The Sun. — London, England, 1860-06-02 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.) The Sr EA KER took the chair at four o'clock. The Lords' amendments to the London and North Western Railway and Saint Helen's Canal and. Railway Companies Bill, were considered and agreed to, and the bills were ordered for third reading. The following bills were considered and ordered for third reading :—London, Brighton, and South Coast Rail way (Deviations and New Lines, &c.), Watchet Harbour, and Waveney Valley Railway Bills. The Everton, &c., Drainage Bill, and North British Insurance Company Bill, were read a second time. PETITIONS. Several petitions were presented, praying the house to pass the Reform Bill without delay ; against that part of the Bankruptcy Bill which prohibits solicitors pleading in Bankruptcy Courts ; for a modification of the law relating to Friendly Societies; for the repeal of the differential duty on foreign paper ; against any increase in taxation without the consent of this house ; and against any change in the marriage law, &c. NAVY (ROMAN CATHOLIC) SAILORS. Mr. BELLEW moved for copy of any correspondence that had taken place with the Admiralty in the months of March ant April last, relative to the treatment of Roman Catholic sailors in the Royal Navy.—Ordered. OPENING FROM ST. JAMES'S PARK TO TRA • FAL GAR- SQUARE. On the motion for the adjournment of the house at its rising until Monday, Mr. BINNAIRD asked the First Commissioner of Works, whether the recommendation of the committee which reported in 1856 in favour of opening a carriage way from Saint James's Park to Trafalgar-square would be carried out ; and, if not, what are the reasons for such decision on the part of the Board of Works. An opening such ashe proposed might be very easily effected at the present time. The objection to the alteration pre viously was, that the expense would be very large, which was now removed by the recent im➢rovements that had been effected. There was only one house with a lease of nearly 11 years to be removed, to enable the open ing in question to be made. The greatest difficulties were caused to traffic in the neighbourhood of St. Jantes's-square when her Majesty held a- Drawing room. He trusted the Government would throw no obstacle in the way of effecting this most desirable improvement. Mr.D.GRIFFITHS considered that Storey's-gate should not be closed so early as 10 o'clock. Sir J. SHELLEY hoped the improvement in question would be speedily effected. Mr. COWPER said that the committee who had in quired into the subject, amongst others, recommended that the improvement in question should be carried out in future, but did not recommend its immediate adoption. That committee, however, had not recommended any plan for carrying out the improvement, and had not en tered into the financial part of the question. He consi dered that the subject as to the merits or demerits of the improvement was not to be considered at present, as the house was called on to deal with the mere preliminary question of the expense. That expense could not be charged on the fund for the im provement of the park, and though there was only one house to be removed, and that house was on Crown land, still money would have to be provided to purchase it from the public department to which it belonged. With regard to the other question it was most undeniable that Storey's-gate should be kept open permanently during the night. THE PAPER DUTIES. Lord FERMOY asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intended, in consequence of the Bill for the abolition of the Duties on Paper having been re jected by the House of Lords, to remit some other tax equivalent to the amount of the paper duties. He said that there were two questions involved in the pre sent state of this matter, one constitutional, the other finan cial. With regard to the former, he was quite prepared, when the proper time arrived, to vindicate the dignity of the house. He trusted also that the Government would be prepared to take a proper course in respect to the privileges of the house. He thought the Government should imme diately introduce another bill to do away with the paper duties, to which they should append resolu tions to the effect that the house would maintain its rights and privileges. (Hear, hear.) As regarded the financial part of the question, it would be seen that the house was placed in a false position ; for the people of England, in consequence of the rejec tion of the repeal of the duty, were called on to pay 4600,000 for a tax which their representatives had condemned. He believed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer was sincere in his desire to repeal this duty, but a different opinion prevailed in cer tain parts of the country, and therefore he had done some service in affording him an opportunity of ex planation. The noble lord strongly condemned the course pursued by Government in appointing a committee to in quire into precedents, instead of adopting some more ener getic and prompt course of proceedings. THE TEA DUTY. Mr. A. STEUART asked the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, whether, having declared in case of a similar con tingency with regard to the bill for the repeal of the Paper Duty to what now has occurred, that he would take the earliest opportunity, probably within a few days, of inviting 'the house to repeal the war tea and sugar duty, he still adhered to that intention; or what contingencies, then unforeseen, prevented such a course. Also, whether ho was still of opinion, from the quantities of wine entered since the lowering of the duty, that consumption would increase to the extent of 35 per cent., and entail on the revenue a loss compared with last year of only £515,000 ? Mr. CAVE strongly advocated the repeal of the duty on tea. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I have no objection to offer to the criticism of the noble lord the member for Marylebone on the conduct of the Government with respect to the appointment of a c, mmittee of this house, nor to the observations of the hon. gentlemen oppo site with respect to the financial proceedings of the Govern ment or, their supposed intentions, but I hope I may be permitted, without any disrespect, to be very brief; and in what I may say in regard to their observations I must be understood, in a general sense, to make no admissions, and, in fact, to offer no reply to their questions. (Laughter.) That is the general and invariable rule with respect to the intentions of the Government in matters of taxation, and certainly the reasons which support and vindicate that rule have a double force at this peculiar juncture, when it so happens that important questions of taxation are, at any rate for. the moment, inextricably mixed u) with other questions-if possible more important than those of taxation, namely, the relat&sietthe rights of the two Houses of Par liament, and the constitutional usages under which legis lation is carried on in matters of taxation. Tho noble lord seems to be curious about my feelings with respect to the vote of the House of Lords. A Chancellor of the Exche quer is not usually supposed to have any feelings--(laugh ter)—but, however, if I had any on this particular case, I don't think the time has yet come for declitring them. (Hear.) I entirely differ from the noble lord's criticism— (hear)—and I think it is the opinion of the house, without at all committing themselves as to what may be the merits of the question, that the Government have taken a becom ing and judicious course in remitting it to a tribunal chosen by the house itself to make a careful collection of the facts bearing; upon the case, in order that the house may have the fullest iefermation before makingup its mind on the subject. (Hew.) With that apology, which I hope will not be taken to be disrespectful, I must say that I am afraid it is not practicable for me to give any promise either as to the re mission or non-remission of any particular tax whatever on the present occasion. The hon. gentleman opposite is quite right in saying that on. the second reading of the bill I did state that it was the intention of the Government, if that proposal were not accepted, to submit to the judgment of the house a proposal for the repeal either of the tea or sugar duties ; but I beg to observe that the contingency I then contemplated hasnot happened—(hear)—and, consequently, the situation being totally different, the case in which that question might fairly be pressed upon me has not arrived. As regards that great subject to which the noble lord chiefly adverted, reserving to myself the right to enter into a discussion of it, if necessary, at the proper time, I am quite content to leave the question where it was left the day before the recess by the declarations of my noble friend at the head of the Government, and the more detailed declara tions of my noble friend the member for London. The hon. gentleman opposite wishes to know whether I still adhere to the opinion I expressed, that the consumption of wine Would increase to the amount of 35 per cent., and that the loss to the revenue would not be greater than £515,000 in the first year of the change. It has always been my opinion —and I believe I have expressed it in this house—that it i mpossible to form any trustworthy judgment on would be ffectof the reduction of the wine duties until the Wine L icen ces Bill bad passed and had come into operation. It will be not less than two or three months before that bill comes into practical operation, and I should not feel justi fied, therefore, in giving now any more confident opinions about the ultimate issue of that great experiment than I gave when I submitted my financial statement to the house. So far as our present experience goes the results are satisfactory, and I have n o reason to deviate from the quite esti mate, naturally conjectural, which I then made. Mr. BRIGHT—I listened with great pleasure to the t.b serrations of the two hon. gentlemen opposite. They have exhibited great affection for th e working classes, par titularly with reference to the reducti on o f the duties on tea. and sugar. In' all they have sa id as to the desire- bility of • reducing those duties I am disposed to agree w ith them, but I discover from their observations, that either they have not read the debate which took place in the other house, or they entirely differ from their friends there who took part in that debate. (A laugh.) Of course I am aware that Lord Derby did not know at all that the hon. member for Somersetshire had ever discussed the paper duty in connexion with the income-tax in this house, and, if he was so entirely ignorant of what his friends were doing in this house, it is not unfair to assume that his friends here do not knowwhat he isdoing there. (A laugh.) If the hon. gentlemen had observed the debate they would ha' e discovered—what I presume every gentleman who knows anything of the debate has discovered—that it was not a question there whether the paper duty was a good or bad duty, or whether it was a better duty o: worse duty than the duties on tea and sugar. The whole course of the argument was that the Chancellor of the Ex( hequer, sup ported by the House of Commons, had no provided ade quately for the ways and means of the ser "ce of the year. (Freer.) That was the argument used i❑ the other House of Parliament, and upon that argument almost entirely the policy was adopted of rejecting the Bill. If that be so—and I am not going to argue now whetherit was rightly founded or not—it is clearly not very reasonable to ask the Chan cellor of the Exchequer to introduce some other bill for the remission either of the tea or sugar duties, which bill, I presume, would not become law upon the new theory of the Constitution, without the consent of the other House of Parliament. (Hear, hear.) If there be any validity in the argument of the House of Lords for the rejection of the Paper Duty Bill—viz., that the House of Commons have not sufficiently provided for the service of the year—it is clear that the House of Lords would not only be justified, but would be compelled, to reject a new bill sent up instead of the Paper Duties Bill. The house, therefore, I presume, would not expect the Chancellor of the Exchequer to take that course, and I am only surprised that the hon. gentle man should have imagined such a case. Besides, we must take into consideration that, though the tea and sugar duties were mentioned in what is called the Budget speech, yet now we have got new masters in matters financial, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer will have to consider much more minutely and take far more circumstances into his view when he is deliberating what taxes he shall propose to re mit or to impose. The hon. member for Cambridge, looking in this direction, took the liberty of making some reference to what he called agitation out of doors. (Hear, hear from the Opposition.) Hon. gentlemen opposite are not altoge ther free from the charge of endeavouring to get up agita tions—(hear)—but they have always had this obstacle to contend with—the cause they have advocated, the measures they have propounded, the principles on which they have , acted, and the course they have recommended have been of such a nature that the great bulk of the population utterly disapproved them—(oh, oh l)—and would not in any way assist in promoting them. With regard to this very mat ter, surely the hon. gentleman does not wish that a great question like this—a question so great that the noble lord the member for the city of London says he thinks there has scarcely been one so grave during the period of his political life—should not be discussed by the people of a free coun try ? (Hear.) Does the hon. member presume—does he dare to say—is he so afraid of his own case as to say, if any member of this house, whatever his opinions on the subject may be, whether he takes my view of the subject or any other, takes the liberty before any audience fairly and openly to discuss this question, that he is not doing a ser vice to the people of this country in enabling them to judge of the facts of the case and the principles on which the House of Commons may be called on to act ? (Hear, hear.) I should not have been dissatisfied if I had seen some more expeditious mode adopted with reference to this question —(hear)—but, looking to the past proceedings of the house, so far as I have been able to examine them or make my self acquainted with them, I believe the course the Go vernment has taken is that which has been heretofore followed in similar cases. The committee has been ap pointed ; it has already sat ; its sittings will probably be continued ; next week evidence will be taken ; and in a few days the matter, so far as it can be ascertained, will be laid before the house. I have great con fidence that during that time the question will be more dis cussed in the country, more reflected on by this house, and if it should happen that the committee should report that the course taken by the House of Lords has infringed upon the just, recognised, and constitutional rights of the House of Commons, I should feel ashamed of being a member of the House of Commons if I thought that a large majority of the members of it would not take such steps as may ap pear just for the purpose of resisting any such infringement on its rights and privileges. (Hear.) I don't think we could commit a greater treason to every branch of the Legisla ture, to the Crown, to the Commons, to the House of Lords itself than to permit a matter of this kind to be passed over as if it were of no importance. (Hear.) I think the pos terity of the existing generation of Englishmen will have reason to look back—with contempt, I will say—on the Par liament of 1860 if we do not thoroughly sift this question to the bottom, and if we do not act in accordance with the principles of the Constitution in defence of our rights and privileges if we find they have been infringed. (Hear, hear.) the subject. He wished also to call the noble lord's atten tion to a subject which Was of not less importance, and that Was the course which was said to have been pursued, or which was about to be pursued, by the French Government with reference to the same question. He knew he was tread ing on delicate ground, and should not discuss the question of whether the communication of Prince Gortschakoff had been the result of an understanding between the Govern ments of France and Russia; he could not forget, however, that not long ago a statement was made by the Minister for Foreign Affairs at St. Petersburg to the effect that it was possible written communications might subsist between the two Governments, and that all he would undertake to say was that English interests were not menaced by any arrange ments that might be in contemplation. It was, therefore, of great conseluence that they should know also the course the French Government had pursued or was pursuing. He should be glad to know whether there had been any corre spondence, and of what nature, with the French Govern ment. Some intimation had been given when the hon. member for Southwark asked his question that the French Minister for Foreign Affairs had expressed his opinion that if any representation were made to the Turkish Govern ment it should be made by the five Powers, and not by Russia alone, as if by the latter it would encourage the im pression that that empire was the sole protectress of the Christians in Turkey. He (Mr. Fitzgerald) was of opinion that such interference on the part of the five Powers would be quite as contrary to the letter and spirit of the treaty of peace as that to which he had in the first instance alluded. Another question he had to ask was whether any commu nication on the subject had been made to the courts of Austria and Prussia, and if so, whether the noble lord could state to the house what were the views of the two Govern ments respecting it. The last and most important question he had to ask was what answer the noble lord had thought fit to make respecting those propositions to the Russian or the French Government. He did not wish to press his questions if their answers were likely to be attended with public inconvenience, but he thought that on two points the noble lord ought to express a decided opinion. One was that the course suggested of a representation by the five Powers to Turkey with reference to the Christian subjects of the latter, was contrary to the letter and spirit of the treaty of peace; and the other referred to a point which he should take leave to read to the house. It was said that a proposi tion had been made that this question should be inquired into by the five Powers through the intervention of their consular agents in the Turkish empire. Now, he had been informed by persons whose knowledge and experience of the East gave every weight to their opinion, that such a step would be a most dangerous course of policy. It could not be denied but that if encouragement were thus given to the consular agents to mix themselves up in the affairs of the Turkish empire, great injury must result to the prestige of the Turkish authorities and their power of regulating the internal affairs of the empire. He be lieved that such was the opinion of our ambassador at Con stantinople, and thathe strongly objected to any powerbeing given to the consuls to inquire into the mode in which the treaty stipulations had been carried out with reference to the Christian population. Before he sat down—(a laugh) —there was one other point to which he wished to call at tention. There was, he had no doubt, in the Foreign-office a despatch from Mr. Addison, the Charge d'Affaires at Constantinople, or from Sir Henry Bulwer, with reference to the " hat." In that despatch it was explained to what extent the " hat" had been carried out, and how any more stringent execution of it might be more injurious to the Christian population of Turkey than their present position. That despatch, he believed, also pointed out the difficulty the Turkish Government had in fulfilling their engage ments. He should like to know whether the noble lord could lay that despatch on the table. Lord J. RUSSELL—I will now endeavour to answer the various questions—certainly very various—which have been addressed to me this evening respecting our foreign affairs, and if I should omit any of them which have been asked by the hon. gentleman who has just sat down, I trust he will remind me of the omission. The first question re lated to the affairs of Persia, and was asked by the hon. and learned member for Poole, and with it was connected that which was subsequently asked by the hon. member for Liskeard. Now, in the first place, the story which the hon. and learned member for Poole has heard, namely, that there were differences of opinion respecting the policy to be pursued in Persia between her Majesty's Go vernment and Sir H. Rawlinson, and that the latter had in consequence been recalled, is not correct. Sir H. Rawlin son is an exceedingly able man, extremely well acquainted with the East, and his influence with Persia has been con siderable. His policy was entirely approved of by her Ma jesty's Government, and I was in hopes that he would have continued his functions in Persia as Minister. But the cause of his return has been that to which my hon. friend the member for Liskeard has allude/. My noble friend at the head of the Government, on finding that the affairs of Persia had been attended to by the Secretary of State for India, inquired of the Secretary for India and myself what we thought of the arrangement, to which we both replied that we would abide by his judgment, either to continue or to change the arrangement. My noble friend having taken some time for consideration, said he thought that the chief part of our business with Persia—although some might be connected with India—was to settle and carry on the rela • tions between Persia and this country, and between Persia and Russia. That certainly is true, for questions do arise between Persia and this country, and between Persia and Russia'; and whenever there is a difference between the two latter, the English Minister is asked his opinion, and when there is a difference between England and Persia, the Russian Minister is referred to. My noble friend, therefore, came to the conclusion that it was better the Persian mis sion should again be under the control of the Foreign-office. I accepted the responsibility, and at the same time hoped that Sir H. Rawlinson would have remained in office. Not long after, however, intelligence that he was about to re sign was received in a private letter addressed to a gentleman in the Foreign-office, as also Sir H. Rawlinson's reason, which I do not think I should act fairly by concealing. In the Indian-office there was a considerable latitude for mak ing presents, a thing which never was the custom of the Foreign-office. Shortly after Sir H. Rawlinson sent me a private letter stating that he intended to resign, and, about the same time his formal resignation was received. I did not think it desirable that he should remain in Persia after he had sent in his resignation, as it might damage his influence, and I therefore advised her Majesty to accept his resignation, and to appoint a gentleman whom I had never seen, and with whom I had no acquaintance, but who had long been in the diplomatic service at Constantinople, and from whom I had seen several able despatches and reports of missions. I mean Mr. Alison, the present Minister at the Persian Court. The hon. gentleman will, therefore, see that Sir Henry Rawlinson has not been recalled, but that he sent in his own resignation, for reasons satisfactory to his own mind. (Hear, hear.) With regard to our policy in respect to Persia, it is very soon told, and has none of that character which the hon. gentleman attributed to it. I stated to the Persian Envoy, and also to Sir Henry Rawlinson and Mr. Alison, that our policy was to maintain the integrity and independence of Persia, but at the same time to recommend her not to make aggressions upon other independent states, and the Persian Envoy here assented to that. Ther , is no ques tion of coercion about it. Our interest is merely to main tain the authority of the government of Persia, and to give them such advice, when asked, as might conduce to the maintenance of peace. There is one point I may mention in which our opinions may be peculiar, and that is, that there is naturally, and there has been from time to lime a sort of rivalry between England and Russia in Persia namely, that those who are for the support of Great Bri tain always have some story of oppression on the part of Russia, and those in favour of the Russian interest are just as busy in going to the ministers and informing them that Great Britain is pushing herself forward. I have thought it best to discourage this rivalry—(hear, hear)—and when I have had occasion to write to St. Petersburg, or to speak to the Russian minister here, I have always said that, pro vided we found Russia maintaining the independence of Persia, we were quite willing to join with her in giving the same advice. Our object was only to maintain that government which was sometimes weak and often threat ened, and we asked Russia to act in the same spirit. The answers we have received from Russia have ten,' ed to show the same disposition, and so far from desiring to drive Per sia into a corner, we hope the course of the Persian govern ment will in future be more equable than it has hitherto been. (Hear, hear.) The next question relates to China. With regard to the despatches of the Governor of Hong Kong, I am informed by the Under Secretary of State for the Colonial Department that he has not received any de spatch with respect to the case of murder referred to by the hon. gentleman who has asked the question. With regard to the appointment of inspectors, the hon. member for Glasgow rather supposed I had given a more distinct and decided approval to that than I intended to give. It is certainly an anomalous system that a body of foreigners should be put i office as collectors of the revenue of China. But it was said by Lord Elgin and by others that it would give confidence to the merchants, because it was well known there was a great deal of bribery among the Chinese, and the adoption of such a course would put an end to many abuses. The act itself has not been performed by the Foreign-office, but I think it is a system which ought to be tried. (Hear, hear.) An lion, friend of mine has asked me some questions with regard to Sicily. He must be aware that the pamphlet just published is one to which we can I give no authority. It rests entirely on the responsibility of the gentleman who has placed his name to it. But I am sorry to say there are in the Foreign-office reports of our consuls—two or three in 1857 and one that I hold in my hand of the 24th of July, 1859—and there are some other despatches from our consuls giving an account of cruelties and even of tortures perpetrated by the police of Sicily. It is a very painful subject, and I do not want to go through the details, but there are accounts given of men who came of themselves to our consuls and said that they had had their wrists fastened together, and had been gagged with an instrument called the cap of silence ; that they had suffered various other inflictions which certainly belong properly to the description of torture, and I have no doubt those inflic tions, together with other sufferings of the people of Sicily, have brought Sicily to the state in which she now is, and which no ono who knows what the Government of the King of the Two Sicilies has been for some time past can be at all surprised at, (Cheers.) I now come to the very im portant question which was asked by the hon. gentleman opposite. I will tell him as shortly as I can, and at the same time endeavour to give him a complete account of what has taken place at St. Petersburg, and among the other Powers with regard to the affairs of Turkey. The hon. member has referred to what occurred at St. Petersburg in the be ginning of the month of May. It appears that at the end of April, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs informed the Turkish Ambassador that the accounts received from the different Christian provinces under the Sultan, more especially Posnia, Roumelia, and Bulgaria, showed such sufferings and such exasperations on the part of the Chris tion subjects of the Porte, that if they should lead to in surrection and massacre, the Emperor of Russia could not remain a tranquil spectator of such scenes. A few days after this information, a despatch was written to Paris to the same effect, and on May sth the Ministers of the five Powers were assembled at the office of Prince Gortschakoff, and the prince then made the statement I have just refer red to, that the state of the Christian provinces of Turkey was such that if they should lead to insurrection and mas sacre the Emperor of Russia would not remain a tranquil spectator. After a good deal of discussion three proposals were drawn up by the French Ambassador, in presence of the meeting, and were agreed to so far as this, that the dif ferent Ministers said they would send them to their respec tive courts. The first proposition was that the present state of the Christian provinces of Turkey had become intole • rable ; the second proposition was that an inquiry should be made, and that such inquiry ought to be made by the offi cers of the Sultan, and that they should be assisted by the consuls of the five Powers ; the third proposition of Prince Gortschakoff was that, having failed in securing to the Christian subjects of the Porte that security which was sup posed to have been obtained, it was necessary to have a new organisation of the government of those provinces. Nothing could be more important than these different propositions. After receiving them we said that with regard to the first proposition, her Majesty's Government had not received such accounts as entitled them to say that the present state of those provinces was intolerable. The house is aware that we can at no time speak with any great approbation of the Government of the Sultan in the interior of his dominions. We can hardly speak perhaps much more favourably of that government than of the government of the King of the Two Sicilies ; but at the same time we have no accountthat has shown to us there has been that intolerable mismanage ment and oppression which the Government of Russia has always laid particular stress upon with regard to the Chris tian subjects of the Porte. I have not only'read carefully the different reports received, but I have asked persons coming from the provinces of Turkey, and who were en gaged in the service of her Majesty, and they have generally said it was impossible to praise the administration of the Turkish Government ; but, with regard to any particular oppression of the Christians, it must be owned that the Turkish subjects of the Porto are quite as great sufferers from the irregularity of the Government as the Christian subjects are. With regard to the third point, as to the new organisation of the provinces in question, we said it was quite impossible, with reference to general principles or to the terms of the treaty of Paris of 1856, to agree to the principle of a new organisation. The house will re member that the 7th article in the treaty of Paris guaran tees and supports the integrity of the Turkish empire. The Bth article declares that if at any time any dissension shall arise between the Sublime Porte and any of the Powers signing the treaty, which may threaten a disturbance of peaceful relations, then the former shall not have recourse to arms without endeavouring, with the aid of the other Powers, to bring about a peaceful settlement of such dis turbance. The 9th article declares the contracting Powers acknowledge the high importance of this communication, and will give in no case any of the Powers a right to inter fere in the relations between the Sultan and his subjects, or in the internal administration of his empire. The treaty being so positive in that respect, nothing but extreme urgency, such as an insurrection, and the deter mination of a foreign Power, in spite of the treaty, to take the part of the insurgents and make war on the Sultan, would justify the other Powers of Europe in at all inter fering in the internal government of that country. But at the same time after such a declaration as that made on the part of so great an empire as Russia, and Russia having, as we know, so much influence with the Christian subjects of the Sultan—an influence which the Emperor of Russia does not only not disavow, but which ho is always boast ing they acknowledge—we did not think it prudent to stand aloof and say we would not coneern ourselves in such a case, We therefore consulted with the other Powers, and at the same time gave our own opinion that while we could not give any consent to the first and third points, we considered it might be proper to make an inquiry with respect to the present state of the Christian provinces and Government of the Sultan. The Austrian Government in the same spirit said that their object was to maintain the independence and integrity of Turkey, and at the same time to procure by their influence and by that of the other powers of Europe the removal of any grievance which might pro voke resistance or insurrection. The answer given by Prus ' sia was not very different—declaring that nut having her self consuls and agents in Turkey, she should require further elucidation on the subject ; and the Government of France sent to us to know what was our opinion upon the question. M. Thouvenel declared that from his knowledge of Turkey he was aware great abuses and misgovernment prevailed there. He thought, however, that remedies might be pointed out which, at the same time that they provided for the happiness of the subjects of the Sultan, would also give greater strength to the Ottoman empire. The opinion of M. Thouvenel, I think, must be allowed to have its weight with regard to any remedies which may be adopted. At the same time ho declared that he thought any inquiry made ought to be made with the greatest regard to the authority of the Sultan, and that the mode of inquiry ought not to impair or shake that authority. Our opinion with respect to that point was this. We said, if it appeared to the Sultan that Christian consuls or agents might participate in an inquiry, we should be ready to take that view of the case, but that if the Sultan, on the other hand, thought they could not participate without a diminution of his authority, we were not ready to press a point of that kind on an independent sovereign whose authority we desired to maintain. Sir Menry Bulwer, whose influence has always been exerted not only with a wish to maintain the autho rity of the Sultan, and to improve the welfare of the people of Turkey, but who has always in my opinion taken the most judicious means for that purpose, and who by the mode in which he has given his advice, has obtained great influence with all the Turkish Ministers who have been in power—(hear, hear)—Sir Henry Bulwer thought it was advisable to have an inquiry, but to have it by means of the Sultan's own officers. There has lately been a change in the Turkish Government, and the Minister who formerly held the office of Grand Vizier has been reinstated. The French ambassador advised that the Grand Vizier should himself visit Bosnia, Reumelia, and Bulgaria, and have full authority from the Sultan to punish those guilty of outrages, and to establish such remedial measures as he might think proper to meet the existing evils. In that advice Sir Henry Bulwer and the Russian ambassador agreed, and wa have heardlthis day that that measure has been adopted. The Turkish ambassador has informed us that the Sultan has willingly followed this advice, and that the Grand Vizier will visit those provinces. I conclude that as the Russian ambassador has given his consent to that plan, Prince Gortschakoff is likely to assent to it. I cannot say what will be the effect of this measure, but it is one which gives us hope for the future. No man would be bold enough to say what will be the future course of the Turkish Government or the future destiny of the Turkish provinces, but I cannot but believe that there has been a very considerable change of late years, and a change for the better. Sir Henry Bulwer has declared that since the time he has been in Turkey there has been very consi derable irnproveniont, although ho is still dissatisfied with the present state of things. I certainly consider, although this proposal of the Russian Government at first appeared to contain :n it elements even threatening to the stability of the Sultan's power, that at present I am justified in hav ing great hopes there may be no dissensions among the powers of Europe, and that if we have to give advice on the ject, it will be given in such a way as not to offend the just pride of an independent Sovereign. (Hear.) OPERATIVES' STRIKE. Mr. - HUBBARD wished to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention had been called to the renewed agitation of the metropolitan opera tives for a diminution of the time of labour to nine hours ; and whether the Government would be prepared to protect independent labourers against the coercion and violence practised towards them on a former occasion should similar illegal proceedings be attempted by the men on strike. Sir G. C. LE SVIS replied that the report alluded to by the hon. gentleman—viz., that the workmen in the building trades of London contemplated a renewal of the strike of last year—was only known to him through those ordinary channels of intell gene() which were accessible to all ; no communication on the subject had been made to the com missioners of police, nor had the assistance of the police been applied for. No doubt to a certain extent the statement that violence and intimidation had been practised during the strike of last year was well founded, but the general charac ter of that strike was abstinence from all violent means. Some exceptions certainly did occur, and some cases were, be believed, brought before the magistrates, with what result he did not exactly remember; but considering the length of time over which the strike extended, and the large number of per sons engaged in it, its general character was abstinence from violent means. (Hear, hear.) He had inquired of the com missioners of police, and was not aware that in any instance they failed to afford assistance to persons who were threat ened or intimidated, nor were the commissioners aware that any complaints had been made of want of assistance on their part during the continuance of the strike. He would only further say upon the general question, that it was the duty of the Executive Government to hold itself perfectly impar tial in regard to these unfortunate occurrences—and unfor tunate he must call them, for experience had shown their impolicy, and that whatever the immediate result they in variably in the end were disastrous to the working classes themselves. (Hear.) Still it was the duty of the Executive Government to hold the balance with an even hand between the two contending parties, limiting their interference to maintaining thy, ascendancy of the law, and so far p,s was in their power to the prevention of intimidation and violence. (llear, hear.) The hon. gentleman would be aware that a committee of the house had SIR HENRY RAWLINSON. Mr. H. SEYMOUR called the attention of the house to the state of affairs with Persia; and asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to lay upon the table of the house papers relating to Sir Henry Rawlinson's recal or resig nation. SUPREME COURT OF HONG KONG. Mr. WYLD asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, it the Government had been informed by the Go vernor of Hong Kong of the trial, at the Supreme Court, of Captain Saunders, of the British barque Chin- Chin, for the murder of one of the crew of the Custom House Boats in the Port of Swatow ; and, if there be any objection to lay the despatch upon the table of the house ? Mr. D. FORTESCUE asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he was in possession of any in formation confirmatory of certain statements made in a pamphlet recently published in Paris, quoted in the " Eco nomist" newspaper of Saturday last, relative to the proceed ings of the police authorities in Sicily; and, if so, whether he had any objection to lay such information upon the table of the house. Mr. B. OSBORNE said before the noble lord replied to the question which had been put to him by the hon. mem ber for Poole (Mr. D. Seymour), he would, perhaps, have no objection to state to the house the precise position of the Persian mission at that moment. From the year 1835 to the year 1858, the conduct of Persian affairs was vested in the Foreign-office, but by an arrangement subsequently come to it was removed to the Board of Control. What he wished to ask the noble lord was, whether he had again transferred the conduct of Persian affairs to the exclusive direction of the Foreign-office, because he had some idea that the resignation of Sir H. Rawlinson had something to do with this transfer. This was more important than it at first sight appeared, because he believed that the difficul ties between this country and Persia, which led to the Per sian war, might be ascribed to the Foreign-office. Mr. BUCHANAN said before the noble lord replied to the question put to him by the hon. member for Bodmin (Mr. - Wyld) he wished to allude to the appointment of foreign inspectors in the Chinese ports. The present system of collecting the Chinese customs was anomalous. It was done by strangers, and the sums collected might, as was believed to be the case at present, be paid into the Treasury, and be used for the purposes of offence against ourselves. Swatow was likely to become a second Singapore, and it was therefore essential that the customs should be put on a proper foundation. We were also doing our best to destroy Hong Kong, a British settlement, in which there was in vested an immense amount of British property. The pro ject was to establish a complete organisation of custom house ports along the Chinese coast ; but this he believed to be impossible. The French did not approve of it ; and their interests as traders were so trifling, that they might act as other considerations dictated. Neither had the Americans been very cordial. At Shanghae they had declined to become joint assessors, and at Canton had also raised difficulties, in fact, had refused altogether. At Swatow the same objec tions were raised. The object he had in making these ob• servations was that the noble lord at the head of the Fo reign-office might not accept the proposed arrangement without having first given it the fullest consideration. MR. MURRAY. Lord C. HAMILTON rose to defead Mr. Murray, late minister in Persia, from the attack of the hon. and learned member for Poole. He knew Mr. Murray to be a gentle man of singular ability, energy, and zeal, one who had filled several appointments of importance and trust, and in every one had given complete satisfaction. Ho wondered that the hon. and learned member, of all men in the house, should have described Mr. Murray as only known by his work on America. The hon. and learned member should not have forgotten that Mr. Murray had been consul-general at Cairo, and as to his conduct in Persia it might or might not have been prudent ; but at all events, it had been fully discussed and decided upon by that house. Having known Mr. Murray for thirty years, he trusted the house would excuse his making these few observations. Mr. D. GRIFFITH was also anxious to bear testimony to Mr. Murray's good qualities, but was called to order by the house. AFFAIRS OF TURKEY. Mr. S. FITZGERALD said that the noble lord the Se cretary for Foreign Affairs had already so many and such various questions to answer that he would have postponed his questions but that the noble lord had himself stated that it would be convenient to have them put that evening. A question had some time before been asked by the hon. mem ber for Southwark with reference to a then recent incident at St. Petersburg, and it was with reference to the same in cident that he was then about to trouble the noble lord. The statement was that the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs had called together the ministers of England, France, Prussia, and Austria, omitting the representative of the Sultan, and had expressed his opinion that the time had come when representations should be made to the Turkish government with respect to the Christian subjects of the Porte, but more particularly with respect to the extent to which the Hat-ti-humaioon had been observed, and carried out.. He (Mr. Fitzgerald) thought that the course thus taken by the Russian Government was one cal culated to cause great anxiety, but more especially when he came to consider the nature of the communications made by the Russian minister. It became a matter of still greAter gravity when they recollected that the conference suggested by Prince Gortschakoff was hostile not only to the letter but to the spirit of the treaty by which the Rus sian war had been concluded. Now, he thought it was of importance in matters such as this that the house and the public should know what was the exact nature of the com munication of the Russian minister, andalaerefore he wished the noble lord to inform them of the exact terms used by Prince Gortschakoff to the representatives of the' four Powers ; . and he sho u ld also be glad to know whether that commtuncation had been repeated to the noble lord by the representative in this country of the Russian Government, or whether he had received a communication in writing on THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 2, 1860. been sitting upon the subject of the laws regulating the relations between masters and workmen, and that a bill had been recommended by them for establishing a system of arbitration for the settlement of disputes and the prevention of strikes. Ile (Sir C. Lewis) was not san guine of the success of any such scheme, but when that measure came on for consideration, if the hon. gentleman had any suggestion to offer for the amendment of the ex isting law, that would be a favourable opportunity for sub mitting it to the house. (Hear.) The motion that the house at its rising adjourn to Mon day was then put and agreed to. LEASING AND IMPROVING LAND (IRELAND). Mr. IVIIITESIDE moved for leave to bring in a bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the powers of leasing and improving land in Ireland.—Agreed to. UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES ESTATES BILL, This bill was read a second time. SUPPLY (ARMY ESTIMATES). The report on the votes passed on the previous evening was brought up and agreed to. On the order of the day for going into supply on the re- maining estimates, Sir H. WILLOUGHBY asked the right hon. gentleman the Secretary for War whether he had any objection to lay on the table an estimate of the probable expense of the war in which we were unfortunately involved with China. In his opinion, nothing could be more affronting to that house than that it should be . made acquainted with those expenses only at the moment at which it was necessary for them to be paid. If the right hon. gentleman did not furnish the statement he (Sir H. Willoughby) should make it the sub ject of a distinct motion. Col. S. KNOX inquired whether, on the expiration of the term of service of the general commanding the brigade of Guards, it was intended to fill up the vacancy. Colonel SYKES, referring to the report of the commis sioners appointed to inquire into the defences of the co ones, complained that the Government had done injustice to two distinguished civilians who had been en gaged in that inquiry—namely, Mr. Godley, and Mr. Ha milton—their recommendation being that the allowances mado by the State should be. in proportion to that provided by the colony, and not that the colonies should be left wholly to their own resources in providing means of de fence. The gallant colonel also urged that the case of those officers who retired under the warrant of 1826 upon cap tain's half-pay, taking a step in rank, had not been fairly considered. Many of those officers were still living upon their captain's half-pay, though there was at least an im plied pledge in the arrangement under which they retired from active service that they should have the advantage of increased pay as they succeeded to the higher ranks by seniority equally wi:h their contemporaries. Mr. SHERIDAN said he wished to ask whether any alteration was intended in the present system of enlist ' ment. Mr. S. HERBERT said that, as there was now no doubt that we were about to engage in a war with China, he not only had no objection, but it would be his duty to ask the house to vote an estimate for that war, which it was his intention to bring forward at a subsequent period. With regard to the question of the hon. and gallant colonel op posite (Colonel S. Knox), the facts of the case were these. Formerly the command of the brigade of Guards was un dertaken in town by the field officer in waiting—a lieut.- colonel of one of those regiments. That arrangement pro duced bad results, for there was a constant change of hands, and with it a change of system. It was represented by Sir Colin Campbell (now Lord Clyde) then Inspector of Infantry, that he had but little acquaintance with the in trinsic economy and financial arrangements of the Guards, which differed in many respects from those of other regi ments. An officer was appointed, accordingly, to command permanently the brigade of Guards, which, as the house might be aware, was larger than any other brigades com manded by a brigadier in England. Colonel LINDSAY observed tlf!tt Lord Patmure di vided the whole army into brigades, and the Guards were constituted a brigade under the command of a brigadier. Sir F. Love, who was now the Inspector of Infantry, had nothing to do with the interior economy of the various re giments. Mr. S. HERBERT said he believed the Inspector-Ge neral could inspect any portion of the infantry. Colonel KNOX remarked that he never inspected the Guards, Mr. S. HERBERT said he did not, but he believed he could, and ho thought he was correct in stating that the opinion was expressed by Sir Colin Campbell that from the peculiar organisation of the Guards there should be a Guards' officer for the purpose of inspecting them, and that arrangement had been made. What might be done in future he was not prepared to say. With regard to the last question which had been put by the hon. member for Dudley (Mr. Sheridan), it was one of great difficulty. Undoubtedly it was the duty of Government to release those who had been enlisted under false pretences. (Hear.) The house then went into committee, Mr. MASSBY in the chair, when a vote of £387,285 was proposed for miscel laneous charges. Colonel KNOX said the first vote brought under their consideration was for the staff of the depot battalions. Now there was but one opinion among officers as to that sys tem, namely, that it was the most vicious system that could be imagined. He thought the system of depot battalions was the worst system that could be imagined, and the most expensive. He hoped, therefore, that this vote would not appear again in the estimates. Mr. W. WILLIAMS called attention to the increase in the hospital estimates from £90,000 last year to £148,000 this year. He should be glad if the right hon. gentleman would give some explanation. The hon. member was pro ceeding to direct the attention of the committee to the in crease of other items in detail, when An HON. MEMBER moved that the house be counted, but The CHAIRMAN ascertaining that 40 members were present, business proceeded. Sir DE LACY EVANS said there was generally a very competent officer chosen to command these battalions, but he believed that every one of these officers felt that the task imposed upon them was extremely difficult, and he did hope the authorit es would see the importance of organising an other system. (Hear.) Nothing of the same kind existed in foreign armies, but they had arrangements in substitu tion, which he would suggest should be inquired into by the Government with a view to an alteration at home. Mr. F. SMITH said that the whole system was so de fective that the sooner it was changed the better. The hon. member was proceeding to comment upon other portions of the votes when it was moved that the house be counted. There were then only 21 members present, but before the sandglass run down a sufficient number had en tered to constitute a house. Col. LINDSAY called attention to the result of our pre sent system of colonial reliefs after length of service in India and our colonies. It was complained that we did not, under our present recruiting system, get the kind of men wo wanted, or so good in character as was desirable. He be lieved that the length of service in India and in our colo nies had much to do with the disinclination of the best of the working classes to enter the army; and, by a properly administered system of transport, much might be done to promote more frequent reliefs, and make the period of ser vice abroad shorter. Col. SYKES complained that the estimates were defec tive in one very essential point. They gave the cost of each item for this year, as compared with the last, under the same head, for last year ; but they gave members no means of judging whether the increase was justified or not. Col. DICKSON said that a great deal had been said against the depot battalions, and especially that they were not good schools for young officers. That might have been true of them when they were first established, but he had lately had the opportunity of seeing a good deal of their working, and he found a very great improvement in them. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT said that some surprise had been expressed at there being an increase in the cost of cavalry horses, but it must be recollected that they had to remount the Indian cavalry, which were returning home, and this would account for the increase in this particular item. It was said that they could get cheaper horses abroad, and that the military horses on the Continent were not as much used up as they were here. That was true, for he believed we used our horses up more than any other country, and we did so when our horses were young. With respect to the observations of the hon. member behind him, in reference to the health of the army, ho felt bound to say there was a marked improvement in the health of the army ; and during the last two or three years there had been a great improvement in the hospitals for the army. He might here observe that all these matters cost money. Reference had also been made to the expense of the escort service. Well, if they were to have an effective escort ser vice they must pay for it. The value of this service was shown in the fact that, whereas in 1858-59 the desertions amounted to 7,547 men, they were reduced in 1859-GO to 4,652. Then, as reprded the expense incidental to the movement of troops, he would observe that it was deemed advisable by all military authorities that troops should not be allowed to remain too long in any one place, and amongst the objections to their doing so the men got married. Well, this led to great inconvenience in regard to barrack accom modation, and in various places they had to build improved quarters for the accommodation of married men. When the men got married of course it was desirable that this improved accommodation should be afforded to them, but then all this led to expense, and when they considered the fact of men entering only for short service, namely, for ten years, ho saw no reason why such men should marry, the result of which led to such inconvenience, and caused such perma nent expense to the country for barrack accommodation, and from other causes. lle might add that this year he had made a reduction in the estimate as regarded the movement of troops. An hon. member had spoken of the pay of a lieutenant-general having been struck off at Malta. This was true, and it was to be accounted for by the fact that the civil and military functions of the island had been placed in the same hands. There was a governor of a colony and a military governor, and both offices had been continued in the person of Sir Gaspard Le Merchant, and Gen. Penne father, who had command of the troops at Malta, had re turned home. An hon. gentleman had complained that sufficient details were not given in these estimates ; but he believed thntras a-matter of. fact, they would be more gene rally intelligible if there were fuller details. It would be impossible to attend to all the suggestions made by the hoi. gentleman with regard to the estimates ; and in all proba- STA7E OF TRADE. bility, if these suggestions were attended to, there would be very little saving in the end, because, while some wanted 4 , - a decrease of expenditure, others desired an increase. In MANCHESTER, June I.—Since Tuesday no tran reply to the bon. and gallant gentleman the member for sections of any importance have taken place, the Westminster as to the superiority of the French system, Manchester races and other Whitsuntide recreations the right hon. gentleman read a statement which shoved. liwving withdrawn nearly all attention from busi that the number of field officers in a regiment of the line ia ...., ss. The following review of the state of the mar were in Great Britain three to a regiment of 1,077 mew/ I let is from the monthly Price Current of Messrs. while in the French army it was six to a regiment consist- . G. Fraser, Son, and Co., issued this day:—" The ing of 1,920 men; that is to say, comparing the proportions :aspect of our market has been materially ehinged. of field officers to men, the French had ono to 320, and we since our last. At th a t d a t e th e demand continued had one to 359 men. (Hear, hear.) Our system, there- very active for India and China in common with fore, was not so extravagant as that whichwas recommended most of the other foreign markets, and contracts in its place. were still being entered upon for very distant for- Colonel STUART objected to military prisoners being war d d el i very without much hesitation, even at the sent to civil prisons, as was the case when he was quartered extreme rates of prices which had been attained. at Brighton. Men who had been guilty of breaches of mill- ( Thus very large contracts are still in the hands of ~ tary discipline ought not to be associated with felons and t. • manufacturers fo r d omes ti cs India and China 'shirt clothed in a felon's dress, as he had seen some of his men ings, and for y arns o f var i ous descri tions. But clothed. even th ese contracts have not entirely sufficed to maintain prices for any o f our chief stiples, while Mr. W. WILLIAMS proposed that the vote be reduced by £5,321, the expense of the forces at Labuan, which he some kinds have given way materially in price contended was a sheer waste of money. under the pressure of unfavourable advises from Mr. S. HERBERT defended the vote, and said Labuan. 1 the East, and of a great check in the demand. The was useful as a coal station, and that the vote had been re- principal causes of the present dulness are the back duced by £429, as compared with last year. ward state of the home trade, arising from the cold Sir J. A. RELAWNY complained of certain regiments and ungenial weather experienced to the end of which had not yet received their medals, but the chairman April, by which it is estimated that much of the of the committee said they must restrict the debate to the trade in muslins, prints, and fancy goods has been point, as to whether the vote should be reduced as proposed. lost for the year, notwithstanding the splendid The division was about to take place, when no one could growing weather we have recently had; to the po be found to act as teller with Mr. W. Williams. ' litical unsettledness of the last few weeks, both The vote was therefore agreed to, amidst some laughter, abroad, respecting which uneasiness never ceases, without a division. and at home, whet e difficulties have been e. ire _ . The next vote was £320,000 for embodied militia. Colonel DICKSON said these regiments ought to know whether they were to be kept embodied or not. In many of the regiments only one-half of the men could be got out ; and unless, therefore, there was some improved system, _ knowing that the money was now being thrown into the dirt, he should feel it is duty to move a diminution of the. vote. Lord C. HAMILTON disagreed with the last speaker as to the whole militia system being a perfect farce. In a regi ment he had recently seen exercised there were only 37 men absent, end the men went through the manoeuvres in. a highly Creditable manner. General PEEL agreed that it was not desirable to have the militia embodied in time of peace. His opinion was that they should be regarded mainly as an army of reserve. He thought that neither 21 nor 28 days were sufficient for the training of the militia, and that, when called out, all necessary time and care should be employed to perfect them in their drill. Colonel SYKES thought that but scanty justice had been done to the militia by hon. members. In his opinion the militia were a more important body than some persons supposed. He had had much experience in the training of soldiers, and he was satisfied it did not by any means re quire the time for train ng that some supposed. Mr. S. HERBERT observed that the vote referred to the embodied, and not to the disembodied militia. In re ference to the latter, however, returns were in course of being prepared which would give the fullest information concerning them. last year there were about 70,000 men in the militia, of whom 23,000 or 24,000 were embodied,and the remainder, 45,000 in round numbers, disembodied. He would not on that occasion enter further into the subject of the disembodied militia than to say that he thought the object of that force was mistaken by those who tried to got out of it an amount of efficiency equal to that of regiments of the line. It could not do it, and was not intended to. (Hear.) With respect to the proposals of the hon. and gal lant gentleman opposite : he would say that if they drew men from their homes for training once in three or four months, they would not supply the body of men when they wanted men resident in the counties to which they belonged—and if they endeavoured to do so, it would be objected to by the employers of labour. The gallant officer opposite had pointed out, also, the inconvenience arising from the time of year at which the men were called out, A commission had recommended that the men should be called out simul taneously. They had consulted the local authorities as to the time at which that simultaneous embodiment should take place, and were told that, on the whole, the month of May, being just before the hay harvest, was the best time. Further north, where the hay harvest was later, they were told that it should be in June ; and further north again, a still later period of the year was named. They had endea voured, to the best of their ability, to suit those varying views. 'With respect to the embodiment of the militia, the hon. and gallant officer thought it would be advantageous if a certain number of commissions were set aside for offi cers bringing a certain number of militiamen over to the line. Now, In the first place, he trusted that the system of embodying the militia would soon be discontinued, for as troops returned from India, he hoped their places would be filled up. His belief was that the best thing to do with the militia was to let it alone. The old system, not to call them out except in cases of great emerge/toy, was a sound one. Men joining an embodied regiment liked continuous service, but they preferred five years of the militia to the ten of the line, and home to colonial service. If it were not for the militia, therefore, they would join the line. On the other hand, the changing from one body to the other would involve a second bounty. A disembodied militia resident in this country, and ready to be called out for training at suitable intervals, was upon the whole the most desirable arrangement. The question put to him, therefore, fell to the ground ; for if there was to be no recruiting from the militia, there was no ground for the suggestion that com missions should be reserved for the promotion of that ob ject. He had always been of opinion, too, that it must be heartbreaking to colonels of militia, after having been at great pains and expense to get their regiments into a state that they could pride themselves upon, to be called upon to volunteer into the line. (Hear.) He agreed with the right hon. and gallant gentleman, the late Secretary for War, with respect to the militia. Some officers asked for early notice of disembodiment, but others again warned them not to let it be known too soon; because, from that moment there was a marked difference in the discipline. There were, therefore, two sides to that question. After a few words from Mr. W. WILLIAMS and some other hon. members, the vote was agreed to. The next vote proposed was the sum of £34,000 to com plete the amount necessary for the volunteer corps. Mr. MILES complained that the yeomanry cavalry did not receive that consideration and attention which he con sidered they were entitled to, and said if they were armed with the new carbine they would in a very short space of time be a most efficient body of men. Col. KNOX said while the Government were giving every encouragement to the volunteer movement they were acting so as to put a complete extinguisher upon the yeo manry cavalry. If the Government would ar•m the yeo manry with the breech-loading rifle they would be a most valuable adjunct to the volunteer force. Mr. S. HERBERT admitted that the peculiar organisa • tion of this corps ought to be accounted for. The system of attaching a certain number of foot riflemen to a cavalry regiment was submitted to Sir J. Scarlet, who thought it was an experiment worth trying, but there had been no force beyond the ordinary establishment. The Government had no intention whatever of discontinuing the services of the yeomanry, and they might always depend upon having 14,000 or 15,000 men in that quarter. He had encouraged the volunteer movement—(cheers)---but ho did not wish to discourage the yeomanry. (Hear.) It would take a million in the estimates to purchase practice grounds for all the volunteers, and they did not feel inclined this year to in sert that suns in increase of the army estimates. Sir S. NORTHCOTE said they must not allow the old force of yeomanry to be disgusted by the preference shown to the volunteers. Mr. KNIGHT said that the Government had given them £20,000 less than usual this year, because there were 120,000 more volunteers. Lord ELCHO said there was no competition on the part of the volunteers with either the yeomanry or the militia. They considered themselves as only auxiliary to the other regular and irregular forces of the country. He would be glad, however, to see the yeomanry armed with the breech loading arms, and formed into a volunteer cavalry. He had to express his thanks to his right hon. friend and his noble friend the Under-Secretary of War for the tact, judgment, and zeal to do what was best for the volunteers. (Hear, hear.) 'With respect to the views of Sir J. Bur goyne as to the efficiency of volunteers as a substitute for the regular army, he quite concurred with him, so far as they were expressed in a recent letter. But he had cer tainly been surprised by a statement that night that we had not more than 30,000 men of the regular army ready for the defence of the country. Mr. S. HERBERT said that the volunteers were dis tinctly exempted from being called out to quell ordinary riots or disturbance. The vote was then agreed to, and the chairman was or dered to report progress. The other orders were disposed of, and the house ad journed at half-past twelve o'clock. .headed in the course of legislation from the stand 'made by the House of Lords in protection of the revenue, by refusing to repeal the paper duties, a course which, apart from the constitutional point of view, has given satisfaction and confidence to the commercial, moneyed, and property classes gene rally, but more than all to the unlooked-for reaction in in pricesthe Calcutta market. From China it was • - - surmised that we might have less favourable accounts —the supplies had been con siderablyaugmented, and prospects were un cer t a i n f rom t h e measures w hi c h might become req u i s it e , an d w hi ch i t i s now b el i eve d will have to be carried into effect, to force the Go vernment to respect the treaty, and to restore our prestige after last year's disasters on the Peiho. From Bombay, also, the advices have been very un ft, ‘vourable as respects prices, for they are consider ab. ly lower for shi r ti ngs th an at C alcutta, and t h e se , :on is drawing to a close, leaving, apparently, a amount of goods undispo se d o f t o l ay over . large. LE ;DS, Ist—The following is the trade report by the Leeds Chamb er o f C ommerce f or t h e mon th of May Woollen trade—Though by no means brisk, the "e has been a steady amount of business transacte d during the great part of the month, both in the wa, rehouses and at the halls. • Towards the close there has been a lull in the demand, the re currence of cold ungenial weather having especially checked to t some extent the call for light summer fabrics. Mar, 'u facturers still continue fairly em ployed, include lig- those engaged in the production of felted cloths a n( 4 l sheathing. Wool—During the greater part of the .time since the publi ca ti on o f th e previous month's rep ort, the public sales of colonial wools in London Its ye been in progress, at w hich the rates of the March series have been very firmly established, with an a, ivance upon some descrip tions. The large quantity offered, exceeding 40,000 bales, has found a ready sale, competition having been very brisk. The presence of an unusually , large number of foreign buyers has materially con tributed to this result. I"he home trade continues steady, but owing to the .backwardness of the sea son, and perhaps in part ito the unsettled appear ance of foreign politics, th ere has not been as yet an average quantity of new wool bought by the manu facturers. For wool of En Wish growth the demand has been very brisk, and st ock in the hands of stap lers have been reduced to a n exceedingly low quan tity, and probably there was never at the commence ment of the new clip such sti small quantity of old wool left over as is the cas e this year. The new markets consequently open at high rates, and buyers show great eagerness to secure any clips pitched, 45s to 50s having been paid, the latter all hogs. Flax—The market for the raw material has been rather easier since last report, and prices area shade lower. The appearan ce of th e grow i ng cro p is described on all sides as being very promising. For yarns the demand has been steady at full prices, more especially for low yarns, the stocks of which are reduced to a small compass. Leather.—During the past month this branch of local trade had ex perienced very little change. The recent season, I usually a quiet one, has been no exception to the general rule, and the demand, though rather im proved since the previous month's report, is still limited, buyers restricting their purchases to the supply of their immediate -wants. Prices remain unaltered. Corn.—The show of wheat at our markets during the month has been only moderate in quantity, especially of fine new red, which met with better demand towards the middle of the month, at an advance of ls. per quarter over pre vious rates. At the close of the month this de scription was scarce and firmly held, though the demand had somewhat slackened. In other de• scriptions but few transactions have taken place. Prices of fine malting barley have been somewhat irregular, maltsters having generally ceased buy ing. Grinding descriptions have sold slowly at cheaper rates. Oats and beans have been in fair demand, without any quotable change in value." BIRTHS. BURNETT.—On the Ist inst., at South Lodge, Enfield Chase, Mrs. G. R. Burnett, of a daughter. I RB y.—On the 31st ult., at Chelsea Hospital, the wife of Captain John Irby, of a daughter. VioEßs.—On the 31st ult., at Croydon, Mrs. F. Vigers, o a son. MARRIAGES. TUCKER—GIBSON.—On the Ist inst., at John-street Cha pel, William Tucker, 'Esq., of Stamford-hill, to Louisa Charlotte Gibson, daughter of John Gibson, jun., Esq. late of Lombard-street. VINC ENT — SUTHERLAND.—On the 31st ult., at St. Michael's Church, Chester-square, Francis A. Vincent, Esq., Ben gal 1.1.C.5., eldest son of the late General Vincent, India Army, to Sutherland Rebecca, second daughter of the late Sutherland Hall Sutherland, Esq., of 109, Eaton place. A letter from Warsaw, of the 25th of May, informs us that the concentration of the Russian troops on the frontiers of Turkey is an undoubted fact. Be,ides the sth corps, which had arrived to occupy a position on the tipper Pruth, a second corps is concentrated in Bessarabia and Podolia, so that when the two corps are united the force will amount to 60,000 men. Premature Greyness, Weak or Falling Hair, Neuralgia, Nervous Headache, Rheumatism, Stiff Joints, &c., are reme died with ease and certainty by HERRING'S Patent Magnetic Brushes and Combs. Their use is an absolute luxury. His newly-invented Teazle Brushes for Colth, Velvet, ac., are admirable —they not only cleanse, but preserve the fabric in a remarkable manner. The Manufactory is 32, Basing hall street. The public are cautioned against counterfeits.—AnvT. [ADVERTISEMENT.] — Holloway ' s Ointment and Pills.-- Tumours, Scrofulous and Glandular Swellings, Abscess. At this season of the year, while the atmosphere is so va riable, such diseases are constantly presenting themselves in sanguine and feeble frames. All have placed within their reach the antidote to those dreadful scourges, which, at their commencement, may be readily checked and cured, but, when neglected, resist for a long time the most appro priate remedies. Holloway's ointment, rubbed on cr near the affected parts, will thoroughly eradicate the cause of these maladies, and expel their seed from the system. Scurvy, scrofula, and all kindred disorders disappear before this cleansing ointment and these purifying pills, which cleanse and invigorate. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVERPOOL—JUNE 1. We bac' only a small attendance at to-day's market, and the consum,ntive demand for wheat and flour was en the most retail scale at last week's rates. Indian corn dull, and 6d cheaper. Oats 2d per bushel lower, oatmeal fld per load, and beans and peas 6d per qr., and barley ld per bushel cheaper. The market closed dull. WAKEFIELD-JUNE 1. At our market we had a fair attendance. English wheat was limited in supply, but steady, at last week's prices. Barley is cheaper. Beans a dull sale. Oats 4d per stone, and shelling is per load lower. EXETER-JUNE 1. With a tolerable attendance, the business to-day WO firm at the following prices ; Wheat, white 6s 9d to 7s Od I Barley. ..4s 4d to 4s 8d Ditto red Os 6d to Gs 9d I Oats ....... 3s 6d to 3s 93 Flour, fine, 40s to —s ; secoLlds, 38s to —s per sack. CATTLE. The attendance was good, and the market was moderately supplied with fat stock. Trade very dull. A small supply of pork carcases, at higher rates. Fat beef,p score, 12s0d to 13s Ewes, per lb .... 60 to Od Perk carcase s ,d o lO s 6d t o ll s Wethers, d 0...... 8d to 81'1 Sheep, per lb. . 7d to 71d , Fat calves, d 0.... 5d to Od Rough fat, 4d per lb. _ BRISTOL SUGAR-JUNE 1. A steady demand for West India sorts, and the sales since the holidays consist of about 500 hhds, chiefly Dem raras, Jamaicas , and Barbadoes, at former prices. Refiners' produce meets a fair sale, at fully late rates. Rum dull and lower. THE MAILS. MAILS DUE. Australia, Ceylon, and Mauritius (via South ampton) June 10. Do. (via Marseilles) June 4. Bahamas and Havana (via New York) June 7. Canada, &c. (via Cork) .. June 7. Cape of Good Hope, &e. .. June 1. China, Penang, and Singapore (via S'ampton) June 2. Do. (via Marseilles) June 12. Gibraltar (via Southampton) .. • • .. June 2. India (Calcutta), Ceylon, &o. (via Southampton) June 2. Do. (via Marseilles) June 12. India (Bo D m o b . ay), ( ( v v i i a a i‘ S i o a u ra th ei a ll m ea len) .. Jun e 10. • • .. June 4. Lisbon, Brazils, Buenos Ayres, &c. June 5. Lisbon, Vigo, and Oporto June 1. Malta, Egypt, and Men (via Southampt on ) .. J une 2. Do. . . (via Marseilles) .. June 4. U n ited States, California, &c. (%ia Cork) .. June 6. Western Coast of Atrica, Madeira, Teneriffe .. June 10, West Indies and Pacific, Carthgena, Cuba, &c. Ante 14. DEATHS. COLLIER.—On the 31st ult,, at Nettswell, Bury, Thomas Collier, aged 74. ELVES.—On the 29th ult., at Dorking, Mr. George Elvcs, aged 72. HEYTESBURY.—On the 31st ult., at Heytesbury, Wilts, the Right Hon. Lord Heytesbury, G.C.8., aged 81. 11i ACDONALD.—On the 28th ult., Mr. John Macdonald, o the Home Park, Windsor, aged 50. PETIT.—On the 25th ult., at 8, Enfield-road N. De Beau voir town, King - gland, Mr. Thomas Petit, of the Bank of England, aged 62. STILwELL.—On the 31st ult., James Stilwell, Esq., of the Avenue, Lower Tooting. WYON.—On the 28th ult., Mary, the wife of James Wyon, Esq., of the Royal Mint. LONDON : Printed and Published by MUILDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the oounty of hliddleser, Saturday, June 2, 1860.