The Sun. — London, England, 1858-05-07 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LOADS.—(YEsTERDAY.) REVISION OF THE LITURGY. Lord EBURY rose to move that an humble address be presented to her Majesty for a commission, to cJosi der whether the Liturgy of ti,e Church of England be not capable of such alteration as may render it more profitable than it now is for the religious instruction and edifica tion of the people. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY opposed the motion as calculated to promote discord in the Church. He was opposed to revision, av, in consequence of the divided state of public opinion, it would do more harm than good. Any such pr)position, moreover, should proceed from Convoca'ion. The Bishop of CASIIEL disapproved any change not originated by a prop-rly consti' utdd body. Toe Eirl of DERBY believed the alterations that would be expected from the appointment of a Commis sion would not be limited to the removal of trifling aLd casual blemishes ; it would be anticipated that the Com mission would inquire into the merits and demerits of lbe whole Liturgy ; and to create such an impression would be a very serious inconvenience. The alterations Lord Ebury recommended might satisfy the wishes of a f.w anxious friends of the Church, but it was not to be expected they would ratiqy the largebody of Dissenters, who differed from the doctrines of4he establishment. A revision of the Liturgy would inevitably become a doc trinal question ; the changes would be discussed accord ing to their bearing for or against particular doctrines, and the result would be differences within the Church itself. He hoped the motion would not be pressed to a division, opposed as it was by nearly the whole of the episcopacy, the great majority of the house, and, he be lieved, the best friends of the Church throughout the ooautry. Earl GRA.NVILLE thought the discussion might be left to produce its effect on the public mind, but the motion could not be pressed with any result. After a few words from Lord ABINGER, the motion was withdrawn. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.) TENANT RIGHT (IRELAND). Mr. GREER moved for a select committee to inquire into the nature, origin, and extent of the tenant right custom in Ireland, the recent violations of it in Donegal and other northern counties, and to consider and report how far it may be practicable to protect, for the benefit of the occupying tenants, the property which bad been created under that custom. The hon. gentleman entered at great length into the history of holdings in Ireland generally. Lord NAAS could not follow the hon. gentleman over the wide field which he had travelled with reference to the tenure of land io Ireland. The hon. gentleman asked fora committee to inquire into the system of te nant right as it existed in the north cf Ireland. No doubt that was a question of importance ; but there existed in the library of the house ample information on the subject. In the reports of the Devon Commission every particular of the question was stated at full length. That commission had examined landlords, tenant la bourers, and every elev., and had obtained the fullest information from the evidence. The tenant right in the north of Ireland differed from any such that existed in England ; for where it existed in England it only went to compensation for unrxhauated improvements ; but in the north of Ireland it went much further, for large sums were given for the goodwill of the occupancy of farms. Much might be said for and against the custom. It often secured the landlord against arrears of rent, and it also secured the tenant compensation for improve ments : but it also often acted prejudicially, when tenant right expended all their capital in buying up the tenant right before they entered on the occupancy, and thee they were crippled in their future operations. But the custom did exist in the north ef Ireland, and there wee no disposition on the part of either landlord or tenant to get rid of it, and it was likely to remain iu its present form, for he had heard of no attempts on the part of land lords and tenants in the north of Ireland to shake the custom. The bon. gentleman had mentioned one or two instances, but he admitted that there was no inclination to depart from what. What he (Lord Naas) wished to show was, that as the custom existed, it was beyond the power of Parliament to deal with it in any respect. Te nant right varied in different localities—its value differed from 51. to 201. an acre. It differed according to the price of agricultural produce, the demand f land, the amount of population, and so on. Therefore it was ire possible to legislate satisfactorily on a matter so various, and of such a different character in different localities Much information could be obtained from the results cf the labours of the committee of inquiry into English tenant right which was presided over by Mr. Pusey. The opinion to winch that committee game was, it was not possible to legislate eati.factorily for tenant right in England, and how much mere difficult would it be to legislate for tenant right in Ireland, where it went so much further than in England. He did not think tfat any practical end would be gained by granting a com mittee. Tee information bet, re the lacuse was full aid ample, and legislation was not only impracticable, hut might be mischievous ; while any attempt to legislate would tend to lower the value of tenant right as it ex isted in Ireland. He should therefore oppose the motion. Mr. P. O'BRIEN advised his hon. friend to withdraw his motion, because at present tenant right, as it ex isted in the north of Ireland, was accepted, and it was not desirable to raise up any points of difference on the subject. Mr. GREER said he did not feel Li:nself at liberty to withdraw the motion. The house divided. The numbers were— For the motion Against it COUNTY FRANCHISE (SCOTLAND). Mr. CAIRO, in moving for lave to bring in a bill to assimilate the county franchise et Scotland with that of England, said be did not seek to introduce any ne franchise, but wished to ex end to Scotland those prii i legee and rights which were enjoyed lit this country. A brief statement would suffice to show the distinction be tween England and Scotland with regard to the fren chise. Every 20 persons in Eng'and were in some de gree represented by an elector, but in Scotland there was only one elector for 34 pers ms. Of the county elec tors in England four-fifths were freeholders and one-fifth only occupying tenants, whereas in the counties of Scotland two-fifths were owners, and three-fifths were occupying tenant. The occupying tenants both in Eng land and Scotland did not occupy that n indepndent po sition with r e gard t o th e f ranchise which wa s . possessed by the fo echoldere. In England a proprieter of land to the extent of 40s. enjoyed the franchise, and such a pro perty might be purchased at a price varying from 301, to 501. In Sc Aland fire times that amount was neces s ary to attain the same obj e ct, an d th ere f ore i t was five ties more difficult to become an elector on the north side of the Tweed than on the south. Whilst in England a property which did not confer a borough franchise con ferred a county franchise, if it exceeded 403., in Scot land there was no similar franchise. Hence the classes cf. voters in the two countries were very different, and the labouring and artisan poputati in in Scotland were, to a great extent, unenfranchised. The distinction le, - tween the two cella:lies was metde by the Re term Bill. Tne result w s that the county constituency in Scotland was limited to the owner and occupying tenant, and at every contested election it a - as a recognised rule by both Whigs and To:ies that the tenant seould follow the course taken by the landlord. Althoueh there was ap parently a larger number of electors than before the pa-e slug of the Reform Bill, practice ly there had been no - extension. Of the 50,000 county voters in Scotland 30,000 were tenant farmers and 20,000 la , dl ale. The tenant farmers, who were a very intelligent class of men, possessed a considerable amount of capital. The term ing capital employed in Scotland was not less than 50.000,000/. ; and although they constituted the ma jority, no me-nber was returned to represent their in terests. He bad no fault to find with the o ado , ' re• tarot' by the comities in bcotland, and believed them to be rmost respectable class of men. But that was not the question. His object was to give the franchise to those who were at present excluded from it. As to the propriety of the 40e franchise, be contended that if it were safe for England it wa s egeally safe f r S cot l an d . It might be objected that such a small qualification would lead to the manufacture of fictitious votes. Tae answer to that objection was, if you are about to make a fiction, you might as easily make a 101. fiction as a 21. fiction. (Hear, hear.) There was another evil arising from the present system, and that was the de • sire of the landlord to drive the population into the towns, in order that lt might not be necessary to increase the cottage accommodation on their estates. This bad become a blot on the agricultural management of Scot land, The system bad arisen from the preference given iq Peveral agricnitural counties to the employment of un married men, because they could be lodged cheaper, re quired less lodgingC accommodation ; and the proceed- Ingo before the law courts of Scotland exhibited a state of things that all Scotland must deplore. In the year 1857 a farm servant in Forfarsbire was prosecuted for de serting his service. Hie defence was, that the bothie pre pared for his accommodation was in an uninhabitable con dition,and the medical men to whom the question was re ferred, reported that a residence in such a place must tend to deteriorate the health of the occupier. A similar ease occurred a short time ago at Montrose. Such a state of things ought to be an inducement to the house io eseend to Scotland a franchise, which in England en couraged prudent and economical habits amongst that elms of the population. The next distinction between the English and Scotch systems was the right of the English cou n ty vo t ers i n res p ec t t o vo t ers w ithi n b oroug hs. No such right was enj eyed in Scotland. Oee-fifth of the Whole county constituency of England consisted of such voters. He would compare the state cf two Scotch coun tained Possessing resources of a similar character. The counties of Ayr and Lanark contained re population of ansdteenber of ele c t ors was 7 , 100 . N ort h and South Staffor d shi re , bad 20,713 voterswieh a p o p u l a ti on o f 345 , 000 , English co un ty th ere were 13,000 more elec . tors Intlitahn value inthe twa Scotch c oun ti es , the population a n d en nnalal thei of th e property being nearly the same in each. At e Reform Bill grave apprehensions were enter ri t a a lsi e n , d g ot with regard to the tight to be given to boroughs to an d one iielaential member (e7riEaSdjhudniennl o c u o l p d y be old th cr ae, COULItieS, said that the effect of giving freehcooludnertisesauwd in towns the right of voting for such towns as Birmingham would invariably carry the co unty election, add tbat the county memb ers would be the repreten tatives of the political unions of Birmingh am. Now, after 25 years' e xperience, who were the member, for North Warwickshire 7 Two gentlemen who were not at all likely to endea vour to subvert the constitution o' the country, or to injure its Protestant establishment (Hear, and laughter.) There was an ether po u t of sum: importance, not only with regard to the extension c f thl principle to Scotland, bat also with reeerd to the argi- , Wats of the Chancellor of the Exchequer respecting the THE SUN, LONDTON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 7, 1858. large number of county voters as compared with that of borough voters. According to the census it appeared that a eradnal chance was taking place in the occupation of the people of this country, Every census :slew, that of 1811 had shown a gradual decree,* of the agricultural population as compared with other parts of the popula tion. In 1811 the agricultural population was 35 per cent., in 1821 it was 33 per cent., in 1831 it was 28 per cent., and in 1841 only 22 per cent. Toe census com missioners stated that the town and country populations were every year becoming more and more bound toge ther. He did not disguise the great addition which the extension of the principle he advocated would have on it the d have w oul countyaethe doubling b of that co utnta ons ryc.Htiteubeenlciey. inved the neighbourhood of large towns ; but that he con tended was a great argument in its favour. Ina moral point of view the advant a g e of g ivine the Scotch people an interest in the acquirement of small prop , rttes would be very great. This system had been found entotlaenndcoheu rage prudence, sobriety , and econom y . had no doubt the same effect would be produced. An objection might be raised that no tenure like that of the English 40s. freeholds existed in Scotland. There were small properties in Scotland, and if the principle were fully carried out the who!e property in Scotland would be disfranchised. Having staled the object which he had in view, he would appeal with confidence to English members to support his bill, and to give to the people of Scotland a franchise similar to that which had been so long reed so advantageou-dy enjoyed in this country. Mr. COWAN seconded the motion. He believed that some persons had endeavoured to make political capital out of this movement, and an attack had been made on the Scotch members, who were charged with being tied neck and heel to the late Lord Advocate; and they had made other charges against them which were entirely false. There were only two objections urged to this bill. One was, that the effect of it would be to swamp the counties. He had no wish to swamp the counties, but the 40s. franchise bad not that effect in England. An other objection was, that it would be likely to lead to the manufacture of fictitious votes. That was a matter which would require the consideration of the house. At the time of the Anti-Corn Law agitation, he purchas(d a 40s. freehold in Carlisle in order to give him a vote for East Cumberland. It was not a very profitable investment. (Laughter.) Some time after wards he saw his name amongst others as that of a fagot voter and he felt somewhat ashamed of it. He did not think tbt, obtaining a voto uudtl thrice eirouneetancee was jus tifiable, for he had no connection with the county of Cumberland. He regarded with satisfaction the great improvement which had taken place in the condition and conduct of the lower classes. He remembered when the Luddites were banded together to destroy machinery. there was no such feeling now, and he thought the loyalty and good conduct of the people showed they were well deserving of the franchise. He did not pledge him self to the details of the bill, Int he t - ought his hon. friend ought to have leave to introduce the bill. Mr. MONCREIFF said he was anxious to state the grounds on which he thought the proposition of the hon. gentleman ought not to be adopted by the house. Toe hoe. member's motion was to assimilate the franchise of Scotland to that of England. He listened with some cu riosity to his hon. friend to learn how that was to be ac complished, but it seemed to him to savour much mere of agricultural statistics than the franchise. But if he un deretood what he meant it was that he sought t , intro duce into Scotland the 40e. freehold franchise, with all its incidences. Now, in the first place, that was impos sible. Let him explain the difference between the tenure of land in the two countries. The freehold tenure in both countries was original y the same. The freeholder was a vassal of the Cr. wn, bound to give attendance on his lord, and bound, tiler fore, to give his attendance in Par liament. Before the reign of Edward I. the superior vas sal was entitled t ) give ell his property to sub-holders, and that was the law io Scotland to this day ; hut these sub-vassals never were freehol lore. In E - I ward I.'s reign a statute was passed which enabled the superior vassals in England to alienate the fee, and in that way small free holders became al, rge body. But the franchise was li mited to freeholders who •e !eliding was of the annual velue of 40s. The mass ofproperty in Scotland was held by sub feuars, and thee insequence was that it was impossible to introduce the 40s. franchise in Scotland. It was a mis take to suppose that the Reform 811 created the 404. freehold franchise in En g land . Tae R firm 811 left the t franchise as it found it. The Reform Bill created a 10/ copy hold and a leasehold franchise fur England and for Scotland, and it was a mistake to suppose that the two countries were dealt with differently in that respect. What would be the effect of the hon. gentleman's pro position! In Edinburgh there were 4,524 houses of the annual value of between 21. and 10/ , hu - • it wou!d be a great mistake to suppose that these 4,500 houses repre sented 4,500 possible constituents, because, aft( r deduct ing the land held by corporations and other par ies who could not vote, and those who were already on the list, or were entitled to be on the list of voters, there remained only 290 to be added to the li-t, and even that would be reduced in various ways by 46, leaving the net increase of voters 244. Then his hon. friend said he woul assimi late the borough franchise to that of England. Why, in two respects the advantage was on the side of Scotland. In the first plea the smaller b Toughs of Scotland were put into groups, and :hey together elected a member. That was not case in 11 gland. Another material di. tinotion was this—that whereas in England the owner of property in a borough could only vote for the county respect of property which he did occupy ; in Scotland the owner could vote for property which he occupied, and the cons-quence was, there was a large ownership franchise in respect of tenements in Scotland which did not exist in England. But passing from that and travelling into bor )ughe, they found ex tctly the same results as in the counties. The result was this, that there were no small tenements capable of receiving th.s franchise. He found that in the city of Edinburgh there were about 1,500 tenements, valued at 21. each), but he foci d that these 1,500 tenements were owned by 29 persons and no me re. Then the houses of the value of between 21 and 121. were 22,000 in number, Meng ing to about a thousand proprietors, the great mass of whom were alr eadv entitled to vote by that property itself. Then there were 13,000 tenements above the value ef 121., and if the English system were to be intr duced the result would be that they would have an addition of 4,000 votes for the county of E inburgh. Now, he did not wish for that result. He did not think it would im prove the constituency in Scotland. The agriculturist. bad interests distinct from the interests of toroughe, ar.d he did not think it desirable that the county members should be chosen by town poeulatione. They might de pend up )n it the agriculturist; would not submit without a struggle; anl they would inevitably succeed, and they would arrive at a slate of things in which those wh • were opposed to progress would be predominant. He be lieved that no greater calamity c mid happen to Scotl.nd than a system of creating—he would not call them fib i tious votes, h&c tu-e they would be real votes but a sys tem which would give the victory in elections to the pus. sessor of the longest purse. His hon. friend seemed to think that the 40s. franchise would encourage the work ing classes to invest in 21. houses, but others would in. vest in them also, and he did not hesitate to -ay that than acquiring of votes on that principle, whether by a et - ciety or by individuals, was foreign to the true spirit of rope-i -sentative government. The franchise was given to per sons because they had an interest in the locality in e haat. they voted, and he did not think a person living ie Ed n burgh or iu London, simply because he had 401 or 501 to spare, sh , uld be entitled to vote in a locality in which he did not reside, and in which he had no interest. Mr. BAXTER said the numb 'r of public meetings that had been bold and the petitions that bad be , n pr,- sented indicated an amount of dissati,faction with the state of the franchise in Sc ,tiand which the houm ought to take into the r serious consideration. At the same time, he was not quite sure that Mr. C tird had hit the right principle. The E .glish borough members repre. sented an average population of 29,000 persons; those of Scotland, 44,000; and to bring up the proportion of county voters to those of England, Scotland ought to have 83 000 county electors instead of 49,000. These 11, 4 tires showed that the borougiis of Sc t,1,11(.1 were not sufficiently represented, and the proportion of county voters was much less than in England. The petitioners alleged that this deficiency was caused by the absence of the 40±. freehold franchise. He (lie bon. member) would suggest that the bill should be brought in, but should not be pre!sed further; and that it should be re fer. ed to a select committee. (Rear, hear.) Mr. C. BRUCE was not at all unwilling to extend the county franchise in Scotland ; for he considered that such a measure would have rather a conservative effect than otherwise upon the constituencies. But he should oppose the present bill, because he thought it would have a direct tendency to promote the creation of fictitious votes, and that to an unlimited extent. He had lately been looking into the debates on the abolition of the 40s. franchise in Ireland ; and he found an anecdote narrated by Mr. Brownlow which was welt worth the considera tion of the house. A. Gentleman who had been compelled to become the Lord -Lieutenant of an Irish county took over with him 3,600 Wages upon his property ; and he sa ou i t d " a , sk N i Bogwa,, vote will walk i l ofthis into independent e d H en ou t seof constituencyC Jrn mon : s a w n i d thi will make the government repent sending me here," ( laugh.) The late Lord Dunfermline, who was a lawyer of sound constitutional principles, though of very liberal opi nions, was opposed to the 403. franchise, because he said it had the effect of altogether excluding from Parliament persons belonging to the iniddlecli,sses. He (Ur. Bruce) objected to bill on exactly the same grounds, (lie tr.) Was it possible that Sir W. Scott bad foreseen the me tiontof the hon. gentleman when he wrote his'well-knowD song— " Donald Caird's come again ; Tell the news in burgh and glen; Lock the aumrie, steek the kist, Lest the guidwifo's gear be raised." Mr. BOWYER , wished to clear away a little of the legal mystification which the lion. gentleman (Nir. Mon - ereiff) had talked about the statute of " quia emptorts," but he might just as well have talked about the Statue ( f Limitations, or the Statute f Frauds, for it really bad nothing whatever to do with the question. ((fear, hear.) The horourablei gentleman said there ware no freeholds in Scotland and in a technical sense that might be true, Tile &A Scotch franchise dtpenJed upon tenure. Those who held in capite of the Crown, the greater wed the lesser Larons, sat tugether in one chamber ; and thero coull be no doubt that the pro cets of 3u'oinfeudatien had had a tendeecy to diminish tha' franchise. Practi ally speaking, however, freehol in Scotland was a question not of taiaire but of intere-t ; To the Sc .tch ha-holder was exactly equivalent t r the freeholder ; but while tenure conferred the frau i;terest conferred it in England. (St. Andrew's), said there was some ' "rig ambiguous in the expression a 40e. freehold in i tbill would be more honest to describe the ne of 21. (Hear, hear. reduce ) the sx i.ti ng •escription was ' altoie d . r t atilt loithazythhicolivrth th o er hopeless, although the house, 101. franchise to of he pa wog of a nicest:ire of that itt l lat., been done in the waiy in advance of the country, ' (Conservative cheers.) He thought that the adoption of a moderate possession of property as the besis of a fran chise in the Scotch counties would ensure a very respect able c iestituency. For his own par be rem rst sfraid'of the creation of fictitious votes. That could easily be guarded against both in England and Scotland by the adopti in of two measures—which, indeed, he thought would be quite indispensable—namely, to forbid joint occupancy and to insist upon actual residence. (Hear.) As be did not wish to actin an offensive manner towards the promoters of the bill, he should not oppose its intro duction, but he should propose some material alterations in it at a future stage. The LORD ADVOCATE could not understand the apparently inconsistent course which Mr. Bast.ir and the last speaker bad announced their intention to pur sue ; for they bad both suggested excellent reasons why they shou'd not assent to the introduction of the bill. The measure was founded upon an entire misconceptidn, and to allow the bill to be brought in would only teed to ke 'p alive the delusion under which its advocates scene dto be labouring. Toe hon. gentleman oppo site (Mr. Bowyer) would have been far nearer the tilith if, instead of saying that the county franchise depended upon tenure in Scotland and interest in in England, be had stated just the reverse. (Hear.) In both England and Scotland all the proprietors of laCd who bad an interest of 101. a year were entitled to vote ; and that included not only freeholders, but cepyholders, leaseholders, and, in Scotland, the tenses. But in Eng land there was long before the Reform Rills qualification which did not exist in Scotland—namely, a freehold tenure with a 40s. interest. Now that was a franchise which it was impossible to create in Scotland, and whtch he would venture to say would not have been created,in England it in had not previously existed. It was, there fore, in reality a violation of the principles of the Reform Act to attempt now to extend it over a new area of re presentation. (Hear) He (the learoed lord) objectee to the bill on the ground stated by the hon. member for St. Andrews—namely, that it was an attempt to reduce the existing qualification ; and be opposed it also on a I ground which the hon. member made light of, namely, on account cf the facilities it would give for the creation of votes. He did not Fay " fib itions votes " for the more real the votes which he was contemplating, the greater would be the mischief. (Hear, hear.) But the effect of the bill would be, as an hon. gentleman h;a.d truly said, to place the representation in the hands of those who had the longest purse, Until the fashioniof fabricating votes had been established, the bill would have no practical operation at all ; but only think what a power it would place in the hands of the 900 persons who had been referred to as being the owners of 22,000 separate properties. (Hear.) Any rich man, by the expenditure of a small sum in conveyances, might over• power those who were the legitimate possessors of the franchise. (Cheers.) Sir E COLE BROOKE admitted that he owed his election for Lanarkshire to the good offices of the in habitants of Gita-gotv ; but he opposed the bill because he thought it would too much tend to destroy the line of demarcaion between two interests which were dis tinct. B sides, he did not think there was, after all, much practical difference between the elective privileges of Englishmen and Scotchmen. A person who bad a small property might make a very good voter ; but if he had to borrow money to acquire the right he was more dependent than one without property iat all. It the bill west into committee he should propose to raise the ainosnt of qualification. Colonel SYKES shined vote in favour of the bill: in the event of a division. This was a step towards a re form of the electoral franchise. The people of Scoiland felt it a grievance that they had not the Fame electoral rights as the people of England. It was said there was no freeholders in Scotland—they were all feuars. But every one knew that in England tvealthy met: on both sides of politics were purchasisg estates, and partition ing them out to create votes ; and why should not they do the same in Scatlaod I (Hear.) Mr. PEASE said it was worthy of remark that all the Scotch members admitted that the law required altera tion. Some said that the alteration now proposed was not the one required, but it was at all events an ex'en sion of the francsise ; and Scotland ought not to rest content until such extension was granted. (Hear, hear.) Sootchtnen were as loyal and intelligent as inhab tants of other parts of the empire ; they had fought by our side in ail our wars, and bore an honourable part in the labours of legislation. (Hear.) He hoped the house would permit the bill to be laid on 'he table. Mr. WHITESIDE sail that if this cenfassion were granted to Scotland, is must he extended to Ireland. (Hear.) Though an existing franchise ought not to be destroyed, it by no means followed that an entirely new franchise ought to be given. He bad seen an election in Ireland carried entirely by 40s. freeholders ; they were shoeless, shirtless, and subject to the dictation of the landlords and the priests. On that account the 40. franchise was taken away from Ireland by the Reform Act. It was f tun-I that it had covered the land with pauperism by the extension of small forms. Yet it was DOW proposed to extend that species of franchise be , giving it to Scotland. It was as injudicious and im politic a step as the advocate of liberal principles could possibly take. What did they mean by a voter Surely a person who hai some degree of intelligence and free• dons of choice. Instead of supporting the proposal now made, it would be better to go a ate, lower, and give universal suffrage at once. (Hear, hear.) Mr. CALCOTI did not believe there was any danger of Se , doh proprietors subdividing their property for toe sake of creation votes. Mr. CRAUF URD said the' the fact of this measure being proposed by a member fur an English borough Was prima facie evidence that there was no great de mand for the change in Scotland. A party had taken up the question,and tried to urge it at the last election. He was asked at the hustings whether be wool I support the 40s. freehold franchise. He answered in the negative, and in justification told his bearers what took place in Eogland with a 40s. franchise. (Hear.) But, before creating a freehold franchise, they must first get their freeholders—for there was no such class at present. Still e would not re.ist the introduction of the bill, but alio N the question to be fully discussed, prepared to abandon any erroneous opinion he might have formed. The real way to assimilate the franchise of England and Scotland was to extend the franchise of occupancy, and he should move au amendment in the bill to that effect. Mr. STEUART believed that the measure would he injurious to Scotland, judging from the effect which a 40;. franchise produced in Ireland. Lord ELcaoobse-rved that many members had argued iteainst the bill. and yet would vote for its introduction. (Hear.) It bad been clearly shown by the L Ord Advocate and others that the bill would be a detu-ion, inasmuch as it would not assimilate the two franchises. (Hear.) This being so, it would be a waste of the time of the house, and of the exiienee of printing, to allow the bill to be brought in. As a county member he protested avainst the measure, believing that it would have the effect of swamping the county franchise. Mr. BLACK would support the bill, though be did not believe it would assimilate the francium of Scotland to tnat of England. (A leugb.) He did not think that it would be any advantage to Scotland to have the same county franchise as Eegland had. It was desirable that tue amount of qualification should be lowered in the Scotch country'. ; for there was no more desirable fran chise than that which rested upon property. If the bill were allowed to go into committee some useful amend• ments might be introduced ; at all events the discussion would be of advantage. Mr. BLACKBURN said it appeared that of those ruernb,rs who would vo e for the introduction of the bill only three professed to approve of it. There were only 16 petitions in it; favour signed by a ?me 900 persons. Trite showed the aboitive character of the agitation that had been carried on, through tee press and public meet ings, for the last 12 months. The only argument urged in favour of the measure was that it was demanded by the people of Scotland ; but of this there was no proof. Seeing the effect of the former 40s. franchise in Ireland, and the extensive manufacture ;of votes in England, it yens pe Ores were carried much farther. it would lead to the ex' l " t i" of the 48s. franchise in Enfzland itself. (" Oh. oh.") He regarded tuts as an at 4din pi - . to get in the thin end of the wedge, with a view to the adoption of universal suffrage. Mr. CAIRD, io reply, sail that a petition from E lin burgh bad been presented last session, signed by 10,000 persons, in favour of this measure. It had been admitted that the Scotch franchise was not so good as that of this country. In England a 40s. freehold gave the francui-e ; in Scotland it regained a property of 10/. Why should there be this differeoce f Look at the great difference in the cumber of electors in the two countries.. That was the practical point for the house to consider. Objection had been taken to the use of the word " assimilate," but be found Johnson defined the word to mean—" to bring about a likeness, to produce a I%e:emblem:ie." (Hear.) The house then divided — Ayes Noes 84 . 103 Majority WHI L'EGROSS-STREET PRISON. Mr. B. SHERIDAN moved ao address for copy of any correspondence which may have been between the City authorities and the Home Secretary, with reference to the preient bye-laws and regulations of the Debtors' Prison in Whitecross-si root. Mr. WALPOLE arsanted to the motion, with the ad • dition of copies of any report; that might have been mafie to the Home Secretary respecting the prison.— Motion agreed to. FISHERIES. Sir G. B. PEC EIELL moved an address fora copy of the order in council of April 6, 1858, approving ertatn lutes made by the Lords' Committee of Privy Council for the more effectual observance of the convention be iwean her Majesty and the Emperor of the French, i:!n -c,rnlng the fisheries in the seas between till British iela n d s an d F ranca . Th e o bj ect ofh'smotion wa , t ) in duce the Gov.rnment to use its influence with the Go vernment of France to obtain permission of the latter for English fisherinen to dredge in mid channel for oysters in the months of May and June. It was a vulgar error, b. said, to suppose that oy st* r lost their fl Avoor ill those manthe, especially those Which were er.d . ;ed for in deep water. (A. taueb.) Mr. HENLEY agreed to the motion and suggested that tha plant admiral shod I submit a few barrels of the Midsummer oysters to the judgment of the house. (Laughter.) llu feared there was not much chance obtaining the concession sought for from the French G.,vern :neut. Mr. RE BO W upp-rt(d ;ho motion, and also vouctei for the fl►vt.ur of t)e deep sea oy.sters, d t MidMUMlntr. nese oyir;tera, be said, spawLed two months later than th b;ed in sharow waters.—Motion agreed to. CASE OF "COOPER v. SLADE."—TRAVELLING EXPENSES OF ELECTORS. Mr. PEASIi ~oved f, , r a "Message To the le)rcis if a o.ipy of the opini‘in , t of the Judges on the 15th f Feb. in the case 'Cooper v. Slade.'" There were, hi , htudreds I electors who had to travel 15 or 20 tudzs to vote, and thus great injustice was done. tie made this motion for the purpose of showing the great neces.ity that existed for another reform bill. Mr. Serjeant DEASY thought the decision referred to bad given an interpretation of the Corrtint Practices Act which was never intended by its prolliOt Cid or oy Parlia meet in passing it, and referred to the proceedings and discussions on the bill to show that in respect to the travelling expenses of electors the only object was to leave the law as it stood. But in the case of Mr Slide, because he acted upon that understanding, and paid the railway fare for certain electors who voted for him, he was proceeded against for the penalties under the Bribery Act, to which the judges held he was liable. The hon. gentleman having described the progress of the procee•l - in the suit of " Cooper v. Slade," observed that as the law was now declared t be every member who paid the travelling Expenses of any voter at his election was open to an indictment Lir a misdemeanour, though the practice of Parliament, as acted upon by every election e ,mmittee, went to legalise such payments. Such a sate of things was most unsatisfactory, a , dNOMS alteration of the law was therefore necessary. It was said, he knew not with what trir h, that the house must soon he dis solved ; but, whether or not, between the present time and the next session, and before any act c iuld pass in another session, many isolated cases might arise like that which bad been alluded to. As the law stood, poor voters living at a distance must either be disfranchised or the candidate incur the responsibility of viclating the Cor rupt Practices Act. There were but two remeeies—either they must alter the polling places, or pass a declaratr ry act legalising the payment of bona fide travelling ex penses. Mr. WALPOLE did not intend to oppose the mo tion ; on the contrary he thought it quite right that the opinions of the judges should be in the hands of tnem hers. So far as he under-tood the law, there was no danger of any member being proceeded against for penal ties under the Corrupt Practices Act in connection with any past election, and as to indictment for misdemea n iur no Attorney-General would recommend that. With regard to the future the subject was under oottsi deration, and he hoped, in proposing to renew the Cor rupt Practices Act, to submit such amendments as would remedy the existing defects. With regard to tra velling expenses, unless they were paid with a corrupt motive, he thought it reasonable that they should be all med. At all events, the question was one that ought to be settled. Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD was glad the subject was to be taken into consideration of the Government. He believed the decision of the courts bad been given upon the principle .that the liability only tx . sted where the traveling expenses were given with the corrupt motive of inducing the elector to vote, and not upon the prin ciple upon which the House of Lords had proceeded. Mr. Y. SMITH suggested that it would be well, if the law to be altered as proposed, that the bill for that purpose should be introduced as early as pos-ible, inas much as elections might take place and election petitions be presented in the interim• He th , ,ught it advicible if any alteration in the Bribery Act was to be made that some proviei , ,n should be introduced applicable to muni cipal elections, and to prevent their being made the means of bribery and corruption. After a few words from Mr. CsOss, the motion was agreed to. not duly qualified, and something ought to be done in the matter. Major EDWARDS said if this bill passed he should he eleced in a peculiar poe'tion re , gard to the geetle man who had been just referred to ; and he could only say that no effort of his should be wanting to seci.nd the wishes of the hon., gentleman who had just spoken, and to induce the Hume Secretary to commute the sentence in question. Mr. WALPOLE said this question bad often been be fore the house, but be was not aware that its merits had of late years been much discussed. Last year the post ponement of the measure was urged on the ground that it ought to form part of a larger measure of reform, and that all questions of reform ought to be put off till next session. It now cams on, and the question to be consi dered was whether the property qualification which was originally introduced in the reign of Queen Anne, and which was modified in the reign of the present Queen, by making personal as well as real estate the sill j'•ct of tte quelificatian, was or was not advisable. There were two reasons, which t) his mind seemed the strongest in favour of the present law. The first was, that by requiring a man to have a certain income as a test of his eligibility to sit in that house, you received a greater amount of independence in members. The second vason was, that it would prevent speculative candidates from coming forward at the time of 'elections, and put ting their opponent.: to unneces-ary expense. With re gard to the first reason, tiers securing the independence of neemb re, he doub.ed if that could be secured by the mere feet that a man possessed 3001. or 6001. a year. (Hear.) It would certainly not make hi so indepen dent as to place him above any temptation which was calculated to shake his independence. (Hear) But one great reason against the present law wee that there was such an inconsistency in requiring member. , from one part of the country to have a property qualification, and members from other parts none, that he thought it wa a principle utterly indefensible—(bear, hear)--aod in order to maintain it Scotch members ought to have a property qualification as well as other?. (Hear) But the other argument against the law was, that they did not know that it was evaded--(hear, herr)—that qu li fications were given to members to enable them to take their seats; and therefore it ill became the house to main tain that which was a great sham. ("Hear, hear," and cheers.) The other argument in favour of the law was, that it prevented speculative candidates from put•ine bona fide candidaees to expense at elecione. There was no doubt something„in that argument ; but you might set against it thee no N every candidate was obliged to contribute to the expenses of the election auditor and the hustings. If by operation of law you prevented able men with, perhaps, large professional incomes, which did not legally realise 3001 a year, from entering Parlia ment, you deprived the house cf a great advantage. (Hear.) F a. these reasons he thought that the law could not he maintained as it stood—('• hear," and chrer.)•— and thinking that course could be gained by leaving constituencies to choose whom they would to represent -them, he had arrived at the conclusion that the bill of the hon. member was much more allowable than any of the arguments used against it could gainsay. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Tuesday next. The Franchise of Prisons Bill, as ameneed, was con sidered. The house adjournei at twenty minutes past 11. BANQUET TO THE DUKE OF MALAKOFF, Another of those cordial reunions which mark the real sincerity with which the Anglo-French alliance is pre served in this country in all its truth and spirit took place last evening, and the officers of the two services woo are members of the Army and Navy Club enter taned his Excellency the Duke of Malakhoff at a grand banquet at the New Club-house, St. James's squire. Nothing that could oontribute to the importance of the occasion or mark the high reuse which the gallant mem bers of the club entertained of the position and services of their illustrious guest was neglected, and the whole character and tone of the entertainment was worthy both the reputation of the "At my and Navy" and the distinguished soldier and representative of the great Monarch in whose honour it was given. The dinner was fixed for eight o'clock, and by half past seven the guests began to arrive, pouring up the magnificent staircase of the club to the library, where the committee to whose care the conduct of the enter tainment was intrusted received their visitors. All wore plain evening dress, wearing, however, their principal decorations, and nearly all were assembled before the hour at which the guest of the evening was expected to a• rive. A little before eight o'clock his Excilency was an nounced, and was immediately conducted to the library. Here be was received with quiet but most cordial de monstrations of welcome from all the assembled officers, and especially, of tour..-e, from the chairman of the even ing, Sir Fen wick Williams. Some of the most distinguished officers present were presented to his Excellency. Accompanying the duke were the secretaries and principal attaches of the French Embassy, the Baron de Malaret, Commandant Dubai, Count de Jaucourt, Colonel Appert, M. Monicault, All there gentlemen Shared, of course, the warmth with which their chief was received, and all are suffi ciently well known in the &I's of London society to be cure of the best cengratulations of its best circles. The banquet was served in the chief dining-room cf the club, a noble apartment and remarkable alike for its architectural features and the taste and simplicity with which it is adorned. Very little attempt had been made to enhance its proportions or to add to its fine general effect by the temporary decorations which are often re sorted to on these occasions, and nothing but the mag nificence with which the banquetting tables were spread, the massive epergnes,. plateaux, cups, and centre pieces which covered them, fillet with the choicest flowers, marked the style of the entertainment and the impor - ance of the guest in whose honour it was given. The tables were arranged in a circular form, going almost completely round the saloon. In the centre was the chairman, the gallant Sir Fenwick Mame, the seat of honour on the right, of course, being occupied by the guest of the evening, and the place on his left by the Right Hon. Sir John Pakington. Behind the chairman's seat the tricolour and English ensign were grouped together, and arranged before the p,aaE3R of honour were some pieces of plate, including ~ some regimental trophies and some of the best of the Goodwood Cups. The whole room was lighted from the ceiling by those peculiar burners known as sunlights, and the effect was briliant in the extreme. Among the guests and other members of the club present on thi occasion were—Lieut.-General Sir Wm. Codrington, „eie,jer-General Sir C. Yorke, K.C.8., Colonel Owen, R E , LtenteGen. Set J. Burgoyne, K.C.8., Col. Daeitll (late C Ilstream Guards), Captain the Hon. J. D ru mmond, R.N , Captain Porter, R N., Major-Gen. Alves, K.C.B, Lawrenson, Col. de Arley, Col. Goldsmid, Cel. Pipon, Assistant-Adjutant General ; Major March, R.M., Lieut.-Gener a l F or b es, R .A., Col. Chapman, C. 8., R.E., C.I. Ouvry, C. 8., Capt. Carpen ter, Sir G. Jenkinson, Bar ~ Sir J. Carmichael, Bart.. Major Rodney, Lieut.-Colonel Sibthorp, LieuteC done' Morrie, C. 8., R.A., Cept. Clarke, Baron de Malaret, Lord Rokeby, Colonel Harnley, R.A., Colonel Furster. Deputy ei,ijat,nt•Geeeral ; CJinuaandeat Dubai, Col Hore, Col. Appert, Mr. J. P. Max well, M.P., Major Teesdale, C. 8., R.A., Monsieur Monicault, Count Jaucourt, Major Fellowes, Caltain F. Sayers, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General ; Major Hon. I=l. F Keene, R.E., Col. Bignold, Deputy Assistant Adjutant- General ; Major Way, Sir A. Agnew, M.P., Mr. H. E. Sortees, Lord F. Conynghani, M.P., Capt. C. Reynolds, Mr. T. Butter, Captain W. Ellis, Major S. W. Spicer, Col. S. Napier, C. 8., Col. W. Napier, Capt. Pember ton, Capt. Travers, Lieut.-Colonel Pretyman, Captain Montgornerie, Captain Williamson, Captain B3wden. w a y, Captain R . Henderson,R.A., e r u c t.-Colonel u ton Major Finnic,Pif.o n.R Lieutenant.wA e ., st M he a a j d o ,Lr Lynch, Wallack, Major Montressor, M a j or A. I ng li s, Capt. Scott, Major Tremayne, maj . Hon. H. Murray, It N., Mr. Walcot (Secretary), Capt. Mayo, Mr. R. Jefferson, Ceylon Rtflas, Cspt. W. S. Hughes, Mr. Norman Cowley, Sir A. Webster, R.N.. Capt. Durant, Cept. Draper, Mr. T. N. Woulfe, Capt. W. Archdale, M.P., Major Carthew, Sir C. Rich, Capt. Blakely, R.A. , Capt. Hon. W. B. de Blaquiere, R.N., Major Conyers, Major Whitmore, 62 I, Capt. G. Beres fore, Capt. Walters, late 6th, Capt. Pryee, M.P., Capt. Cookworthy, Capt. Y. Baker, Mr. E. Amplete, Capt. Weyland, Sir S. Bisshop, Capt. Hamilton, Mr. H. Me redith, Lieut. R. Herbert, R.N., Capt. Thursby, 22d, Lieut. Heneage, R.N., lion. S. Duff, M.P., Capt. R. Erskine, Mr. R. Campbell. It is needless to say that the banquet was of the most sumptuous description and served in the very best style ; in fact, all the arrangements connected with the dinne' were of the most satisfactory kind, and reflect the highest credit upon the Messrs. Staples, to whose car and experience this most important department was en trusted. The cloth having been withdrawn, The CHAIRm SIT rose amid loud cheers, and said, that in t.:roposing the first toast of the evening ho felt assure , it would be received with the greatest enthusiasm—ii was that of " the health of her Majesty." (Enthusiasti cheers.) In calling upon their illustrious guest witt . whose comp an y th ey h a d b e en honoured that night ti pin in that toast, he need not point out to him, or t , those who were engaged in that war, the deep intere Mich her Majesty took in all that concerned the welfar, f the soldier, and the untiring benevolence which sto 4ho wed to the wounded during that memorable struggle. (Cheers.) He knew that their illustriou3 guest like , dinrt speeches, and that nothing 'a hich he could sa) could add to the warmth with which the toast would be received ; he, therefore, begged to propose "the health of her Most Gracious Maje4y the Queen." (Great cheering.) Tina t ast was chunk with all the honoura. Tho CHAIRMAN, in proposing the second toast, said, it was one which he knew would be received with all the warmth and cordiality of feeling which it deserved —it was " the health of the Emperor and Empress of the French." (Great cheering.) He invited them to drink to the health of that S piereigia who had shown himself, throughout a most ardent struggle, the truest and most faithful ally of England. (Cheers.) It was impossible for those whom he had the honour to address, or, indeed, for any thinking man either in England or in France, to over-estimate the value of the alliance betwee❑ those two great nations. (Cheers.) He was convinced that as ling as those two countries acted cordially together they would be the arbiters of the world ; that what they said should he done would he done, and what they sail should not he (lone would not be done. (Cheers.) There was a fur ther and a special reason why the toast ho proposed should be drunk with genial warmth on that occasion— it was that the Emperor of the French was himself a member of that slob. (Cheers.) In times gone by the eminent man who now ruled the destinies of France had dined within those walls, and many then present had had the honour of enjoying his Majesty's society. Ail those members who during late years had gone to Francs could bear willing testimony to the hespitabty with which they had been received by the Doper-et. of the French, and the lively interest which his 111,jesty had uniformly evinced in all that concerned the welfare of that club. (Cheers.) He feE that all whom he thin addressed would join him in the expression of grief and indignation at the dastardly attempt which bad recently been made on hfs precious life and o❑ that of the Em press. (Loud cheers.) Sure was he that there was not an officer or a soldier in the whole British service who, if he bad been presen , , would not have given his own life to save that of their illustrious ally. (Great cheer ing.) He begged them, then, to drink the health r.f his Imperial Majesty, and to the continuance of a life so v.,luabfe that anN thing which would endanger it must he contemplated with fear and misgiving. (Great cheering_) The toast was then drunk with all the honours. The Duke of MALA RUOFF, on rising to acknowledge the toast, was received with tremendous cheering. He replied in Frtnch, and said that it gave him the greatest satisfaction to be able to re-pond to the sentiments of respect and regard with which the bealli of his Imperial Majesty and the Empress had been hailed by the company he had the honour then to address. He felt flattered beyond expression by the warmth and cot , diality of feeling which that tuast had evoked. If anythit g could a ,, d to it, it was the fact that the glo wing eulogiutn which they had just heard bad been delivered from the mouth of a no less illustrious officer than Sir Fen wick Williams, the heroic defender of Kars. (Cheers.) The illustrious Duke concluded by expressing a fervent hope that the sentiments of esteem which had been declared for the alliance of England with France would always be preserved. The gallant CHAIRMAN, baying proposed in the usual terms " the health of the Prince Consort and the other members of the Royal family," which was duly honoured, next gave the toes , of the evening, " the health of his Excellency the Duke of Malakhoff." Tide (he said) was a toast in which the officers of both services would most cordially join. He unfeignedly wished that the task of proposing it had been confided to bands more capable of doing justice to its great merits ; but he felt sure that nothing that he or any one else could say, could add to the sentiment of admiration and esteem .%ith which the name of Marshal Pelissier would be re ceived at that table. (Great cheering.) The Marshal had had the high honour of being nominated by his Imperial master to represent him at this Court ; and the marks of esteem and affection with which the illus trious ambassador had been received in this country, must sufficiently convince him of the real senti ments of the British people towards him. It w 3u1 , 1 be paining the modesty of the illustrious Duke were he to dwell upon the history of his many and great achieve ments ; he would simply allude, therefore, to his rnornen roue services in Africa, where he bad gained an im perishable renown, and to the subsequent services which he rendered in the Crimea, where be acquired his crown ing glory. (Great cheering ) He (Sir F. Williams) had the honour of commanding a fortress in a remote part of Asia when the news arrived of the great victory which had been achieved by the French army and the En, lish army which acted with them. He thereupon ordered a salute to be fired in honour of that great event, before the Russian army, which lay only thres miles off, under his friend, as be (Sir F. Wiiliam,) might now call him— General Mouravitff. The Russians immediately ordered nut a Cossack battery of artillery to drown the noise of that British salute, and which they effectually did ; how ever, the fortress under his command took the Rus-ians hy surprise that evening, and fired a salute in honour of the fall of Sebastopt let sundown. (Cheers and laughter.) lie was sure that the Duke of Malakhoff would appreciate he sentiment of the British army and navy in inviting him to partake of the hospitalities of their table, and who now united in drinking in all sincerity, success and long life to the Duke of Malakhoff. (Tremendous chef ring.) The Duke of MALATCHOFF, on rising to acknowledge the toast, was receive,: with the most cordial and enthusiastic cheers, which lasted for several minutes fie said, still speaking in French—lt is with a feeling of brotherly pleasure that I find myself sitting among you. It gives me deep satisfaction to see your cordial anxiety to give me a welcome. As a soldier more than one among you know rue ; a , Ambassador my prineples are invariable, and as I have already had the opportu nity cf explaining them, it is not necessary to speak of them again here. But what I wish to tell you is, that I feel a pride in finding myself again in the midst of my companions in arms, and that I recall to memory our b-aliant standards, our glorious flags, the witnesses of your great efforts as well as ours, under the shadow of chick we bare conquered the peace of the world. Let us in future know how to maintain that peace, so pro itictive of civilisation, and eo fertile, so necessary for us and for you—that peace so indispensable for the welfare of all. I hope that peace will be durable, for it was cemented by generous blood—by blood shed side by side an succouring a faithful ally, but shed with equal and mutual esgerness. It is fur us, soldiers and sailors, to remember this. It is for us to propose, without hesita ion, an enthusiastic toast of lasting concord, and we who have joined our heroic efforte together for the ad vantage of all who have the right to say to two great people, " Let us know how to unite the two fleets and the two armies, and let our sentiments be mingled toge ' her in one common feeling." I beg to propose " The imperishable union of our fleets and armies." The CITAIIS.II.IIc ritxt gave " Cienrrinelers in the Navy and Army then serving their country abro id," and in whose praise the recent events which nad taken place in the E let spoke louder and more forcibly than any terms of eulogy which he could use. (Cheers.) He was sure there was not a mail in the three kingdoms who bad not that day been rejoiced at seeing hp the newspapers that a well-earned title of distinction was about to be bestowed as a reward for the long tried and arduous services of Sir Colin Campbell. (Cheers.) lie would couple with the toast which he had the honour of proposing the names of Major-General Sir Charles Yorke and Sir John Pakington. Sir J. PAKTNGTON said, he rose with feelings of con i ?erable regret that the duty of acknowledging the compliment paid to the navy had not devolved upon some or the experienced officers whom he saw around him ; but though he wanted the experience of actual , ervice he would yield to no man in his deep admiration 'or the heroic deeds of that service, and for the noble iharacteristies which almost invariably distinguished the ifficer who belonged to it. (Cheers.) On that occasion was sure he should best exeress the feelings of the British navy when he said that, with sailor-like frankness ind warmth, th e y joine.l with their brothers of the a rm y n true and hearty welcome to that most distinguished French Marshal who had served with Englishmen of all arms in the struggles and glories of hard-fought fields, ind whohad now come among them on a mission of peace, and in the enjoyment of the honours of that important mission to reap the high reward he had carried of his country. When he spoke of the illustrious Marshal having served with Eoglishinen of all ranks, he alluded more ,specially to the services of the Naval . Brigade, who, having uo foe to c.:pe with on the , ca, had volunteered or duty in the trenches of tie Critntnapd in the parched ip fields of India, and in both places bad rendered moat listiegnislied and important services to the arms'. The Deke of had seen thensi things--he tad seen hem as a friend and as an a ll y, and Ged grant that be night never see their services in any less amicable rela tions. (Cheers.) Th ey b a d all listened to the Duke . it the roost heartfelt pleasure —a pleasure he was sure n which e ver y E ng li shman would share—when his lexcellency expressed his wish that the union of the two nuntries alight be eternal. (Cheers.) Lfo trusted that he Duke of Malakhoff bad seen enough of this country to know that the sentiments of the nation were not to is judged from those which were evinced in the deep recesses and crowded alleys of a great c:ty —(con applause) ;—nor in those indiscretions of speech whir' sad been committed by men who onght to have used A more temperate tone. But the Duke knew the country and its institutions, and he krew that those things were part of the price they paid for the freedom they valued, and he knew also that the real spirit of Eng. land towards France was rather to be found iu the cordial feelings which had evoked that festive meeting, (Cheers.) It was to be found in the welcome which had greeted him from all classes—it was to be found in the feeling which prevailed in all well-regulated English minds ; and for the sake of France and for the sake of Eng. land, for the sake of the happiness, the civilisation, and the progress of the world he hoped that that feeling of cordial unio❑ might long subsist between them,—a feel ing which found its best security in the mutual respect and confidence which ought al ways to be entertained between two of the most powerful, the most independent, and the mo,t enlightened nations of the earth. (Much cheering.) Major-General Sir C. Yon bri'fly acknowledged the honour which had been done him by coupling his name with that of the army. He said, when his Excel lency the Doke de Malakhoff was firet named for the post of Ambass4dor the idea of the dake being a great fighting man created an unpleasant f,,eiing in the minds of some people lest he should not be in favour of peace ful counsels. But nothing could have been more mistaken than such a notion. It was never among generals and warriors that warlike ideas prevailed ; pugnacity was generally most predominant among those who by a sin• gular perversion of terms were called the "civil" portion of the c, mtnuoity. (Laughter.) Formerly, when France and England were almost on the verge of war, a peace ful understanding was restored chiefly through the exer tions of two individuals—the Duke of Wellington and M:q.shal Soult, and he was sure that if any future cause of misunder-tanding should arise between the allied na- tions they could not do better for its pacific settlement than just to put the wh , le matter into the bands of his lt , ,yal Highness the Commander-in-Chief and the Duke de Malakhoff, and leave it to them to arrange it quietly. (Corers and laughter ) The CHAIRMAN n.-xt gave the toast of "The Armies and Navies of the English and French in the Ba/tic and in the Black Sea," briefly saying that it was not neces sary for him, in the presence of so many Crimeans, in whr.e dangers and whose glories he had had no share, to enlarge upon what had been Effected by the operation of the combined armies. He fervently trusted, however, that the cordial sympathy and good feeling which had then been evinced by the combined forces would always exi-t. Sir War. CODEINGTON returned thanks for the army, looking back with pride at what had been accomplished by their united efforts ; by Marshal St. Arnaud, with whom the battle of the Alma had been gained ; by Mar- Hbal Canrober, with whom they had gained the battle of fokermann; and the last glorious months of duty with their illustrious guest, with whom the final victory had been achieved. (Cheers.) During the time that he (Sir W. Codrington) had had the honour of commanding the English army he could speak to the warmth and sincer.ty with which the alliance had been preserved, and that nothing could be more open, more straightfor. ward, and more energetic and frank than the co-opera tion and assistance of their illustrious guest. He was sure that the noble Duke would not soon forgot the glorious scenes he had mixed with in the British army, and he was sure that all in that army would appreciate the sincerity and worth of their allies, to whose merit' he had borne this slight testimony. (Cheers.) The Hon. Captain DRUMM3ND, R.N., having added a few words i.n the part of the navy, Lord ROKEBY briefly gave "Tee health of their gal lant chairman, Sir Fenwick Williams, of Kars." Sir F. WILLIAMS acknowledged the honour in a few words, and said he felt it to be a high honour to have been selacted to fill the chair on an occasion of such impor tanc,,. The gallant officer then proposed the last toast on the list, " Tbe Health of the Club Committee of Management, and thanks to them for the way in which they had discharged their pleasant, but important dutiei t in connection with the festival." The toast was coupled with the names of Col. Daniell, Lord J. Chichester, and Capt. Murray. Col. DANIELL said, he begged on his own part, and that of the committee, to return them his beat thanks, and he asked them t o b e li eve hi m w h en h e sa id that any if exertions they had used were amply repaid by their ap probation of them. He felt that night in a proud posi tion, sitting by the side of that great warrior with w hom he shared the excitement of the Crimean campain, and he felt that the position he occupied was not to be Ito ,,cribed to merits of hie, but t that unvarying good feeling and kindness on the part of the members, who had assigned to him, as on many past occasions, a post of db4inction. For one circumstance the c!ub certainly was to him indebted, which was, that he induced the present Emperor of the French to become an honorary member of the club. It would gratify the members to ar that only a few weeks ago he had the honour of -eeing Lim, and that then, with all his wonted kindness, he had spoken of the club in terms of the greatest inte rest. He could never persoi,ally be sufficiently grateful to him, that when going to the Crimea he bad written with his own hand to Marshal Canrobert presenting him (C lonel Daniell) to him, and by tha act he was introduced to many French officers, whose kindness and invariable welcome to their tents he was glad that day to have a public opportunity of asknovr lodging. He would be ungrateful to detain them l o cger, but there was a little Crintesta incident he wished to re late, and which he did not think it inopportune then to mention. As Lord Rokeby and General Codriogton were both a ware, the last two months before Sebastopol the Guards were in the trenches every third night, and they could not spare the living to guard the dead. On the lone hill of Inkermann eight of the Coldstreams (among whom was poor Mackinnon, whose name w3 l On the memorial window of the club) were buried in one grace--brothers in glory as in death. He had expressed his regret to Colonel Guerin, of the 15th Regiment do la Ligne, and he thought it would long be remembered when he said that, although nightly the French were losing an enormous number of mon in the trenches, Colonel Guerin regularly till after the fall of Sebastopol furnished a sentry to guard from desecration the re mains of those officers and other brave fellows who, like them, had fallen at the memorable battle of Inkermanm They might depend upon it that their club motto, then entwined round the flags of France and England, " TJoitate Fortior," was the best for their mutual in terests ; and, with the permission of the chairman, he would give as a toast to be drunk with all British Sin cerity, " L'Entente Cordiale." (Great cheering ) With this toast the festivities terminated, and the company adjourned to the coffee-room, where coffee wall served, and whence the guests departed as they chose. EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF DEATH FROM FALLING OK THE POINT OF A PARASOL.—Yesterday afternoon Mr W. Payne held an inquest at St. Thomas's Hospital, on the body of a female named Eliza Roffey, aged 30, wb ° f,.1.1 down, and was wounded in falling by the point (f her own parasol, which happened in the street opposite the South-Eastern Railway, at London bridge, whil e hurrying to cat c h th e t rain to Maidstone. Mr. J o hn Popple well, and several other wiinesses deposed to see deceased fall down. She became very i i when taken into a shop, and was afterwards removed to the hospital. Mr. Wokes, the house surgeon, stated that he saw the decease'i about three minutes after her ad mission, and she was then quite dead. He was not in formed that she had received any wound, but a poet tnortern examination of the body had been made, and it wa • then asctrtaint-d ti at some sharp instrument had peuetratvd the fl , sh just in front of the right shoulder, piercing the upper lobe of the right lung, and bad opened several veins, causing considerable l rss of blood, from the effects of which the deceased exp;r•i. There was also a large quantity of blood in the cav,ty of the chest. Tee Coroner then summed up, awl the jury returned a verdict, " Accidental death." BIRTHS. BnoCKELBANK—On the sth inst., ai 127, Alfleregate • street, the wife of Mr. L. Brockelbanir, of a sox. GORDON -On the 19th March, at Calcutta, the wife °I. Lieut.-Colonel S. E. Gordoki, R.A. of a son. LATIMER—On the : - .th ivat, at Camberwell-grove, t he wife of George Latimer, Esq., of a son. THORBURN—On the 4th inst., at 15, Bayswater-terra ce • Mrs. Thotburn, of a son. MARRIAGES. ROSIIBROOK— JOHNSON—On the sth inst., at the parish church, Milton, Kent. Mr. H. G. Rushbrook, of berwell, to Marian Bertrand, eldest daughter of Mr. - 1 ' Johnson, of Priory-road, Wandsworth-road. TUFNELL—BLANDY— On the sth init., at St. Gil es'6 f Church, Ro:oliog, the Rev. Cherlee Tuffnell, vicar o r StoorpAne, Dorset, to Catherine Jane, second daugh ter of Wm. Blandy, Esq., of Reading. HEATHS. DEBAC -On the 21st ult., atßs.dford House, near Ba th ' _ _ Hester Ruth Debac, aged 25. EDWARDS -On the sth inst , at 8, Howley-pace, 3 1 0 3 n: hill, Dr. Edgecumbe Win , leatt Edwards, late Pbygio— General, .130 - mbay Army. FOWLER --At Weston-super-Mare, Charl©s Fowler, Esq" late of Cheltenham. FREIVIN—On the 14th inst., at 28, Dorchester Pla ce ' Blandford-square, James Frowin, Esq., aged 63. no TITACKWELL—KiIIed by the enemy at Lucknovr, °n 2 , lth March, aged 2'2, Lieut. Osbert D'Abitot Th a° well, ;sth 8.N.1., Artillery Divisional Staff, thirlBth of Lieut.-General Sir Joseph Thackwvll, G.C.8. , d Lancers. The officers of the 15th h av i ng been des erted by men at Neemuch, Th ac k we ll a pplied for leave to join Sir Colin Campbell's force going to Lucknol• faois - TD Printed and Publi s h e d b y MIJIWO YUQN of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sum Office. 14 1 (j : (12, Strand, in the Pre c i nc t o f th e S avo y, in the 0 0 of gittUltlex, Fri , lay. 31... y 7, 1858. THE CAGLIARI. Mr. SlNGLAkiinilialated — thal in order that he might have time to make himself acquainted with the papers hid on the table upon this subject, he should postpone the motion of which he had given notice a Tuesday week. (Hear.) Mr. HUTT—Is it intended to lay on the table the papers referred to by the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the debate on Tuesday night in reference to the negotiations reutive to the Danubian provinces ! The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—It would be most inconvenient, and more tt.an incon venient, to lay papers on the ta bl e re l a ti ve to negotia tions that are etch going on. My hon. friend spoke of thedocuments in question in illustration of an argument during a debate, and thinking that the information won d be interesting to the house ; but to present them at present would be inconsistent with our C.uty. (Hear.) Mr. LYGON withdrew his mo ion for a bill to alter and amend the law of church rates, explaining that his only object was that some plan of compromise should be devised in which all sides would concur. In the hope that thissession or the mat an amicable set. kment would be arranged, he begged to take the notice from the paper. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA BILL. Lord PALMERSTON postponed this measure (the late Governmetit's) to this day fortnight. DURHAM COUNT PALATINE JURISDICTION BILL. On the motion for the second reading of this till, Mr. A. SMITH called attention to the clause of this bin which affected the rights of the Crown to the fire :shore. He thought that the clause was objectionable, in asmuch as it represented this shore as the actual pro perty of the Crown. Now, although the right to the shore was in the Crown, still it was a right subject to the duty of exerob,iog it for the public good. He also noticed that two-'hirds of the produce f the sale of any rights of the Crown were to go to the Treasury, and the remaining third to the Ecc!e-iastical C iminissioners. He considered that this was reserving tau great a benefit to the Crown. Mr HAMILTON said that the object of the bill was merely to carry out an agree nent for settling doubts which arose under the act passed in the last reign f transferring jury regalia within the county of Durham to the Crown. Mr. ATHERTON thought the bill was one which it was very desirat le should be passed. The doubt resting on the statute of Wiliiam IV. was very inomvenient in many ways. Af.er a few words from Mr. INGHAM, the bill was read a second time. PROPERTY QUALIFICATION BILL. Mr. L. KING, in moving the second reading of this la, would detain the house a very few moments. He did not seek to alteia eery ancient law. The present act was based on a statute passed in the reign of Anne, followed by another in the reign of George 11. Under those ac's, coupled with a statute of the present reign, members were required to qualify before they could take their seats in that hou , e. Out of this had grown up the practice of giving false declarations, i. e., of gentlemen represent ing themselves as owners of property in which they had really nu beneficial interest. Some persons were allowed to take their seats without qnalitying, and there was no reason why that should not be the case with all. The law, too, was full of anomalies. The member for Liver pool,yr furuahy Rutlandf must qualify a elfoyrirn, while the e,ne m ed em o b n e l to the extent of 3001 f r 6001. The law in fact was but the relic of an attempt to keep persons professing certain opinions out of the house. Without going into the que.tion he might re mind them that many persons held that extreme opinions ought to be represented there if only by way of safety valve. He trusted that the measure would not be opposed by the government, as he could not but think that all mist feel that the time hail come when the anomalies of the present system should endure to longer. Mr. BENTINOK said he would not at that hour, and in the then state of the house attempt to oppose the mea sure. But , be could not let some remarks of the hon. member pass without observation. Tne hon. member told them that the eriginal object of the enactment in question was to exclude all persons from that house exc,pt landed proprietor. It any proof to the oon trary was wanting, it would be found in the fsct that there was a broad distinction drawn between borough clunty members, the latter requ , ring double the ere'ifiea . .ion of the former. l t stptw - hiihra:o l `. 4 ist r st : iocct L ,lhn . tag, K arassot l p.to N ttenhai G adt l it — oaonnt 'ir sd ;e yr iy aahtffici w oclohn e iu r ral e ceilpw b oe o nnor t eeor h .t insadl withoutd a w n o a d thes . owe net be in the house men whose finan Mr. BENTINCK—The original object was, he e, themselvesawtsiheuapvi rBei t there tuiienn exclusively to the business of the house without fairly, to beset members of that house. If the repeal of this lew was carried it would he likely to introduce int tot thheheoitirse a n t u e l e:r o f per sons whoa tiaalici pesiti .0 would not a ll ow t h em t o d evote t h emse l ves exc l us ively public dntiee The hen. gentleman had quoted exceptions, but they only proved the rule that he (Mr. Beetinck) had laid down, namely, that the original ob ject of the enactment was to exclude persons such as be Cad described. He woule not go into the queteion of the advisability of introducing into the house persons of extreme opinions, to which be was inclined to agree — ter he thoneht that house a great safety-valve, and that persons who out of doors were distinguished by extreme opinions, when they came into the hottse very soon modified those opinions. (Hear.) If there was to be no property q ialification for seats in that house, tak itnogenhsuotrnea purity u n r a i ty o u re f as it o w t a is s m , abnyd doingkn o w i a n w g a t y h at in certain eircurnstances men were open to tenip. at i on , you ought for publi c o ffi ces, an so let members of t:aittb salaries hou,e r bees i placed abov e t emptat i on . Wh en th a t was done this race sure might be extremely beneficial. How that state of things would be received on either side of the house he creed not say—(bear, bear, and laughter) — b ut y ou ou g ht to place m em b ers by seme such means beyond tempta tion. Mr. MILES fraid that as the bon. member for Norfolk with hie finances could not of courts accept any office, it would be useless to go on with the argument with him. (Bear.) Bit at present 8001 a year enabled a man to tehtmeendefeeerssaarbyogrouuagliba.catDioin l Did au.y(Cohneeeri:. u:pose that because a man had 3001. a year he war placed beyond the reach of temptati sn ? (Hear, h ea r.) Had not the house been long acting on a f a l sehoo d , f or had every member really He believed (Hear.) If so, l e t t h em not m i x this subjectupw n itht * la jt e reform question, which w as oely an ev,ernal rcfarm rf their own house. If a 101. householder chose to represent Len a person of ability who bad not 300/. a year, he ought to have the power of sending him to that house. (Hear, hear.) He to, ked to ScotlaA. (Cheers.) Mem 'era for that country bad no q ualification, and he was sure the house bad no reaon to be ashamed of those mernhe:s who represented Scottish constituencies. (Cueere.) Last year he (Mr. Milo) had supported a Go vernment which promised a Refetai 8.11, and he voted against the proposHen of the hey. member fir Surrey ; out now he was atliberty to express his opi,ion. (11e•-r.) TiiiS was not a question to bu4introd aced i.ito a Reform Bill, but it was a question whether a gentleman who had not 3001. a-year, should or s hould not represent a con stituency. (Hear, hear.) He had not the tligteest diffi whoma nd the he e 1100. member l er N or folk wished to in t r oduce into Perlia- cu i l p t ed y. and trotted t t o ha t t h a e m m e r e tt v motion—(loud in ( lo a u l d iei e l h ai e r e e r e —e ) , 'Beet they should have men of bu mble means but grew suility return e d b y suc h cons tituencies as sel e ct ed them. Mr. GRIFFITH sa id if this bill passed , to whim, Ne aw no obj sc ti ot ,—(b ear hear) —he hoped that the hour u would recomm en d eee unfortunate gentleman, now ',hem for an offence against the law requiring a property qualifies, ion for members of that hones, to the considera , Lieu of the Home Secretary, with a view to the commu tation of his sentence. Many members of that house were The tows:— at two, four, 1 Shillini G' place, L loans on N.B. Assured of grace T' The D 1 . Tk PRIETC the 2Gth William 2 . Thi more Sh attend a 3. Thi Thompsi one Aud Charles OPective 4 . Thi of becoal nonce of "Ys pre May 7 N T T -it_ Sc Hshed 18: has been Policies c curring annual p the deat f J grace. TB EtaPowe V. The ne 11 0, 18( Policy taken *tit In, 1 8A 4 1 I -...___ The fo ' 4ll onal The S Two-t "`Te yea Its sul Its in , to one hi Its an Then About Since 01 three For pi man, 14 Gr' ewAnn fr l e N e t Cho riou DAli PRI! of to th Sei Horn , of the A sin for tv fast, ♦n street 40 m' Si at 8 of the semi', Calle] MEN Clrcu , admix Introd flume comm Auk, LEM qua DR. I band; duet& Valero greate CHAR' Travh and is at the inarke CI Wm. 1 Sarnue Jolla i F.R, 149,5