a t h e con tended for was, that notwithstanding the vast amount of money spent, a very largo proportion of the child ren were imperfectly educated in those very elements of education which all agreed should be insisted on. He thought he had stated the figures incorrectly—the fact being, as he had just been informed, that one-third were well taught and two thirds imperfectly taught. His right hon. friend stated as an objection to the system that it did not reach the poor dis tricts. That objection had been often repeated, but the de fect complained of was inherent in the system which made Parliamentary grants dependent on voluntary contributions. The Revised Code was intended to meet that objection by making efficiency the sine via non of the money contributed. Another objection of the right hon. gentleman was, that by the Revised Code the junior classes would not be sufficiently attended to. Now, if anything could induce the masters to attend to the junior classes it would be the regulation which made the master's remuneration depend on the testing of each child—which would make his remuneration depend, not on the general management of the school, but the actual instruction given to each individual child. The Revised Code was to remedy the very evils of which the right hon. gentleman complained. As to the masters and pupil teachers it would be seen, when the house came to discuss the resolutions, that the Government had kept faith both with masters and pupil-teachers, and that full justice had been done to both parties by tho Revised Code. Under the recent system neither party had any legal security for pay ment of what they were led to expect; under the Revised Code masters and pupil-teachers had a legal guarantee foi six months' salary before they could be dismissed. Ho (Sir G. Grey) would assure his right hon. friend that when the house went into committee the Government would be pre pared to consider his resolution with impartiality. (Hear,) He observed, and truly, that the subject of education should not be made a party question. (Hear, hear.) He (Sir G. Grey) believed it was the sincere and earnest desire of the house to promote a sound education among the children of the working classes of the country, and hoped the house would go into committee with the desire of considering the resolutions of the right hon. gentleman. With respect to the point of economy, and also that of secresy, nothing would be done without the consent of Parliament, and therefore in those respects the Government would afford no just ground of complaint. It was generally understood that the house would now go into committee to discuss those resolutions, and he hoped the time would not be wasted by matters of detail, but that general principles would be kept in view. (Hear.) Mr. B. STANHOPE criticised at great length the vari ous provisions of the new code, and complained that the Vice President of the Committee of Council had not dealt with the subject in a fair spirit. He observed that the at tendance of children at school was a matter beyond the con trol of the managers, yet both the grants to them and to the teachers were made dependent upon the examination and attendance of the scholars—a result equally illogical, un reasonable, and unjust. Mr. FREELAND asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any communications had been received from our military or naval officers in command on the China station with reference to the character and ope rations of the Taepings, or rebels; and whether the Go vernment would lay upon the table of the house copies of, or extracts from, any such communications Mr. LAYARD said that the papers in question were prepared, and would shortly be laid on the table of the house. TREATY WITH BELGIUM. Mr. W. FORSTER asked the Under Secretory of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he could give the house any information relative to the commercial treaty now negotiat ing between this country and Belgium ? Mr. LAYARD said that the demands put forward by the Belgian Government led to the negotiations being sus pended for the present. Mr. BUXTON, as one of the managers of a school, owned that ho had felt ut one time under a cloud of uncer tainty ; but after considering the question fully, he had come to the conclusion that the Reviqed Code, whilst it would not damp religious teaching, would tend to stirnutate secular, at the same time that it would not discourage the friends of education or induce them to remit in their efforts. Lord It. OECJI, admitted that there were evils in the existing system which required amendment, but he objected to the Government scheme that it not only did not remedy these evils, but left them where they wore, or deepened their intensity and increased their range, and had evils of its own ten times more extensive and perilous. The system now in operation did not reach poor districts, new schools, and dull pupils; and in all these particulars the Revised Code would be worse than its predecessor. Mr. W. FORS"' ER said experience had convinced him that a reform was absolutely necessary ; but the great and sweeping change contemplated by the Revised Code would not be a reform so much as the utter destruction of the present 53 stern. Mr. Puller opposed, and Mr. Leathani supported, the Revised Code; after which, on the motion of Mr. White side, the debate was adjourned until Thursday (to-morrow). WEST HARTLEPOOL RAILWAY AND DOCK CITY SEWERS COMMISSION. Yesterday afternoon the members of this commission held a meeting in their court room at the Guildhall. THE EMBANKMENT OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE THAMES. Mr. NV . HAYWOOD, the engineer to the Commissioners, laid before the Court a report stating that he had perused the bill for embanking the north side of the Thames, from Westminster-bridge to Blackftiam.bridge, and for making new streets in and near thereto, and horn Blackfriars bridge to the Mansion-house; and he had also examined the deposited plane. The title of the bill explained generally the nature of the proposed work, which in its entirety re presented perhaps the largest and most important metropo litan improvement that had been before the public for many years past. The embankment, as shown by the plans and sections, was to start from the bridge at Westminster and to continue along the northern shore of the river to Black friars-bridge. The level of the surface would be uniformly four feet above Trinity high-water mark from Westminster buidge until it reached a point nearly opposite to Middle Temple-lane, it then ascended With a gradient of about ona in sixty to the present level of Blackfriars-bridge ; its width was to be 100 feet from Westminster-bridge to the eastern boundary of the Inner Temple, and 70 from thence to Black friars-bridge. The whole of these widths were to be laid out as carriageways and footways. No railway was contem plated along the line. It appeared to be intended to build the embankment solid and arrangements were to be made by which the low level intercepting sewer might be constructed within it, so as to obviate the necessity for constructing it between the Strand and Fleet-street. The public conve nience Would thereiore bo uninjured, whilst a better line for the intercepting sewer would be secured. The general line lying between the embankment and the present line of river frontage would be reclaimed, and was to be let for building or devoted to public purposes. Two new streets were to be made between the embankment and the main thoroughfares lying to the north of it. Many streets, also, now terminating at the present river wall were to be con nected with it. The means of access to the embankment throughout its length would therefore be freqtent. The jurisdiction of the commis:jou was not touched until the point of junction of the embankment with the roadway of Blackftlare, from which point a street 70 feet wide was to be formed up to the Mansion-house. The centre line of this street crossed Chatham-place in a north-east direction; it crossed Earl-street near to Printer-street, and thence curves round to the foot of St. Andrevee• hill, and runs midway between Thames-street and Great Xnight-rider street to Bennett's-hill, from that point curving gently northward across Old Fish-street-hill and Bread-street hill ; the centre line runs along the sotithern side of the short length of New-street, (formed some years ago in an ticipation of its continuation somewhat upon the line now proposed) to Cannon-street, and then runs in a north eastern direction straight to Charlotte-row, by the Man sion-house. This street was not upon the line of that recommended by the Royal Commission upon the Thames Embankment. The total area scheduled within the city was about 221 acres. The sewers of the entire district through which the line of street passed would have to be altered and reconstructed. In tho plans deposited there was an absence of detail, nor could he (the engineer) learn that detail had yet been considered. He was unable, therefore, to give the court further information an to the design and mode of construction proposed. The compre hensiveness of the project must however, commend it to those who had studied the wants of the metropolis in re spect to its thoroughfares, and if it was carried out in the spirit in which it had apparently been conceived it would be in every respect a work worthy of the age ; but if, on the contrary, it was curtailed in its execution by undue regard to small economies, by inattention to detail, or neglect of collateral points, it might still result in a comparative failure, and a failure would, in this case, be little short of a national disgrace. Upon carefully studying the plan it would be seen that there were many parts in connexion with the embankment which, according to the way in which they might be treated, would either conduce to or lessen the grandeur of the whole. The same might be said of the proposed street within the City, where oppor tunity would be afforded for effecting collateral improve ments of general as well as of a local character, which, if now lost, could not effected at a later day without large cost; but no attention appeared by the deposited plans to have been given to those points. The whole design was, indeed, one which admitted of being improved, and to a large extent perfected, before it was placed in the hands of the board which might be destined to carry it into execution, and it should not be permitted to pass into law until every point was arranged which was capable of present determi nation. The bill as introduced varied very considerably from that deposited. This was much to be deprecated, in asmuch as it rendered it difficult for the officers to examine and report properly to those bodies of persons concerned in the measure, and prevented those affected by it from taking proper means in defence of their rights ; in fact, the safe ' guard which was intended to be given to the public by the deposit of a bill and plans was by such alterations to some extent destroyed. The board for carrying out the work of the northern embankment and new street was, accord ing to the present (but not the deposited bill), com posed of eleven members, two being members of the Me tropolitan Board, elected by the Corporation of tho City of London, the remaining nine to be other members of the Metropolitan Board, ono of them being its chairman, who was also, when present, to be the chairman of the committee ; five was to bo a quorum, and the committee appeared, when once constituted, to bo intended, to a large extent, to be independent in its action of the board from which it emanated. The committee was to hold its first meeting at such time and place as the chairman might appoint, and it might afterwards meet at such time and place as was thought proper. The cost of the works were to be defrayed out of the Thames Embankment and Me tropolis Improvement Fund. The powers of the district boards, vestries, and other bodies appeared to be reserved, but it was by no means clear that the same reservation was made in favour of the powers of the Commission of Sewers; but, on the contrary, it seemed to him that powers which the commission had hitherto possessed in respect of sewers when new streets were to be formed within the city were abrogated entirely. From a clause in the bill the duration of the functions of the board, or the Embankment Com mittee, seemed to be limited to ten years, but this was not distinctly set forth, nor was it clear under whose control the embankment was permanently to be placed, nor from what funds it was to be maintained; but owing to the en grafting of numerous clauses from the other acts, but which clauses were not inserted in the bill, and by incorporating other acts, there was considerable difficulty in ascertaining the exact intention of the bill upon various points, and it appeared to him to require tho most careful consideration of the legal advisers of the court. It was a noticeable point also in the bill, that for the first time it was sought to invest a body other than the Corporation with powers to form new thoroughfares within the city of London. After some observations from several members, the re port was referred to the Improvement Committee to ex- amine and report. The court then adjourned. ASSIZE _INTEL LIG.EIV CE. HOME CIRCUIT.—LEwEs, March 25. "May 2, 1861. "My dear Sally,—l do not know whether you will allow me fo address you in this familiar strain, but I do hope you will once again. I am truly sorry for ray past conduct to wards you, and beg, your forgiveness. My conscieneo tells me that I have acted in a most disreputable manner, and I Vish to retract all I have said or done. Will you forgive me, Sally ? I am miserable, and I cannot live without you. I know I have caused you a great deal of sorrow and anguish, but I do hope to be able to bind up that sorrow ing heart. Oh 1 how can I ask your forgiveness when I know how wrong I have been. 'Would you allow me to see you once more ? Do not deny me, and I promise instead of your reproach you shall have more cause to praise. I never will wound any more that bosom where affection dwells. Forgive me, dear Sally.—Your repentant lover, " J. F. R. The business of the assizes for the county of Sussex was proceeded with yesterday morning, at ten o'clock, Lord Chief Justice Erie presiding in the Crown Court, and Mr. Justice Wightman at Nisi Prins. There are 23 causes entered on the civil side for trial, 18 of which are set down to be tried by special juries, but 15 of the number are actions for compensation for injuries received by the fatal accident that occurred in the Clayton tunnel last year. CROWN COURT. (Before Lord Chief Justice Erie.) His lordship, in charging the grand jury, said that there were an unusual number of cases for this county to be brought before them ; but it appeared to him that the calendar seemed more formidable than it really was, as the greater portion of the cases were charges affecting property, which might very well have been disposed of by the magistrates sitting in quarter session. Emma Jutten, 38, was indicted for the wilful murder of her child, aged three years and a half, and named Emma Eliza Jane Jutten. Mr. Hake conducted the prosecution. It appeared that the prisoner was a married woman, and resided at Brighton, and on Dec. 24 the child in question was found dead in her bed with a piece of string tied round its neck so tight as to cause strangulation. There was no doubt that the act was committed by the prisoner, but from the medical testimony it appeared that she had not been of sound mind for a considerable time previous to the transaction, and that she was insane when the offence was committed. The facts were only very shortly gone into, and the jury at once acquitted the prisoner on the ground of insanity, and she was ordered to be detained dur ing her Majesty's pleasure. NORFOLK CIRCUIT—NoRwicii, March 25. CIVIL SIDE. (Before Chief Baron Pollock.) CHAPMAN V. RUSIIMAN.—EREACH OF PROMISE OF MIDLAND CIRCUIT.--WARWICK, March 25. At three o'clock yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, an application was made to Mr. Justice Williams to allow the prosecution to be withdrawn in the case of Richard Guinness Hill. This case has obtained great notoriety o wing to the extraordinary features with which it was surrounded. It will be remem bered that the defendant stood charged with falsi fying the register of his own son, at Rugby, in January, 1859. It was alleged that he did so in order to become possessed of his property (about £B,OOO per annum), and the whole of the property of his wife, which she had bequeathed to him abso lutely, in the event of no issue surviving his decease; and what gave strong confirmation to this suspicion was the mysterious disappearance of the child itself, and its subsequent discovery, after a lapse of two years, in the hands of a woman to whom Richard Guinness Hill had given it in secret charge. In the investigation into the case made at Rugby, some extraordinary disclosures were made, and the public have seldom seen in print such a combination of fraud, duplicity, and cruelty. Mr. Field said the suspicious circumstances of the case had been satisfactorily explained to the persons prosecuting. Mr. Justice Williams said he supposed " an arrangement" had been made. He knew nothing whatever of what transpired out of court. Mr. Field thought ho should have little difficulty in convincing his lordship that the evidence might advantageously be withdrawn. The Judge said he did not see how the prosecution could be withdrawn. _ _ Mr. Field said persons would have to be dragged into the case if it was proceeded with, and that unnecessarily ; and there were many matters of a private nature altogether. Mr. Justice Williams said the offence was ren dered a public one by actof Parliament, and certain penalties were attached to it. He must certainly refuse to grant the application. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS—Warch 25. _ (Before Mt. Bodkin, Assistant-Judge.) Henry Cross, 38, solicitor, was indicted for frau dulently obtaining by false pretences, from Mary Ann Roles, the sum of £5O, with intent to cheat her thereof. I Mr. Metcalfe prosecuted. The prisoner was de- I fended by Mr. Warton. Mr. Metcalfe having briefly opened the case called the prosecutrix, who stated that she lived at Glou cester-gardens, Kentish Town, and was a widow, and housekeeper to her brother. From May up to November last, the prisoner visited at her brother's house once or twice a week, and paid his addresses to her, offered her marriage, and said he was preparing a comfortable home for her. A marriage was agreed upon, and he asked if she was dependent entirely upon her brother. She told him she had £2OO of her own at 4 per cent., which was correct. He said it was foolish for her to put it out at that small rate, he could get 121 for it if she would like to try it, and if she liked she could put £5O in his firm (Cross and Nixon, 58, Lincoln's Inn-fields), and his partner would make more than that of it. He said he was advising her as a soli citor should advise a client. She drew out £5O, and went to the prisoner's office on the 2d of September. He met her at the door. She expected to see the partners together. He asked her if she had the old the money. She said she had. He said, old man," meaning a little man at the d oor, "little knows prevented v h e o n w t e her on w seeinge, you Mr. a nd N l i , x s o h n a , ll bbyescaoymineg thatene. rie to o e h d o id r, n o o s t h w e is ( h mr h . i N m ix to on k ) n wis esv h thated him to m he was engagedhis daughter; but she was onl y a school g irl , and he s h ou ld not like her. She went with him hotel in to a in Covent-garden, and he called for pen, ink, and paper. He asked what receipt he should give ? She said he knew best; but she should require a proper one. He made out a receipt with a stump on it. She gave him the £5O, and he gave her £6 N. as interest, at the rate of 121 per cent. He said she could have it back in a month if she required it. He visited her afterwards, and she asked him what Mr. Nixon said about tho transaction after he saw it entered in the books. He said Mr. Nixon wanted to know who she was, and where she lived. She parted with the money believing it was going to "Nixon and Cross, solicitors. In case she wanted th e money she was to apply at the office ; even if he left Mr. Nixon she would never lose a shilling of it. Soon after his manners changed, and she told him she was going to Mr. Nixon for the return of the deposit; he begged and implored her not to do so as it would cause words. He promised to pay her on the 3d of December. Ho never visited her afterwards, aqd she had never received one farthing of the £5O. In January Mr. Nixon told her he knew nothing of the money. She first saw the prisoner in April, when he gave her his card. The money was not a loan to the prisoner. She consi dered it to be as he represented a deposit at interest with the firm of Nixon and Cross at interest repay able on notice, which it was not. She met him near MARRIAGE. This was an action to recover damages for an alleged breach of promise of marriage. The de. fondant pleaded that he never promised to marry the plaintiff; that she was not ready to marry hi m when he was prepared to marry her ; that she exonerated him from the performance of the pro mise, &c. Mr. Keane and Mr. Metcalfe appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. Palmer and Mr. S. Reeve for the defendant. It was stated that the plaintiff is 38 years of age, and that she has for some time carried on, with her zother, the business of a grocer and general shop kee, -at Claxton, Norfolk. The defendant is a age, residing at Ashby, seems t-b. . -hoot . the same miller, ot lb- 'la e, and an adjoining ' to have been at the l i e , st, 12 or 14 years at various times during tracted by the plaintiff, Iv om he had known as a -‘ffer . s of marriage• child, and to have made her Those offers, for sown ` '''r, Came to no' - reason or oteN., —, ----------... e------- -- - thing, but in the spring of last year the defendant 1 Queen-street, sought an opportunity of renewing his intimacy letters. She was with a highly respectable young if, elborn, as he was going to post' his with the plaintiff, nuu his marriag e with her was I woman, a fareeer's spoken of to many persons as like ly . soon to take card. Next day daughter, and he gave her his 1,, s wrote her two letters. She place. Only one letter was put iu as having been went with him to ;Weston's, the Alh.ambra, and written by him to the plaintiff, and this was in the other places of amusema as to having had intrigue. ent. In reply to questions , Following terms : 9 with persons in the coun ts try, and having s t a t e d Oat they unfortunately ended in nothing, she gave.an unqualified denial, but said she knew some p er s sons in the country $ when names were mentioned; .he did not proceed againet him in this case because' Ele had committed a breach of promise of marriage, ree t because he had H a d his conduct been sawftienrdhleedhandertohuet mofotnheey£Bsuoeh. as it na,d been before, she would cur tainly have married him, but his visits were much lees after ho had it, an,d he wrote insulting letters to her, containing remarks which she declined to repeat. A letter was put in, with the postcript cut off—as it was not, she said, fit to be seen. It was a "P.S. Anxiously waiting your reply." she could not recollect the exact weeeds. She coult vile imputation upon her, but not say that it was to the effect that - On the receipt of this letter a reconciliation took y pe json. dear for a lady's charms. She believeeel it imputed place between the parties, and the result was he hadp,aidl She that marriage was again proposed, but ablusdoned. to her that she was a slut or untidy The plgintiff unfortunatly became enciente, and was had many letters from him, ,hut with respa. identification of the handwritiog, she said .he was delivered or a child (which is still living) on ti` 2e ct to the c lever in disguising his s ignature. Sometinlee it 28th of last month. The defendant acknowledged was W. H. C ro s se , sometimes simply Henry. that he was father of the plaietifrs child, but it air- She re eteived £6 ss. for interest on the £5O, but she NI es peered that in September he had married his that l e ssve the money back in a month on deman d, 108 cousin, thus rendering it impossible for him to ma ke ed am w amount. She considered she as investing the' the plaintiff- any reparation for the injury be had til monslY with the firm of N ixon and Cross, and not as done h er. Elizabeth Chapman, sister to the plaintiff, was Edward Nixon deposed that he was a examined, and stated that in 1848 the defendant James a loan to Cross himself. solicitor set 58, Lincoln ' s-ine-fields, and was is commenced visiting at the house very frequently , never meeting the plaintiff without kissing her. ‘e teh the prisoner until January. H e , partnership y e ;. , atever of this borrowed money , His intentions were believed to be honourable, and knew nothing of partnership, the partnen a preparations were made for marriage,when the in- and, by the artic. l et: were not to give sect ,„;ty for money or for any other timacy was renewed more recently. In fact she sanction and consent of th e and her sister began to take stock of the goods in purpose without the fah ' firm, given in writing. ) .. 'here was no entry in the their shop with a view to a dissolution of partner- ,. ship, defendant wanting witness to get her niece to call book of any visit of Mies , R oles until the Bth o f assist her " when he took Sally." On the last day received the money January. If the prisoner haa of February her sister was confined, and she had . have been entered on account of the Mull it should not been at all well since, in fact witness was afraid bankers. There in the cash book, and paid into the she would "never be a woman again." In conse quence of her sister having been confined the busi- was no entry of the kind, and the affair was entirelY one of fraud upon Miss Roles. ness which they had carried on was not so good as The witness was ctoss-examined at Itength by it used to be. Mr. Wanton as to his own private affairs Lind his Cross-examined—A Baptist minister had come business transactions, but neith er questions n6r sometimes to see her sister and herself, but came as a answers had any direct 'tearing up on the charge' minister only. He never stopped late at nights, against the prisoner. Sergeant Palmer, detective of the A division, and she never heard of his wife's telling him, " There, go back to black Sally." (Laughter.) She Scotland-yard, said he took the prisoner into cast had heard that the defendant had given a bill of tody on the 12th of March, from instructions h e had received as to his having obtained £5O by fals e sale on his mill on account of money which he had pretences. The prisoner said he knew who it was ; borrowed. Her sister had a little money ; she did it was that -- Miss Roles. not like to say whether it was £5OO or £l,OOO. She Mr. Wanton addressed the jury, and made sane would have had this money when she married. She satisfied the letter put in came from the defen- comments upon the conduct of the prosecutrix, ill dant. which he was interrupted, as they w ere said to be was Re-examined—She had only heard of the bill of unfounded. The learned coup gel said he was only sale on the defendant's property since the com acting upon the prisoner's i n stneetions. The prisoner said he had given s l pecial direction! . that no allusion should be made as• to the persona mencement of the action. The plaintiff's brothers were also called, and one of them stated that he estimated the returns of the character of the lady. This was not only deniedl b rit rief the tha p b defendant's mill at 50s. per week. The defendant but it a pp eared in the learned counsel's had told him he intended to make the plaintiff his such were the instructions given, and thest wife. On another occasion he also referred to a soner himself, when at the police court, htiei mad e l chest which he had as one in which the plaintiff worse defence. Mr. Cooper and Mr. Met ca2fe s, ll' would like to put linen. , that it was due to Mr. Warton to say that ti; e 1 Mrs. Stimpson, a married woman, whom the destructions were upon his brief. fendant supplied with flour, stated that he had The jury found the prisoner guilty. talked to her about the plaintiff's being in the fa- His lordship said the case was a very gross one ' milt' way, and that he said he made no doubt that the prisoner having endeavoured to defame and " the child was his, that he would readily own it, blacken the character of the lady he had rob bed, and that he would pay for it if that was all. under the pretence of being her lover , and he s Medical evidence was also adduced to show that married man. Were it met that his conv ictioa would have the effect of removing him from a p re' the plaintiff was at present in a very feeble state, both physically and mentally. fission which he had so disgrtsced the sentence Mr. Palmer addressed the jury in mitigation of upon him would certainly be one of penal servitude; damages, and said the question which the jury The defence set up by him and put iri the hands e' would have to determine was, had there been any counsel was a great aggravation of the o ff ence' promise of marriage ? It was clear, at any rate, Under the circumstances, the sentence) upon the that it was not a case in which unsophisticated in- Prisoner was that he be kept to hard lab our for 00 nocence had been beguiled, or in which a young years. girl had been led into paths of vice, for the plaintiff was a woman of the mature age of 38, who was quite as able to take care of herself as the defend ant was to take care of himself. The defendant was only a small miller ; a bill of sale was impending over all his property ; and would not a lady with £5OO in her pocket have been a good catch for him —have relieved him of his banker's debt, and set him up a free man in the world ? If so, and a pro mise had been, the probability was that it would have been fulfilled. The Chief Baron having summed up, The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff— damages, £lOO. , CD UN.I Jel• 111 ARAL 2S. .. .b.• BRISTOL—MAncx 25. At our market to-day there was but a small attendarl and in order to make sales in some descriptions of wile f j a decline of is to 2s per qr from last Tuesday's rates . 1 0 to be submitted to. Barley in fair demand, In oats very little doing. at full price° LEEDS—MARCH 25. alit / We havo to report only moderato arrivals of gra-n, week. 'The demand for wheat to-day was limited, Al i V e at tors had to take is per qr less money. Fine b arle y so ' ate full prices; secondary parcels neglected. Beans and "." sold slowly at late rates. SHEFFIELD—MARCH 25. At our market this morning the show of wheat ale other grain was below an average, but more than equa l the demand. Wheat, best samples, realisod t h e rates . 1 . ?, l a st week, but inferior is to 2 s lower. Malting barley lino unaltered ; other qualities slow. Oats dull, at about law rates. Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...2os Od to 220 04 White New red 7f New white , I lf Beans 77 Peas, per qr Grinding barley, per qr. Malting ditto, „ Oats .... d (1 P er Millers' prices for flour-28 id, 2s °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° 141 b. MELTON MOWBRAY—Mmten 25. and, There was again a short supply of wheat to-daYI 47. with a dull trade, prices receded Is per qr. Barley Wei„, moderate request, at extreme prices. White wheat, vu',, Od to 67s Od; red, 56s Od to 62s per 36 stone ; be slow, at 40s to 46s for old; new sorts , —s p er 38 0t..; barley, 34s to 39s ,for malting . , and 29s to 32s per qr. Or grinding; oats, 24s to 33s Od per 24 stone. NEWCASTLE-UNDEP. LYME—AlAncit 25. At this market to-day there was only a'moderate sho w of wheat, in irregular condition, end the demand was slcr ig. White wheat, 63s to 69s ; red, 57s to 64s per 36 stone, Barley steady, at the rates of the week previous, selling at 36s to 40s per qr., grinding 30 s to 31s per 30 o te ' Oats, 24s to 3es per 24 at. ; beans, 4 0 s to 46 5; n ew, 388 46s per qr. TAE REVISED CODE -MR. 'WALPOLE'S RESO LUTIONS. Mr. WALPOLE moved " That this house will imme diately resolve itself into a committee to consider the best mode of distributing the Parliamentary grants for educa tion now administered by the Privy Council." After some preliminary observations, the right hon. gentleman said that he did not propose to endeavour to have the Revised Code rejected, but he thought that it must undergo very extensive alteration before it could be palatable to the Parliament or the country. He said that the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Lowe) completely underestimated the feeling of the country when he con sidered there was any apathy on the part of the public in reference to the question, for the innovation in the existing system which it was proposed to introduce in this code excited the greatest interest amongst all classes. He argued that all education, to be truly valuable, must be based on religious training—(hear, hear)—and that was the general conviction of the community. They must remember that the system which it was now proposed to supersede had been in operation since 1863, and had given considerable satisfaction. They must combine eco. nomy with efficiency to render any system perfect, and still the right hon. gentleman (Mr. Lowe) said he would secure one or the other, and not both. In fact, the Government could not state what would be the positive results which would flow from the proposition they presented to the house. (Hear, hear, from the Opposition benches,) He alluded to the report of the commission on this subject, for the constitution of which he expressed the greatest respect ; but he said that report spoke in high terms of the fact that the voluntary principle had been enlisted in behalf of the existing system ; yet, he contended, the effect of the alteration proposed would be, in its present form, to discourage the efforts of the voluntary principle in reference to the Go vernment scheme of education. He referred also to the opinion expressed by the commission. in regard to the merit s t i o n f t p h u e p e i l x t i e s t a i c n h Er e r s s v , the d . s T e ip h l e i n co e a ni n i d s s i t o h n e e r religious l e l a e g r m e e n e d that education had not sufficiently reached the lower classes, and that the removal of the children at too early an age, before they could acquire a sufficient amount of elementary education, was most disadvantagoolfs. They woro also agreed that not more than one-fourth of the children received mote than an imperfect knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic in the Government schools, But how was it proposed to remedy the evil ? In the first place the masters were to be increased, but their standard of qualification was to be lowered. He said that they ought to test in the most careful manner the results of a system that hitherto worked comparatively well. By that system he contended that according tothe showing of the commis sioners themselves in their report not only were secular results obtained, but also moral results by making the Go vernment grants pass through the enthusiasmof religious bodies. They said in that report the effect of these schools was greater in a religious than even in an intellectual point of view. He denied that the mode proposed by Govern ment of testing the results of a system merely by the an. swers given in three elementary matters was fallacious, for be frequently a number ot children might have left the se sc h ools before the day of examinati o n a rr i ve d, o r they m i ght subjected to depressing influences, which would prevent their answering satisfactorily. He cited the authority of Sir James Shuttleworth in support of his arguments on the point, and argued that it was quite impossible to arrive at a correct conclusion as to the state of elementary educa tion founded on an examination on a specific day of a limited number of pupils. He had received an inundation of letters from the clergy and laity, and persons of all shades of po litical opinion on the subject of his resolutions, and only one of these was in favour of the Revised Code. He read extracts from some of these letters, He said his right hon. friend Mr. Lowe rested his case on two passages in the report of the commission. (These were the passages in which the commissioners stated that in several cases children did not obtain a knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic, and that only one-fourth of the boys in the schools at tained to snore than an imperfect education.) The teachers differed from the inspectors, and Govern ment should have come forward with a system based on such inquiry, and ho would then have discharged his duty nobly. The defects of the scheme, as stated by the com missioners, were that education had not sufficiently reached some of the poorer and neglected classes ; that the early re moval of the children from school before their instruction in elementary subjects was completed, and the irregularity of their attendance, were most disadvantageous to them, and that the junior classes of the schools were not suffici ently attended to; that in the masters there was no want of power, but want of motive to attend to them; that edu cation in the three elementary subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic was therefore completely neglected ; and that one-fourth only of the children educated arrived at a tolerably perfect knowledge of these three subjects. Here, then, he was at issue with the Committee of Council. The Vice-President of Council said these defects could only be remedied by testing results in the manner provided by the Revised Codes; and that there was a costliness and cumber someness in the machinery that must be swept away and everything turned into a capitation grant. In both these respects, however, he contended that the Revised Code would not only not accomplish the objects which Parliament and the country had in view in promoting the education of the poor, but would form a serious impediment thereto. It would not test results even in the three matters of reading, writing, and arithmetic; it would do so only in the case of a limited number of scholars, who would appear on a cer tain day, and be necessarily subject to all kinds of accidents and contingencies. And even in this case it would not test the least important results fairly and fully, whilst, with re gard to the great majority of the children in schools, the results would not be tested at all. He entreatedthe Govern ment therefore to reconsider the subject so far as not to make the whole of their grant depend upon the single examina tion of each separate child without taking into account any other circumstances. As to the simplification of the ma chinery by which education was to be carried on, it was high time to look into the expenditure with a view to eco nomy, whilst not neglecting efficiency ; but he agreed that it could not be put under one central authority or worked without local agency. In the attempt to economise, then, let them take care that they did not unduly increase the, liability of the managers, and strike at the root of that por tion of the system which had been most successful, in such a manner as to run the risk of subverting it altogether. This would be to commit an injustice, and to break faith with the managers. The right hon. gentleman also condemned the code as calculated to undermine and destroy the system of pupil-teaching; and, adverting to his own resolutions, called upon the house to negative the idea that the whole amount of the aid given by the Government should depend on the individual examination of each child in reading, writing, and arithmetic; that the system of grouping by age for the purpose of examination should be continued ; that when once the children had passed from the highest class of examination, they should bo entitled to no further por tion of the Parliamentary grant ; and that the non-exami nation ago should not be extended from six to seven years, After remarking that it was for the executive to propose affirmative resolutions, and commenting upon the uncon stitutional character of the proceedings of the Committee of Council in taking upon themselves legislative functions in the preparation of the Revised Code, the right hon. gen tleman concluded by moving that the house should go into committee, with a view of framing a measure that would be more satisfactory to both Parliament and the country. Sir G. GREY assured the right hon, gentleman that the Government were perfectly ready to accede to his mo tion to go into committee. Some time ago his noble friend the First Minister of the Crown announced the intention of the Government to take that step. The right honourable gentleman said ho might have formed resolutions con demnatory altogether of the principles and details of the Revised Code ; but if the right hon. gentleman had taken that course, then he (Sir George Grey) thought it would have been the duty of the Government to have re sisted the motion for going into committee without having previously taken the opinion of the house as to whether the views of the right hon. gentleman would be sanctioned by them. A s the right hon. gentleman stated that he assented to the two main principles of the Revised Code, it would be obviously inconvenient that they should enter into the de tails till the house wont into committee, when those details could be considered. The right hon. gentleman assumed that this was analogous to the second reading of a bill upon which we were going into committee ; but if that were so it was a pity that the right bon. gentleman had not put upon the paper, in the way of notice, the exact terms of the amendment. He would advise the house to adopt instead a series of resolutions merely negativing the motions which are embodied in the Revised Code. The right hon. gentle man should have been prepared to state to what extent he thought the principle of testing by results should be car ried, as ho approved of the principle, while contending that Government carried it too far. The right hon. gentleman should have pointed out remedies for the defeats which he suggested. These education votes had increased from C.).0,000 in 1833 to £BOO,OOO in 1862, and no o ne cou l d see where the y w ere likely to stop, for the regulations under which the moneys were administered were icl o hv f er a teh n ebs a ee t s u tv r a e obte t lse o lead oform r t i o n a e n opinion progressive a increas e . e t a h s e e ex T te h n o t se to w w h h o m i g ht go differed to the extent of several millions. But ho did not see that the mere question of expenditure was WIO COMPANY. Mr. ROEBUCK moved for a select committee to inquire into the truth of the allegations contained in the petition of Benjamin Coleman, charging fraud on the part of the directors of the West Hartlepool Railway and Dock Com pany. - Mr. CLAY seconded the motion, which was opposed by Mr. CONINGHAM. Mr. FART ELL also condemned the motion as calculated to prejudice the case of persons whose conduct was at that moment the subject of investigation by the courts of law. He denounced the petition as an unwarrantable attack on a most respectable company. Mr. M. GIBSON said that if a select committee were to be appointed on a petition complaining that the returns investigating t inquiries , the affairs made by a certain company were incorrect, there would bo noend e such for of every petitions railwayw ould company be presented in for the kingdom. lie understood, moreover, that all the allega tions In the petition would be inquired into by the Court of Chancery and the Court of Queen's Bench. As the pro ceedings were still pending, therefore, he thought it would not bo right to appoint a select committee to prejudge the case. The motion was negatived without a division. MUTINY BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. The house then adjourned. [ADVERTISE% ENT.]-11olloway's Pills.--Languid. Cir' eulagen." — The accidental or constitutional weakness , which prevents tho active performance of the ordinarY functions of nature, soon undermines the health, unless ss some invigoratin g restorative be judiciously oppliecl.fis , • o ne can act wro ng l y in taking Holloway's purifying* '1 balsamic in co mposition, and gentle in operation, they Vi ll be fauna equal to any emergency. When the means of power in the circulation or nerves is disordered these Pills will soon restore the balance, and once more fit the invalid for active duties without interfering with already he alth y organs. These Pills possess the inestimable v irtue of casting out all i mpurities which may have silently gained admission into the system, and would become secretly though surely the se e d s o f f u t ure disease. FOREIGN MAIL PACKET LIST. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton . . April 12 ,.. via Marseilles .. Apri l ,trazil and Capc Verds, by British packet. 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Benson's new Illustrate d Pamphlet, free for two stamps, descriptive of every construe' Lion of watch, enables persons in any part of the world to select with the greatest certainty the watch best adapted V 0 their use. Watches sent free and safe by post on receipt el a remittance. —J. W. Benson, 33 and 34, Ludgate-hill, 46 . 47, Cornhill, London E.C.—Established 1749. BIRTHS. BETTS.—On tho 23d inst., at 3, Sundown, Deal, the w ife of Mr. 'W illiam Betts, of twin s , daughters. MANN.—On the 22d. inst., at 10, L ower D arn f or d-stre e t ' Stonehouse, Plymouth, the wife of Lieut.-Colonel Mae . "' Town-Major, of a daughter. RAPSTOCK.—On the 23d inst. ) the Lady Radstock, 0 1 ° daughter. WAnnnN.—On the 24th inst., at 12, Brunswick-squa re ' the wife of F re d er i c Warren, Esq,, of a daughter. MARRIAGES. CHOL MELEY — GOODFORD.—On the 25th inst., at Sain t George's, Bloomsbury, Henry Daniel Cholmeley, Esq of The Priory, Woodchester, Gloucestershire, younge r son of the late Sir Montague Cholmeloy, Bart., of Easters Hall, Lincolnshire, to Penelope, only surviving &ugh° r of the late John Goodford, Esq ,of Chilton Centel°. , LEYLAND—SCA ILISIIRICK.-0111 the 25th inst., at Parp T. N. Leyland, Esq., late 2d Life Guards, only so n of ,' Leyland, Esq., of Haggerstone Castle, Northumberlan d ' to Mary Ann, only daughter of the late Charles Scar ls . brick, Esq., of Scarisbrick Hall, and Wrightington, La n ' cashiro. DEATHS. AINSWORTH.—On the 22d inst., at Kensington, Williams Ainsworth, Esq., of Preston, Lancashire, a Dep.-Licut* , of the county of Lancaster, aged 54. BußNErr.—On tho 16th inr.t., suddenly, at Naples, Jail J. Burnett, Esq., of Gadgirth, Ayrshire. DUCK - WOE:M—On the 24th inst., at Wear 'louse, Fauvi Catherine, youngest daughter of Sir John and LIM Duckworth, aged 1 year and 9 months. ELLIOT.—On the 24th inst., at Biarritz, in France, Sud s denly, Robert Liston Elliot, Esq., o f u pper Baker- street. GLOVER. —On the 17th inBt., Edward Aucm u ty Glover , Esq , J.P., ex. -M.P. f or Beverle y , a ged 45 . ToitplucliEN. —O n the 22d lost., at Cald er Reuse, Jnli2e6' 10th Lord Torpliielien. aged 92. - - - Ls , P r inted end Publishedi. by JOHN CHAPLIJ" Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Office, No. 11 2; the Prce:net of th e S avoy, in the C ou ntY °. oof Strand, o N . aidtilefiezi — Wodu 9 glab March 26, 1862, Andreney, ohm Willis Rat gar( Kober gar( Willia Ore Willie Par] Josepl 25 ] Edrna 15, ] EROKI The Stock afforde carnal at the The Bends by the The Worth The in 185: The 1852 £ The in 1852 BhOwin Gent of £ Shares and I h number when a] require TI • that ;T e e ri n ill • the ' Crem e . ._Co ntr irtn an, Aur unun ?rescotl Co. ; j, Co. ; W I 1 4fabet a Pool; al AM .lE ] ( The ratin / adoplo }lb., DM CHU] Window Bever ro Wet, , 'With th biateria CaBCS, Pi intrust° Messrs, stone-8( Just pt HI T nr. .41 A. TnE REGIP Years Mural vino( tic e n PREF; ls. r and t wLer amou Capit peps pet les ; ten John wa' Franc Lai Jame 16, Po b et Chi Samu and Al exa Sco , buil Mich° Ind . Rober Ai SOLI At 7)11(