The Sun. — London, England, 1858-07-27 00:00:00

which you desire to obtain ; and the moment you ask for an examination of the papers, the moment you ask a single question the visit becomes a search—in other words you are t xercising the droi4 de visite. Bat sup pose a party visits only in the strict sense of the word — what right, I ask, has any person to go on board a vee eel to visit it without the consent cf the master 1 The came principle applies that I have just laid (11;7. Treaties have been entered into with foreign countries giving the right of visit ; but why en ter into such treaties if the right of vieiting is a nationalr ight f oun d e d on internati .nal law. What took place in the year 1115 after the Treaty of Vienna! Lord Castlereagh ap plied to the French Government to establish some system by which cruisers e ultl visit the vessels of either country, but the Duo de itichelieu replied, that France never would consent to a maritime police being established over her own entjects ex ce p t b y p ersons belonging to her own country. I think I have gone far enough to establish the position with which I started—that there is, in truth, no such thing as the r ght of visit. Whatever arrange ment may have been made with the American Govern ment, we have renounced no right that we ever pos pissed. It would be material, if possible, to adopt se em plan by mutual understanding fit verifying the flag. Ilear,bear.) lam told that sorne negotiation and some correspondence is going on for that end. It is a difficult question, and I hope it may be brought to a favourable termination. I conclude with what 1 stated at the be ginning, that the Government were wise, prudent, and ust in the course which they have pursued. To pro 'termite a claim which you cannot enforce consistently with law, or ti make an attempt to enforce it which must lead to resistance, and which may afterwards lead to war, would be a most unwise and impru dent mode of proceeding. tHear, hear.) No war is so deplorable as a war founded on injustice. Be-fore sitting down I must, in justice to the hon. gentleman to whose statement I referred before, read to your lordships the concluding words of his ep-ech, because it ie in complete accordance with the high character which he has always b me both in America and in this country, where be acts ise her representative. The hon. gentleman said : " While I am able to announce to you this gratifying fact, I think it should be accompanied aloo by the assur ance that the termination of that for which we ha - re Wagged for nearly half a century has been brought about with a degree of honourable candour and fair dealing on tho part of the British Government deserving of every acknowledgment on our part." That statement is in perfect unison with the excellent claracter of the honourable gentleman to whom I have referred. (Hear, bear.) My lords, I thought it my dirty to make these observations, and to bring this matter clearly before you, accompanied by the quotations which I have read—with which, no doubt, many of your lordships are perfectly familiar—in order to afford an opportunity to any noble lord to refute the positions which I have laid down if they are capable of refu. ation. The question which I wish to put to the Foreign Secretary is this,—whether he is prepared t i lay on the table of the hon-e the correspondence with the American Government with respect to the right of vial ation The Earl of MALMEStURY—I am very glad, my lords, that my noble and learned friend has made an op portunity—if I may so say—for giving us his opinion on this very important matter. (Hear, beer.) That opinion must be of immense importance in Europe and America. j -must say that it must finally settle this dispute, and, if it be ever again mooted, my noble and learned friend's opinion will be quoted, as he himself has quoted the opinion of his great predecessor, Lord Stowell. It is a pleasure to me to hear that be concurs entirely in the opinion of the law officers of the Crown, which we took before replying to the note of General Case. They as serted unanimously that the international law was exactly as it has been described by my noble and learned friend. Upon that opinion her Majesty's Government acted, and at once frankly confessed that, having no title to make the assumption which bad hitherto been mode to a general right of visit and search, they abandoned both those claims. At the same time we placed before the American Government the paramount necessity of draw jog up some instructions perfectly identical in character, which might be placed in the bands of the naval officers of the two countries, and, if possible, of all maritime nations, so that, all acting in the same manner, commerce may no longer be obstructed, and we may never again run the risks of those quarrels which have been caused by former assertions of a greater right. Negotiations have gone as far as this—that we have given up the ae gumption which we have so long made to a right of visit and search ; and the American Government, on the other band, have stated that they are ready to listen and consider any suggestions which we may make with a view to the verification of the Rag. We have made the same suggestion to the Government of France ; and that G eeernmeirt, appreciating the great importance of the question, have. agreed to consider any proposition that we may make, and on their part to suggest any proposi tion which may appear likely to be of serviee. But there can be no doubt that, although we all agree that the dignity of our several nations would be compromised by allowing a right of visit and search, it is inevitably necessary that some security should be taken against a fraudulent use of the national floe. (Hear) Further than that negotiations have not proceeded, and although it is not usual to produce papers under there circum stances, yet lo r Majesty's Government have no objection to place on your lordships' table the correspondence which has taken place as far as it goes. Your Lordships will un derstand that it goes no fur:ber than that we have aban doned the right of search and visit, and that the Ameri can Government have agreed to entertain and consider in a fair sprit any suggestions we may make in order to obtain some security against the fraudulent adoption of the American flag. Toe French Govern ment have also been communicated with, and they are ready and even ar.xioue, to assist us in attaining that object. (Hear, hear.) The Earl of ABERDEEN said, —lt has happened to me, when former-4 at the Foreign-office, to have to write a great many despatches upon this subject, morel hope than will ever fall to the let of the noble earl (Earl of Malmesbury). But the correspondence which then took place left the question completely settled, and, there fore, it was with great astonishment I heard of anything which could give rise to compleint on the part of the American Government. It was in the years 1812 and 1343 that a long correspondence took place between the American Minister and myself, and Mr. Webster declared over and over again to the late Lord Ashbur ton that the matter was perfectly and satisfactorily settled. The noble earl talks of referring to the law officers of the Cro en as if it were a new question. The instruction's under which our officers acted, and I sup pose they are the awe instructions now, were drawn up under the supervision of Dr. Lushington, Sir G. Cockburn, and the Admiralty. They were communicated to Mr. Everett, the America.' Minister, and I never heard a word intimate I against them. I was astonished to hear my noble and learned friend (Lord Lyedburet) quota tte stat?ruent of the highly rsopeeted A mermen Minister who is now in this country, to the effect that we had given up frankly and finally the right cf visit and search. Twenty years ago we repudiated the assertion of any such right, and Lb, ri f re what the noble earl the Secretary of St.te for Foreign Aff eirs can have given up I am et a 1 )ss to understand. Any such right was given up then as frankly and finally as it possibly con to given -up at this moment. After my noble and learned friend's quoting the high authority of Lord Stowell, it rr he ap pear ludicrous in me to quote myself. At the same time, in ceder to show how the matter stood, I will just quo e a note of my own. Though an humble authority, still I was speaking the language of the British Government, and that language was received by the American Govern ment with acquiescence and satisfaction. My words were these : "The undersigned resigns all pi e'ensions on the part of the British Government to visit and search American vessels in time of peace ; nor is it as American vessels that each vessels are ever, visited. But it has been the invariable practice of the British Da. y, and the undersigned-believes of all ►,avies in the world, to ascertain by visit the rtal natiotmlrty of merchant vessels met on the high lea., it there were good reason to apprehend their illegal &A ter. In certain latitueee, and for particular ojscts, vessels are vi#ited not as American, but either as British vessels engaged in an unlawful traffic and assuming the American flag for criminal purposes, or as belonging to ,Stites which have by trea'y conceded to Great Britain the right of search, and which right it is attempted to defeat by frauclulentllt bearing the protective fl a, of the Union ; or, finally, they are visited as piratical ou law baring not the least title to any flag or any nationality whatever." - Minder those three categories we have exercised the right to visit vessels so suspected. But if our officers knew that an Anaarican ve eel war fall of slaves, they 'would have no right wLatever to or arrest her unless they had good ground to suspect that she was no t , so American vessel. No doubt the flag is pri na faci e evidence of nationality ; but the flag alone is not suffi cient evidence, and is nut sufficient to outweigh informa, lion to the contrary received from any quarter, or any o th e r grounds of reasonable suspicion. No doubt our cruisers may commit a mistake and overhaul an Ameri can vessd, believing het to be a Spaniard or a pirate. k But it has been found over and over again that instant and ample reparation has been offered for such an invo - )(rotary error, and that is aq that can be fxpeeted be tween two 'nations acting in good faith with each other. .I saw, some time ag', an extract from a despatch of !.General Cams, which appeared to me to state the case 'With perfect fairness—(hear, bear)—and they are the 44 r1' Words which I used myself. As I have said ' alreadii - tiave written more upon this Fubj , ct than I . Lope it will ever be necessary for the noble earl to write, ! and the resulkaf that writing has been perfect content and trarquillityit4lB or 18 years - until this year, when •'ite heat for the ant time of British outrages. I believe it has arisen from the zeal of our cruisers. The addition of a aquadron on the coast of C ►ba, instead of operations being confined to the coast of Africa, has led to a more frequent exercise ..of, the right of ! i g it, and I am Afraid the vat of our cruisers has converted into a rule that which was only intended to he an exception• Without any ground of euspici)n, the American flag is sufficient evidence of nationality, and it is only when there are grounds of suspicion that the British cruiser is entitled to s.ee whether the suspected vessel is American or not. That is all that ever was aserted by us, and when the American Minister declares her Majesty's Govern anent have given up, frankly and fir ally, the right of visit —a declaration which is received with great enthusiasm by his countrymen—l am at a loss to understand what is given up. 20 years ago we repudiated the idea of such a right. We never made assertion of any each right, and theref,re we cannot give it up. But the rr,ble eail the Secretary of Sate for Fureicen Affairs added, that it is important some mode should be taken to verify the na . tionality of any vessel on the ocean, without which we can have no secnity whatever. (Rear, bear.) The in structions to which I have referred were framed in the most careful and envious manner, and we hal the advan tage of the assis•ance of the noble earl now at the head of the Government. If the noble earl the Secre'a• y of State can make any regulations, or issue any instructinns which shall be more effectually and more careful'y guarded, I shag b 3 very glad to see them ; but, n..twithstanding the desirableness of the ot.ject, I doubt whether he will find it prac'Acable. (Rear.) I do not cf:roplain of the nobl3 earl, because the subjec , was probably new to him, but those who rovised him ought to have ree deected that this sutiect rccupi , d, during many months, a great deal of care and attention. At the time to which I allude the question was at its height. It excited much more inte re-A =ban it does now, and assumed a much more serious character. I will not folios , this subject further, but I will read an extract from the last de-patch I wrote on his matter : _ . " I have no intention to renew the discussion, and it is the less necessary because my last note has remained fur more than four years without an answer, and the Secrete y of State has declared to the British Plenirotentiary at Washington, that the explanations given were entirely sa tisfactory. The President is assured and believes that Great Britain will always respect the just claims of the United States. We have no preten3ions to interfere in any manner, either by detention, visitation, or search, with vessels of the United States, know-. or believed to he such. But we still main.;ain and will exercise the right and necessity of ascertaining the genuineness of any that suspected vessels may carry. If, in the exercise of this right, any involtultt ry error should ba rua,:e ; if, in spite of every precaution, any loss or injury should be sustained prompt reparation will be afforded ; but that we should abandon the right itself is quite impossible." That is the footing of common sense and common justice on which the question stands at this moment, and I was much pleased to see from the despa-ch of General Cass that he adopted the same opinion, and tbat he made the same statement and used the words which I myself em ployed. The ex:q.cise of our right, if it be cauticusly and prudently asserted, as it has been for the last 16 or 18 years, will not leave us in a very bad position if no change is made. If, however, the noble earl can improve the cyetem which bas prevailed during that time I can have no ot.j.c ion. Earl GRANVILLE—I never heard the state of the law as laid down by my noble and learned friend ques tioned, nor am I awa:e that any complaint was made against the late Government for the instructions issued by them. No alteration in these instructions was made by the late Government, and I wish to know whether it is the intention of the noble earl to abide by the instructions which have heretofore been acted upon until the communications with the American Government on this subject have been concluded. The Earl of MALMESBURY—The noble earl who spoke last omitted to mention one very important matter. No doubt the noble earl and the Ministry with which he was connected assumed that the law was such as it has been laid down by my noble and learned friend. Bat he did not say that the American Government in variably went further, and asserted that they had a right to maintain their own police, and that whativer might be on board a vessel, if the American flag were flying, we bad no right to visit it. They said that they constantly carried out a visitation by their own police, and that they would not be meddled with by any other ciuntry. Then came the question of discretion. I admit that lately, I know not by whose orders, there has appeared to be an increased activity exhibited by our cruisers in searching American vessels. There can he no doubt tbat the accounts given to the American Government have been immensely exaggerated, and I may state that after a careful examination I have no found any instance in which our crui-ers have behaved even with incivility to the officers of any American vessel which they have boarded; but at the same time I must admit that in the exercise of that dis cretion which is given to them under the orders of the noble earl there has been a want of judgment in some ewes, and that cur officers have visited vessels which there was no fair reason to suppose were engaged in the slave trade. The noble earl has asked me whether I have altered those instructions. I have not done so. They remain precisely as they were. But Ido not think they are so safely worded as they might be, and I think they might be improved se as not to expose our officers to the risk of making mistakes which amount to an infraction of international law, and which place them in an unfair position such as no fficer4, and e.pecially young officers, ought to occupy. Pending the arrangement which I have sketched out, that English cruisers should search suspected English vessels, that Americans should search suspected American ves.els, and that French cruisers should search suspected French vessels, without actual:y altering the instructions heretofore acted upon, %re have thought it right to suspend them until the negoVatlons have proceeded further. We have also oedered our cruisers on that coast to respect the American lag under any circumstances. The Americans, on their part, have added a considerable number of cruisers on the coast, and have promised, during this period of in activity on our par, which, I trust, may be but shor,;, to use all the activity they can in order that the Ameri can tsg, which I fear has been several times used by slavers, may not be prostituted to the purposes of the slave trade. (Hear.) The conversation then dropped. REGISTRATION OF DESIGNS. Lord LYNDUURST presented a petition from the Society of Arts and the Royal Institution of British Artists, praying fur an extension of the registration of designs and an amendment in the present law. The noble and learned lord proceeded to detail the hardship to which artists were now (objected, in consequence of having no copyright in their pictures, and by the pract ce which existed of having copies of original paintings made by inferior artists, and sold as originals. Extensive frauds were thus commi•- ted by the sale of these spurious copies. 11e mentioned a case where a lady of f ,rtune purchased a most valu able picture on the especial condition that no copy of it should be taken, yet what was ber surprise on going to the Manchester Exhibition, to see one among that col lec ion. By means of employing inferior artists, several copies were , ften taken of one picture, a,d sold as originals either by private sale or at auctions, especially in such large provincial towns as Liverpool and Man chester. He kre v nothing c)uld be dme during the preient session, but he wou'd now move the app,int ment of a select committee, and name its merut,-rs, in order to aff , rd them an epportuuity of considering the subject (luring the recess The Earl of DONOUGH t4Oßls had no objection to the committee, hut, on the contrary, thought it would be eery bent ficial to the The motion was agree 1 to. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND SPECIAIL SERVICE BILL. The Earl of WICKLOW wi.hed to he iliforrned why it was that the Church cf England f . 4iiicial S rvices Bill, which Nosed that moose on the 22., d of Marcb, was not p..:reevered with. Ho complained of tie conduct of tho Bitdrop of Londan in sanctioning tho'e irrtgu:ar services at Exeter liall, and in leaving Mr. Edouart to contest the matter alone, and he described Such conduct as nrju2t and unfair.. - The Bishop of LONDON thought that, before the noble earl applied to his c ineuct such terms as " urjust and unfair," ee should be extremely i-ure of the fac s of his case. (Hear, hear.) The only fac , which bore any any particular reference to his (the Bishop of Londou'e) conduct in this ma►ter was, the assert on that the ser vices at Exeter Hall were with his authori . y, which the noble earl would see was not the case if he would only consult the prirted correspondence which he (the Eat' of Wicklow) held in his band, and had quoted. In one of his (the Bishop of London's) letters contained in that correspondence, the noble earl would find these words : --" There services are not with my sanction " (Hear, hear.) Before, therefore, the noble earl accused him of conduct which was "unjust and unfair," it would have been only just and fair for the noble earl to have read his (the Biebop of London',) statenaen% (Hear, hear.) The noble earl thought that he ought to have made him self a party to this affair; hut in cases of disputed law he could not interfere privately—the question could be settled in the Bishop's Court. Some gentlemen thought that the bill eves uoneeessary, and had written to him to Fay that they thought they could accomplish in another way that which the act was to enable them to accomp!ish in a particular way, and that tney intended to reopen the services. He also received intimati'es from certain other gentlemen that VI« y entertained opposite opinions. This was a case of disputed law, and it could be speedily settled in the Bishop's Court. Their lordships had already decided by a large .majority that these services were needed ; any interf rence of his would only have done harm ; but if it should turn out that these services were legal, he for one should not be sorry. (lieu, hear.) In reply to a farther question, The Bishop of LONDON said be had nothing to do with the Westminster Abbey services', which were managed by the Dean and Chapter. But he did not be lieve it was ever intended to protract the Abbey services later than July, so that the re-epening of the Exeter Hall services had nothing t., do with the termination of those at tt.e Abbey. (Hear ) The subject then dropped. WILLS, &c , OF BRITISH SUBJECTS ABROAD THE SUN, BILL Tikii b,ll was re td a Ace n d time. COUNTY PROPERTY CONVEYANCE BILL. Tnis bill passed through committee and was ordered to he revrted to morrow. FOUR COURTS (DUBLIN) EXTENSION BILL. This bill was read a third time and pegged. INCLOSURE OF LANDS BILL. This Lill way read a third time and passed. LEGITIMACY DECLARATION BILL. The report of am , ndments on this bill was agree I to. Ti e Sheer, Sr• , Contagious Diseases Prevention Bill, the furnpike A , to Continuance Bill, and the Vaccin a ti o n (i re l f in4) sll , sere also read a third time and.passed. GOVERNMENT OF NEW CALEDONIA BILL. The Earl of CA RNARVON, in asking their lordships to give a second reading to this bill, stated that those who happened to be familiar with the very graphic ac i.ounts which had appeared in the newspapers wi h re , and to the discovery of gold in the north-western par ti British A.catrica, woull to!, prdably, that little jUI• LONDON, tification was required for the introduction of the present measure. A. complete revolution had recently taken place in that country which was bounded on the wee by the PAC fic, cn the east by the Rocky Mountains, on the south by the territory of the United States, and on the north by a chain cf hills, lakes, and rivers, and which embraced an extent of about 400,000 square miles. That district, but a short time since tenanted only by will beasts and still wilder savages, with here and there a hunter, bad suddenly become the scene of gold dis coveries, and was already the theatre of action, enter price, and adventure. It was late io July, 1856, that in formation first reached this country of there being a sus picion of gold in those parts. At long interval and by occasional mails, some confirmation of that ate pic;on was brough from tire- to time ; but it was not sill March of this year that fuller and stronger confirmation arrived. We then learned fit the first time that enegrants were deperiog in crowds from the gold miles of San Fran eaco, and were proceeding to this new Cl Dorado in the British territory. The account of that immigration was on'y to be compared to that which had taken place in former years to San Francisco itself. The hardy adven turers *ailed up hundreds of miles by sea, they pierced the frontier, they found roads for themselves along the valleys, they launched their frail canoes upon the river, which was full of hidden rocks and not less dangerous ef 4 eies and currents ; and though many lost their lives, were dro coed in the river, or wandered from the road, or died from des itution, the great mej trity at length reached the scene of action—the haven of their ambi tion. It was to eeable us to establish something like law and order, to frame something iike a nucleus of c . vilisation round which future laws arid leatitutions might gather themselves, that he asked their lordships to give this bill a second reading. It might be perhaps argued that the Government h a d been rather precipitate in entering upon this step ; but any one who was ac quainted with ..he history of the gold colony of Cslifor nia admit that in such a ease it was far better to anticipate than to find ourselves in the rear. There were, moreover, certain circumstances which gave peculiar embarrassm-nt and anxiety to this question, and which at the same time appeared to call for immediate action on the part of the Government. In the fret place, it must be borne in mite' that the weole of this territory was at present in the main, thotigh not actua'ly, subject to an exclusive license to trade with the Indians which the Hudson's Bay Company bad for many years en jeyed. It was true that that license expired next year. It was also true that the. Government bad no intention of renewing that license, and that it would, therefore, in point of law become entirely inoperative; yet the effects which it would leave behind it and the influ ences whieb it had sown would exist, and they might easily lead to .complications and to serious embar rassments unless provision were at once made for some effectual machinery of government. It must also be borne in mind that we had not to deal with an exclu sively white population. There was a population of native Indians there, cons derably outnumbering the whites, and those savages naturally looked with distaste and aversion upon those who, as all experience taught them, must in the end deprive them of their inheritance. These were some of the elements of difficulty and danger which it was necessary to provide against, and the bill which was introduced for that purpose was very simple. It first proposed to give power to the Crown to make laws and ordinances for the new colony. It then assigned a limit of four years' duration to the operation of the bill itself. It then proposed to establish a governor, who should hold the reins of office provisionally for that period, but who should be entrusted with very full a n d absolute powers. At the same time, it provided tha t the Crown, whenever it saw fit, should establish a freer Government and a more liberal system of institutions. And, finally, power was given to the Crown at any time, upon the joint address of the two Houses of Assembly of Vancouver's Island, to annex that island to the new colony. It had been said in some quarterathat we were by this bill establishing a governor with absolute and arbitrary power, that we were departing from the path of free i' stitutions, and adopting a narrow and retro grade policy ; and it had been argued that we ought either to give complete freedom and independence to the new colony, or to prescribe in the first instance the par• ticular form of government whittle we wished to see esta blished, and to appoint a provisional governo r, holdi ng the reins of power simply until the new system could be introduced. The advantage of giving free institutions to our colonies was undeniable, but in this case there were at present no materials for carrying them into operation, and it must be borne in mind that the settlers who re sorted to the colony were not likely at first to be per manent. Objections had been taken to the name of New Caledonia, though it seemed to be the first title given in the old maps, and it was the name used by Humboldt when speaking of the territory. Her Majesty, however, had been graciously pleased to signify her pleasure that henceforth the colony should be known by the name of British Columbia. The noble earl concluded by moving the second reading of the bill. _ The Duke of NEWCASTLE said that, though no opposition had been offered to the principles of the bill in the other house, considerable doubts were entertained out of doors by persons well acquainted with colonial matters as to the propriety of creating a Government for this territory at this particular time. It was thought that, considering that Vancouver's Island was about to lapse to the Crown next year, and that the licence of the Hudson's Bay Company would also expire very soon, it would have been better to await the course of events. He did not share, however, in those doubts. The Go vernment, he thought, had adopted the right course in endeavouring to establish a G ivernment of some kind for this territory. No one had advocated responsible government for the colonies more strenuously than he; but such Governments were only applicable to celonists of the English race. In this colony there were but few English settlers, except here and there a trapper of the Hudson's Bay Company, and what was wanted chiefly was a strong executive G orernment. He had some doubts as to the propriety of the 31 clause, which gave power to the Queen to confer free institutions on the colony by charter whenever she might see fit He ques tioned whether her Majesty had not already that power; but, considering that iu one clan-e of the bi.l this particular Government was only to last four years, it would have been better on the whole to omit this clause, and not to hold out anticipations which might not ba realised. .He rose principally for the purpose of making two or three suggestions to her Majesty's Government. It was impossible not to see that there would be extreme difficulty in introducing a settled form of government into the colony under the peculiar circumstances of the country ; but it offered tome facilities for a better system of colonisation than the mere eruption of gold diggers. It was not, like other gold-bearing districts, barren and rocky. It was a eitieu'arly fine country for ail the purposes of colonisatioo, apart from the gold discoveries in it. It poisessed a fertile soil, magnificent woods of the finest timber fur shipbuilding purposes, abundant and ex:. Lent fisheries, and coal in large quantities, rf a nature to generate steam. It con tained a'l the elements of a prosperous colony, and he could not he'p thinking that some of the difficulties at tending is first settlement wou'd be obviated if an at tempt were made to lay out a town, to allot land in con nection with it, or in eome way to attract persons to set tle there permanently insteed of merely goine to search for told. They night introduce at noes by those means haotts of civiiieetion, instead of only establishing a go vernment with eutlicieut iorce to coerce the popula ion into decency and or ler. (firer.) Auother pcint which the G .verenient ought to consider was with regard to the warlike and somewhat savage tribes of Indians lo cated about the spot where the gold was at present di— I covered. It was an undoubted fact that while they were no means un:riendly to the Boglish—o wing, perhaps, to commonicetions with the lludeoe's Bsy C om p any — t h ey had a great (treed of the American. In the earlier pe riod of settling the colony the Ameiicens from Calif ern a would flock to these parts, and it would be the first they of the G ivernmeot to int rfere for the protection of the aborigines. He did not wish to sentimentalise upon the sutfct. lie knew that it was the decree of God, which it was impossible for humanity to prevere, that where the white man appeared the red man sheuld perish, but it was, nevertheless, the duty of the Government, if pos sible, to prevent a recurrence of those horrors and cruel ties which had been witnessed in the western portions of the United States. (Hear.) The third and last sugges tion was as to the protecting force. If they sent soldiers accommodation aed provisions must be found for them, which would entail some difficulty at such a distance. But whether they sent an organised body of the British of fe a rmy ranr am o ie i r ni some ca other ec arore and beingnie g e :ll inflictedrf d o rc e he , against uponVil the t:h e t up d so ,s si lla 3 in t he i GO i ti ht y e event of a war breakine out, before means could be Lund for the colony's defence. It would probably not be thought desirable to maintain so expeneive an establish ment as at Gibraltar, Malta, or Corfu, but it must be ' borne in mind that this colony was not like Australia or New Zea'and, as remote from great Powers as from h e e J n ri i m t o wayn s t o and proposed Van couver's t ex pressed England—it was near to great Pow ers , b ut remote f rom us. (Rear, beer.) In conclusion, th e no bl e d u k e re f erre d i r ' a s n i tia . he c ra e s t H i tu t' t u i s o e n , o f w c to ou h v i e s e e e ffi eld hand it over to the Hudson's Bay Cempany, a hope that now, when that event was about to take piece, the Government would, in all their arrange ments, look upon it as certain that the people of Van couver's Island would avail themselves of the provisions of this bill, and at an early date declare in favour of a junction with the new colony. (Hear, hear.) After a few words from Lord WoDELIOU3E, The bill was road a second time. The Chelsea Briege Act Amendment Bill, the Returns to Secretary of S ate Bill, and the Detached Parts cf Counties 8.11 went through committee. WRECK OF THE CANDACE. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY asked the Vice- President of the Baird of Tra to whether it was the in tention of the Board of Trade to institute an inquiry under the provisions of the 4311 section of the Merchant Shipping Act, into the cionnistence s a tending the less of this vessel. She was on a return voyage from the coast of Afrca, with a laerge cargo end s e ven passen gers, and in consequence of coming in to collision with a Duch vessel, she went down, when her cargo and seve ral passengers were lost. It was most de'irable that in every case of this kind an inquiry shauld take place, the most searching investigation should take place, both and certainly, when he was in office, he dir ected that as t e the competency of the masters, and to ascertain if the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act were core plied with in every particular. The Earl of DONOUGHMORE observed that before this vessel went out on her voyage, she was examined by Captain Stuait, and everything done which the law re- quired. The accident was one of those unfortunate things tney all deplored, but from having read the evidence carefully, he had no doubt whatever that no blame could be attached to the crew of the Candace, and that the loss was owing to the negligence of the Dutch. The noble bird asked him to institute an inquiry, but, chi bond, what good would be effected by his doing so ? Tay had E3tiafi , ad theinsklvee of the two main points , TUESDAY EV eNING, which they had to inquire, and if they had gone further they would only have furnished Mr. Smith with the means cf bringing an action against the company. In cases of colli , ion, it was dattEerous for the Board of Trade to interfere, unless there had been great loss of life, er gross negligence on the part of the off cers. The prncet-dings of the Board of Trade should generally, he thought, be supplemental to the ordinary litigation be- tween the parties. In this case he hoped he had shown that they had exercised a sound discretion. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY, in reply, said that if this was rota case for inquiry, such a case could not occur. The prima facie case was, that neither the master nor the mate, nor any officer with a certificate entit ing him to take charge of the vessel, was upon deck at the time of the collision. It was desirable that in these cases there hoti!cl be a strict investigation wherever loss of life had occurred. POLICE (SCOTLAND)Acr AMENDMENT BILL This hi 1 1 was read a thild time and pawed. LUNATICS (SCOTLAND) ACT ...kAIENDNIENT BILL. The report of ameodmentsi on this was received. REFORMATORY SCHOOLS (IRELAND) BILL. This bill passed throu.db rommittee. HERRING FISHERIES (SCOTLAND) BILL. This bill pas=ed tbroutzh committee. MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BILL This bill was read a third time. aim r undergoing some amendment at the hands of the Earl of Carnarvon and Lord Ebury. PUBLIC HEALTa BILL. This bill Wa3 re , d a third time and pa.eed. CLERK OF PETTY SESSIONS (IRELAND) BILL. The Earl of DERBY, who said there was no objec tion to this bill, as it was merely a bill to pay the clerks of petty sessions in Ireland by salary instead of by fees, moved that it be read a second time. Tye Earl of CLONCURRY expressed his thanks to her MAjesty's Government for introducing so useful a measure. It would be a great public benefit. Lord DUNGANNON said this bill was a great boon, although there were some of its details which were ob jectionable. After a few words from Lord MONTIAGLE and the Earl of DONOUGUMORE, The bill wag then read a second time. BISHOPS' TRUSTS SUBSTITUTION BILL. The Commons' amendments on this bil , were agreed to. A number of bills from the Commons, including the Metropolis Local Management Act, and a variety of con tinuance bills, were read a first time, and their lordships adjourned at nine o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTERDAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock. SEATING OF BARON ROTHSCHILD. Baron Rothschild attended this morning to take his seat. He was introduced by Lord John Rus sell and Mr. J. A. Smith, and advanced to the table to take the oaths amidst loud cheers. Mr. S. WARREN said—Mr. Speaker, I rise to order. The SPEAKER said the question of an hon. member taking his seat was a matter of privilege and ought not to be interrupted. (Hear, hear.) The Clerk then proceeded to administer the usual oath, but he was interrupted by Baron Rothschild, and the clerk advancing to the chair said "The hon. member says be entertians conscientious objections to taking the oaths in the form prescribed." The SPEAKER said the hon. member will please to withdraw. Baron Rothschild then withdrew to the space below the bar. Lord J. RUSSELL moved the following resolu- tion :—" That it appears to the house that Baron Lionel de Rothschild, a person professing the Jewish religion, being otherwise entitled to sit and vote in this house, is prevented from so sitting and voting by his conEctentious objection to take the oath which, by an Act of Parlia- ment, has been substituted for the oath of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration in the form therein pre scribed." _ . Mr. J. A. SMITH seconded the motion. Mr. WARREN objected to the resolution, and said he should take the sense of the house upon it. Mr. Secretary WALPOLE said the resolution was simply the affirmation of a matter of fact, and he thought it would be a waste of time to divide upon it. No hon. member could controvert the truth of the resolution. The resolution was then put and carried 919711 con. Lord J. RUSSELL then moved another resolution, empowering the house, in accordance with the act just passed, to omit from the oath the words "on the true faith of a Christian." _ _ Mr. WARREN opposed the resolution, and oonsi sidered the Act of Parliament upon which it was founded as inconzistent and discreditable to a Christian Le4islature. He still believed that no one professing the Jewish persuasion ought to be suffered to sit in Par liament, and having thus protested against the reso lution, he begged to say that he should divide the house upon it. Lord HOTHAM said he was not previously aware that the question was to be brought forward to-day, but being present in anticipation of other business, he felt he bad no alternative but to vote against the resolution. Mr. Pi 7 ALPOLE said he considered this to be a religious rather than a political question, and with the opinions he hell he could not be an assenting party to the resolution, At the same time he gave Baron Rothschild the highest ere lit, inasmuch as he had never made any attempt to violate the law. After some further discussion the house divided, For the re3olution Against Majority ... —32 The announeetLent was received with loud cheers. Lerd John Russell and Mr. J. Smith then left the house, and the inner doors being thrown open, escorted Baron Rothschild to the bar of the house amidst loul cheers. The hon. member was then conducted by them to the table of the house, and on the Clerk proceeding to swear him, he interrupted him, when the Clerk ad vanced to the chair and said,—" The hon. member wishes to be sworn on the 01 , 1 Te4ament, as moat binding on his conscience." . The SPEAKER—Let the hon. member be so sworn. The Clerk then banded to the hOn, member the Old Testament, and administered the oath to him, Baron Rothschild repeating the words in an audible voice, and with his hat off, till he came to the words "so help my Jehovah," when he put his hat on. The bon. member then signed the parliamentary roll, -and was introduced by the Clerk to the Speaker, who shook hands very cordially with him amidst laud cheers. Mr. Disraeli also shook hands with the hon, member as he pa-sed the right hon. gentleman on hi s way t o hi s seat on the front Opposition bench below the gangway, and a faqir seats from Lord John Russell. Sr %V. Hayter, and other hon. members, immediately went to the bon. member and congratulated him oa his having taken his seat. CORRUPT PRACTICES' PREVENTION ACT CONTINUANCE BILL. On the motion for the third reading of this bill, Mr. H. BERKELEY mo,.ed the third rewiing of this bill this day s x weeks. (Hear, bear) He ridi culed the provisions of the bill, and ,:aid that instead of putting down corruption it would pre•erve it. The bill had been introduced without due consideration, and was n ) other tan waste paper. Tile itonourabla member qu•lt.ed from authorities, e-pccially that of Mr. Glibert, Parliamentary agent, to show tbat the Corrupt Practices Act had failed i n pi=tting down bribery an I corrupt practices. (Hear. bear.) He bdieved that under this bid, when a general election came, the real contest between Lord Doodle and Sir Thomas Noodle would be sovereigns and beer. Mr. A. SMITH opposed the bill. Mr. WHITESIDE supported the bill. _ Lord A. CECIL considered the provisions of the bill would unneces-arily increase to a great extent the ex penses of elections. Mr. T. BUNCOMBE regretted the Lords had not rejected this bill. Had they done so they would have greatly promoted purity of election. He considered the effect of the bill would be to retard the ballot for many years to come. After some further discussion, Lord J. RUSSELL regretted the course that bad been taken with reference to this measure. If the bill had been referred to a select committee, some means might have been doVised by which the question as to the cost of conveyance might have been satisfactorily settled. Mr. ROEBUCK and Mr. REID opposed the bill on the grcund that it legalised corruption. Mr. WALPOLE said he had omitted clause 4 of the bill that the measure might be simply a continuance one. The object of this hill was to settle the disputed points —especially that in the case of C,oper v. Slade—relative to the conveyance of voters to and from the poll. The Government wished to eettlsthat point, and they would early next session prepare a measure of a permanent character. (Hear, bear.) Mr. STAPLETON opposed the bill. The house divided, For the third reading For . the amendment 6O Majority The hill was then read a third time. Mr. B. OSBORNE explained that the reacon why the opposition threw out the clause from Lord J. Russell's bill of 1854 for legalising travelling expenses was that it was opposed to the opinion of all the great legal autho rities of the Lords. Lord Mansfield had ruled that the payment of travelling expenses was bribery, and that ruling had never been contravened. He could not understatd why the bill had been brought forward in its present shape. He began by opposing the present Government, and he ended by giving them a cordial support. He gave great credit to the right hon. gentle man the leader of the house for the ab'i and judicious manner in which he had condoc ed the heriieeFs, and the very important reform' he had ori‘ niited, and he believed it was only that his time had been too much occupied that be had allowed this bill to be brought for ward with this first clause in it. He hoped the Govern.. ment would pause before they consented to it even now, at this last stage. The result would be that every voter would demand to be conveyed to the poll, ex penses would be enormously increased, and they would soon come back to the old system c f bribery and cor ruption which they had laboured so hard and eo long to put an end to. He should take a division against the passing of the bill. Lord H. VANE supported the bill, and urged that uole,s travelling expenses were allowed they would, in effect, disfranchise the poor voters. He bad voted, by mistake, in the last division with his bon. friends near biro—(a laugh) —he should now have the opportunity of repairing his error by voting against them. Sir J. TRELA.WNY remarked that thsy could not have a better test of the qualifications of the voter than his going up to the poll without assistance. He room mended the consideration of this point to the Govern ment in their promised Reform Bill. Mr. BASS thought that if the bill La I not been brought in at so late a period i.f the kks ion it would not have passed so readily. The Secretary of Suite had given an incontestible argument agains- the bill when he ad mitted that the measure was incompl-te, and that he intended next session to deal with the whole question. On the question that the bill do pass, the house di vided—the numbers were— 92 ▪ 59 ▪ -33 For the motion.. Against it Majority The bill was then passed. INDIA BILL. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was his intention to proceed this evenirg with this bill, and he understood that the bill world be reprinted and in the hands of members by 9 o'clock this evening. If, however, it was the wish of the house he would not proceed with the amendments to-night. After some remarks from L:rrd J. Russell, Mr. V. Smith, and Lord Palmerston, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER post p 'fled the c)nsideration of the Lords' amendments till to-morrow morning. PROBATES AND LETTERS OF ADMINISTRA TION ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The amendments to this bill were considered and agreed to. DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES ACT AMENDMENT BILL. The amendments to this bill were considered and agreed to. The bcuse suspended its sittings at 3 o'cloc'c. The house resumed at 6 o'clock. CORRUPT PRACTICES BILL. In reply to a question from Mr. CROSS, Mr. WALPOLE said he had already expressed his intention to propose early next session a general measure on this subject, the details of which might be referred to a select committee, but he thought it was desirable that a distinction should be maintained between the law appli cable to Parliamentary and municipal elections. THE WAR DEPARTMENT. Colonel FRENCH asked whether Mr. Ramsay was still superintendent of clothing and stores in the War Department, and retained his full salary and title. Also, whether Mr. Webster, who was sent to Rencoi as ac countant to the hospital there, but who was rent back by the doctor, there not being anything for him to do, was still retained at a salary of 3001 a year? General PEEL said that Mr. Ramsay never held the office of superintendent of clothing and stores, but he had been assistaritedirector cf storks and clothing. In con sequence of some changes which had recently taken place, Mr. Ramsay bad for a time been removed from the department, but he still maintained the office of assistant director, at the same salary. With regard to Mr. Web- Btu-, be understood that on his return he was employed in examining certain accounts which were in arrear ; that he was still so employed, and that whatever he might have had to do at It -ncoi, there .vas work enough in the office in which he was now engaged. MEDICAL OFFICERS IN THE ARMY. Mr. SEYMOUR asked the Secretary of State for War when the warrant augmenting the pay of the medi cal officers of the army would be promulgated. Gen. PEEL replied that the subject was under the consideration of the Treasury, and as soon as it received the sanction of their lordships it would be promulgated. SIR JOHN LAWRENCE. Mr. KINNAIRD inquired whether it was the inten tion of her Majesty's Government to recommend to her Majesty the conferring of some signal mark of favour on Sir John Lawrence, in recognition of his long and dis tinguished services in India, and the more so after his successful administration of the provinces under his care, and the effectual aid which, by his instrumentality, was given to the capture of Delhi. Lord STANLEY said, the house were probably aware that in November last the distinction of the Grand Cross of the Bath was conferred upon Sir J. Lawrence, and that he also received the thanks of Parliament Ira recog nition of his services. Since that time despatches had been sent out to India by the Board of Directors, in which they desired that the salary of Sir J. Lawrence, which was at present 7,2001. a-year as Chief Commis sioner, should be increased to the salary of a Lieutenant- Governor-10,0001. a-year, the increase to date from the Ist of January last. (Hear, hear.) The distinguished and invaluable services of Sir J. Lawrence had not been overlooked by her Majesty's Government, who were now considering whether any further reward should be be-towed upon him. (Hear, bear.) BRITISH TROOPS IN THE WEST INDIES. Mr. HANKEY asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it were true that orders had been sent out to the West Indies, or whether transports had been taken up in this country, for the removal of the British troops which were now remaining in those colonies. The CHANCELLOR ofgthe EXCHEQUER replied that it was not the intention of her Majesty's Govern ment to remove any of the British troops in the West Indian colonies. ST. JAMES'S PARK. Mr. GRIFFITH asked the Secretary to the Trea sury whether, in any arrangement that might have been made for the sale or lease of Berkeley-house to the Me tropolitan Board of Works, care had been taken that sufficient space was reserved out of he premises to allow of a carriage entrance being made from Cockspur-street, into the roadway surrounding St. James's Park ? Mr. G. A. HAMILTON said that he was not aware that there was any intention of constructing a carriage road from Cockspur street to St. James'spark, and no arrangement bad been made on that subject with the Metropolitan Beard of Works. The arrangements which bail been made would admit of the footpath being widened to the extet.t of 22 feet, and if in future it should be thought desirable to construct a carriage road int ) St. James's-park, it could be effected by widening Cock--pun-street on the east side, which was the pro perty of the Crown. LAND TRANSPORT CORPS. Lord A. V. TEMPEST asked the Secretary of State for War, it the report of the committee on the Land Transport Cerpa had came under the consideration of her Majesty's Government ; and, if so, whether her Majesty's Government were prepared to carry out the recommendation of the committee, and to grant the offi cers of the Land Transport Corps the usual rate of half pay of the ranks they hell at the period of the disband went of the corps. General PEEL begged to acquaint the noble lord that the report was under the consideration of the Go vernment. If its recommendations were adopted, it would involve an expenditure which had not been pro vided for in his estimate, and which it would theref. , re be necessary to submit to the Treasurey for their ap• prove!, but he might add that be was the last person to keep any class of men out of that to which they were entitled. Lord A. V. TEMPEST said that if the matter were not satisfactorily settled by next session, he should move an address to the Crown on the eutijecn ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION BILL. Mr. WALPOLE moved that the order of the day for considering this Jill in commit tee to-morrow at the early sitting should be discharged. (Hear, hear.) The bill bad been so much discussed, and so many objections had been taken to its principal clauses, that at this late period of the session he did not think he could usefully press its consideration on the attention of the house. Zr.b INGRAM regretted that any aecessity existed for withdrawing the mea-ure. After a few words from Mr. FENITICK and Mr. KNATOOBULL-HUGESSEN, Lord A. V. TEMPEST expressed a hope that the Government would next eeeeion exert themselves to carry a similar measure to that which he now learned with regret they were about to withdraw. Mr. WALPOLE said that he would do the best he could. UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) BILL. The order of the day for considering the Lords' amendments having been read, Mr. DUNLOP moved teat the house disagree with the Lord,' amendment, which omitted the 3rd clause. The clause had been carried against the Government in that house by a considerable majority, and the omission of the clause by the other House of Parliament he had ' not seen juetified by any sound or reasonable arguments. Mr. BLACKBURN said he thought that the hon. member for Greenock was not well a wised in raising this question. There was not one word in the bill which prescribed the oaths to be taken by the principals, or the duties they would have to perform. That was entirely left to the university commission, of which the hon. gentleman himself was a member. 'That commis. sion would have the matter entirely under its control, and he was afraid that by raising this question, the hots. gentleman ran great risk cf losing a measure which would, in other respects, he a most valuable one. (Hear.) Mr. EWING said he hoped the house, by its vote, would defeat the attempt to fetter and restrict the choice of the universities. (Hear, hear.) Lard ELCHO said that, having taken some part in the discussion of the act of 1853, he was bound to say that the bill was locked upon in the light of a comprc miss, which was not in future to be disturbed. By that all the professional chairs were thrown cpen with the exceetion of the principal's chair. As far as he could see his way at that moment, he thought it was unwise to re-open the question, and he should therefore feel in clined to vote against the motion of the hon. member. Mr. WALPOLE concurred in the view taken by the noble lord.as to the effect of the act of 1853, by which an alteration was made in the tests to be taken on ad mission to the profes.lonal chairs in Sc tland. The change theta made was, in fact, a compromise by which it was settled that the principal should continue to be a member of the Church of Scotland while the other chairs were thrown open. Upon one p tint referred to by the hon. member for Greenock, he did not like to place his opinion again that cf. the Lon. membor, tot if he was rightly informed, the principals of two of the universities at this moment were the theological teacher?. For hit own part, be frankly coefissed that he saw no great harm or difficulty that could arise from having a layman in the office of principal—(hear) —but on the other hand, when a settlement of the question bad been effected in 1853, he thought it - was undesirable to disturb that eettlemeht, and he should therefore vote against the motion. Sir J. GRAHAM said ;hat, as Secretary of State for the H ome D e p ar tm en t of the Government of Sir It. Peel in 1846, it became his duty to resist the repeal of these tests altogether. He did his duty to the best of his ability, and had such teen as Lord Macaulay and Mr. Rutherford to contend against. He was bound to add, that his arguments did not prevail—(a lsugb)—and the consequence was the compromise of 1853, which was carried when be was in the Government of Lord Aber deen. Looking at the whole question he did not see upon what grounds they could any longer maintain that these tests should be applied to principals alone. He thought the bill as sent up to the Lode was a right and JULY 27, 1858. a sensible bill, and he should vote that it be restored to its original int• grity. (Cheers.) Lord PALMERSTON sail the qnesti , n bad been con sidered and debate(' hy the Lou e, and the c!anse siruck out by the Lords had been re affirmed by the Commons, and he thought the house should adhere to its decision, The amendments were then severally negatived with out a division, and a committee was appointed to draw up reasons for rejecting the Lords' amendments, The Juigments (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed. The Lords' amendments to the following bills were then severally c , n , idered and a2reed to :—Stipendiary Magistrates, &c.; Titles of Land (Scotland) ; and Sile and Transfer of Lands (Ireland) Bills. The Endowed SclioolsLaw Amendment 8.11 was with drawn. The Trustees, 111nrtgagees, &c., Bill was read a sennd time. LAW OF PROPERTY A NIENDMENT RILL On tl e motion that this as amended, be considered, Mr. ROLT objected to the bill, and hoped it would be withdrawn. The ATTORNEY GENERAL said he assented to the request made to him with regret, because the mea sure before the house was a good one ; but as he could not pass it this session he would withdraw it. The bill was accordingly withdrawn. The following bills were read a second time ;—lnter. national Patent Right ; Administration of Oath+ by Committees ; and Leases and Shies of Settled E-tates Act Amendment Bills. The following bills were read a third time : —New Writs ; Probate and Letters of Administration Act Amendment ; and Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act Amendment Biils. HARBOURS OF REFUGE. Mr. WILSON, in rising to call attention to the re port of the Select Committee on this sus jest, said the late Government had been deeply impressed by the re presentations made to them respecting the deficient accommodation fir shipping on parts of our coast, and early in 1857 a committee had been appointed which bad investigated the subject during that and a portion of the present session. The enormout losses of life and property which took place every year on our coast would fully justify any Government in taking some de cided step on a matter of such importance. In five years there were 5,128 casualties on oar coast, of which 2,184 resulted in wrecks or total loss ,rond 2 M 4 in damages of smaller or greater degree. During the same period 4,148 persons lost their lives, or an average of 830 every year. Moreover, the mere money value of these losses amounted to an average of 1,500,0001. per annum. (Hear.) These two facts alone, he though, should be a sufficient inducement for this house care fully to consider the subject and try ts) remedy the cry ing evils which resulted from the present condition of our coast. These losses were contingent to a great de gree on the crowded state of our waters, arising from the great increase which had of late taken place in our shipping. In 1843 the amount of teenage of British shipping which entered or cleared from ports or harbours of the three kingdoms was 7,180 000, and of foreign tonnage 2,643,000 —making altogether 9,824,000 tons of shipping. That was 15 years ago, while last year the amount of British tonnage wasl3 694,000, and of foreign 9,484,000 making a total of 23 178 000 tuns. Thus the increase within 15 years had been more than 130 per cent., and this increase bad not been caused by any sud den or momentary impulse ; it bad been gradual and steady, and even in 1857 was equal to that of any pre• ceding year. There was, therefore, every reason to suppose that this great development would proceed at the same rapid rate as before, and if the crowded state of our waters now led to such enormous loss of property and life it was reasonable to expect that that loss would increase proportionately with the increase in our trade unless means were taken to afford greater facilities to shipping upon our coast. Another proof of the rapid growth of our shipping was that in 1843 the amount of tonnage built in this country was 83,000, while last year it was 250,090 tons. What, then, under such circumstances was the duty of the Government and of this house? As a general rule the committee over which he presided had confined their attention chiefly to the question of har bours of refuge, strictly so called, and they had exa mined upwards of 60 witnesses, among whom were Capt. Washington and Capt. Veitch, of the Admiralty, Capt. Sutherland, of the Board of Trade, professional gentle men of great eminence, and local engineers and practical men who navigated our coast. The labours of the com mittee, he thought, entitled their report to consider ition from the house, and that report was, he t ruste d, a f a i r statement of the facts and summary cf the evidence ad duced. They found that various parts of our coast were well studded with natural harbours. The attention of the committee, however, had been concentrated upon a few important points. The part of the coast which had come specially under notice was that lying between Pentland Frith and the Frith of Forth in Sc tland, and in the case of that line of coast they had indicated the localities with out naming the precise spot at which, as it contained no large natural harbours, harbours of refuge should be erected. The part of the coast which had come next under their consideration was that stretching from St. Abb's to Flamborough Head in Yorkshire, between which points it appeared there was no secure retreat for shipping. In that case also the committee had recommended that no precise locality should be fixed upon, but that the ad vantages which any portion of the coast possessed fcr the construction there of a harbour of refuge might ' form the subject of inquiry. With respect to the east coast of England the c immittee h:d come to the con clusion that, inasmuch as it was furnished with such places of refuge as the Wash, the Humber, Yarmouth roads, and the Thames, it was amply well supplied in that particular, while the existence of the harbour of Dover, though not, he was ready to admit, so much a harbour of refuge as cf defence—of the new har bour at Portland, which when finished would be one of the most magnificent p aces of refuge in the world, and of the natural harbours of Falmouth and Plymouth upon the south coast, rendered it in the eyes of the committee inexpedient that any expenditure of public money should be incurred in that quarter. Directing their attention, howevea to the line of coast which lay between the Land's-end and the Bristol Ceannel, the committee had found that there was in that direction a great want of harbours of refuge, and had become stioagly impressed with the expediency of erecting a harbour at Bristol, owing to tho rapid extension of the trade with New South Wales in iron and coal. With those exceptions, there was no point on the coast of Great Britain at which the committee had deemed it necessary that expenditure should be incurred, especially when they tot k into ac count that a magnificent harbour at Holyhead was now rapidly progressing towards completion. Turning to Ireland, they bad ascertained that there were three points at which it was desirable that something should be done with the view of affording greater security to shipping. One of these was C.arlingforcl-bay, which simply required that a large sandbank at its entrance should be removed, in order to render it capable of ad mitting the largest class of vessels. Then there was Waterford-bay, to which a precisely similar observation applied ; and lastly, Portrusb, on the north coast of Ire land, which, by means of natural rocks called the Saer ries, formed an almost natural harbour, but which, oaing to the fact that the interstices between tho e rocks, did not admit a sufficient amount of water to flat large vessels, wou'd require that a sum cf about 130.0001. should be laid out upon it befime it c iuld be nrede thoroughly avai'abie as a harbour of refuge. Those to which he had adverted were the on!) , points a!org the coasts of these islailds which the committee bad recom mended as the sites of public works ; but in making that statement he was by no means pr peat d to contend that the commission which was about to be appointed might not extend beyond theta the scope of its it•quirY• Ile was at the satne time of opinion that the Govein rnent should be extremely careful vvi h respect to allow ing an extension of the limits of the inquiry, because the result might be that the whole question would again be raised, and that works of urgent imperance would not in the meantime be constructed with that expedition which was desirable. (Hear.) He had stated that the probable cost of the I,r)posed works would be two mil lions and a balf, which was the subtraction tf so much from the aggregate capital of the country, while the loss of life amounted annually to 800 persons. The evil which the house was called upon to remedy was not one of a merely speculative character, but one which either as involving considerations of humanity, or of pounds, shillings, and pence, demanded the most serious atten tion. Of the expenditure which it would be necessary to incur in order to obviate that evil it had been sug gested that the shipping interest ought to bear a p In that view he bad concurred, because he thought the advocates of the establishment of harbours of refuge would come to that Louse with a better chance of success if they could state that the classes more immediately in terested in the question were prepared to contribute to the attainment of the object which they sought to ac complish. There were others, he was aware, who held a contrary opinion, and he, for one, should offer no oppo. sition to the payment of the whole of the expenditure out of the public money, should that course be deemed the one which it was nsost expedient to adopt. (Hear ) He did not, however, think that it would be wise to discuss that question at present, deeming it more advis able that it should be left for the future consideration of the Government. _The inexhaustible resources of our trade and commerce had been shown by the immenee in crease of our exports, but our shores were limited in ex tent and our ports limited in number. It was, therefore, our duty to provide as much accommodation and security for the ships which frequented our coasts as ingenuity and capital could provide. He thanked the Government for the readiness with which they had met his proposal for the appointment of a commission, and hoped that its labours would result to the advantage of the country. (Hear, hear.) The hon. gentleman cocoluded by moving for an address for the appointment cf a Royal Commission in order to the inquiry in the terms recom mended in the report of the S.l:et Cnno.itteo upon Ilierbours of Refugt.. Mr. LINDSAY seconded the motion an I observed that ho had never read a report which contained more valuable information. He rejoiced that the Government a-sented to the appointment of the commission, but hyped that the inquiries of the commissioners would he limited to the evidence that was adduced before the com mittee, otherwise there woul i be a constant competition of corporations as to the bes: sites for harbcurs of re fuge. He recommended that the commissioners should have a steamer placed at their disposal, a competent and unprejudiced engineer, that they should be furnished with the report of the select committee, with the evi dence given before it, and all other necessary documents, and thus it was prov id e d, th a t th e y s hould visit the va rious pl ants i n di ca t e d i n t h a t ev id enc e, and if necessary, take any additioLal evidenca up,n the spot, the capabili ties of which they could examine for themselves. Th e report pointed ou t th a t the main difficulty was the ques tion of how the means were to be raised, and he was g l a d to find that the bon. gentleman (Mr. Wilson) did not obk ct to the expense being defrayed from the CJnsali dated Fund. It was quite certain that there could be no recurrence to passing tolls, which had been all but unanim usly condemned in the house, and therefore he hopEd the Government would feel that, as a great mari tin e people, it was our duty to provide for the recnrity not only of the lives a• d properties of our fellow-subj , cts but also those cf foreigners who visited our coasts for the purpose of commerce. (3eat.) - Lord A. V. TEMPEST bore his cordial testimony to the ability and fairness with which the cha'rman of the committee bad presided over its pr seeedings and entered into details to show that the north-eastern coast had A more espechl claim to consideration than any c tber part of the coast mentioned in the report of the com mittee. He also urged upon the First Lerd of the Adm;ralty the great necessity there was that the com mis ion about to be appointed should be impartially con stituted, and especial y that the engineers connected with it should be men bee from all keel prejudice. Sir J. PAKINGTON said, having already stated, in answer to a question put to him the other evening by the hen. member for Davenport, that it was the inteet , on of the Government to grant this commission, it was unne cessary that he should attempt to follow the speakers who bad taken part in this debate. But he could not help saying that he quite teemed with the hen, gentle man opposite (Mr. Wi:con) in the opinion that the com mittee had done full ju-tine to this important subject. (Hear, hear.) He bad read with great interest their able report, which he thought fully justified her Majcs ty's Government in conceding the commission. It would be the wish of the Government, in the constitution of that commission, to provide as fer as they possibly could for its strict impartiality ; and he hoped, - on the part elf the house, there would be no indisposition to provide the necessary funds for carrying out objects so extremely important fir the protection of shipping, nhich had in creased and was still increasing with such astonishing rapidity, and which was so closely connected with the wealth and pro;perity of the country. (Hear, hear.) Mr. DODSON complained that the wreck chart ap pended to the report indicated only the number of veseele lost, and not Vie comparative value of the pre perty or the number of lives ; and he contended that if the value cf the shipping wrecked sod the number of the lives lost were taken as the test, the southern coast would have an equal, if not greater, claim for c insiders eiun than the coast between Flarnborough Head and St. , Abb'e, Head, which had been described as the mend dare gerous. It appeared that in the five years from 1852 to 1856 inclusive 763 vessels were wrecked between Flan , " borough Head aud SteAbb'e, while between Portsmouth and Dever only 177 vessels were wrecked in the same period. But he found, on referring to the registers kept at the Admiralty and the Beard of Trade, that the 763 vessels wrecked between Flamborough Beal end St. Abb's involved the loss of 260 lives, while the 177 vessels wrecked between Portsmouth and Dover involved the loss of as many as 218 lives. The .hee• member for Trignmouth bad spoken as if the committee bad come to a decision with reference to the mode of paying the expenses that might be incurred, but the committee had made no distinct recommendation on the subject. Sir F. SMITH thanked the Government for having A t once consented to appoint a commission, and tough° the question of the expense might be deferred' till a Enure occasion. Mr. CLAY was glad to find that the Governmen t had so readily consented to grant a commission. The erection of harbours of refuge was a national duty, an d ne advantage derived from them would not be con' fined to the shippin g interest alone. He hoped the Government would not, in this case, fall into the error which had so much prevailed of late years, that parti - cular daises of the community ought to pay for wbat were great national works. (Hear, hear.) When the commission reported it would be time to consider the best mode of paying the expenses, but be hoped the fact would not be lost sight of, that these harbours o efug i e would be for the benefit of th e w h o l e commun ity, and not of the shipping interest only. Mr. M'CANN moved, in addition to Mr. motion, that the commissioners be instructed to visi t ", the harbour of Skerri es , i n th e coun t y o f Dublin, and report upon its capabiliti es an d circumstances as 11 el" for a Barbour of refuge. Mr. INGHAM had no doubt that, noder the terms ef their commission, the commisioners wou ld h ave power to institute the inquiry suggested by his 1 1013 ' friend. He hoped, however, that the whole body o f the commissioners would not be expected to inquire iot ° the four divisiees e f the qtiestien which bad been r d commended for consideration, but that the work evee'. be distribut d among thew rn suers a manner that the' .. inquiries might be brought to a simultaneous conclusio e • ' Mr. YOUNG observed that only one hon. membe r connected with the ports on the eastern coast had been placed upon the committee ; but as representing Ye r ; month, he might state that his constituents regarded tbi ject with c ,nsiderable interest. 1 he harbour accorno 3° ,. dawn at Yarmouth was amply , uffisient for the trad e of the port, but the place was in time of war a nava l station of great importance, and an immense amount °f shipping passed through the roads every year. 1 "."„ thought, therefore, that the attention of the comfy': signers ought to be special y directed t) that part of the coast. As many as 2,000 s hip s h a d b een k nown to pa ge Yarmouth Roads; in a day; there were frequently fr o 1,000 to 1,400 vessels of various sizes at anchor in tu roans ; and there was scarc e ly ever a ga l e , especial! 9 t from N.N.E., or S.S.W , i n w hi c h l oss o f life did vo a occur. Efficient shelter for shipping might be provi de s by comparativdy small exp e nd i t ure , an d h e h ope d tP attention of the commissi on e rs wou ld b e di rected t o the subject_ Mr. RIDLEY expressed his satisfaction at the statn . went cf the bon. member for Davenport, and his COn'i, l° ' tion that if the commis•sioners followed the course dirt t, ' quiry suggested by th e com m itt ee t h e resu lt of Oc investigation would be most adv an t ageous , no t•onlY , the maritime:interests of Great Brit a in, but to those ° the whole world. Mr. DUFF said, the committee did not receive evidence as to the desi ra bl eness o f construc ti n g a s : ¢ tidal harbours of refuge. H e w i s h e d to k now evbetu e o there would be any opportunity of laying such e viden e e before the commission. (Hear, h ear .) M any parts n .. '• • the coast of Scotland required small harbours of refog; and it was owing to the want of such that 42 setainst, lost their lives some mo n th s ago on th e Banffshire roe s # Mr. HAMILTON did n ot k now w hy no ev id e nce W B O taken with referenc e to Sk err i ee . It was no t th e i n tevti ° of his hon. friend, he believed, to exclude from the o°°. sideration of the commission any particular localiti; They would exercise their judgment with reference to 0 13 . 7 . locality that might seem to require a harbour of relng e s (Hear.) But the main object of this commission 01 .4 he understood, to direct attention to such great harbin of refuge as were necessary fix the protection of life O A property. His hon. friend the member for Devone t ; was entitled to great praise for the ability and zeal whib; he bad bestowed upon this subject, and there could no doubt that the 'ahem; of toe commission would b e attended with most beneficial results. He was (1° 1 ,,, 0 sure that her Majesty's Govern men t wou ld p l a ce tir ri , the commission gentlemen i n w h ose t a l ents an d expe ence the publ c would have the greatest coefidence. to Mr. PHILIPPS th oug ht it wou ld b e inexpeslientbe name any locality i n t h e reso l u ti on , an d appro ved t o remarks of the hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Duff) 0 the construction of small tidal harbcure of refuge. l a Mr. II A.TCHELL h o p e d that the commission n'° ° direct their attention to the coast of Wexford. o i L Lord H. VANE was glad that the Government °p, assented to the issue of a commission. The loss of l f 1 .6 and property along our coasts bad, owing to the iccren, of cemmerce, greatly increased of lat e y ears. H e aPilc pated most gratifying results from the commission. 0 Admiral I,vALcorrr thought that g reat praise O i l due to the committee f or th e a b i li ty and judgment W i ' e f which they had fulfilled their task. The formation these harbours would unuestionehly effect a greataAl jug of life and property, and that was the duty ° f Governments. (Hear, hear ) lie knew from hie ? experience that to avoid the payment of harbour u ti i ", # ships had been w re cked a nd li ves l os t, an d t h er efore' trusted that the commission would di rec t th e i r a ttent i F o to those dues. He was confident that when the cone l/ elan mad e their report th e house would not be nigga r° in the performance of its duty. „ n e Mr. WILSON briefly replied, and expressed a °I, . that the hon. gentlem an th e mem b er f or Drogb:bo would not press his amendment, because he ininb' sot satisfied, after what had been said by the Secretary " the Treasury, that th e su bj ec t wou ld no t b e ove rloolt e After a few words from Mr. J. H. HAMILTON, be Sir J. ELPHINSTONE said that the benefit t° anticipated from harbour s O f re f uge wou ld b e l os t if cat were not freely open to every fl ag. H e wou ld De c o consent to laying a passing toll upon ships for Liarh° l3 o ; of refuge, but he would readily concur in voting A i c °pi siderable sum of money to aver t th e scan d a l arising ity,s the great loss of life which occurred ever y y ear u pon n'" shores. Captain MANGLES said that unless th e comm iel which was about to be appointed e x erc i se d a grea t a t° of caution a large amount of money wou ld b e was ted ' 0 very little purpose. The idea of harbours of refuge remarkably Popular with shore going men, a n d with b o lt . members who represented seaports—and no doub t looked very pretty upon paper —but until both ',a foreign and the coasting trade should be carried on n in t e, more generally than it was at present by sti ambl es: l , harbours of refuge would be really vain and 10 ; is iS things. An exp er i ence d seaman nav i gat i ng a eel 0, vessel always avoided the chore when a gale came see and be did no t t hi n k , t h ere f ire, that t h e a d v any ° 4 e l. which kind and phil ant h rop i c peop l e were a pt to e:_ 00 buts to hereours of refuge were likely to result 1100 their more general establishment. Ho cautione d re• Government to be careful how they listened to re p eat r sentations from the county of Wexford an d distant P ° the inhabi , ants of which were all anxious to 1 10 ! e on boors, arel not to be led away by the ide a that the ' ll f - d ge rune upon vessels which had to pass harbours of r e the would be lessened in consequenco He poir.tcd Vg hard,hip imposed upon London shipo wners in ha l ! t n e sse pay duties f passing Ram sga t e h ar b our , w hen I ,, o ter notorious that ship; of a c er t a i n b ur d en cou ld not ;boo it, and irstoad;:of naelt . p'ying the occa t ioos for j o ist' imposts he called upo n t h e G overnmen t to du ll " those which already existed. Mr. M'CANN withdrew his amendment, and The motion was agreed to. , cir• The house adj euene d a t a quar t er W ore 10 o ____ d th i C ' j o u t day g uer uished re g i m ents being ord,rect on actor° se dare d to Alif.erribw, a wealthy captain t," 3 „er"! his resi gi ration , whicll his Royal Highlaws the ` .- 0 1 0 ', ClonninaLding-i n -Chief declin e d t o acce pt, a nd bis °o'3 .„ A ill hal si, cc prevailed upon the gallant captain to re c roo in the regiment, and underg o for a short P eri° ,., 3 can vicissitudes cf carop life. particularly as no ow es " va iry. /low b 3 &veined hr the Household Brigade olCo ---'-4 r . iCted Service Gazette. vo LONDON : Printed and Publi s h e d by MUlt1) 0 • - Utt4j4c. of No. 112, Strand, hinter, at Tias Eui O ft nay 1 ' 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the c° of Middlooes, Tuns Jay a July 27s 1858+ MR.. a EN Of Illustration a vert evening A.dn. ission is at the Royal Cramer, Real( LET during 3 letter only, to C ITRIS TIIREI SI ENT.—Cha horning, con Area,a. 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