The Sun. — London, England, 1865-03-01 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS—LAsT EVENING. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack a five o'clock. THE INDIAN OFFICERS. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH presented four petitions from officers in the Indian army complaining of the grievances they had sustained in consequence of the amalgamation of the armies. CLOSING-PUBLIC-HOUSES ON SUNDAY. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a petition from members of the Society of Friends in Newcastle, Praying for a bill compelling the closing of drinking shops 04 Sundays. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—Na'an and Kingscourt Railway ; Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway ; Ayr Water ; Dundee Gas ; Herne Bay Fishery ; Enniskillen, Bundoran, and Sligo Railway ; Fergus River Navigation, &c. CIVIL BILL COURTS PROCEDURE (IRELAND) ACT 1864 AMENDMENT BILL. This bill was read a second time. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF CO:NDIONS—LAsT EVENING. The SPEAKER. took the chair at 4 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—London and North Western Railway (New Works, &c.) (Wales and Ireland), Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland (No. 2), Nandi° Railway, Northampton and Banbury Junction R a il w ay (Extensions), and St. Stephen's Green (Dublin). METROPOLIS SEWAGE AND ESSEX RECLAMA TION BILL. On the motion for the second reading of this bill, Sir W. RUSSELL said that he objected to the prin ciple of referring questions like those involved in the present bill to a general discussion of the whole house, when it should be dealt with in a scientific manner. As a member of the committee who had devoted much time to the consideration of this subject, he had come to the conclusion that the only practical means of utilising the metropolitan sewage was by adopting the principle of gravitation proposed in this bill and sanctioned by the Metropolitan Board of Works. He believed that the effect of this bill would be most advantageous to local and national interests, for it had now become an urgent necessity that .the sewage of this great metropolis should be so dealt with as to prevent its being injurious to the health of the metropolis, which was the case at pre sent, when it was concentrated upon a certain point. He thought, therefore, that any delay should be deprecated,and that the three objects proposed by this bill, viz., of rendering the sewage innocuous, utilising it, and realising a large sum fox it for the rate payers of the metropolis. The same dif ficulties that existed in disposing of the sewage of other localities did not exist in regard to that of the metropolis, and he thought the evidence was in favour of the assartion made by the advocates of this bill that the sewage could be profitably applied to growing crops, and realise a large sum by those who availed themselves of the sewage for the purpose of fertilising the cereal or other crops. The plan proposed by Messrs. Holt and Napier for removing the metropolitan sewage to a certain distance from London was in his opinion very practicable, and -would effect the objects proposed. In reference to an amendment on the paper by the hon. member for London for postponing the second reading of the bill for six weeks, he contended that the effect of that amendment., if adopted,would be to postpone the bills or legislation on this subject for the present session. (Hear, hear.) He adverted in terms of eulogium to the services which the noble lord (Lord R. Montagu) had rendered in committee in regard to this very important subject. Mr. CRAWFORD moved that the bill be read a second time that day six months. He denied that there was any petty feeling of rivalry on the part of the Corporation of London, and other opponents of the bill, towards the Metropolitan Board of Works. In dealing with a question of this importance he thought the house should maintain its privileges in considering the subject with great delibera tion. It must be remembered that the merits of this bill was problematical, as differences of opinion prevailed amongst scientific men, including that eminent authority, Baron Liebig, who considered the scheme .of Messrs. Holt and Napier visionary. Mr. TITE supported the bill. After some further discussion, Mr. AYRTON moved the following amendment : " That it be referred to a select committee of ten, half to be nominated by the house, and half by the com mittee of selection, and that the committee be instructed to inquire into the most useful and profitable means of dis posing of the metropolitan sewage on the north side of the Thames." Mr. COWPER said that a prima facie case had been made out in favour of this bill, and so far from the Metropolitan Board of Works having been precipitate in regard to this bill, he thought they had delayed the matter too long. It was indispensable to the health of the metropolis that the sewage should be conveyed out of the Thames estuary instead of being permitted to flow back and pollute the water con sumed by the inhabitants of London. He did not consider the question of the profit of the sewage a matter of so much importance, and he approved of the proposition of the hon. and learned member for the Tower Hamlets. Sir W. RUSSELL withdrew his motion, on the under standing that the amendment of Mr. Ayrton should be pressed to a division, but it was agreed to without a divi sion, and the subject then dropped. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. On the motion of Sir G. GREY, it was agreed that the house, at its rising to-night, should adjourn until 2 o'clock to-morrow (this day), it being Ash Wednesday. TRAVELLING EXPENSES IN THE MILITIA. Sir H. S TRACY asked whether the Royal warrant of 21st November, 1864, giving the officers of the army when travelling without troop; certain allowances, applied in like manner to officers of militia. The Marquis of lIARTINGTON said that the rule with regard to the regular troops did not apply to the militia. FISHERIES IN SCOTLAND. Mr. IL BAILLIE asked the Home Secretary whether he had received a communication from Mr. Caird in Novem ber last respecting a close time for herrings in Scotland, and what steps had been taken in the matter ? Sir G. GREY said that he had received such a commu nication, and the Lord Advocate would introduce a bill on the subject. PARLIAMENTARY BOROUGHS. Mr. BAINES moved for returns of the number of male persons resident within each Parliamentary borough in England and Wales, or within seven miles thereof,. who were assessed to the last poor rate in any parish within such borough, at the gross estimated rental following, viz., under £4 and £5, of £5 and under £6, of £6 and under £7, of £7 and under £B, of £8 and under £9, of £9 and under £lO, of £lO and over ; and of the population of each Parlia mentary borough, according to the census of 1861; the gross estimated rental of the property therein at Lady Day, 1863 ; and the number of electors on the register now in force ; together with an estimate of the number of the electors in Parliamentary boroughs, if the franchise were extended to male occupiers assessed at a gross estimated rental of £9, £B, £7, and £6 (in continua tion of a return of male occupiers in Parliamentary cities and boroughs, presented by command, in the session of 1860).—Ordered. COMMIT TEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION. Sir J. PAKINGTON moved for a committee to inquire into the constitution of the Committee of Council on Educa tion, and the system under which the business of the office is con ducted. The right hon. bort. took excep ti on to the pre sent constitution of the Council, and said that th ere were no less than 1 , 124 parishes in England which received no benefit from the annual grant for educational purposes. H e contended that the council of education had not at present acted in a manner calculated to inspire much confidence in their future efficiency in dealing with so important a subject as national education. The defective working of the educational department had excited a strong feeling of assatisfaction and distrust ; but that had arisen not so much from the fault of the Minister as from the constitu tion of the Board itself. Illustrative of this view the right hon. gentleman referred to the revised code, which he said was less directed to the improvement of education than to the diminution of the annual grant. Again : the conscience clause had been put in force w ithout having been previ ously submitted to the house for its sanction. Moreover, there was a large extent of country virtually excluded from assistance by these grants. And lastly, the constitution of the Committee of Council was not calculated to ensure the carrying out of an effective system of education. Mr. WALTER moved as an amendment to Sir J. Pak ington's motion that the committee should also inquire into the beat mode of extending the benefits of Government in spection and the Parliamentary grant to schools at pr esent unassisted by the State. the Mr. LOWS condemned the proposal of Mr. Walter a s c ommencement of an attempt to utterly undo the great work that had been recently accomplished, by extending the grant to a that the teachers those schools were persons to whom entrust, one ys ket the education of the rising gene ration. The very of the existing system was the efficiency of the teacher, wh o was also an agent for the dis tribution of the publi c re en , aksl that were d one awa y with the consequence must ?irC a i : (1. recklesste.n expenditure that With w ould be most discreditable to the Government. reg ard to the motion of Sir J. p objection of the right hon. baronet seemed to the theoretical was not a single Ministe r res ponsible for the e d be that th ere tion of the grant ; but that was not the fact. Therea wnunistm responsible Minister, and that was the Lord Presidentas one the Council. Bearing in mind that the system of national of education was founded upon the principle of aidi ng b y public grants the voluntary efforts of the people, so long as that was acted upon he considered the Committee of Coun cil to be the most fitting department for the adminis tration of the grants. Every attempt that had yet been made in this house to alter the present system meant no thing else than more money for schools—less guarantee for teachers. And such was the object of the - motion now under consideration. Let the conditions upon which the public grants were now made be once broken down and education would be placed in the utmost peril. Mr. ADDERLEY held that the present constitution of the education board was by no means satisfactory, and . ought therefore to be inquired into ; but on thg question whether grants should be extend ed to-endowed schools, his impression was totally adverse to the views of the member for Berkshire. Sir L. PALS advocated the claim of small rural parishes to a portion of the education grant, with which object he h sugge sted that local boards mighformed to group suc parishes into districts, and place each group under one certificated master. Mr. F. POWELL supported the motion for inquiry on the ground that all departments of the Government ought to be subjected to the frequent and rigid supervision of the house ; that no clear information existed with regard to the nature of the functions of the President and Vice-Pre sident of the Council of Education, and because of the relations between that body and those persons who, in the country, and at the cost of much time and money, were carrying out the work of education in their various localities. Mr. BRUCE said it was not his intention on behalf of the Government to offer any opposition to the motion and the addendum, although there was much of the inquiry that would be unnecessary, seeing that ample information was already before the house upon the subject. The real question to be decided was whether the system of educa tion had worked well, or was likely to be made to work better. He doubted, however, whether any more effec tive machinery could be devised than that of the Committee of Council, whose administration of the department he de fended at some length. In acceding to the motion. the Go vernment did so more in the hope of restoring confidence and peace] than in the expectation that any official and practical suggestions would result from inquiry. Lord R. CECIL, adverting to the conscience clause, said that it ought never to have been put in action by an executive department without the formal concurrence of the House of Commons. The existing system derived its whole energy for the spread of education from the co-ope ration of religious zeal, and if that religious zeal were ac cepted it must be with all the conditions which it involved, for men did not care to teach a boiled-down, colourless re ligion—a mere system of morality divested of all cardinal truths. With regard to the education department, it was a vital defect in the organisation of the Commitiee of Council that the president, who was solely responsible, was removed beyond the influence of that house. After soma observations from Mr. AYRTON, Mr. G. HARDY expressed a hope that, in conducting their inquiry, the committee would not travel into the question of the conscience clause or grants to endowments, but confine themselves to the constitution "of the,depart ment of education and the system under which 'the busi ness of the office was carried on. Mr. HENLEY was in favour of the motion, and, in order to show that the system required examination, referred to the original Orders in Council, which had been dealt in by minutes, which minutes were altered by regulations, and these regulations wholly changed by private interpre tation within the walls of the Education-office. He repu diated the idea that the whole responsibility of the depart ment rested with the President of the Council. The whole Cabinet was equally responsible. Mr. W. E. FORSTER thought that whatever commit tee the house might appoint would have a very difficult and complicated duty to perform, and that the inquiry sug gested by Sir J. Pakington would be quite sufficient for any one committee to carry out, without undertaking in addition the consideration of the large question suggested by Mr. Walter. Mr. HENNESSY commented upon the circumstance that, while the house was agreed that education should be conducted on religious principles in England, a totally dif ferent system was adopted in Ireland. He hoped the com mittee which was about to be appointed would be em powered to inquire into the condition of those schools in Ireland which were denied assistance because the Bible was read in them. After a few words from Mr. SCOURFIELD the debate was brought to a close by a reply from Sir J. PAKINGTON, and the original motion, with the amendment of Mr. Waiter, was agreed to. COURTS OF JUSTICE CONCENTRATION (SITE) BILL. Mr. KINNAIRD rose to move that it be an instruction to the select committee on the Courts of Justice Concentra tion (Site) Bill, that they have power to make provision for appropriating or obtaining sites, and for the erection of lodging-houses or other suitable dwellings for the working classes proposed to be displaced by the said bill. He had nothing whatever to say against a measure which ought to have been carried into effect long ago, but he confessed that while Government was compelling railway companies to provide facilities for the removal of the population which they displaced in the populous districts, he was entirely at issue with the Attorney-General, when in his speech on this bill the hon. and learned gentleman said that the ques tion of the displacement of the population might be left to the natural laws of supply and demand. From a return placed in his hands that day by Mr. Abraham, the architect of the Temples, he gathered that the number of houses covering the site which was about to be cleared for the new courts of justice was 482, and of that number 123 were occupied by persons purely belong ing to the labouring classes. According to the same return the number of those to be dispossessed would be 3,070. Now he had reason to believe that this estimate was quite below the mark, for many of the houses were lodging- houses capable of harbouring some 50 or 60 persons. His own impression was that the number of persons to be dis possessed would be nearer 4,000. One of the houses to be removed was formerly occupied by Judge Jeffreys, and he only wished that that learned functionary could have lived to these days to see his house pulled about his ears. (A laugh.) There was a growing impression amongst the working classes that in these displacements of the popula tion the welfare of the poor was but too little consulted. In this instance the people must take refuge elsewhere—in St. Giles's, for example, and other kindred localities ; and the result must be that these parts of the town would suffer proportionately from over-crowding. Mr. COWPER assured the house he was deeply sensible of the great drawback arising out of the displacement of the population which attached to the execution of great public improvements; and he regretted that such displace ment must necessarily take place in the instance of the present improvement. Indeed, he would give any one £lOO who could point out to him a way of avoiding the disagree able alternative. At the same time he was unable to harken to the suggestion of his hon. friend, for the bill took no more land than was absolutely required for the new courts. If they were to build houses elsewhere for the dis placed working classesthey must buy additional land for the purpose, and in order to provide for 3,000 persons they would have to take down at least 200 houses. But in that way others of the working classes would have to be dispos sessed, and so the evil, instead of being mitigated, would be increased. The only thing possible to be done was that there should be greater facilities giving by railways for people living in the suburbs to come to the neighbourhood of their occupations. That was a process which he was ]happy to say was going on at the present moment. There was another process also going on, by which houses hitherto occupied by single families of a comparatively high station were gradually divided into single rooms, and let to a number of persons. He hoped the hon. gentleman would not press the house to agree to the instruction he had proposed, as it was impossible to execute it without contravening the existing - orders of the house. Mr. WATKIN thought that, in the case of Charing-cross Railway, and other undertakings, the companies might fairly have been required to provide dwelling accommoda tion for the poor people whom they displaced. Mr. LYGON concurred with the hon. member for Perth (Mr. Kinnaird) in protesting against this scheme. The ob ject of the promoters of the bill would be met if the Chan cery courts were left in Lincoln's-inn and the common law courts built upon the Thames Embankment. He protested against the practice of making a solitude, and calling it a metropolitan improvement. Sir F. GOLDSIMID approved of the scheme, but re gretted that it should displace so large a number of the l f a o b r ouring classes. He believed the reason why buildings were th e y not woulderected not p a w y a s so b w ec e a ll us as e, though their they accommodation would pay, yet if the sites on which they stood were devoted to other purposes. A remedy might perhaps be found if the Go vernment would make a slight sacrifice in the sale of sites which were at their disposal. (Hear.) The ATTORNEY-GENERAL hoped the house would take a practical view of the subject. Ho confessed he heard with regret that this occasion was selected for in troducing another scheme. It was utterly impossible that the proposed instruction could be carried out. The direct and immediate tendency of adopting the resolution would be to defeat the bill. Other bills appropriating sites in the metropolis had been allowed to pass without intro ducing any resolution like the present. The scheme for providing cheap trains to carry the working classes who would be displaced by the present bill was altogether im practicable. It would be impossible to move a large body of people in the way proposed. Those people would choose their own lodgings, and would not come back to inhabit the new houses proposed to be erected for them. He ready to admit the goodn ess of the motive, but it would be better to trust to the laws of nature for accommodating those people instead of attempting it by artificial means. Mr. HENLEY said the p lain fact was that the Govern meat, having found tho site proposed in the bill a conve nient one, pounced upon the unfortunate people who now resided there, and resolved to cas t them u p on the world, leaving it to chance to provide in the long run for them. In the case of railways, when people were driven out, the railways themselves supplied the means of bringing them easily and cheaply back. Were there no vacant sites on which it was possible to erect dwellings for the displaced \ poor people ? The Government had laid down the prin ciple that, whatever inconvenience they caused people, the people wo u ld be better for it in the long run ; it was a public im p r ovement, and the Government shut their eyes to the distress. Lord RS TON to in TON pointed out that the amendment struct the committee to do that which it was perfectly incapable of d o • impose on the m the • Ing, and therefore it would only pain necessity of reporting that they were totally incapable of executing the instructions which the house bad given to them. Mr. HENNESSY moved as an amendment, " That the committee have power to inquire into the practicability and expediency of making provision for providin g sites." _ _ After some further discussion the house divided. The numbers were— For the motion ... For the amendment Majority ... ~ -10 As there was not a sufficient number of members to make a house, the house stood adjourned at ten minutes past one o'clock. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. -ip. GREAT EASTERN. The half-yearly general meeting of this company was held yesterday at the London Tavern ; Mr. J. Goodson in he chair. The report, an abstract of which has appeared in The Sun, was taken as read. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said the traffic receipts had shown an increase of £46,000 during the past year as compared with the corresponding half of 1863, of which X 26,000 was for passenger traffic and £20,000 for goods. fe thought it very gratifying that the passenger taaffic had increased more than the goods. There was a very promising town called Hunstanton, which, through the exertions of one of their directors, had been brought into communication with the main line, and was ltkely to become a pleasant watering place. The little town of Aldborough on their line had been teeming with visitors during the last season. Lowestoft had, as usual, attracted many visitors, and so had Yarmouth. They had also a considerable quantity of fish traffic from that place. When the amalgamation, two or three years ago, took place, the supply of rolling stock was very moderate, and it had since been increased. The expenditure on revenue account had also increased, in consequence of the necessary repairs and improvement of stations, some of the wooden ones being re placed with brick and stone. He hoped that the coming season would show a further increase in the passenger traffic, as compared with the corresponding period. The permanent way had been well maintained, and was now in a perfectly sound condition. He regretted very much the delay in the payment of dividend in consequence of the two lines mentioned in the report not being open for traffic. The works had been let to a contractor named Brassey, and last year the directors had been assured that lines wouldbe completed for traffic in time to allow of the dividend being paid at the proper time, but it now appeared they couldnot be completed till May next. With regard to the steam- boats running from Harwich, they were doing a good business, but, owing to not having boats of their own, they were obliged to incur various expenses. Two of the boats had been sold which were not suited for the trade, and on the whole a loss or deficiency had arisen of about £31,000, which would be gradually diminished as the trade in creased and became profitable. They had formed an alliance with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway for carrying out the Northern Junction line, which they had been un- justly prevented from having in the session of last year. Re might say that if ever they were to have a dividend worthy of a company having expended £20,000,000 that was the only means of getting it. The Lancashire and York shire Company had expended £22,000,000, and they were greatly in want of access to London and the docks, which the Great Eastern line could afford them if they had only the connecting link from Askern to Long Stanton. The Great Eastern had been working their lines for above 20 years in an agricultural district, and had never yet derived more than 21 per cent. dividend, but with the new affiance he trusted they would succeed in obtaining the northern line, which was so much required, and also an increased dividend. The extension to Liverpool-street would be of great benefit to the company in developing their suburban traffic., They proposed to lease the Blackwall Railway at 41 per cent. per annum, which was rather more than it had earned, but at present the Great Eastern paid £2,500 per annum for the use of the Fenchurch-street station, besides tolls for running over the railway. He hoped when the bill authorising the arrangement was submitted at the Wharncliffe meeting that the proprietors would give it their sanction. Capt. JEkvis,ll.P., seconded the motion for the adoption of the report. He stated that the company's steamboat traf fic had in the first six months averaged £4OO a week, in the next six months £6OO a week, and now it was averag ing £l,OOO a week. Mr. G. Sat= advised a policy of peace with their neigh bours, instead of a war policy, which only put money into the pockets of the lawyers. He considered it a gross dereliction of duty on the part of the directors in having allowed the contractor to carry on the works, so as to deprive of divi dend thousands of shareholders. He hoped it was not too late to come to an amicable settlement with the Great Northern for the use of their lines, and thus put an end to a most expensive contest in Parliament. Mr. BEAVIS thought they should look much more after the corn traffic in their district, as he believed the greater portion of it was brought round the coast in vessels to London, and not over the railway. ...If the principal officers were allowed an increase of 10 per cent. on their salaries for every half per cent. increase of dividend, he believed their affairs would soon become prosperous. Mr. PAUL asked whether the usual conditions enforcing penalties for non-completion of works within the stipulated time were in Mr. Brassey's contract, so as to make him liable for any loss the shareholders might incur from the non-payment or postponement of the dividend. After some observations from Mr. Maude, Mr. Levy, and Mr. Jardine, Mr. PULLIENE contended that it would be nothing more than an act of justice to the Great Eastern on the one hand, and the Lancashire and Yorkshire on the other, for Parlia ment to grant them the northern junction line to unite these two systems, and thus promote the mutual inter change of an entirely new traffic. Mr. HUDSON said he believed that two or three half- years ago Mr. Bidder, one of their directors, had said they would have in about three years' time something like a 5 per cent. dividend. Mr. BIDDER explained that he did say so, provided the proper means were adopted to obtain it, but not otherwise. The Great Eastern must do as the London and North West ern, the Midland, and the Great Northern Railway Compa nies had done to get remunerative traffic, and by which they had obtained the good dividends they now enjoyed. The Great Eastern must extend their railway into the great districts where remunerative traffic was to be obtained. There was no railway of importance that had not done so, and they must do as others had done if they were ever to get more than 2i per cent. It was all very well for Mr. Smith to recommend peace and criticise their policy. They were not aggressors. They had been attacked at every point on their line by the Great Northern. The growing dividends of the great companies he had mentioned came principally from iron, coal, and other mineral traffic. The arrangement with tho Blackwall would give them a useful station in Fenchurch-street and access to the Docks. They had made traffic and other arrangements with the Midland Railway Company to utilise the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction line, and he might say the directors had adopted a most liberal policy, and were willing to let public traffic have the benefit of the best route, and they had freely given running powers over their line to the Midland and other companies. The difference between them and the Great Northern was something like that between the Confede rates and Federals, and it was evident that the Great Northern would not let the Groat Eastern have what they wanted to develope their traffic. They wanted uncon trolled access to the districts where rich traffic was to be found. The most important thing for which the Sheffield • and Great Northern Railway Companies were now before • Parliament for was to get an independent access into the centre of Liverpool, and although they had running powers over the London and North-Western lines to Liverpool, they found it impossible to carry on the traffic in that restricted way with advantage to their shareholders. The same prin ciple referred to every railway in the kingdom, and they wanted no more than any other company to carry on the traffic with freedom and for the benefit of the public and the shareholders. If they could do what other companies had been allowed to do by Parliament, then their dividends would gradually rise. The directors were backed in this view by the majority of the shareholders, and he had no doubt they would be able to carry it out. He trusted that the two small lines would be opened and the dividends paid early in May next. In reply to the question by Mr. PAUL, it was stated, with regard to enforcing the penalty against the contractor, that some delay had arisen in giving him possession of land, which had raised a legal difficulty. After some explanations by Mr. Norris, M.P., and the Chairman, the report was unanimously adopted. The meeting was then made special, and the directors were authorised to create a 44- per cent. debenture stock to pay off mortgages, and an agreement authorising the work ing of the Lynn and Hunstanton Railway was sanctioned. In reply to Mr. MACLAURIN, it was stated that in case of a similar accident on the line to that which happened some time ago, and cost £lO,OOO, the Lynn and Hunstanton Com pany would have to contribute their share, in proportion to the length of line. A vote of thanks to the chairman and directors concluded the proceedings. RAILWAY BILLS. Yesterday the referees appointed by the House of Com mons to make inquiry into the merits of railway and other Bills met for the first time, at eleven o'clock, in Committee room No. 11, Mr. Dodson, Chairman of Ways and Means, presiding, and with him Mr. Adair, Mr. Hassard, Mr. G. Craig, and Mr. Rickards, the Speaker's counsel. There was a large attendance of counsel and professional men interested in the new procedure. The CHAIRMAN, after some preliminary observations, said the committee had decided on hearing the case of the oppo nents of each bill first, and only one counsel on either side. They then called on the case of the Trowse-road bill for a new road from the Bungay and Loddon High-road to Witlingham-lane, Norwich, crossing the Great Eastern Railway, who contribute to the expense. Mr. Barlow, the engineer, and other witnesses were examined at great length on the engineering details and sufficiency of the estimates, and the chairman intimated that they would make their report to the Select Committee. • They then took the Bath Gas Bill, to extend the supply of gas, make a tramway and works, and raise £65,000. Mr. Baldrey, C.E., was examined, and the committees adjourned. The Bill of the Waterford and Wexford Junction Rail way before the examiners was declared not to have complied with the standing orders. The Great Jewel Robberies. At three o'clock Thomas Brewerton and Louisa Brewer ton, William Henry Jeffrey and Martha Jeffrey, Thomas Casely and Ann Casely, James Hurley and Ellen Hurley, David Roberts, and William Brown, alias " Scotty ," were brought before the Lord Mayor, at the Justice-room of the Mansion-house, charged with being concerned in the recent robberies of jewellery at tho shops of Mr. Walker, in Cornhill, and of Mr. Johnson, in Threadneedle-street. The dock was not large enough to admit all the ten, and he four women were allowed to sit in front of it during the proceedings• The prisoners examined at Bow-street had been brought in a prison van from the police-station there under a strong escort of the Metropolitan and City police. To prevent the possibility of escape, or any attempt at escape, five of the male pri soners being desperate and determined men, the van was backed close against the little low archway by which pri sows are admitted to the police cells connected with the Justice-room, and a similar precaution was observed on their being conveyed to Newgate in the evening. A great crowd had collected about the Mansion-house, both to see them arrive and depart, and much excitement prevailed both outside and inside the court. Alderman Sir R. Carden, Colonel Fraser, Commissioner of City Police, Mr. Nelson the city solicitor, Mr. George Moore, of Cheapside, and Mr. Payne, the Assistant Judge at the Middlesex Sessions,were present, among others, during the examination. Mr. Lewis, jun., solicitor, conducted the examination on behalf of the prosecutors ; Mr. Beard defended some, if not all, of the prisoners ; and Mr. Mullins attended to watch the proceedings on behalf of Messrs. Baum, Sons, and Co., money changers and bullion dealers, in Lombard-street, on whose premises it may be remembered a burglary was com mitted a few months ago, and money, securities for money, and jewellery, of the value in all of about £5,000, stolen. Mr. Lewis prefaced the examination of witnesses by a short explanatory statement of the circumstances that had come to the knowledge of the police, and as they appeared to affect the various prisoners. He referred in particular to the arrest of six of the prisoners on Friday afternoon, and to watches and jewellery of the value of about £1,400, all of which had been identified by Mr. Walker as having, with other costly articles, been stolen from his premises between the 4th and Gth of February, having been found at their lodgings, together with a considerable sum of money in gold and Bank-notes. About £lOO worth of the stolen property had also been traced to the possession of the prisoner Roberts, and six valuable watches, all of which had been identified as belonging to Mr. Walker, had been recovered from the bottom of the Thames, near Blackfriars-bridge, within the last day or two by the exertion of a dive; who was still en gaged in the search for more of the stolen jewellery. He also appeared to prosecute some of the prisoners for being concerned in a robbery of watches and jewellery of the value of about £4,000, at the shop of Mr. Johnson, in Thread needle-street, in July last, committed under circumstances somewhat similar to those attending the robbery in Corn hill, but more daring in its character, if possible. The evi dence, he said, would show that the same persons were im plicated, more or less, in both, and likewise in other rob beries, of silk principally, in different parts of the city. The evidence taken at the justice-room, when the pri soner Roberts was first examined there and remanded, was then read over by Mr. Oke, the chief clerk, and made part of the general case against all the prisoners. It was re ported in detail at the time, and was to the effect that Ro berts was arrested by two of the city detective officers, at a working jeweller's shop in Wilderness-row, St. Luke's, while in the act of trying to dispose of two of the watches stolen from Mr. Walker's shop, and of the value together of about £lOO, a few nights after the robbery. Thomas Ambrose Potter, Inspector of the G division, was called. He said—On Friday last between 2 and 3in the afternoon, I went to the shop, 142, Whitechapel-road, ac companied by Sergeant Moss, of the city detective force, Inspector Brennan, of the F division, and other police offi- cers. It has recently been fitted up as a pie shop. After posting officers at the front and back of the house, I entered with Sergeant Moss, and saw the prisoners Jeffrey (the man) whom I had known by the name of Barrett, and who was very roughly dressed, a woman with whom he was living and whom I have mostly known by the name of Parker, though she has at times gone by many others, and the prisoner Thos. Brewerton and his wife. I said, addressing the two men, " Ned and Billy, you must consider yourselves in cus tody with the women for being concerned in numerous burglaries in the city and the Strand, taken Jeffrey by the collar. Moss at the same moment seized Brewerton, and a struggle took place. While it was going on I saw something pass from Jeffrey to Mrs. Brewerton, upon which both the woman, Jeffrey and Brewerton, turned round and ran up stairs. At that moment Ranger, an officer, and Inspector Brennan entered with a constable in uniform from the rear of the house, and two of them having taken charge of the men Jeffrey and Brewerton, I followed the two women up stairs, followed by Moss and Brennan. Before reaching the top of the stairs I saw one of the woman run into a bedroom and the other turn into another room - . I said, addressing the woman Brewerton, " Open the door immediately." It was not opened, and I burst it in. I then saw her stuff ing something into her pocket. I ran across the room and caught her by the arm, saying, "What have you got there?" She said, " Nothing," and seized me by my whiskers. Moss and a constable in uniform came up and held her hands upon which I took from her pocket four paper parcels con taining gold chains, and a purse containing gold and parts of gold chains which had been broken. I handed her over to an officer of the K division, and we took all four pri soners to the Leman - street p olice-station, with a number o f skeleton keys, a jemmy,a life preserver, and other house breaking implements which we had found on the premises, leaving Ranger and other officers in charge of the house. We found the house had been newly furnished, and I had seen some of the furniture taken into it a few days before. After seeing the prisoners safely lodged at the police-sta tion I went with Moss and Brennan to 13, Ely-terrace, Friendly-place, Bow-road. We knocked at the door, upon which the woman Casely, whom I knew as Thomas, looked out from the first floor window and asked, " Who aro you, and what are you ?" I said, "Police officers. Open the door." Waiting half a second and the door not being opened, I burst it in. On going upstairs I saw the woman Casely run out of a room at the back of the house, f o ll owe d b y S ergean t Moss. / I said "Stop!" but she went into a room in front, where I found the man Casely. I asked Moss to take charge of the room. At that moment Inspector Brennan came up, took charge of the two Caselys in the front room,and I and Moss searched the back room. There we found a small deal box, locked, and Moss took a pair Of tongs and broke it open. On lifting the lid we found 52 gold watches, a num ber of gold chains, Alberts and ladies' neckchains, about £240 odd in gold, a £5O bank-note, and other valuables. On a further search we found a second box, unlocked, two pieces of black silk, which have since been identified by Mr. Ben noch, Wood-street, and a new Paisley shawl which'had been stolen from a warehouse in the city. On the bed I found a life-preserver, and I saw a number of housebreaking im plements found in the room by other officers, all of which we took charge of. In a snuffbox I found several gold lockets, and two receipts for money paid into the London and Westminster Bank, one being for £250, dated January 23 last, and the other for £l5O, dated the 30th of the same month. On last Monday I went with Moss to Hawick in Scotland and there saw a person named Gideon Murray, otherwise Miller, a brother-in-law of the prisoner "Scotty." From him I took a cheque book and a pass book of the Royal Bank of Scotland. In the pass book there is an entry of £55 paid into that bank on the 14th of January last. On searching the house Moss found two shawls also the pro duce of burglaries. Moss received from him a gold brooch, a pin, and a ring, part of the property stolen from Mr. Johnson, of Threadneedle-street. We brought Murray to London and he is now here to-day, but not in custody . [Mr. Lewis—l am going to call him as a witness.] Last Saturday week Moss, Brennan, Ranger, and I apprehended Hurley, with two other men, who are not present, at Cam bridge-heath-road, and charged all three with having com mitted a tea robbery inThames-street.J here not being suffi cient evidence against the two other men, they were libe rated. I charged Hurley with being concerned in the rob bery at the shop of Mr. Johnson in July last, having, I said, traced some of the jewellery to his possession, but did not say what. He made no reply. Yesterday week Mrs. Hurley was outside the police-court at Bow-street, and was apprehended by Sergeant Moss by my directions. I then charged her with having been concerned with her husband and others in custody and not in custody in Mr. Johnson's robbery, at the same time showing her some jewellery which I held in my hand—namely, two gold brooches and a pair of gold earrings. She looked at them, and said, " Yes." I asked where she got them. She said, "My husband will tell you." The husband was not present at that time. When I and Sergeant Moss wore taking the male prisoner to the station, the prisoner Casely said, "What robberies are you going to ' buff ' to me ? I can prove where I was at the time of Johnson's robbery and the shawl robbery. I was doing time," meaning being in prison. He said, "The poor you have in custody for the two watches (meaning Roberts) is innocent, so help me God. I'll tell you all about it if you will allow me to give evidence." I said I should make no promise. He said, " For Walker's job I am all right." the p The prisoner Casely interposing, pr sa id "Meaning by that I was in the house wher e was found." Witness—l then said, "Wh o a re the others ?" He re plied, "Billy and Ned," m ean i ng J e ffrey and Brewerton. I said "Can you throw any li g ht on Mr. Johnson's robbery ? You can say what you lik e, b ut I s h a ll make you no pro mise." He mentioned the names of two other persons. With reference to Mr. J o h nson ' s robbery, he said Billy, "Scotty," and Jemmy Hurle had done that "bit." By Mr. Beard—O n searching B re wer t on 's premises a marriage certificate wa s f oun d . I k now the Brewertons are y married. The Jeff re y s are not ma rried. Brewerton was present when somethi ng was p ass ed to her. The place was being fitted up as a pi e - s h op, and a grea t many implements were found at the rea r o f th e h ouse . I do not think the Caselys are man and wif e . H a lf a m inute, not more, had elapsed before I broke i n th e d oor . She had had time to come down and open it before I broke it in. The house has been furnished with new furniture. I apprehended Hurley last Saturday week and the others last Friday. I had not in the meantime received any information from Hurley. The prisoner Casely—l was not aware at that time that Hurley was captured. I say for my wife that she was only in her right place when we were apprehended. _ _ _ _ _ _ Witness said Casely's wife had been a thief for years. He added that he found in the house in the Whitechapel-road the transfer of a lease to Brewerton and Jeffrey, the consi deration money for which being £260, and Mr. Beard, who was there defending them, being the attesting witness. (A laugh.) Mr. Beard said he had been engaged in the assignment of the lease. The prisoner Hurley said his wife was near her confine ment, and he did not wish her to suffer for him. He gave her the jewellery himself. Mr. Wm. Johnson—l am a watch manufacturer and jeweller at 54, Threadneedle-street. On Saturday, the 2d July last, I left my premises at 3 in the afternoon, and my assistant to lock them up. It would be his duty, accord ing to custom, to put the more valuable parts of the stock in an iron safe, and to leave the rest in the front window, and under glass cases on the counter. About half-past 9on the Monday morning I went to my shop. I found the outer door leading into the street was secure, but an inner door partly of wood and partly of iron . , and in a lobby lead ing from Hercules-passage into the shop, had been forced. The upper part of the house is let out by me as offices to stockbrokers, and I occupy the shop and basement. At that time nobody slept on the premises. At the back of the shop there is a doorleading to the offices above Hercules-passage, and inside that door in a sort of lobby was a strong door, lined with iron, communicating with the shopfrom behind. By the latter door we used to leave the shop, and in doing so we locked it on the outside with two of Hobb's patent locks, and by a bar secured by a padlock. There are iron shutters all round the rest of the shop at nights. I found that the thieves had tried to force the inner door off its hinges with a crowbar, but had failed. They had then tried to force the bolts of the locks and failed in that, too, though they had bent back the bolts until they were nearly double. They then cut through the solid brickwork on the lock side of the door and the door jamb, and so forced the door at length inwards,breaking in pieces; as they did so a thick mirror with which it was lined on the inner side, pushing backward a heavy shelf laden with time-pieces, and breaking also some of the mirror panelling at the back part of the shop. I found a mass of rubbish and broken brickwork on the inner side of the door, which had been caused by the thieves springing The door inwards. The front bar of my iron safe was broken in two, and I found a cold chisel, about four inches long, left in a joint of it. It had been used to spring the safe, but the safe had resisted all the efforts of the thieves, and all the property in it remained untouched. But the whole of the costly jewelry which had been left in the front window and under the glass cases was gone, except a solitary gold chain, which I presume they had overlooked. The cost price of the property stolen was about £4,000. Every case had been emptied of its contents, and the fireplace was found to be heaped up with the empty cases. There were 12 perforations in my shop shutters. I recognise as mine among the jewelry now produced two brooches, a pair of turquoise earrings, and a black enamel garter brooch traced to the possession of the prisoner Hurley ; a locket, a keeper-ring, some heavy wedding-rings, a gold watch, sleeve-links, studs, and various other things, traced to that of the prisoner " Scotty." " Scotty " (or Brown) asked witness if he could say that he had not sold a particular brooch, which he now identified. Witness replied that he could, for he had it entered by a distinctive name in a book as having been stolen. Gideon Murray—l live at 5, O'Conner-street, Hawick, Scotland,and am a weaver. The prisoner Brown ("Scotty ") is my brother-in-law. I married his sister. His real name is Thomas Millar. He came down to Hawick in August last, and stopped at my house. He brought a bag with him.. The day after he came my wife told me, in his presence, that he had given her a brooch. He said the glass in it had been broken in coming from the "Jeddart" (Jedburgh) games. I know the ring produced. It was given to my wife by the prisoner. She said so in his presence. . I looked at it in his presence, and observed that it was a very nice one. He said there were three small diamonds in it, but that they were of very little value. He did not say how he had got it. He gave the gold pin produced to my wife to give to me. I told him I never wore such things, and that it would never be worn by me. In the latter end of De cember he came down to Hawick again. As he was having breakfast with me he said he would give me a certain sum of money. to bank in my name. I told him that was a thing I knew nothing about, and that I wanted nothing to do with it. I asked why he did not do it himself. He said some recommendation was needed for that. I refused to have the money deposited in my name, and he never asked me again. One day when he came to dinner my wife told me he had placed £55 in the Royal Bank of Scotland, and I afterwards saw the two books produced. (One was a banker's pass-book and the other a check-book.) He left Hawick without saying anything about them, and he gave my wife £BO to put in a drawer. Mr. Lewis at this stage applied to have the prisoners re- manded. Mr. Beard was understood to urge that the wife of Brew erton might be discharged, on the hypothesis that she had acted in the matter at the instance and, it might be, on the pressure of her husband. Mr. Lewis remarked that she was found with about £550 in her possession. Inspector Potter added that only a few weeks ago he had seen her sitting at an oyster stall in Lambeth. The prisoners were then remanded for a week. Total Destruction of Saville House, Leicester-square. • One of the most extensive conflagrations th'it has occurred at the West-end of London for a consider able time past broke out last evening, about a quarter before 7 o'clock, and in less than a couple of hours laid in ruins property roughly estimated at over £30,000. The premises in which the misfortune commenced consisted of the well-known Saville house, situate on the north side of Leicester-square. The building has for nearly a century been the pro perty of several persons. At one time Miss Lin wood's beautiful needlework pictures were exhibited in the great gallery. At another period of recent date Mdme. Warton's exhibition of Poses Plastiques were carried on in the building, but of late the exten sive establishment has been occupied by several per sons, amongst the number—Mr. Smith, proprietor of the Royal wine shades and restaurant ; Mr. John Ward, invalid chair manufacturer ; whilst other rooms and galleries were used as billiard and exhi bition rooms. Adjoining those premises were the four extensive shops and warehouses belonging to Messrs. Stagg and Mantle, silk mercers and linen drapers, and immediately at the rear in Lisle-street were two coach factories, and next to them were the wholesale ironmongers' warehouses belonging to Mr. Addis, whose property formed three houses. A fire breaking out in such a closely packed neighbourhood, it is hardly necessary to say, caused the most intense excitement to prevail, and thousands of persons flocked to the scene ; and had it not been for the timely arrival of immense bodies of police, the engines could never have reached . the front of the premises, for every part of the square, even the enclosure where the model of the Great Globe stood, were densely packed with people—even women could be seen climbing over the iron railings, over 6 feethigh, so that the police were obliged to use their utmost exertions to get a space clear for the firemen to pursue their dangerous vocations. From inquiries made during the raging of the fire it appears that whilst Messrs. Stagg and Mantles' warehouses were crowded with purchasers, a loud noise was heard, which at first led the persons to imagine that one of the side walls of the silk ware houses had fallen. This caused a general rush from the premises, and upon the parties reaching the square they found that one of the large gas-burners in Saville House had exploded, and had blown one of the windows into the carriage road. Several parties tried to rush into the place to turn the gas off, but the vapour evolved in such tremendous volumes that the flames rolled up the staircase, and in a comparatively brief period had taken complete ' possession of every portion of the building, includ ing the whole of the galleries, bagatelle-rooms, &c. The scene then became one of fearful grandeur, for the flames rose several hundred feet into the air, and myriads of sparks and large pieces of burning wood were drifted across the square and fell upon the roof of the. Alhambra Palace. To save this splen did building men were dent upon the roof with buckets of water, and they succeeded in preventing any mischief being done, and the performances were commenced at the usual hour. At the same time, however, the fire fell into the back portion of the shops and warehouses belonging to Messrs. Stagg and Mantle. Just as the fire had obtained a strong hold of the warehouses his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, his Grace the Duke of Sutherland, Lord Richard Grosvenor, M.P., Captain Shaw, the able superin tendent of the London Brigade, and Mr. Swanton, the foreman of the C district, attended with several manual power engines, and three by Shand, Mason, and Co. Capt. Hodges's engines "Ocean Wave" and " Torrent," were soon on the spot, the former under the command of Capt. Hodgeg, and the latter under Lieut. Irving. Fortunately the mains of the New River Company yielded an abundant supply of water, from which the firemen at once set their steam and manual engines to work ; but the brigades had hardly commenced operations when two of the firemen named respectively Lilly and Penfold, in conveying the hose over the roof, stepped upon a skylight, and both men were so seriously injured that they were obliged to be removed to Charing-cross Hospital. The former has one of his arms and shoulders frac tured, and the other is also seriously injured. His Royal Highness and the noblemen who were present expressed to Capt. Shaw the symyathy they felt for poor firemen, and also the loss the various sufferers had sustained by the disastrous event. The mains of the New River not having failed for one moment, the engines were kept at full work un til past ten o'clock, when the flames began to dimi nish, and no further destruction of property took place. The damage done, however, is very serious, and it is not confined to Saville House, for Messrs. Stagg and Mantle have some thousand pounds of property spoiled by the water, and the back ware houses and shops are also extensively burned. For tunately this firm was insured ; but as the fire did a great amount of damage to other buildings in Lisle street, and also in the square, the exact amount of property lost cannot at present be correctly stated. Had it not been for the intrepid exertions of the firemen, and the judicious directions given to them by Capt. Shaw, Mr. Swanton, Capt. Hodges, and Mr. Merewether, the premises of the whole of the inmates in that part of Lisle-street and the bank belonging to Messrs. Seale and Low, and Roberts's rooms ; those of Mrs. Hammond, staymaker ; Mr. Bickers and Sons, booksellers, would have been levelled with the ground ; but as it is, only very slight injury is done to the majority of the last named houses of business. - - SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES. —When the first humble beginnings were made of an educational grant to assist the needy schools of the country, no one could have foreseen that from that small seed would grow up a great centralised administration, exercising a larger influ ence, practising a more minute interference, having to deal with more constant solicitations, and, we may say, provoking more irritation and distrust, than almost any other department of the public service. Perhaps if those who established the Committee of Council on Education could have known what invi. dious powers it would have to assume, and how diffi cult would be the grafting of a system of Government support and interference on the voluntary education of the country, they would have been content to Leave the matter to private enterprise, or corporate enterprise, or to the efforts of the benevolent. But the Committee of Council exists, as it is for good or evil an institution of the country, and there is nothing but to make it as efficient for well-doing as possible, and to restrain it from those various mischiefs to which " Boards" are so often inclined. A committee to inquire into its constitution has been moved for by Sir J. Pakington, assented to by the Government, and agreed to by the house. The first object of the motion is to concentrate the authority, or at any rate the responsibility, of the committee in one person. At present the names of the committee read rather like a list of the trustees of the British Museum, or the governors of some ancient charity, than the members of a department which has to do serious work and encounter inevitable fault finding. They are the Lord President of the Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the First Lord of the Admiralty, the First Lord of the Treasury, the Foreign Secretary, the President of the Poor-law Board, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Vice-President of the Committee of Council. Sir J.Pakington thinks that a business which is to be conducted by so many and ' various personages stands a chance of not being per formed at all. The answer, which we think suffi- cient, is that the President of the Council is really responsible for the proceedings of the Board, and is, in fact, a Minister of Educatio n fo r E ng l an d. To our mind, the constitution of the Board is a matter of no very great moment, and it may be that a more direct organisation would only tempt it to arrogate to itself powers injurious to the free deve lopment of instruction by the efforts of the commu nity. The tendency of an official department is always to impose restrictions and prohibitions, where it is the true policy to invite co-operation, and this tendency is developed in the Privy Council in the rule which refuses aid to any school that is not taught by a certificated master. In this great country, full of wealth, with thousands who have _ _ the means and leisure - Co devote themselves to the management and support of schools, with an edu cated clergy all over the land engaged constantly in their supervision, is the rule that no school shall receive a shilling from Government unless the master, who has the actual care of the children, comes up to London and passes . an examination before persons appointed by the Department. By this rule it may really be said the structure of Eng lish society is ignored, the principles of English activity are contradicted. The voluntary system, on which education has been hitherto successfully conducted, depends for its existence on the right of every man who opens a school to carry it on with whatever machinery and by whatever persons he may think proper. The help which those who have the power will be inclined to give depends on the liberty they enjoy of regulating the schools after their own manner, and employing the persons in whom they have confidence. Now, in the smaller and poorer parishes of the country the regulation of the Privy Council must work most detrimentally to the establishment and maintenance of schools. The school is almost always dependent on the benevolence of two or three people, of whom one is generally the clergyman. The place is too poor for the rest of its small population to make much addition to what these persons have contributed. The question, then, comes whether they are to have a certificated master. They find that they can obtain a young man who at the age of 20 or there a b ou t s wen t through a not very ifficult or searching examina tion, but that they must pay him a comparatively large salary, with the prospect of his quitting them as soon as he hears of something better. For some thing better he is of course always looking out. When they consider the matter thoroughly they come to the conclusion that they cannot afford him, and indeed do not want him. They have a master who • discharges his duties with efficiency, who has no desire to leave, and shortcomings on his part are made up by the supervision of the managers of the school. The clergyman gives a certain time to it, the children are well taught, and every one feels that there is no necessity for any change. Yet, though this school may be all that any inspector can desire, though it may be clean and well ordered, though the children may pass an excellent examina tion and be plainly docile and well behaved, it can not receive one sixpence of grant, because its mas ter is not certificated. Yet this is called payment for results. It ought to be called payment for in struments. The results are there, and yet because the instrument, or rather - L one of the instruments, used to produce them has not the Government mark, aid is refused. Thus the money voted by Parliament is not paid to the schools which are the most successful or the most needy, but to a certain limited class the managers of which have availed themselves of the services of this favoured order, the certificated masters. The extracts read last night in the House showed how large a portion of the best schools are excluded from Government assistance because they are taught by uncertificated masters. Now it must be admitted by any one who considers the subject that the Government is not bound, and indeed has no right, to look at anything except the state of the school and the success of the teaching. The certificate of the schoolmaster gained by passing a commonplace examination cannot be a better guarantee than the character of most of the managers of schools, or the profession and Univer sity degree of the clergyman of the parish. What presumption, then, is there that th e c hild ren are better taught in the school of a certifi cated master than in one where the master is uncertificated, but which has perhaps two or three able residents who take an abiding interest in its success and exercise a constant control ? It is said, however, that if the regulation be abolished there will be nothing to guide the Government in its grants but the report of the Inspector, and that it is impossible to gain a real insight into a school by merely visiting it. This argument, which ought of course to lead to nothing less than the entire abo lition of Inspectors, is, we think, fallacious. An Inspector comes and stays three or four hours; he looks about him and observes, talks with the master and examines the boys, and if he cannot form a judgment of the school he must be a very weak per son indeed. But those who rely on this argument forget that it cuts the ground from under themselves, for the certificate of the schoolmaster is itself granted only after an inspection of his school. He must first pass his examination, and then a school con ducted by him must be twice reported as satisfac tory before he receives the valued badge. So if in spection be valueless for testing the merits of a school, it is valueless for guaranteeing those of a schoolmaster, and the whole theory falls to the ground. The conclusion to which we must come is that great injustice is done to a number of schools by the perseverance of the Committee in maintain- ing untenable distincttons. The public has a rig ht to ask for free trade in teaching as well as ht other profession. This is the interest of the coun* . at large, and particuiarly of those rural p arishes which are now bid to unite to the number of five or six and go shares in a certificated master, but whic? under a better system would be able to teach their children in their own way and by the help of their own educated inhabitants. HERALD.—The very important subject of the Public attention of our army, to which we called Public attention on several occasions during the rec ess, seems at length to have attracted the notice of par' b ament ; but so far as suggestions offered by private members go they are by no means adequate n lve of effect the object aimed at. Mr. O'Reilly' s p la prolonging the first engagement from ten to twe n° years, and giving increased pay, would, w e have doubt, prove a failure. If the shorter te rm of the vice did not induce men to enter the army in ,tilet numbers anticipated, it is not at all likely to n adding two years more to it would have certainetter effect. Attaching particular regiments to localities might no doubt be attended with e g vantage, provided they happened to be "."- tinguished corps ; and the intimate connection so formed between regiments of the line and of tb e militia raised in the same districts would likely have a considerable effect in promoting volunteering fr°,7l the one to the other, or even in inducing young 5 : 1 :d to enlist in corps where they would be surroun'v by their neighbours and friends, whose Pies lens would render the separation from their fanlilieS painful. Such regiments as the CorinanAab Rangers" or " The Black Watch" find their ,ram always well filled, not only on account of their r:, 4 0 lant reputation and remarkable services, but eet t w" their designations include a whole province in, land, and the entire Highlands of Scotlan d ; o n ; a would be idle to expect the same success bin merely local designation for regiments whic h not boast of similar renown and do not caru',-ea records of so many hard-fought fields euiblazlv on their colours. Where regiments are exclusiv " national it is easy to conceive that young flie r ' to longing to the same country will prefer themes, others. There are not, however, more than P e . laps a dozen such in our service, and they are Pc cisely those -which do not require to hold out.bie ducements to procure a sufficient supply of e 4 1.1 ,g 1 . 0 , or recruits. But can any one suppose .that the .1-or A i , 70th, who have not had any opportunities ° 1 — l 6 teS playing their gallantry, and who, u nfortun s „ a bear no emblems of victory on their banners, w ft ",j.. succeed better than others in enrolling men men v-to fordshire or Surrey merely because they haPP,„,,Ot be named after those counties? The Grovernw,Aer measure which Lord Hartington announced as,%tea consideration, will, we presume, be prolnutder when the army estimates of the year com e discussion, and we trust it may include at leas lee some such provisions as we have in our former arti-_, ei t the subject ventured to suggest. It is not a, 1 : 3 "; we sufficient number of men to fill our ranks t i n a " n ot require ; the quality of the recruits should labia r e tain to much, too ; and no measure can prov e av to obtain good charactered men, and to t a them in the army, which does not hold, 0 „ 11 of comfortable provision at the terminat ie 'vith their service to those who enter i i t anee limited expectations, and of ',professional auv7iibat ment to such as enlist from higher motives., „rip additional pay will fail to attract the desired aeL o ce. tion of recruits is fully evidenced by past exP e ; ;tv . That it may tend to draw more of the q. lO -`,'"'thot already have may be true ; but we main taw idl e while high pay will offer inducements to tb; w ill and dissolute to enter into a first en gageraen t, f l tvir not be so certain to ensure a continuance services in a second, while it must prove se — „f of detrimental to discipline. If we required Pr% at the truth of this assertion it is to be found re p a d pap hand in this year's estimates. " The uniseT" g ools , of soldiers confined in military prisons, an 6 5 t° and barrack cells," which amounted in 1863 to o ne £41,000, is set down in this year's esti r t one £6s,ooo—more than 55 per cent increase are year. Now, as the crimes for which those r e ', undergoing punishment may be in almost : ev i c tl 3' y b° stance traced to drunkenness, they may 13 , - 1 abl e° attributed to such a command of money 39 , -- n l iritS• the soldier to indulge in his taste for a rclen l ). . And the evil consequences of furnishing him n ot an over and constant supply of ready cash„l,, terminate with his incarceration for dise rue ic . eile ° mutinous conduct—his conviction of such 0.1 entails the loss of the good conduct pay, w,b, l b c , les' a main inducement to him to enlist ; an d L im in' Bening of his means of indulgence renders 11 p as attentive and discontented. He deserts if b, e w ith a favourable opportunity, and if not he Wai t : i ,na impatience the expiration of his engager neil ,', / 110 1 carries nothing with him into the society. t°, o the he returns but his poverty and his hostility to service, the harshness and injustice of whose regoo tions he misses no opportunity of impressing ,„ r ' it. those whom he may find at all disp ose d to eln o ns The British soldier, independently of the grat t fi ast supply of a reasonable quantity of beer, has a" -ant, from 4d. to sd. a day to expend on his aratiscoloti and this is quite ample for his reasonable wan,.ts'oro would be quite sufficient to content him if 'Log but aware that there was at the same time s,'„—liaea increasing for his future benefit an annual oa addition to his pay, which he would te ll c i_con' quitting the army, " The additional or g °° n aonn ° duct pay" at present given to our soldiers s;:cooty to over £lBO,OOO a year, or at the rate of tin long v .., o ; ll fitf g h four shillings per man annually. S°Tniitieh of en °n service and good behaviour may dral% majority seventeen pence a day, and yet the those who remain in the ranks untu pension retire without haviiig savec llll°lle f Y busi ne° ' to enable them to embark in a small line,°-,nt sin g whose profits would contribute. to the,ue,:pensi(i port of their families, for which their of e r is absolutely insufficient. If, then, the te r '"" gagement were limited to twenty-One t L e ell" divided into three terms of seven Year S-- 3 -- , ertY 11p of each of which the soldier would b e a ,b 010,;( tap withdraw, and if at the same time a stu n t - his increasing according to the duration .scon);•,' under arms, was invested for his benefit , ''' f ocn we have no doubt induce many and better 0000, enlist than now present themselves. Bon ntY t he O r6 h i should be continued—to be deducted from . 0 , 0 14, 4 instalment of the saving to his credit if Ile . 1 . 0 , 19 ' fit to retire at the end of the first seven ie'col ea, not to be deducted should he enter on a se c , ro tio? ll d gagement, during which the annual in' dart would be augmented in amount, and one°l.;eors t ,„a the third ; until at the end of twenty a D ens o f well conducted soldier should, along . virit u of a shilling a day, find himself in P°sPi o £lOO. It is needless to say that the fact la fors' e vision being made for him, which he sh°,ll:is o' ol ,: if convicted by court-martial of any ser-L19,•,-od c°" would prove a powerful inducement to b h i c duct, while the anticipation of a respeetmneilo; sion if he continued under arms would receinThisli'; to the vicissitudes and hardships inciden t ' fession. The abolition of all extra 24 „ t io believe, go a very great way in carrrii6oies,e plan ; and the establishment of flank eethe best be filled, not by the longest men, but a 9 to soldiers, who should receive additional P,%jtae,io French service, would be a greater 3 u„" " e rt them than good-conduct badges, for the l e a d , be eligible to the campagnies d'ilites aft er e g l9 lO service, whereas they cannot now obtainroo t io o conduct badge before three. If, in ad re, young men of education and ability wer e ,'„ &f l e a years' service in the ranks, permitted tu be e iltl,olo for entrance to the military schools, and e go on Succeeding to gratuitous education I:tel l-411 0 qualifying themselves for commissions, 3 T od' A d would be effected in the morale of 1 0 0 01 til e should have older and more experieneeN e - a 00 0° non-commissioned officers well qu a on ° instant to fill the places of commissioilv might fall in action. astriBn:/1111:9511176° ' ANTRIM.—On the 26th ult., at Glenarrn Cas tj -' t l3 ` ) Births. lane, the Countess of Antrim, of n daugb• tel " 14 e: et: t,, 1°.. HAMILTON.—On the 27th ult., at 3, Wi lt°ll-er ° iii Lady Emily Hamilton, of a daugher. KEKEWICII.—On the 27th ult., at Edgbaston, the 01.01 Trehawke Kekewich, Esq., of a daught er. _ de's c li: 3e4 SEYMEu.—On_ the 26th ult., at 37, Ave,nu:ltet 'I Elysees, Paris, the wife of Ernest C' a l Esq., of a son. ( -1 11 1 LusfHtlNheGTlOnNn—e:lTOWemApTlT7e.,—abrriOn ath:ere-213a;tt_hiauslv:•:::alt:13:Viallifiglt oof the Holy Trinity Westminster, 'Vernon f the fs• • „, 0 o , to r 0 W I Ai l o WOOD- la S tot, t F e E p F h isqli e . n ._, Lushington, to Jane, third ~.. Of . l F a r n e e d eri ood , o of n B4, th c e 2c3ldesuitotn.:sqatuaxe• ourlabottri3O:-,,:,1‘; ?to Alice,,!:! ung la h John you so e u s t t h ( en i t atnedr oCfollrjlinott:o-0,:e:- Hutton, Essex. —On the 27th u p lt Leader, aged 91. • 10 1' ea t tll i :; LEADER. Ri r sgp o L a u d, ayr.e ll , Ill er r Aso .. n W Ath .. D. Lines, M.11 ,0 •V• S " age' -at ' 13e LINES.—On the 26th ult . at Denbigh ea 320 ' °lj af e 0 0 ' MIETILLE.—On :the 25th lt at Gower -Or'. : id , _ diei: Guards, of SA fi n ai N rd, DE C : s O ci N .: —On B t s h . e 24ault., vicar of u., the v• , wo o Wooton Basset, and rector ni ' 13 . ' aged 82. S-s treet b rif 09,ntshitio $i 14 h ss br i o t t o ) SIy a A n ISLAND.—On the 24th ult., at Crayfortl, u _ i llt It" 2, noilfil2aisNerdtvihorrtlle eit Euscf..:Beaged TBoh.mos oilwitio:\isi,rotm,. London : Printed and Publibhed by W1LI•O f o e, ' - ty 0 ' of No. 112 Strand, rilllter, at Tus SO ° 01 :cou ll rrirtooSsao,underson.,,f irlea:47:::.., Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in Middlesex.—Wednesday, Biaroh 1, 1861 THE SUl', LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 1, 1865. 4t ~