The Sun. — London, England, 1858-02-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS—(YEsTERDA.Y.) The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat at 5 o'clock. NEW PEERS. Barons CRISHAM and EBURT took the oaths and their seats as peers of the United Kingdom. THE BELFAST RIOTS. Earl DUNGANNON gave notice of his intention to-morrow to ask the noble earl, the President of the Council, when the report of the commission appointed to inquire into the riots in Belfast in July last would be laid upon the table. The noble earl also said be should inquire on Tuesday next whether any obstacle had arisen with respect to the carrying out the arrangements for the conveyance of the mails between Holyhead and Dublin. RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AMENDAIENT BILL, Earl DUNGA.YNON gave notice that on the motion for the second reading of this bill he should mots that it be read a second time that day six months. LAW OF LIBEL. Lord CAMPBELL laid upon the table a bill further amending the law of libel. The measure only contained three clauses. The first gave immunity to all faithful accounts of the proceedings of either House of Parlia ment, where strangers had been admitted. The second gave a defence to all actions at law for the faithful acoounts of publics meetings where no loss or damage was sustained by the publication ; and the third defined what was to be considered a public meeting. The bill was read a first time. BANKRUPTCY LAWS. Lord BROUGHAM asked the noble and learned lord on the woolsack whether it was intended to introduce any measure for the amendment of the bankruptcy laws. The subject might easily be dealt with. The LORD CHANCELLOR said the subject was still under the consideration of the Government. A bill had been prepared, and had been actually presented, but he could not say any more at pre , ent. He begged to differ with the noble and learned lord with respect to the ease with which the required alterations might be made. AST INDIA. COMPANY. Earl GREY gave notice that on Thursday next he would present a petition fiorn the East I n di a C ompany against tke proposed abolition of the powers of the com pany. MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL, Earl GRAN VILLE gave notice of hie intention to morrow of moving an address of congratulation to her Majesty, on the occasio n o f th e marr i age of th e Princess Royal. THE ARMY IN INDIA. Lord PANMURE gave notice that on Monday next he should move a vote of thanks to the naval and military forces in India. THE POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. Upon the motion for adjournment, which was moved by Earl GIIANVILLB, The Earl of DERBY said it surprised him inuoli that the noble lord opposite should have made that motion. Considering this as the commencement—the virtual commencement of a new session ; considering that they bad not before them now that general summary, pre. seated in the address from the throne, of the state of public affairs and the measures to be brought forward, considering that nearly two months had elapsed since they met in that house and that those two months were not to be enumerated by duration so much as by the im portant events which had taken place is them—heshould have thought that on the opening night of what was virtually another session, the Government wculd have felt it their duty to volunteer a statement to the house more explicit than they had volunteered on a previous occasion as to the various and important ft nestiow which were now pending. He bad thought that the Gov, rn ment would have felt it their duty to advert to the pre sent position of affairs at home and abroad, for though undoubtedly there had been some symptoms of amend ment since they last met, there was still much to exeite, grave apprehension. I'.. was true that the imminent crisis had passed away, that there had been the most xtraor dinary revolution in the money market, and that the state of the Bank now presente:t the most ettraordieary and almost unparalleled contrast to that presented on the last occasion when they met, and that the sudden alteration in the rate of discount caned for the most serious and anxious consideration of Parliament. Un doubtedly the monetary crisis had passed away, and there was some improvement in commercial matters ; but even up to the pre. , .ent time the workingeleeee corm:; suffering covers privations, and the Government mistaken if they supposed that up to the presentllloM6fit those privations would have been borne with forbear ance and dutiful submission ifthey had not been believed to be inevitable. (Hear, hear.) But when they lot kt d to foreign affairs, he must say that though they had been relieved from the immediate app-Atension so painfully entertained by every one of them as to the state of the garrison of Lucknow, and though those affairs had undoubtedly improved, aid they sere threat ening in a high degree. They had had to rejoice over successes obtained by a : alluumhers of amen (cheere) 111 and they had had to rejoice at the gallantry of our troops, and their honourebte exertions. They had had many causes to r, joins; but he did not know whether those causes of rejoicior had not been exceeded by their deep regret —on looking at the bog list of these who bad fallen, and saw the name of that noble man who had fallen in the hour of victory, and without knowieg the regret which his countrymen felt. (Cheers.) Ile be• lieved that there wee not a section or party in England who did not participate in the public mourning when the news arrived of hie death. And while he spoke of those who had fallen, let him do ju.tice to those who still remained ; and above all, ho thought that they should take the earliest opportunity of expressing their opinion of the great exertions, exemplary iniLtary skill, and great prudence that had oharacteried that galalit general, Sir C. Campbell. (Cheers.) He must say that that distinguished man had equalled if net raised above the high position which he had before occupied. But he pressed the Government to look at the condition in which we had btlil to struggle in India. Let them not flatter themselves that they had succeeded in putting down the revolt; they had undoubtedly scattered those that had revolted against us, but they had still to per form a tack of unparalleled magnitude with most inade quate means on our part. I.t this moment he did not think that Sir C. Campbell could collect an army of 10,000 men for any operation, and he was morally cer tain if they had twice the whole Brea no v in India .e would not be too much to restore cur empire and establish tranquillity in India. lie had heard more then one officer express a distinct opinion that with the suc cess we had achieved over the rebels the revolt might have been put down if we had had an adequate emot; cavalry to snake good the success achieved by our in fantry. (Hear.) On every occasion we had fought against unheard of odde, and in the last moment of victory we had had no cavalry. From that arose the fact that in a few days after we Lad obtained a great victory we found a frin,ll force rose up calling h r fresh exertions. An army which Lad lied pee day with the loss of their guns, re-assembfed in a few days with as many guns ; and in one instance an army which was said originally to have had 22 guns, when we had ee'p tured 27 guns from them were aaif to have ,ucceedeci ma escaping with the remainder. This quo.,tic n of caeel: y was one which had been arxiom , ly brougict forward and forced on the attention of Govereincnt by his n„ le friend (the Eall of Ed3riburough), %the had urged them to seed out cavalry and horses for our a tillery. Iv' :.at bad the Government sent out ? They lieu ient out a number of guns, the thing which was least of all wanted in India, for of guns there was an abundance in India. They bad not sent with the guns well-:rained for they had them not ; and they had not sent horsce or harness ; and the consequence was that the guns ill 3 great measure were utterly and entirely tneles e 111 recollected that his Lade I tr.cnc., when the esovernmeist said they would send a corps of ai tsllery to India, pot ting the question across the hou,e, " And their horses with them ?" to which to answer was made. He was told that they were in such straits in India for want of horses that they were attempting to deaw the guns by unbroken 3-yr-Ad mares taken from the country where they were carrying on operations. Toe reason sby he pointed to this state of things was to call the attet Lion of Government to the matter, so that they might tak e some effectual steps to obtain a continual stream of re inforcements to that small army in India. He was out exaggerating when he said that to maintain that at oly on its present footing they must send L.-700 men a month, or 18,000 a year. He did act believe that sae were raising recruits at tl.at rate, acrd the teen we were send ing out were mere raw recruits, among whoin the haven of disease on their first Lending was perfectly frightful. lie earnestly entreated th e i r l or d s hi ps t o t a k e thi s question into their serious consideration, and let the liovernmsnt take t every ' means to send troops to India. Let them strap that is th, • country, if they pleased, of all the available fore! entrust this country t could by possibility spare, and (hear,hear).... wi l ich o the charge mai: ly of its militia— and implored to they had been repeatedly entrea!etl irect the embodiment of the whole: he thought that the e went cf the militia would at if all interfere with recruit recommend the step, hut ought tivdt it was the best the army he would not mode of recruiting for the a rua was sure that it was the best mode of provijn; B.zi'odr he e ie def nee of the trained ',Adler% to country, and of enabling them tc , ii of to which he the army in India. T4ra gem Lo asked the attention for a singte of War, A suggestion was made dukin the Minister war for raising regiments in the ca:onies! C .i mean believed that if proper steps were taken the t ' l 3l , without difficulty raise for the service of this couyntriqi— or six regiments at least in our colonial.. Ile did not A nt i n regiments for colonial service only. Be believed th4t i n n North America, and possibly at the Cape end in A u ,. tralia, th e y cou ld fi n d men per f ect l y w il ling to form Corps for the general service of this country as a British force, provided they were allowed to be efficered as ne'l as manned from their own colony, and provided they were not at all different from the ordinary soldiers of the crown except in that they were to have their pert :d of home service in the colony they bad been raised in. He did not know whether this suggestion was worthy of attention, but he was sure that to provide fed- the de fence of this ceentry, arid to give to the army in India much larger reinforcements than we had yet wive:,, we must raise more men from somewhere. At the moment when we were suffering from this deficiency of men in India, and when we wanted every man we c, old poesib'y bring into the held, we had 50 ships with 560 or 570 gam, and a very considerable number of seamen and soldiers idling—worse than the miserable ear into which we bad been forced in China. He l linked at that war with" great apprehen sion, Io we forre the c iv ~u midstldrots,:f what they were driving at, v two.wars for which we must provide;oileof'. ether ic e h 1 ad had taken the Government by turpris e and the arisen from the fault of those in office there. They were wasting their forces in two quarters of the globe, which were not even barely sufficient to carry into effect their intentions. In China he understood that the idea of nego tiation was t b at oPekine m had a e withb e u n our raenmdaolnl force ed, and on c thatan :on. H he e at tack thought it very likely that the attack would succeed— they might destroy the city, burn it, and then not be one whit nearer to the attainment of their object than at present. If they took possession of Canton they might hold it, and the holding of it, if there were no ulterior object, would withdraw a large amount of force which they could ill spare, and it would be degrading to the city of Canton. Even then what would they have done ? They would not have ap proached the settlement of the question with China— they would have succeeded in destroying Canton and the population with which we had carried on such a lucra tive trade, and raised such a flame in China that we must have a large force, or we might be expelled from the other ports as well as from Canton ; and for this miser able war they were obliged to cripple the Indian army and the defence of our own country. There was another and a different subject on which ho had hoped something would have been said by her Majesty's Government on the first day of this present sitting. It could not be denied that the recent atrocious attempt to assassinate the Emperor of the French had produced in France the most excited and dangerous feeling as to this country, though it could not be denied that accusations and charges had been made which were utterly without foundation, and many of which the enemies of this country in France had impressed on the minds of the people, and which had led to sentiments which, if they bad proceeded from quarters entitled to any respect, would have been little likely to have been followed by such favourable notice by this country of what had taken place as they now have. Undoubtedly what had been said of the French, and the language held by so great a person as the First Lord of the Treasury, was undigni fied bluster, which bad found in France persons who had imitated if not surpassed it. Bat he did not think that the impertinent and disgraceful language held on this subject would induce ue to doubt that the accusations, however unjust, and the imputations, however unfounded, had had the effect of alienating from this country the minds of part of the population of France, and he thought that the ea r li es t oppor t un it y should have been taken by the Government to disabuse the minds of the people as to the real slate of affairs. If there was any offence which was utterly revolting and repugnant to the feelings of every Englishman—if there was any crime which carried hope for sympathy and protection from no human being, with regard to which the moment it was committed the sympathies of all the world were on the side of justice, and that convictienand punishment should be executed on the offender, that was the c ime of secret assassination. He was convinced that no man with an English heart could have a proposal made to him to get rid of the bitterest enemy by menus of secret assagsina tion eithout the first impulse of his mind being to knock down the man who made it. But when the offence was sought to be committed, not against a bitter enemy, but against one who had proved himself a firm friend of this country, one whose life was of vital importance to the English alliance with France and the maintenance of peace and good crder throughout Europe, and where the offence had not even the poor disguise of political excite ment to palliate murder, but when they were so reckless that they did not hesitate to expose to risk the spectators and the wife of the man they sought to murder, he must say that the feeling of indignation against the crime of assassination that would be raised in this country under ordinary circumstances would, under the present circum stances, he felt, be still deeper. Undoubtedly, it must be said that the language which certain parties in France had indulged in deprived them of the right of asking any explanation of us of cur conduct ; but he did not think that in our indignation there should be want of friendly feeling, because this had arisen from want of real appre hension of the state of affairs—he did not say between the governments, for he did not believe it existed—but between the population of these two countries. Under no conceivable circumstances could the slightest charge of negligence or want of watchfulness be brought against this country. He admitted that if it were the duty of this country, which he did not admit, to drive from ha shores men who might Le suspected of enter tab.ling hostile iuteations against a forei g n sovereign, there were no circumstance s un d er which the Govern• meant could have acted in this case so as to lease pre vented the attempt on the life of the Emperor. Mare was a man who, for some years, had resided in Birming ham, and earned Lis living by teaching languages, universally well esteemed, and net engaged in any secret plot or understanding. As long as Pierri remained at Birmingham he was perfectly safe, perfectly ineffensive, and there was no suspicion of danger. But then it was said, " Why did you allow him to leave Birmingham to go to France 7" It was no part cf oar business ; in this country every man freely came and wont when and where he pleased ; and this man bad not been guilty of any (fence against our laws. But he must say that one Meson to be drawn from the manner in which this diabo lical plot had been so nearly made successful was tLe utter futility of that vexatious system of passports. It had long been the rule of the Foreign-AT:ice never to grant passports except to subjects cf this country, and no doubt the noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs would bear him out, that that was still the rule. Danger from Pierri aro,e Lot from the circumstance of his being in Ergiand, but irons his landing on the shores of France ; and bow did he obtain the means of landing there ? Where was the poine at which danger commenced ? Why Lis arriving in France. And how did he arrive there ? Why, he obtained a passport not from the British minister, but he entered F rance b y means o f a passport signed y the vice-consul of F.aece in Belgium. Ho proceeded to B:lgium. He (the Earl of Derby) believed shat the Belgian police, who knew the man, gave notice to the li . rench Government that he was in Bel gium and on his way to Paris. To Paris he went ; in Paris he remained, he believed, a week; in Paris, and not in Birmingham, he c smpleted the arrangements fur .his attempt ; in Paris he cmspired with co-conspirators. The glut might have been devised in England, but it was matured and carried into execution—so far as it was carried into execution at all—in Paris, this person hav ing gone there by means of a passport furnished by the French Consul, and in the face of what they had been accustomed to consider an active and vigilant police —a police upon whom, he must say, it reflected no great credit that they should have permitted this great crime to he so nearly successful as it was. Now, he ventured to say, with regard to the case of Pierri, that, whatever might have been the state of the law in this country, nothing that could be done would have given that pro tection to the Emperor which he (Earl of Derby) thought F he ought to have received from greater catrion in grant ' ing a passport on the part of its own officer and from greater vigilance on the part of its own police. So much for the individual case of Pierri. It was perfectly well known that there were men in this country who enter tained the moat dangerous desiers; but it had never Leon the habit of England, and he hoped it never would be her habit, to punish men for designs and intentions tin , accompanied by any indication of action,and upon charge.. monist:lined by any producible evidence. Here these persons were, certainly not by our wish, nor by their own, but because they had no other resting place for the sole of their foot : and they uudoubted.ydid combine and consult tegether as to the means of effecting most dangerous and criminal prdects; but so long as they vent no further thsn projects, neither for the protection of foreign sovereigns, nor for th e p ro t ec ti on of our own sovereign, did th e law permit them to be interfered with. He knew that nee of the things which had been sought to be impressed on the sensitive minds of 'the French people was that these men were kept in England, as it were, in the bash, ready to ho slipped whenever it suited f;:be purpose of the English Government to let them go abroad. Now be thought it but right that the people of this countryand tee people of France ehoull be undeceived im that respect; and be said in the presence of his i.ohle iiiend the Secretary of State for Foreifne Affair, who would contradict him if he was mistaken, that the persons V7llO entertained these dangerousdesigns were known to ?ha and that, so far as our repTignance to the sys tem cf surv,:illance would admit of it, they were under the ob& , rv...tion of the poiica. Moreover, so far from our keeping thee persons flare toendaner foreign sovereigns it had, he believed, always been considered the duty of the Government, when they knew of any design against the 1 fa of a foreign SOVf re'gi), to give that sovereign a friendly earning, and to place him on his guard against Leach ma hinations ; and he would express his conviction that on more than one occasion the Emperor of the ffrench had been mainly indebted to friendly iatimatiens given by the Government of this country for the frus tration of the designs of persons whom we were now charged with keeping here for the endangering of his (Hear, bear.) He thought it right that it should be known to the people of this country that there are mten here who entertained dangerous designs ; he thought it right, too, that it should be known to the people of :France that these deigns were watched by the Govern !ment, that information respecting them was always given to the sovereigns whose lives were endangered, :end that, as far as possible, they were counteracted by the police, which, if it did not make as much noise, was, fee believed, quite as effective as the police of France. (Irear, hear.) He th'ugbt it important that her Majesty's Government should give an early explanation of their opinions and views on this question, because it was one _ _ upon which there was much misappreheudoo, and one which public attention was greatly directed. It ap- ptared to him most important that thy bhould Lear in consequence of the intended to take any steps . which, if they did not shay from her .s.l , jasty's any steps !ate atroci ou s a tt em pt, Government without delay whetker v•ereigns, would at least manifest and bores of cr.untry, and meet the reasonable wishes Tive more effectual protection tothe th l e ive cr s oo o d f , however, that oi;her countries, lie would say wfoillreoigfntlasois vecure the Irienelhip of France or any o de tkot to avert the thr , atened hostilaitty°Lio7Ftrhaenrcep,onweetr in Europe, would he consent to violate in the slightest € wee that riLlit of a;y!um which had always be laoaßt of this country that it afforded. ([dear) Ot that asylum men of all p,,i;tical uha..i t s of tpinion, and of all political dencnii.ations, had freely and amply partaken. •n , t.h e That a yluna Lad, inched, by many persons been dis gracefully and m. st ungratefully abused—(hear)—and to did not hesitate to say that those persons were guilty of who did a crime a gainst the wor ld and against hnity so much ba n d eir conduct in abusing the asylum granted to them, aby the Auspicigns Which they raised to erobioil with other countrie, the country which protected them. (dear. Still, not even on account of the crimes of these patties, uor on account of any con moment to el.stroy or to relax that right of asylum which was enjoyed by all persons who did not Lliaohey the laws of this country. There was another thing which be was sure the Government would not :propose to do —if it were proposed parliament wou l d not grant it to any government, howevesrhepdowinertfhuli—soaonudotrhyatenwaesu,,pthicaitoaloyr e ace of d a y on notoritly, instead (U ear, hear.) If th e people r;ublic t:ib:lnal. man should be punished of evidence ciwen in th f before a , of Franee were unreasonable enough to expect such a sacrifice of constitutional feeling and principle on the part of this country, they were lamentably deluded ; and, however much he might regret the feelings which would be engendered, he must say that all feelings must be risked for the preservation of vital principles. (Cheers.) But, while no person ought to be punished without evi dence, or without a violation of the laws of this country, it was a question well worthy of the consideration of the Government of this country what were the laws and how far they affected this description of crime. He would not presume to express any opinion as to the specific measure which might be introduced—a measure which ,might cause greateralarm to persons contemplating such offences, or give greater proof of our good-will to the sensitive people of France ; but he did think the subject was one deserving grave and attentive consideration, and he was sure that if the Government could see their way to the making the law more effectual for the prevention of attempts at assassination without infringing the great principles involved in the right of asylum, a proposal framed on that basis would be readily and cheerfully ac quiesced in by Parliament. He had deemed it expedient and desirable being wholly unconnected with Government, who had not thought fit to ntterany expression of opinion, that he should take the first opportunity afforded to him, after the late most disastrous event, to state in Parlia ment the views which he entertained on this subject ; to express the deep interest which he felt in the continued life and health of the Emperor of the French ; the vital importance which he attached to the keeping up a good understanding, not merely between the governments, but also between the people of England and France ; the deep sense which he had of the paramount importance of the maintenance of the present Government—a Govern ment of which he would say nothing except that he be. lieved that at the present moment it was the Government which was best adapted to promote the happiness and interest of the people of France. (Hear, hear.) He had thought it expedient and desirable that he should do what in him lay to remove misconception from the minds of those who had been deluded in reference to the feelings of the people of England and the state of the law ; and also that he should ask her Majesty's Government not to state the nature of any particular measure which they might contemplate, but to explain how far they concurred in the general principles which he had laid down, and whetherit was their wish,notwithstandingtheimprudence, notwithstanding the folly, notwithstanding the irritat ing langustee of those to whom he had referred—instead of retafiaing in any way for such displays, to give every poseibie security to the lives of foreign sovereigns against the atrocious and abominable crime of assassination, and even to see whether there was any defeat in the law ; and if so, whether that defect might net be removed ; without reference, of course, to any political considera tions, and solely with a view to the prevention of a crime which was abhorrent to the feelings of the people of England ? (Hear, hear.) Earl GRANVILLE said he could not imagine any thing that would more surprise their lordships than a general essay from himself, after an adjournment of two months, on almost all political matters ; and he should, therefore, only touch very briefly on some of the points on which the noble earl appeared to think the Government ought to have given explanations. First, with regard to the monetary state of this country. It really appeared to him that he would have been guilty of a most extraordinary intrusion, considering that a great improvement had taken place when Parliament separated, and that that improvement had continued up to that moment, if he had started up the moment parlia ment re-assembled and given any impressions of his own with respect to banking, and stated facts which must hhve been perfectly well known to every one in that house. The noble earl had expressed surprise at his not having alluded to the achievements of our soldiers in India. His noble friend (Lord Pammure) had just given notice that he would, on Monday next, move a vote of thanks to that army, whose I rilliant feats entitled it to the gratitude of the country. On that occasion the noble eerie and other noble lords would have an opportunity of expressing their feelings on that subject ; and he thought that, under the circumstances, it would have been childish and improper in him to anticipate the task which hie noble fr iced had undertaken to perform within so short a period. (Hear.) His noble friend thought he ought also to have antic . pated the attaoks which were to be made upon the government on account of tho manner in which affairs had been managed in India. When the proper time arrived his noble friend would be able to cuter into the details of that question, and it would, he be lieved, then be found that the government were not remiss in sending cut troops, that they were not remiss in sending out reinforcements and horses, and that the greatest exortiens were made by the authorities at home to do all that was required. The noble earl had spoken of their being at ear with two countries, when, as he said, they were totally unprepared for war with either. As regarded India, to accuse the government of not having been prepared for war there, appeared to him most unreasonable. Was anybody prepared for what had taken place ? (Hear.) With respect to China, he utterly denied that they had not bees' prepared. Experi ence bad shown that the preparations were more than sufficient for the purpose ; but the force prepared was deviated to India. At the present moment, without substracting inconveniently from the army in India, the force in China was quite sufficient to carry out the objects in view. The noble earl said the policy of the Chinese war was wrong. It might be wrong. The subject had, however, been debated in that house and in another place, and it was afterwards referred to the country at large, which gave a most triumphant verdict io favour of tOe policy ut her Majesty's government. (Ministerial cheers.) Would the noble earl contend tLat after such a verdict had been given, the government who inaugurated the policy in question would have been jus tified in departing from it, leaving everything in state quo, and seeking no redress or compensation for the injuries which had been committed. (Hear.) The noble earl went en to express surprise that he had not taken that opportunity to allude to an event of great importance, namely, the attempt which had lately been made on the life of the Emperor of the French. Now it certainly would have bean a most agreeable task, either for him self or any one sitting on that bench, to have taken the very earliest opportunity to express their abhorrence, not only as members of her Majesty's government, not only as members of that house, butas Englishmen, at an at tempt to obtain political objects by that most dastardlyof all crime', assassination; and it would have been equally agreeable tothem to h eve expreesedtheiroordial satisfaction that although, unfortunately, many individuals were either killed or hurt through this most nefarious attempt, the lives of the Emperor and Empress of the French a ere saved, as the noble earl remarked, by an almost miraculous interposition. He believed, however, that lie would have pursued a course which was ent.rely un precedented had he started up and made such a declara tion without there being any question before their lordship's house. The n o bl e ear l t h ought that her Majesty's government ought to have expressed some opinion with regard to what had passed in France. No one certainly could regret more than they did those in temperate addresses which were founded on a total misapprehension of the feelings of the people of this country, and which were issued by officers under the excitement created by the attempt made on the Ewes of the Emperor and Empress. He felt great regret that any publicity should have been given to such addresses (hear, hear)—but at the same time he felt, as he was sure every one would do who reflected calmly on the subject, that whatever addresses might have emanated from any parties in another state, it would be perfectly unworthy of a great nation like this not to take the curse which it thought right abstractedly, apart from all other considerations. Ile was glad to hear from the noble earl a clear statement of his views as to the impossibility of this country ever giving up the right, et h w ha o h ei s hospitalit y , h t pr a o w l al t n a i t t y s yi e t ga i o t :n o beraertpnai personal rn t e se s o a n o c nt f d at a l olp( propose n oon t s o r se i f . e s a , fir' aff o rding v er ref u genii a nlyt measure e b e c rim tendingi ght an b d e to abridge the personal liberty either of Englishmen or of foreigners who happened to live in this country. If, indeed, there were any defect in the existing law it was the duty of this government to ondeavour to remedy it as soon as possible, and he understood that notice had been given in the other house of parliament that evening of a measure which it was hoped would have the desirei effect. He was glad that the noble earl had had an op portunity of explain lag the principles of the law in re`er ence to this subject; and he would only add, that while the government were determined not to give up the r:gbt of asylum, they would use all effectual moans in their power to prevent the dastardly crime of conspiring either to assassinate or to murder. (Hear, hear.) The Earl of MALMESBURY was surprised at the evident iutention of the noble earl who had just spoken to dismi.s that house without any intimation as to the course which the Government-meant to pursue during a sess.ion which must prove a very important one. The noble earl said the country had given a verdict in favour of the Chinese war. He challenged him to state on what day and in which house any opinion had been given since the new Parliament assembled which would justify that assertion. (Hear, hear.) He was sure that the want of troops in India must have made both Parl ament and the country regret that they had ever engaged in the Chinese quarrel. There was one important subject to which his noble friend (the Earl of Derby) forget to allude. He should like to hear whether or not there was any truth in the rumour which was rife in town to the effect that her Majesty's Government intended to propose the abolition of the double government of India. If such was their intention, he should deprecate its fulfilment in the strongest manner. (Hear.) He could conceive nothing so dangerous in the present crisis 29 the introduction of a measure to change the system of government in India. He would express no opinion as to the merits of the double government ; but he must say that, in his judgment, it would be most fatal and foolish for the government to embark in a new scheme of legislation ulen the country was cn fire from on; end THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 5, 1858. the first place, the noble earl said the first detachment of artillery was sent out without guns, without horses, and without equipments. The explanation of that was, that the Court of Directors stated, in rep'y to inquiries, that on the arrival of the men in Calcutta, not only horses, but everything else, would be prepared for them, so that they might go at once to the field. By the time the next detachment was sent out the Court of Directors had found that the stores in India were not in the state they had supposed. Accordingly the men were sent out with guns and equipments, and a double set of harness was sent with every gun, in order that anyguns which might be found serviceable in India, but for winch there was no harness there, might be supplied with harness from this country. Yet the noble earl bad stated publicly, with• out having taken pains to ascertain the truth, that the artillery were sent out without their guns and equip ments. In the case of the artillery, not a man was sent out who was not a trained soldier ; in the case of the line, no one was sent who had not at all events gone through a course of practice with the Minie musket ; and he would tell the noble earl that the troops recently despatched to India were very superior to those sent to reinforce the army of the Duke of Wellington during the great Peninsular war. As regarded horses, any one who reflected on the matter must feel that the sending of horses to Calcutta, either by way of the Cape or by way of Alexandria, was a work of great difficulty ; but the Government had not been inattentive to the require ments of India as regarded horse', and he must do the Court of Directors the justice to say that they, as well as the Government, had exerted themselves to procure home, and that horses had been obtained to a caneider able extent from the Cape, from Australia, and from the provinces adjoining India, from which places they would probably be enabled to obtain an adequate su pply. No demand had been made upon the Govern ment for reinforcements whieh they had not met. At the present time there was a constant stream of 1,000 troops per month flowing into India, and he was not without hopes that they would soon be enabled to increase that number. A regiment was now being raised in Canada, which was to be called "The 100th Regiment," and was to be attached to the line ; and instructions had been sent out to other colonies with the view of obtaining reinforcements there. The Earl of DERBY would like to know whether these new troops were not merely to be raised, but officered, in the colonies, considering the latter point very important one as regarded the connection between the colonies and the mother-country. (Hear.) Lord PANMURE said it was intended that the regiments should to a great extent be officered by persons living in the colonies. Earl GREY was exceedingly glad that her Majesty's Government appeared to be alive to the importance of meeting the increased demand for men. He differed from the noble earl opposite (the Earl of Derby) with regard to the embodying of the militia, believing that that made the militia a direct competitor with the line He thought that if the matter were investigated it would be found that during the war with Russia the embodi ment of the militia was the most Expensive andineffectnal mode of raisin g men that could possibly have been adopted. His noble friend (Lord Panmure) was right in anticipating continued demands from India. The con test was not yet over, and a considerable time, he believed, must elapse before we should be free from demands for reinforcements, He entirely concurred with the noble earl, that in each a state of affairs nothing could be more impolitic, nothing so morally wrong, as to enter into a new war with China, and at such a moment begin a contest of which nobody could foresee the end. Assuming that they took Canton, where would they be then I Their difficulties would only begin. Would they hold it ? He knew no station in the whole world in which British troops suffered so much as in China. He knew that during the former war, and during the period when they occupied long Kong, it w as f e t id that no climate in the world, not even that of the West Indies, taking the whole year round, caused a greater consumption of men. If they took Canton, they should hold it ; and when once they entered on a wrong course every step would lead them into new diffieultiee. It was said they were bound to take it, because, indeed, the conduct of Sir J. Bowling had plunged tfam into a quarrel, in which they had gone on without having either right or reason on their side, and they were now about to inflict the horrors of a bombardment on the innccent people of Canton. If the Cakes° were content with allowing them to hold iaand refused to make terms, what were they to do ? How were they to go on when every new atop would only make it more difficult to stop or to go on ? That was not a time to debate the Chinese question, but be must say it was an event unexampled in their I'arltamentary hint cry that they should now be actually engaged in war with China, although no authentic declaration had been made to Parliament and to the world what the objects of that war were. (Hear, hear.) All they knew wag, that when ! the subject was discussed some time since, their lord ships had refused by a small inejority to condemn the conduct of the government, but the other house had condemned them. Since then Parliament had not been informed for what they were now going to fight, nor what were the objects for which hostilities were being curried on. They learned, indeed, from the ne.espapers, but from the newspapers only, that one of their objects was to compel the Cainese to pay for the damage done to the property of the English merchants resident in that country. That demand was as unprincipled as any ever made by a great country on a helpless power. If it had been made by Russia on Turkey, or any other small state, it would have been condemned from one end of this country to the other. If that was really to be one of the demands it was impossible to stigmatise it too strongly : it was as impolitic as it was wrong. There was much force in the observation made by a noble earl opposite, that a great deal of evil had arisen from having demanded compensation for merchants in the last war. They had already been compensated by the increased value given to their commodities by the war ; and by the demand for compensation that unhappy war, which no one cuuld look back on without blushing, was turned into a source of profit for therm Nothing could be more impolitic nor more dangerous than to give persons of that kind an interest in engaging this country in war. Lord BROUGHAM wished to direct attention to two points. He regretted to be obliged to agree with his noble friends that, although the worst of th e cr i s i s i n India abadpassed over, y e t th ey must b e prepared to have on their hands some five or six as enths of war. Ia addition to the operations in China, they could not expect those in Central India and Odle to finish before (as it was hoped) of the In that time. He could not but express his surprise that rnetlations between the Indian such a moment should be chosen for bringing forward a and lie between the Indian and Lie large and most important measure --neither more nor the proprietary body. It was a o f great difficulty and immense compl,xity a nd when they would be able calmly, deliberately subject e unie s ab,n s i jni Im perial government —o f Imperial p n e theri, governmentsfi co u n ci ln als e a t; dt e involving the largest interests, and he wou d venture to with full and entire circumspection to examine the say that it -.vould be better to consid,r that final settle ment Th e other matter to which he would refer at a time when all the operations of war were at erop aspect most fortunate and providential—the e his,,cfarpoimtel,thoef France, of I c hu a fe r s r r i t e c i e e n t event —rnoet unhappy in one respect, but e of aatudthEeo'rilipsakeirloofr'Lmerdering hundreds and with the :10 ei all7'wn uf s. nn b ahc o ad a sa s oen d inl dti irritation ou no, pd da o s rdu been eh i e n ni g g a n large 0 r producedaignorance c e I o u bf r number, b r the, the t bearings e rut i into n o eoownff which execrablehet this he o pn a t ec hi e e ot a t oa rue t t tp ' t am. I, ti er l i rpl i y h t e t tj i ai tsbio, been invaluableneotuLa country, thrown iyo. lat, had b f ha o yed r t wl the heebd e peace oerequisitionwattempt, o i f . F France, for the ell . and in this case the exaeperry'fa'aatrigtoatndhiewigpnarrgYeosse peace of E u rope , some of which were itnpuseible under the laws of this co untry, and others which evon thepresent state of th e law rendered superfluous. When it was found that pull: cat ions were issued whi c h not only extenuated but even justified these ante, and even went so far as to lament over thefailure o f t hi s glut, a claim was made that a law should be passed to repress and prevent such publicetiome His answer to this was that the law was sufficient as it now stcod. I f any man was insane enough t o publish an Ex h ortation to murder or to defendaurder, he app re h ended that he was guilty of a misdemeanour, for which he could be most severely deal with ; again, if a man, inst-ad art general panegy ric on rte e acts, were to p o i nt out cr indicate a par i- cular individualees an obj ect, whether a foreignprince edHe remembe re d when a roan was prosecuted libel on the first Napoleon, when first c onsu l, an d convicted. The war, however, broke out, an d t h e man moat i m properly was , not brought u p f or j udgment. He h ropo a ruo dnait g a t , s ih a be bad not tee lea s t d ou b t lie could be severely al m . vat's believed ti& Lord Sidneouth had ac e d very wrongly in not having that man brought up for sentence. There were, indeed, circumstances of mitigation in his case which would no doubt have been urged by his counsel in hie favour ; but, nevertheless, it was even more requisite to bring him up for sentence after the war bruke out than before. (Hear.) He recollected another case befere Lord Ellenborough in the Queen's Bench, in 1812. It was the case of a wager between two gentle men. One paid the other 1001., on condition that he should receiv e a guinea a day as long as Bonaparte l i ved; the money not being paid, he brought his action. The case subsequ ent l y therefore an ill egal act, as it might lead to rho encou ragement before the full court oa a rule for a new trial, an d all the points were ra i sed and fully argued ; the court decided that i t was an i mmora l , and of th e crime of assass i nating t h e E mperor.as It was urged he was a n enemy. "True," said Lord Ellenboreo h .b, " he is an enemy, but he should be put to death in a legal way, i n o p en war, by force of arms, and co; by essaosi na ti on. " Any wager or ails contract having a tendency t o encourav assassination was clearly illegal. It was said that some refugees went further than mer e publication, an d e ncouraged these plot , ; ii there was any evidence of that, the law was strong enough to punish them. If the existing law was not sufficient to prevent these cabals, it was fit some amend ment Fshoull be made; but he thought there was no loubt that any persons could be punished who published such doctrine,, more especially when they were not confined to a general defence of these acts, but held oat encoura gement to an attempt on the lif e o f any f ore i gn prince. It h a d b een said that, as by the law of Eueland it was hi g h t reason to compass or i magine th e d eat h o f the sever e i gn, . why not make it a crime to compass en imagine th e d eath of a foreign sovere i gn ? Th e answer was, that su c h an indictment cou ld no t be support e d without an o ver t act. W hen th e re g icidee were perse cuted in the reign of Charles II , ter the execution of Charles 1., they were indicted under the etatute of Edward 111., i n ceneip eee i n g and imagining the death of the late Kire Charles 1., of blessed memory, and the overt act laid was cutting off his head ; but they were not indicted for that act. He would very much regret to see any ch ange i n t h e l a w which would lead to a r viral of the o ld Ali en A c t ; h e entertained the strongest eijeetion to some o f i ts prov i s ioes, and would not con sent to re-enact them except in a most modified form. to the other. It was as if one of their lordships, having his home on Ere, sent for an architect to robtild it Le. fore the firo Lad been put out. (Hear Having A een a statemeut in the new - i•papera to the effect tha': ther- had been no ToutiLticns of women and children in India during the late disturbanceg, he wished to express his belief that that statement was iticorre.l:. (Clear.) Very little knowledge of the female mind and of human nature wai required to convince any one that the persona said to have been injured would be the last persons to offer any proof of the fact ; but he was in a position to give refeiences in private which would satisfy any persons that mutilations had taken place. It was the knowledge to which Englishwomen and children had been subjected which - gave Ilavdock and hii men th 3 superhuman energy and strength they diep!ayed in the ecalict with the enemy. (Hear.) Earl rtti „ G E, f A h N e E r s ty lp , s e g g g o e v d e r t n o m s o y t s t p h e a e t d l t y w t oa bring he a bill for the improvement of the government of India. I) Lord PA.N.MIT RE said the nobl e ear l ( t h e Earl o f as,u ' r, r r ie b ir : ro ) g afd reinforcementsmade sot no statements to ind w with hh r h e g o ad t couldo the LE to go forth to the public without Comment. In Under the old act a person was sent back to the country from which be had escaped. It was often put in motion against debtors—a creditor went to the Alien-office and denounced his debtor, and the man was at once shipped eff. If such a power was to be given again, they ought to allow tl • per son a choice as to the country to which he would be sent. He was quite sure the law of this country was sufficient severely to punish such acts as those most com plained of, and he trusted her Maje Ity'a Government would see the necessity of putting it in force as soon as they had proof to support an indictment. Lord CAMPBELL said he bad the honour to be the head of the criminal jariedictbm in this country, and he should most sincerely deprecate any change which would extend the power of the Government over aliens. The law as it stood gave the Government as much power as it ought to have. If these men committed a crime, let them be punished ; hut until they did, let them enjoy the hospitality of this country. There was no doubt that as the law now stood a conspiracy in this country, be tween British subject, or aliens, to assassinate a foreign sovereign, to commit murder abroad, or disturb the peace existing between this country and any other in amity with the Queen, was a misdemeanour liable to very severe punishment, and not merely a conspiracy, but even the act of individuals'. Thera was no doubt that exhorting by word of mouth to commit a crime would be a misdemeanour ; to exhort by words to commit murder or to raise a riot, was certainly an offence ; and any speaker doing so might at once be apprehended and prosecuted. It was an offence to recommend a crime, and on that ground the law of libel rested. He had the honour to be a law officer of the Crown for nine years, and the only information he filed ee officio was against Fer gus O'Connor for having, by hie publication in the Northern Star, exhorted the people to plunder their superiors, stating that the land was the property of the nation, and ought to be divided ; he was convicted and sentenced to two years' imprisonment; no doubt to do the same by aid of another would be an offence. There was no reason for a change in the law unless it was intended to give increased power to the Government; if it was desired to em power the Government, on the requisition of any foreign state, immediately, without any proof of complicity, to expel an alien, then the law must be changed, but God forbid it should. In this country, aliens and native born subject are all considered subjects of her Majesty ; while they remain hero and obey the law, no distinction is made between them. This country had always been an asylum for the oppressed, and he hoped it would never lose that character. If there were some anomalies in the law, or some diversity in the laws of different parts of the United Kingdom, he would not resist a change in those respects ; but if any proposal was made to take away from aliens the rights they now eej )yed, he would most strenuously resist it. The Earl of HARD WICICE said that if the Secretary for War was in his place he would have made some inquiries as to the state of the defence of the country. °They had lost an army in India, and had boon obliged to replace it by the army which was required for the de. fence of this country. He believed the army in India was hardly sufficient for the work before them, but to supplyit the country had bean entirelydenuded of troops. The Government ought to call out the whole of the militia, as It was required tor the defence of thecountry, and it would also be necessary to form a new army id England to provide for the extencies of the service. The state of the navy, which, with the militia, was the natural defence of the country, was contemptible, but instead of keeping even this small force at home, they were occupy4lg it in a contemptible war, a war the most contemptible and disgraceful the country had ever been engaged in. The war commenced with a sham, and after the spirited minister had succeeded in hie object and got his Parliament, he did nothing for a year : but now it appeared, probably to please that Parliament, that they were about to bombard Canton--that bombardment would be the roost criminal Bud disgraceful act ever re corded in the history of this country. They proposed then to held that place with 1,000 marinee and 600 tio ps against the Chinese. Of all the coutemptible proceedings ever attempted, none was more so then the attempt to hold the place with such a force against a great though an unwarlike nation. They could not expect to gain any thing by such a step ex • i.t to rob this country of a portion of its trade, and toe defence of a portion of its navy. He regtettei that the noble lord (Panreure) was not in his place, as he meant to ask what be intended to do with regard to the defences of the country, because those defences were not in a condition they ought to he in even under the most ordinary circumstances, He feared that none of the noble lords opposite could mach enlighten him as to the state of the army and navy, and should therefore wait for a future opportunity to put a question cn :he eubject of the national defences. Toe subj-ct then dropped. BISHOPS' TRUSTS SUBSTITUTIO2T BILL. On the motion of the Bishop of OXFORD, the Bishops' Tructs' Substitution Bill wal read a firgt time. THE VOTE 01? THANKS TO THE INDIAN ARMY. In reply to the Earl of ELLENBOBOUGII, Earl GRANVILLE sail that he would lay on the ;able the terms of the vote of thauks to the Indian army. Tile house adj iuraed at a quarter pact 7. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTEIMAY. Parliament re-assembled yesterday afternoon for the despatch of general business. The members commenced assemtling at an early hour, and before half past thrt e more members had taken their places than weresufficient to make a house. By four the benches were nearly half filled, the pain,era Palmerston, being on the Ministerial ~tii i ecllaoeaior of theExch, side. L eiuere: Sir C, Wood, and Mr. rtbouc , lere, members of the Cabinet arrived about half-p as t 4 o ' c l oc k . , The SPEAKER took the chair at a tow minutes before 4 o'clock, NEW MEMBERS, The fellorving gentlemen elected 'during the recess took the oaths and their seats : —Mr. Kleer Gibson ( 9 . , hton - under-Line), Mr. Cavendish (Buck ), Sir A. Agnew (Wigtonehire), Mr. Dent, Mr. Lyall, and Mr. Duff (agin). Mr. M. Gin3ozr was received with loud cheers from the Ministerial sidd of the hou.e. As son as he hid taken the oaths, subscribed the roll, and baen presented to the Speaker, he received the congra.tela tioris of his immediate friends and supporters. lie took his usual seat on the sccoad bench below the gangway. NEW WRIT. The SPEAKER announced t 9 the house that during the recess he had issued his writ for the election of a member for Reigate, in the room of Mr. Haokblock, deceased. PARLIAMENTARY REFORNT. General P. THOMPSON presented a petition in avour of Parliamentary rehrm. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL pre,enttd a petition from Aylebury in favour of an alteration in the preeent Government for NEW WRIT. On the motion of Mr. HATTER, a now writ waq or. dered for the city of Limerick, in the room of Mr. Ser. geant O'Brien, 1 itely appointed one of the Jthticed o. the Court of Qieeil'e Bench, Ireland. THE PRINCESS ROYAL'S MARRIAGE. Lard PAL lE[ gave notice that he should to morrow move au addresi of cmgratulation - 0 her ZLt jesty on the marriage of the Priocesi R,)yal. (Cineers.) -.- VOTE OF TEIA.NKS TO THE ARMY AND NAVY. Lord PALMERSTON gave notice that he should, on Monday, propose a vote of thanks to the army and navy for the services they had rendered in India. (Cheers.) CONSPIRA.CY- TO MURDER. Lord PALMERSTON gave notice that he should, on Monday, ask for leave to bring in a bill for the purpose of amending the laws relative to conspiracies t) commit murder. (Hear, hear.) LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND. Mr. ROEBUCK gave autica that on this day fortnight he should move a resolution that it Boa» the opinion of this house that the office of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ought to be aboiidted. (Cheers.) ROYAL BRITISH BANK DIRECTORS Col STEWART gave notice that he shou d, to-mor row, atk the Attorney-General if it was the intention of the Government to proceed with the prosecution against the Royal British Bank direotore. (Hear, hear.) THE ANNEXATION - OF OUDE. Mr. H. BAILLIE gave notice that he should, on Tuesday, the 16Lh, call the attention of the house to the causes that led to the rebellion in the Ead, and for the production of c.r ain despatches alit paprs in reference to the annexation if Oade. PARISH RATING. Mr. SLANEY gave notice that on Timr;day he should move to introduce a bill to enable paii,bes or divisions of parishes to rate themselves fur the purpose of general improvement. SERGEANT KA.VENER. Colonel FRENCLI gave notice that to-morrow he should ask if it wal the intet.tiou of Government to confer some mark of distinction on Sergeant Kaveuer ? INDIAN PATRONAGE. Colonel SYKES gave notice that to-morrow he should move for a r e t urn o f t h e ca d ets hi ps i ssuE d b y th e E ast India Company and by the President of the Bard of Control, from 1840 to 1857, inclusive. EQUALISATION OP THE POOR RATES. Mr.-AYRTON gave notice that on Thor3day, the 18th, he should move to bring in a bill for the equalisa tion of poor rates in the metropolis. LOAN TO THE EAST INDIA COMPANY. Mr. V. S?IITH gave notice that on an early day he should bring in a bill to enable the East India Company to raise money in the United Kingdom, for the purpJses of the Indian Government. (Hear ) INDIAN POLICE C)1. SYKES n9tice that to-a)orrom ha should move for c , pies of certain documents relative to the Indian Police. THE LITE GENIIRAL HAVELOCK. _ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said 1w shot:11 that night wove to discha , ge the ordtr for the second reading of the lite General Havelock's Annuity Bill, and to-mcrrnw propo-;e a resolution fir granting an annuity to Lady liavWcic and the pte,ient Sir IT M. Havelock. (Cheers.) _ TUE ALIEN DILL. Mr. ROEBUCK gave notice that tc-morrow he should put a question to Lord Palmerston upon the sul.j , e t o f any corresponeenco that may have passed between the Government of France and this country on the subject of the Alien Bill. (Cheers.) TJli TRANSFER OF LAND. Sir F. KELLY gave notice that to-morrow he sh wld put a question to the Attorney-Genera!, whether it was his intention to bring in a bill to facilitate the transfer of lead. (Hear, hear.) EAST INDIA REINFORCEMENTS OF TROOPS, Sir DE LACY EVANS rose to move, pursuant to notice, for a select counuittee to.inquire concerning the measures resorted to, or which were available, and as to the lines of communication adopted for reinforcing our army, during the pending revolt in India, and to report thereon to this house ; with a view to ascertaining the arrangements which should be made, towards meeting any future important emergencies involving the security of our Eastern dominion,. He moved the resolution, omitting the last sentence, viz,, "with a view of," &c. Sir C. NAPIER seconded the motion. Lord PALMERSTON said the Government bad no objection to the motion. They were desirous of giving the house the fullest information on the subjeo , . Mr. DISRAELI took an objection to the omis sion of the last sentence cf the motion. He ob jected to a change in the terms of a motion, after due notice had been given of it, and entered on the paper for the consideration of the house. A discussion ensued on a point of order, whether the omission could be made in the resolution, in which Mr. Disraeli, Sir J. rakingten, Lord J. Russell, Mr. Roe buck, Mr. Horsfall, Sir De Lacy Evans, and others took part. Lord PALMERSTON said the Government had no objection to the form of words on the votes as being comprehensive for the purpose required. He advised the gallant General to withdraw his resolution and move it as it stood on the vote,. The Government were willing the inquiry should be made in the terms of the resolution, After some discussion, Sir DE L. EVANS withdrew his motion, and Mr. ROEBIJOIE moved it as it stood on the paper. Mr. DISRAELI said the country had a right to know why the change had been made in the terms of the resolution. It looked like an arrangement to prevent discussion on the subject. Sir DE L. EVANS denied that he had been actuated by the motives ascribed to him. He had not had any comm inication with the Government on the matter. Ultimately the resolution, in its entirety, was put to the house. After some remarks from Col. FRENCH, Lord J. RUSSELL moved the omission of the words in the resolution, after the word " house." No benefit would result from the committee's complying with the requirements of the last part of the resolution as it stood on the paper. Mr. DISRAELI complained of the course now pro posed. The Solicitor-General, by putting this notice on the paper, had prevented any other hon. member doing so. It was right the subject involved should be discussed and inquired into, but he did not think the house would agree to the resolution as it now stood. He suggested that the motion should be withdrawn and proposed on a future day, when the s ubject might be properly die cussed firet,and a committee be afterwards appointed. Lord PALMERSTON said the Government were sati-fied the inquiry should take place, and they believed it would be better attained by the labour of a committee up stairs rather than by a debate in that house. The right hon. gentleman was anxious for the sake of the Government that the committee should not be appointed, and he (Lord Palmerston) thanked the right hon, gen tleman for the interest he took in the Government, but he was of opinion that inquiry would be more sati,,fac tory than a desultory debate in that house. This was precisely the subject that was fittest for an inquiry by a committee. The right hon. gentleman had adverted :o the di,astrous effect of the monsoon in the desert of Egypt, perhaps next be would speak of tke dangers of a sand storm in the Indian Ocean. _ (Laughter.) Ile (Lord Palmerston) had given his reasons for the couNe which bad been adopted, and no doubt those reasons were not satisfactory to the right honourable gentle man, but that was a misfortune which those on the Treasury bench must expectto encounter. What he ([4, - ,rd Pahnerst ,n) bad stated was that to send a large body of troops by way of the Red Sea a large numb:ir of ship would be required, and as those ships muss have been sent round the Cape to the Red Sea, it was better to send the troops in them at once. He would not go ht.) the ciatait, they were for the committee to inquire into. The right hon. gentLiman complained of being taken by surprise, thot he had not had notice enough to prepare a speech. Why, if he had not had sufficient notice in the six weeks which had intervened since the adjournment, what would four or five days be now ? Probably the right hon. gentleman had discovered in that interval that the result of the inquiry of the committee would not be such as to meet the views of the right hon. gentle. man. Mr. NApIER thought the Government had exhibited g. courage in going into this committee, for he could t , :11 them that things woull come out a hich they little expected. Sir DE LACY EVANS, in reply, said that the Variety of paternity attributed to the motion by the right hon, gentleman the member for Buckinghamshire, arose from his repeated objections to everything that had been proposed by hon, gentlemen on that side of the house in reference to the motion before them. Tne right horn gentleman was in error when be said that he (Sir De Lacy Evans) had not introduced the subject io the manner it deserved. His opinions on it were well k iowr, having repeat3dly and freely exdres';ed them on former occasions; but he presumed the cause of the right hon. gentleman's auger arose from his having come down to the house primed with a speech, which the course of events hardly gave him a chance of de livering. (Laughter.) He denied that he was an habitual supporter of the Government, as the right honourable gentleman had charged him, or tae ha'-dfau 1 supporter of any party in that house. He owed allegiance to no party, and claimed to be an independent representative of one of the largest constituencies in the kingdom ; and, as far as he could judge, they con sidered hint such, He also distinctly denied the charge that it had been arranged between him and the Government the course he should adopt, and said that the only intimation he had of the intention of the Government to grant this committee, was a state ment made in the House of Lords by Lord Granville to that effect, before the Christmas 1-cese—a piece of infor mation that was accessible to the right hon. gentleman, and which was confirmed in that house by a similar statement from the right hon. gentleman the President of the Board of Control. He indig , ant'y denied the imputation of collusion, and said that in the former discussion; on the transport of troops to Italia he had agreed with the right hon. gentleman, and quoted from his speeches. Mr. BENTINCIC protested against the position in which hon. members were placed by the course that had been adopted. Ile could not vote for referring this matter to a select committee, because his t xecrience taught him that to refer questions involving charges against the Government to a select committee was the surest way of getting rid of them, and the noble lord bad exercised sound discretion in accepting the motion. It the house want to a drvision on the notion, he and those who agreed with him would b e pl ace d i e a very difficult position by having to record their opinion against a portion of the motion, without having an opportunity afforded them of recording their votes against the original motion. Sir J. ELPUINSTONE said that he, in common with large numbers in the country, held strong opinions on the transport of the troops to Jodie. He considered that large bodies of troops at the early part of the rebel lion might have been transported to India, across the Isthmus of Sur z without endangering the health of the men, having himself ascertained from experience that no physical impossibility prevented them crossing that part of the desert. lie knew that steamers were for some tiine kept ready coaled at Bombay, waiting to be sent to Suez the moment it was known that troops had arrived there to be conveyed to India. Thera were good barracks for the men at Cairo, a railway to convey the troops some distance, and the remaining distance might have been mantled over by night, so as to have had between 40 and 500 men to send down the Red Sea at a time by the regular monthlysteamers. Calm weather would have assisted their transit,and the heat in the Red Sea would not have been found half so hot by the rnen as it was felt by their brother soldiers heft re Delhi. Having gained the Straits of Bebelmendel a south-west wind would have carried them to Bombay, and from thence they would have been carried by railway in a few hours to one of the most delightful climates in the woad. He thought the Government ought to have availed them selves of the opportunity of sending troops across the Isthmus of Sur zat an earlier period. With reference to sailing vessels and steamere, the right hon. baronet said that from February to April large fast sailing vessels, such as the James Baines and Sovereign of the Sias, would make a good passage in sevensy or seventy-five days • but in calm summer tines steamers greatly sur passed them in speed. It wee a great , oversight of the Government not having employed steam at the early stage of the mutiny. He thought it a disastrous thing that the Government should have disbanded so speedi'y the transport board that was called into existence by the Russian war, and had been brought to a high state of perfection as a valuable department. Had that board been in existence at the time of the break ing out of the mutiny, it would have been able to have given the Government valuable information relative to the force and power of every merchant steam-vessel in the country, the expense ef conveying, m en an d goods, and where to procure ships, by which means the troops would have been forwarded in a much shorter period than they were. Mr. VANSIFTART considered the inquiry should be a comprehensive one, bat he feared it would lose its value if it were a private one. It was a matter orlieep regret that the Government had not at a much earlier period availed themselves of the overland route to despatch troops to India. The 94th Re4iment was sent out over land a few weeks since, and in 48 hours after they left Alexandria they embarked at Suez, with the whole of the baggage and supplies, and the artillery in 26 hours. The journey down the Red Sea was rapid by steamers, and as to the heat, it wag absurd to give that a consider ation compared to what n )Idiers were generely exposed to. and He hop de, if an inquiry to o k p l ace, i t would b e full comprehensive. Mr. MARSH had twice made the passage of the Red Sea, and he never experienced so much misery from heat in passing down the Red Sea as he had in Australia. Lord V. TEMPEST reminded the house that be had repeatedly urged on the Government the necessity of promptly sending reinforcements to India, and that it was preferable to send troops by steamer.; than Bailin? esaele. He obj cted to a secret inquiry, as proposed by this measure ; but that the importaece of the crisis should be pressed on the Government in that house, in the face if the c runtry. Hitherto no satisfactory information bad been obtained from Government, and he was convinced thatan investigation up-stairs would fail to show the short calming of the Government. He bad ventured to hope that the Government would have given the house and the corn - Pry sonie information as to the measures they intended to take for the future. By the last accounts from India that gallant and great man, Sir C. Campbell, bad been ' prevented from realising any great Malta from his min. Lary genius from the want of men. Unfortunately the motto " too late" characterised our doings in India, the same as in the Crimea. He called on hon. members to force on the Government the necessity of adopting mea n° for reinforcieg our army in India. The house divided, when thoeurnbere were— For the motion as on the paper Against it 78 Majority 78 Majority _ 69 Lord J. Russell's eonendment was th ere f or e lost. CITY OF LCINDON CORPORATION REFORel e ,' Sir G. GREY, in m ov i ng f or leave to introduce a In" for the better regulation of the Corporation of Leaden,' said it w ou ld b e unnecessary for him to occupy the h ' use with any l engt h ened observations. The main features o f the bill were the same as that he laid on the table ee T t e former occasion, and which he then fully explained. bad been, however, subjected to some modifications, '" which he would briefly call the atte n ti on o f t h e bowie' The bill he before introduced was based on the recar mendations of the committee of inquiry into the oorP ° ' ration of London, and it embodied many of the room' mendations of th e commissioners. The conemissionert recommended th a t th e wards should be reduced from or 28 wards to 16, the present inequality in area, & a " being got rid of. They also proposed that the g overn; ing body, lik e a ll ot h er municipal bodies, should c 0 Oz; of a Lord M a y or , a ld ermen, and common council. -"- present body consists of 232 members, and it was P r e , °. posed by the form er bill , i n accordance with the recc " i mendation of the co mm i ss i oners, that each of the 18 wards should return one alderman and five conact°! councilmen ; but in consequence of the cemmunicatios s that had p asse d between the Governm en t a nd th e representatives of the corporation, it was now Pr o posed that eac h war d should eleot six instead of fiv e councilmen, which would make the num ber 0 instead of 232, the present number. The constituetio would be altered, and be a little extended bettor; that recommended by the commissioners and that ' the corporation of Lon don, in the bill3form e rly laid e" theta on the table of the house. The present b i o proposed a rated occupat i on of a house or premises the annual valu e o f 101., doing away with the restricti o n at present existi ng o f every elector being a liveryman it on the parliam en t ary registry. The Common Cetwie were to be elected annually, but with respect to 0 ,. aldermen, it was p ropose d to depart from the recoroate.o dation of the oeramissioners, and at thesame time it le t % not thought ri g ht th a t t h e same rule that applied to the aldermen of borough s s h ou ld b e applied to the ell of London, fo r th ey occup i ed a different position to thet, of aldermen of b oroug h s, having important magistarele i e duties to perf orm . H e did not think it desirable 41, persons exercising m ag i s t er i a l f unctions should be 01 • jest to el ec ti on or re-election except in the case el mayor, and depa r ti ng f rom the recommendation oft db, commissioners relative to the election aldermen s p i• the di - charge of magisterial duties, he proposed by t e bill that the a ld ermen of London should be elected is life, and retain their magisterial functions, power bel!% vested in the Common Council, in caeee where it 0 7, shown that aft er e l ect i on a majority of the constitue; had grounds o f complaint against an alderman, t° ocl prive him of his gown, or deprive him of such office, a, it was not likely, in snob a case, that he would be td elected by the ward. The Lord Mayor would be elec / from amongst such aldermen as had filled the office e ° 4 sheriff, or any person in the body qualified to serve, el, chosen by the aldermen and Common Council. The tl° ll o a fication for Lord Mayor, sheriffs, and Common Code would be alike. The office ofßecorder under the Mcui6iPed Act was vested i n th e C rown. Th e Crown did not We to interfere wi th th e e l ect i on of Recorder for Lend°il4; but leave th e appo i ntment to aldermen, who bad hith; ho exercised so un d di scret i on in electing that officer. e i o j Court of Ald ermen would be abolished, and they te°''r no longer b e members of the Central Criminal Court, la take part in the juries there. The corporation O i ti t o retain its rig ht s as to property; but it was proposed aboiiali the exclusive right of trading, street tolls, ea ol t Five right:sof fellow s hip portere,and several things of Se-:i kind. The co a l -t ax was of three kinds--one was a - te of 3d. a ton, w hi c h t h e City claimed as a part of ; 0 f estate, and whi c h was su bj ect to a charge of 600,00° . a second was a toll of id., subjected to a charge wa s 12,0001., whi c h exp i red in 1362 ; and the third• tell of ld., which found its way to the Consolidat'i Fund, would expiro in 1862, and therefore it was e l . ) ;, proposed to deal with e i t h er o f them b y the present bibs He believed that no objection would be• made by its corporation to the introduction of the measure, or t° itg principle, though probably there might be to some °, g details. Ampl e opportunity would be afforded 1 ; 0 fair and d e l i b era t e di scussion of its merits. ApplicatLe had been made to him on the part of the city of Loe, itir to permit th em t o i ntroduce as a private bill one eiraelea to this in m an y o f its leailieg p rov i s i ons, b ut be "00 thought it unde s i ra bl e, b elieving it could be better ceita with as a public bill. The right hon. baronet then 01° for leave to introduce the bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER second the motion. lir. Alderman CIJBITT said he thought the citisl of Lond on would never consent to the election of Iftry• Mayor b e i ng t a k en out of the hands of 14,000 il l : 0 men and rat epayers , and placed in those of the o°°'"-•°00 council. It was i mportant to the due adruinistra"l3 of the criminal law that the aldermen of London sit i ej. have an opp ortun i ty of seeing and studying its adto,l;i,e tretion. Hi t h erto they had derived great advacycle from sitting i n th e C entral Criminal Court side by with the judges of the land, a n d h e t h oug h t i t d e eirs o , oo that privilege should be continued to them. ll°, tlet at a loss to see w h a t o bj ect i on there could be continuance. He also objected to any member oftt d common council being el ig ibl e t o the office of I ' l° Mayor. It was very d es i ra bl e the choice should be tr°. lo amongst those who had had considerable experienceoin civic matters. An alderman looked forward tO the civic chair after filling the office ten years, e ms he hoped he would not be deprived ° f he rights. He had other objections to the bill, bu t would not stat e th em t h en. To-morrow be ask leave to introduce a bill on the part of the corp ta . times of London, w h en th e h ouse would have an opP r nity of judging between the two measures, i ° Mr. W. WILLIAMS expressed his disappr° batwee that the coal-tax was to be retained, and said he it, prepared to show the corporation bad no claim t( c i eb 4 The tax w as or i g i nally levied for the payment of a t he that had long since b een liquidated. He thougu i " 00 e operations o f th e bi ll should have been extended, sau confined to the present City boundary. t Mr. I WMAHON expressed regret that Govere mea had not dealt with the question of the appropriatiti. of the property o f th e I r i sh Society, and that l e gislati" eo was postponed. Lord J. RUSSELL said he hal heard the state of the right hon. gentleman (Sir G. Grey) with g re l. pleacuro, and was glad to find that he was in near e r agreement with the corporation than when the subj ect was last before the house. He certainly thouglA)t., JC pedient that aldermen shouli cit for life instead of i (4- 0 1 years ; and as the question of the coal duties wa s ele a necessarily mixed up with this measure, he We o % f p that it bad not been dealt with by it. (Hear.) 11° Nese,' lie could have wished that the old form of ete°' b - ei t the Lord M ayor and aldermen had been p rese rved ; eg he thou g ht t h e b ill a very con.iderable improvereu upon th e prev i ous one. Parliament ought altsall, a t d recollect that th e c it y o f L ondon and its corporation ch, during most critical periods of our history show: 1 °1 0o flaunt to the lib er ti es o f the countrl, and that there fore change ou g ht not to b e carried utiher than was c eco. miry. (Rear.) f the Sir J. SHELLEY asked wheth er th e po licy 0, by whole metropoli s were t o b e p l aced under one beau .0 this hill ? Th ere was a strong feeling in the public th' in favour of amaleametion. of Sir DE LACY EVANS also urged the pol i c y consolidating the force. Sir G. GREY said the bill did not contain any proei' siert on this subject. • Leave was th en g i ven to bring in the bill, which w an subsequently road a first time. HEIRS (SCOTLAND) BILL. Mr. DUNLOP o b ta i ned bill tO leave to bring i n a abolish th e p r i v il eges of heirs in Scotland in regard t° the Annus Deliberandi. VALUATION OF LANDS (SCOTLAND) Aar AMENDMENT BILL. Mr. DUNLOP obtained leave to bring in a bill to d° away with the exemption from valuation under the Valuation of Lands (S3.olsnd) Act (1854) of certain de* scriptions of lands and heritages. PUBLIC HEALTH ACT (1843) AMENDMENT ' BILL. On the moti on o f M r. C OWPER, the second reading.e°l this bill was p ost p one d unt il Monday next, a f ter remarks from Sir G. B. PEORELL and Sir 13. "' LD LOUGHBY, ANNUITY TO LADY lIA.VELOCK. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER P i :: notice that to-mo rrow ( t hi s d ay) h e should move that the house resolve itself i n t o committee to consider the flue". tion of an annuity to Lady Havelock. The house then adjourned at 20 minutesP aSil t 7 o'cl° cl _, attLabar......••••••••••••L.L7- BRTHS. RAXENDAI;E—On the 3d l inst , at Totteridge, Heats, X l* Lloyd Baxend a l e, o f a son. . CURTIS—On the 4th inst.; at 68. Eccleston-sqUare, the I/ ifs of Charles W. Curtis, Esq., of a daughter. PARKER On the 24 Ina., at Lukesland, near IvYbre g : the wife of Captain G eorge Parker, R.N., of a dae l P l s a READ—On the 3d inat., a t L ee, Kent, the wife of Fid° 2l/ Read, Esq., of twin daughters. MARRIAGES. p EURNABY—PENTONY—Ou the 3d inet , at S.- e n urto Walworth, Alfred William Burnaby, Of 1, Mitnt r thr Milk-street, Cheapside, and 8, Cottage-place,Vire,„joaP to Mary, the daughter or the late M at thew 11. Pe n Esq., of Walk% orth. „ r eli, GinsoN - --Ltbili---On the 4th inst, at St. George's L ',;;betb Botolph-lane, M r. H enry G i b son, to Mrs. .1"." Lynn, of Lower Thames -street. [DEATHS. n totli ° A BOSCHI—On the 2ith ultimo, at Florence, Don Boschi, th e em i nen t professor of Italian in that s'oribotto CORBETT—On the 3d inst., atDov er - s t ree t, C Esq., of Tiletone Lodge, Cheshire, aged 79. Ist . CRA.wootru—On the 2d lust., Moses Crawcour, , of Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park, aged 79. wife of DE ST. CROIX—On the 2d inst., at Staines, Merl' the late Wm. do St. Croix, Esq., of Windsor. coo. HALFORD—On the 3d inat, at A v i ar y C o tt a ge, 13*th, Raiford, Esq., aged 79. -r, HEATHCOAT -On the 30th ult., a t Hi no kley, •L' 6loat or 1 11" shire, Robert Heathco a t, E sq., aged 60. STARGARY—On the 3d i ns t., a t 3 , Blandford^P- 00 • gent's-park, J. J. L. Margary, Esq., aged 7 8 . oboe SHARPE —On the Ist inst., at Hastings, Hercules Esq., of Oaklan is, Seddlescomb, Sussex. iONDON Printed and Published by AURDO 31.°V. 14 0 ' of No, 112, Strand, Printer, at 77c Sun T ic : ' ,oo/ 112, Strand, i n I h e P rec i nct of the Savoy, in tm. - of Middlesex, 0 " 44 7• February 5, 1858.