The Sun. — London, England, 1855-07-11 00:00:00

that treaty bad been signed- 7 theratifications had no yet been exchanged—it - would be laid before the house, and application would be made to enable her Majesty to fulfil the provisional engagement into which her Majesty bad entered. Sir DE LACY EVANS wished to know whether there were any provisions in the contract with respect to the employment of the proceeds of the loan for military pur poses alone ? Lord PALMERSTON said that arrangements would be made between the Governments to provide that the loan should be applied solely to the military purposes for which it was proposed to be raised. THE NEW POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEWSPAPERS. In reply to a question put by Mr:BASS, Mr. WILSON stated that if the Times, or any other newspaper, was put into the post-office without being stamped, or having the necessary postage stamp upon it, such publications would be charged as ordinary printed or written papers, according to their weight. With re spect to newspapers the stamp upon which had been rubbed off, they would be treated in the same manner as letters which bad the postage stamp rubbed off, and would be charged the same as though no stamp had been put on them. If a newspaper were stamped in the ordinary manner, it would go through the post free of charge, but if unstamped, it would be conveyed for a penny stamp, provided it did not exceed in weight four ounces. THE CONDUCT OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL AT VIENNA. Mr. DISRAELI—I am anxious to put a question to the noble lord the Secretary of State for the Colonies, but as he is not present, I will put it to any of the mem bers of her Majesty's Government who may be able to give an answer. The noble lord the other night, in the observations which he made, informed the house of what occurred in her Majesty's Council upon his return from his mission at Vienna. What I wish to know is, whether the noble lord had received her Majesty's gracious per mission to make that communication to the house ? No reply was given to the question of the right hon. member. TENANTS' COMPENSATION BILL. In answer to questions put by Mr. GROGAN, Lord PALMERSTON stated that he would, if pos sible, bring on the Tenant's Compensation Bill after dis posing of the Scotch Education Bill, on Thursday next. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM. Mr. V. SCULLY then moved that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, thanking her Majesty for her most gracious order in council of the 21st day of May last, by which certain persons were directed to examine into and certify the quulifications of all young men proposed to be appointed to junior situations in any department of the civil service ; and praying that her Majesty will be gra ciously pleased to direct the examination tobe an open one, and held in public, and that the examiners do have regard to superior qualifications and merit. In bringing forward this motion his great object was to have the examination conducted in public on the ground of its being more effec tive. The hon. member having called attention to the evils which he conceived to be inseparable from the present mode of examination for public offices, stated several instances which had come under his own observation in which the examination had not been conducted properly, owing, as he conceived, to the absence of publicity in the proceedings. All he proposed was, that the order in council should be extended, and that the examinations for introduction to the public service should be open to all, and held, not in private, but in public. He thought that the present system of nomination should be abolished, and that the abstract resolution pro posed by the hon. baronet the member for Hertford, and accepted by the house and the Government should be fairly carried out—that merit should be tested, and rewards secured to the deserving. The appointments obtained from the Secretary of the Treasury by members of Parliament had been often referred to, and he (Mr. V. Scully) would give the hone the result of his experience as an applicant for appointments for his constituents and friends. He had obtained from the Secretary of the Treasury some five ap pointments of from 1001. to 1201. a-year, and he had recom mended young men of ability and character for the se ap pointments. What were the facts of these cases ? In the first, an examination was undergone, and the young man was appointed to an office in the revenue, with hard work and very little pay. In two others an ex amination was had, and, as he (Mr. V. Scully) thought, the candidates wore improperly rejected. Theifourth was rejected because ho could not produce his baptismal register ; and the fifth was rejected, very properly, be cause he could not spell. (Laughter.) The resolution be proposed to the house would make it imperative that the first appointment should be given to the best answers, that the examination should be open to all competitors, and that the best of the competitors should receive the ap pointments. He limited his proposition to first appoint ments, leaving future promotion to be made according to tho business habits and official fitness of the gentlemen in the different branches of the service. He thought this would be a step in advance, and would lead to other re forms. He could speak for hours on the subject if he liked (laughter), but he would not further dilate on the necessity of the resolution be submitted; but he was ready to answer all objections that might be urged in' the course of the debate. It might be said that patronage wee neces sary for the sake of hon. members, for the sake of the Go vernment, and for the sake of the public themselves. This he denied, and as an Irish member of Parliament ho could say that the value of the patronage would not pay for the clerks which were necessary to keep up the correspondence on those subjects. (Laughter.) But the patronage was in the hands of the heads of departments and they could not give it up to members of parliament. With respect to the public, he could not imagine what benefit they could derive from the exercise of patronage, as it introduced a great number of inefficient individuals to ,the service. He had that day told a sturdy energetic ap plicant for a Government appointment that he had better, if he had a 10/. note to spare, to put it into a German lot tery than run the chance of obtaining a Government ap pointment through his (Mr. V. Scully's) means. Ho had a letter which ho had just received from one person who had been importuning him for two years, and who had written him between 50 and 60 letters, which obliged him to write 50 or 60 replies. The Dean of Hereford gave a curious ex ample of the way in which constituents played with mem bers for places. A farmer applied to Isis clergyman to know the best way to obtain a place for his son. The clergyman told him to apply to his member—that mem ber who usually supported the Government. The far mer replied that he had had his eye to that at the election, for he had split his votes, and given one for the ministerial and the other for the anti-ministe rial candidate. (Laughter.) But seeking for places was a waste of the time of hon. members, and a delusion upon the public. He did not wish to derogate from the value of the order in council, but he thought the principle should be carried much further, and he hoped that the right hon. member for Oxford would support the motion. It was said that this alteration would require an act of Parlia ment, but ho did not think so, and he was Justified in that opinion by many of the highest authorities. It might be advisable to have an act of Parliament, but it was not ne cessary, as her Majesty in Council was frilly competent to carry out the reforms he had sketched to the house. Lord GODERICH seconded the motion. He could not think that either the declaration made on the motion of the hon. member for Aylesbury, or the amendment of the hon. baronet the member for Hertford, which had been carried at two o'clock in the morning amidst laughter, was suffi ciently binding on the Government, and under these cir cumstances he thought the hon. and learned member was justified in moving the present resolution. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—The hon. and learned gentleman who brought this subject before the house recommended it to our attention by stating that it is a measure in furtherance of administrative reform. Her Majesty's Government are as desirous of promoting admi reinistrative reform as either the hon. and learned member himself or any other gentleman in this house. The question, however, which we have now to consider is, what is admi nistrative reform ? Is the measure which the hon. and learned gentleman has proposed a measure of administra ive reform? Now sir under the term "administrative reform." I conceive there are two classes of measures. One of m these depacr ltasseens tn consists in an exami na ti on o f a ll th e exist ingwith respect to the c l ass ifi ca ti on o f th e i r subjects, with respect to the distribution of their labour, and with respect to the number of persons employed, their duties, qualifications, the (Hear, ear. On a former discu ss i on I had honour y of stating t h o the ) house that a se r i es of investigations had been instituted by a succes s i on of Governments —by the Government of of L m y n Lord Derby, and by successive Governments—into the different departments of the State —that these investiga tions were conduct e d by competent i nquirers —that reports were made in consequence of these il estigations—and that all the practical recommendations contained in these re reports have subsequently been carrpirvinto effect. The best proof that either the present or us Governments Give of their zeal in administrative reform was by could instituting detailed inquiries into the rdifferentravceticaltdministra riecornmen- t i re departments, and by adopting all dations that were made for their improvement. challenge Be y hon. member of this house to show that exertions and well sustained exertions—have not been made by sue cessive Governments for ascertaining tbe defects in si-1-19 different departments, and for removing those defects and increasing their efficiency. Without dwelling upon that class of administrative reform, I shall now proceed to the other class of measures to which the honourable and learned member has adverted in his spe ec h— name l y, those that consist i n improving the general character o f th e c i vil serv i c e. (Hear, hear.) I need not travel over again the grounds that were so clearly explained to the house by my right hon. friend the member for the University of Oxford on a former occasion, or refer to the steps that were taken, resulting in the order of council of May last. (H ear , hear.) That order in counc il was intended to improve the existing state of the civil service, sub ject to the general conditions by which it is now constituted. At pres en t th ere are separ a t e examinations in the great majority of the de partments ; but they are exa minations conducted under the authority of the heads of the departments, and are tot c c'nducted according to a uniform and consistent plan. The object of the order in council now before the bowie l these examinations under one "ra could introduce system and regularity into with the a ales them independent of all influences con nectedfounded upon the existing of the civil service, er.al.departments. That was a system and it was intended catiteon conditions standard of quer In • • h for all new per essutmabeliiesnhtlybymigts Introduction a sone introduced into th civil service, subject, however, to the existing rules witherespect to nomination and appoine entered upon their duties ; a n v d e . been appointed, and have member who introduced thiee m e' even the hon. and learned the right direction, and that t e °tl° : a dmits it is a step in the views he has formed with reea certain extent it fulfils f orm . But he says it is an unserfeeti° r ad ministrat i ye FC° aTidthat it goes to a measure—that it does not go far Y and inefficient certain extent in the right direction,enoug short of the gaol he would attain—that it does not s e t t v ops ficient length in the way of reform, and that in ee anensui,f bent upon this house, by an address to the jroisve: set in motion the prerogative to repeal the —to order and substitute another order founded To,. existing different principle. The following aro the three%oin a in which the system which he recommends diffetr'is from that which is now iptioduced. Ili proposes Ulla the examination should be public, and conducted in rooms to which the public at large should be adulated ; and he further proposes that any person may offer himself as a candidate for examination without being subject — as I understand him —to any qualification whatever. (No.) According to the hon. and learned gentleman's plan, it would be like the election of members of Parliament, sup posing all qualifications were abolished, or, as my right hon. friend near me suggests, like the election of a Scotch member. (No, no.) Mr. V. No. So fax from proposing that candidates should have no qualification, I propose that the best qualified candidates should be electe,d. (Hear, hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Accord ing to the hon. and learned gentleman's plan, a person might without qualification propose himself as a candidate, leaving the qualification to be subsequently ascertained, but no preliminary qualification is necessary to con stitute him a candidate. The second point is that every person should be admitted to become a candidate for ad mission to the civil service; and, last of all, after the ex amination had taken place, the object should be, not to ascertain whether the candidates came up to a certain standard, and satisfied certain prescribed qualifications laid down beforehand, but to ascertain which was the best out of a given number of persons. (Hear.) That is to say, that the examination should be strictly competitive, and be a race between a certain number of competing candi dates. The necessary effect of the adoption of the plan would be that all these civil servants—a thousand in num ber—being servants of the Crown, acting in the employ ment of departments and under the control of persons hold ing offices from the Crown, should be appointed without any reference to the power of the Crown, or to the persons appointed by the Crown, on their own proposal of them selves as candidates, and by the choice of a body of exa miners, to be appoi n t e d, I presume, i n t h e ordinary man ner by the Crown. A certificate from the Board of Exa miners would constitute them members of the civil ser vice, and, as I collect from the motion of the honourable and learned member, it would be incumbent on the Crown, or on the representative of the Crown, to re cognise that certificate as the title of admission to the civil service, there being no veto on the part of the Crown to the appointment of any person who had received the cer tificate from the Board of Examiners. I have troubled the house with this explanation in order that we might be certain that we fully understood the proposition of the hon. and learned member, and I will now, with the per mission of the house, examine the different points of the proposal. In the first place, there is a question of pub licity, Now, the examinations are conducted at present principally, or, I believe, exclusively, in writing. Certain questions are proposed to the candidates to answer. Those questions are in writing. They are given a paper to copy or a letter to write, to ascertain their efficiency in writ ing. Similar questions are put with reference to arith metic, and I believe the whole of the examination is conducted in writing, and no part of it by oral ques tion or answer. (Hear, hear.) I need scarcely remark that the admission of the public would be wholly nugatory. There would be no advantage in seeing a number of gentlemen sitting round a table copying answers to questions put to them. I presume that the hon. and learned gentleman wishes that the mode of examination should be altered, and that oral examination should be substituted. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the details of these examinations to offer any opinion as to the advantage of oral examination in comparison with written examination, but I have no reason to suppose that the practice that has now been followed up for several years in the different de partments has been the result of accident ; I believe it has been the result of experience, and that it has been found to be the most convenient and efficient mode of conducting these examinations. I therefore doubt that we would confer a benefit on the public by substituting oral for written examination, for the purpose of attaining wh a t the hon. and learned gentleman calls publicity of exa mination. (Hear, hear.) The hon. and learned mem ber stated that in all the university examinations the public was admitted, and an opportunity was afforded of judging of the manner in which those examinations are conducted ; but my experience leads me to believe that a very large number of university examinations are not con ducted orally, but exclusively in writing. I believe that in Cambridge all university examinations are conducted by written questions and written answers, and therefore I do not know how the public or any member of the university not concerned in the examination are admitted, but if so, I must think their presence is totally unimportant. I must say as regards the examinations at Oxford—at which I had the honour of being present as an examiner—that the exa minations are in writing, and that no member of the uni versity is permitted to be present. lamat a loss to con ceive what advantage would be derived from publicity, nor did I ever hear it said that the smallest inconvenience arose from the exclusion of the public. The public would be an annoyance to the persons writing; their attention would be distracted —nervous persons would say they had not a fair chance —that they were disturbed by the intrusion of strangers ; and I really conceive that with reference to the interests of candidates themselves, as well as of the public, the adoption of the principle of publicity is altogether objec tionable. (Hoar.) But perhaps, after all, the publicity of the examination is not the most important part of the question. The really important pas tof the proposition is the permission to all persons to constitute themselves can didates, and render the examination a competitive exami nation. The first objection that must occur to everybody who considers the proposal is, that if you introduce the principle of competitive examination, and if you allow an unlimited number of candidates, and impose upon a body of examiners the duty, and confer upon them the power of selecting the persons they may consider the best—that is to say, the fittest—for the offices that are vacant, you entirely get rid of th e p r i nc i p l e o f persona l respons ibili ty i n the coice of persons for the civil service. At present every person appointed to a public office is appointed upon the responsibility of somebody ; but under the system proposed by the honourable and learned member no responsible appointment would be made, and I presume he will not go the length of saying that his system would work with inf a llibl e regularity. The board of examiners will propose certain questions in arithmetic, English history, or any other subject which the candidate chooses, and after reading over the answers will, without knowing their names, make a decision in favour of those who have the greatest number of marks. (Hear.) By that system, however, as I have already said, all personal re sponsibility is lost, and that is one great objection to the plan of the hon. and learned gentleman. But there is an other objection, and it is this, that though by this system you may to a considerable extent get a person of intellec tual qualities, you have no means of ascertaining his moral qualities. What you want iota public officer is often, not a man of ambitions, eager disposition, who seeks to advance himself rapidly in the world, but a man who is trustworthy, industrious, and attentive, and who will per form the duties assigned to him by his superiors in office. How can we obtain these qualities by a merely literary examination ? It is clear that no examination of that sort can have the effect which it is desirable to obtain. (Hear.) The class of persons who would in all probability succeed in the greatest number of cases would be schoolmasters and ushers of schools, and persons employed in the practical business of education. You must expect to see persons of this class to a great extent, without much reference to their moral character or previews conduct in the world, ob taining employment in the civil service. I hope I shall not be understood to cast the smallest reflection upon that most respectable and useful class of the community, whose employment I honour as much as any member of this house, but I would suggest for the consideration of the house whether, an establishing a general system for the introduction of candidates into the civil service, it would be advisable to give an advantage to that class of the community beyond other persons. Besides the chi.ss of superior officers, there were others in the revenue depart ment whose occupation could scarcely bear the name of intellectual, and what means were to bo taken by which the appointment of persons of that class—boatmen, tide waiters, weighers of customs, post-office messengers —could be made to depend upon a literary examination. I admit it is right that we should have a standard examination for officers of every class—no person would be more disposed to enforce a rigid test than myself, but I must express my doubt whether we should derive any advantage from a competitive examination among persons of that descrip tion, and if the competitive system is unsuited to the tide waiters and post-office messengers, can you apply it to a higher class ? (Hoar.) But if you adopt the proposition of the hon. and learned member, will you stop there? Will you not apply the same test to persons holding higher and more important situations ? Will you undertake to ap point a permanent Under-Secretary of State, or perma nent Secretary of the Treasury, or county court judge, or commissioner of bankruptcy, or legal officers of different descriptions, or judges in the superior courts, by competi tive examination ? (Heir.) I ask is any member of this house willing to trust all the great appointments in this country to competitive literary examination ? [(Hear, hear.) If the honourable member establishes what he seeks by an address to the Crown, he must carry out the principle and apply it to the whole civil service of the country. (Hear.) On examining this question of com petitive examination it is natural we should look back to the general experience of mankind ; and if we look back to history, we do not find that any country hitherto, what. ever its form of Government, ever selected its civil ser vants by competitive examinations. Let us look to the great republic of antiquity, I mean the Roman, and I ask you, did the Romans ever think of appointing their con suls, or probers, or any of the grea t officers, by competi. tive examination. (Hear.) Did Italy, under its various forms of Government, whether republic or sovereign, do so ? Did the Spanish Government do so , w h en its domi nien extended over the Indies, and through every part of the world ? Did England, France, or America do so ? (Hear, hear.) None of them have over resorted to the principle of competitive examination in making appoint ments to civil service. Do we find that joint-stock companies, railway companies, or that great corpora tion the dock company, or the numerous bodies or ganised by different commercial and mercantile parties under special acts of Parliament, in different parts of the kingdom, in appointing, their civil servants, resort to the plan of competitive examination ? I think the hon. gentle man will see that these enlightened bodies are guided by no thing but a consideration of their own interest and the in terest of their sh are h o ld ers i n appo i n ti ng th e i r secretar i es, or managers, or the other persons whom they employ. Do they not all require to get a good character of the person they appoint, and do they not select the person they think goodte they stopw iwith there?respect the fittest, precisely in the same manner in which public servants are selected by the State ? But if this principle is clerkshipin th civil Why htyhe should thothey servants of the Crown, could allow a person to come forward as candidate for the e guardians, or t e o fac 1 by competitive examination for a tome-office, and debar him from being a can didatewhich this count eof clerk to magistrates or to boards of the motion asked9rivahy?unds? fill Ty of those numerous local offices with to India should not be adopted The noble lord who seconded service of the Crown. principle adopted with respect with respect to the general will state the reasons which ap pear to me to constitute case of India and the civil as great difference between the vice of this country. Every body knows the great e m ba r'r'assment which the Indian patronage has created in the Governmentai.t of this country. At the end of the last century, by vehiceZMr. Pitt overthrew a great struggle in this house, it was the engine the coalition Government of M ee y o country being alarmedlest Governs:o%74ot Lord North, the uld Nor h, ,attoteceirepattienorrght gaining possession by the enormous bribe of the Indian p fi n ie ss n es s s u i p o p n o o s f ed th t e ha in t d M ia r n . p F a o t x r o n w a a g s e his party a power independent of the Cro It was wn on the one hand, and the country on the other. It is my fi rm co tion that those charges were greatly exaggerated, anclatv,ihact. the public laboured under an entire delusion as to the object in view, but the representations made to thi s effect were believed, and were the main cause of the overthrow of the Coalition Government, and the triumphant accession of Mr. Pitt to power. That is an example of the great dia. • which the eminent men of that dayfound in the prac culties lution of Indian politics, and the influence they exer cisedticalso h ie of this country. There was always a jealousy on t o. of Indian patronage, and by the mea sureas to the distribution the Indian house, on the renewal of lndian laid before the make appointments dependent charter, it was proposed to m f : o le i e th a e pl eir purpose of taking them on competitive examination, . l p anomalous body an anomalous out of the hands of tho East India Comp a ny,.. )0 to, on the one 1 ,' 1 3:, exercising sort of imperitbit in vni —anq P and th e a Government on the other. It appears to me that this is fair solution of the difficult problem in ques tion ;but .9. fair solution that when civil servants it must be remembered are appointed to • s they do not at once suc ceed to lndian situation . . l functions Politicalcom power, and their politica ee inence na th e t• ' selected by the ,e -vernment for time when they are f some public duties. Therefore, eve. ta be performance o new Indian bill, ver the system established by the *s ctetion exercised b the i s an act of selection and di e Indian Government in appointing THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 11, 185 its servants. Butfurther, the principle of that measure was deliberately considered by both Houses of Parliament, and embodied in an act of the Legislature, whereas the hon. member now proposes to set the prerogative in motion, without affording any opportunity to the other House of Parliament, as there would be in the ordinary course of proceeding, to reconsider the proposition. It is admitted that the order in council lately issued by the Government is a step in the right direction, and calculated to have be neficial results. I can give the most positive assuranee to the house that in making these appointments, and in all the successive steps taken under this measure, her Ma jesty's Government have acted with perfect good faith, and with the sole view of rendering the new system as efficient as possible. It seems to me that if the measure is efficiently carried out, it will secure the possession of the desired qualifications by the persons appointed. It may not secure the best men out of a given number of persons, but it will secure, as in the examinations for degrees at the universities, that the person chosen shall possess a certain amount of qualification. (Hear.) I will state the result of the examinations which have already taken place since the commissioners have been in office. They have granted certificates to ten persons as clerks, and to fifteen for subordinate situations—as tidewaiters and the like ; and they have refused certificates to five persons as clerks, and to four for subordinate situations. This re sult, in the course of only a few weeks, must, I think, sa tisfy the house that the examination is not a mere form, but a substantial test of fitness for the duties of the place. The order is drawn up intentionally so as to allow of consi derable latitude in its execution, and if hon. gentlemen will refer to its terms they will see that it is competent for the head of a department to send eight or ten names to the exa miners, with a request to them to select one or two of the ablest, and then to appoint the persons thus selected, but it does not go the length of throwing open without discussion to the world the right of constituting themselves, without any qualification, candidates for admission to the civil service. Let it be recollected that the order was only issued at the end of May, and has therefore scarcely been in operation for six weeks. Under these circumstances, I will ask the house whether they think it advisable, so soon after the issue of the order in council, which cannot be denied to be a most important security —more important in my opinion than by any subsequent measure can be added—for the efficiency of the public service—whether they think fit to address the Crown to abolish this order and issue another founded on an entirely different and novel principle. (Hear.) I will appeal to them to allow at any rate a certain experience of the ef fects of this order to be gained, and to wait till another session has arrived before any further change is made. The present order in council proceeds on the basis of the exist ing method of the civil service, and attempts byregulations, undoubtedly new in their nature, but consistent with those already in force, to introduce ameliorations and improve ments. A change of this kind is fairly within the limits of an order in council, and may with propriety be carried into effect by the prerogative of the Crown. But when the assent of the house is asked to a principle altogether new— when it is proposed to disseise the Crown of so vast a num ber of appointments, and to give to the public a right they never before enjoyed, introducing a system fundamentally different from that which now exists, let me ask whether the proper course is not for the hon. member to introduce a bill embodying the change which he proposes, which may be deliberately considered and examined by the house, in stead of calling upon it suddenly and unpreparedly to adopt a resolution embodying a new principle, which may lead to consequences such as cannot yet be fully foreseen ? (Hear.) I could hardly collect from the hon. member's speech whether he means that it should be open to every member of the public to present himself as a candidate for these appoint ments ; but it is at least desirable that an important motion of this kind should be free from verbal ambi guity. Upon the grounds I have stated I think the house will be inclined to agree with me when I propose to move the previous question. In the general spirit of the motion I altogether agree, and I repudiate wholly the no tion of finality in the order of council which has beenlaid on the table. The subject is new; the interest which the public takes in it is likely to throw great light on it, and to strengthen the hands of reformers. So far as it tends to increase the efficieney of the civil service, I am friendly to the principle ; but I hesitate in accepting the conclu sion embodied in it, and I hope the house will not at once commit itself to a wholly unprecedented principle, and will support the motion I now make, that the previous question be put. (Hear, hear.) Mr. WILKINSON said he thought the right hon. gen tleman had raised a great many giants for the purpose of slaying them. When he talked of a literary examination, he must say he had heard of no such thing being proposed. It was not necessarily literary, but an examination for qualification, let it be what it might. Again, as much was said of competition, it ought to be recollected that there were two kinds of competition, and that there was com petition, strong competition, introduced by the railway companies and other companies, who, it might be, adver tised their situations and selected the most fitting as their servants. The evil which was to be abolished in this coun try was felt in India, and the system of examination adopted. Let the example be followed. What they wanted to do away with was that continual application to mem bers of the house, which was felt to be an evil, and which they had hoped Government would have accepted this resolution for the purpose of abolishing, thereby giving a direction to the orders in council, and in no other way in terfering with them. Mr. LINDSAY said the resolution contemplated supe rior qualifications and merit as a basis for admission into the civil service, but he could conceive of a Government not wishing to adopt any such basis. Patronage might be useful to a Government, especially the Government that now sat there. It had been said that Government could not exist without patronage, but he thought that the Go vernment which could not exist on its own intrinsic merits ought not to exist at all. The right h on . gen tl eman sa id he was favourable' to administrative reform—why then did he not adopt such a resolution as that, which, though a small step, was yet a step in the right direction. He must repeat what he had said before, that policy, and policy only, had induced the Government to agree to the motion of the hon. member for Hertfordshire (Sir E. B. Lytton), and no real wish to carry it into effect, otherwise their course to-night would have been different from what it was. Perhaps now the house would allow him to refer to matters personal to himself which had occurred in a previous debate, referred to in the course of this night: If he was out of order he trusted to be told of it, but yet he begged the indulgence of the house. It had been said, in the course of the debate on administrative reform, that he was a stater of virulent untruths that were not founded in fact. He would not allude to charges which, though made within that house against him, had not been made by right hon. and hon. gentlemen in their places, and he was dis posed to believe that they were words used in a hasty moment, and, therefore, he would pass them ever. But he would refer to what was alluded to in the coarse of that debate by a right hon. gentleman now in the house. He (Mr. Lindsay) had stated that 3,000 horses were to have been sent out to the Crimea, and in reply the exact num ber was stated to be 2,810, showing that this statement was substantially correct and founded on fact. Again, these horses were much required at the time; they ought to have been immediately sent oat; and he stated that they might have been sent out, and that offers at a low rate had been made, which, however, had been pitched into the waste bas ket. It was said in reply that Government did not like sail ing vessels. Yet other Governments had used sailing ves sels, and had transported their horses with less loss and fewer deaths among them than our own Government. But that the offer was pitched into the waste basket, the Government might have got at that moment a magnificent fleet of sail ing vessels for four months (for the contracts of the Ad miralty are for that period), at a cost to the country of 00,0001. But these horses were sent out in steam -vessels at a cost, he believed, to the country of 300,0001., being a differeace of 201,0001. in the transport of these horses— the cost of the difference between steam and sailing ves sels. He felt that he must not diverge into argument, but must confine himself to the statement of facts. He had stated that the ship European had been offered to the British Government, and refused on account of the trouble and frivolous terms to which the owner had been subjected. In reply, it was said to that that she had been refused not on that account, but because the height of the ship be tween decks was not sufficient. Now, the Admiralty height was 7 ft. 6 in., and the height of that ship was 7 ft. 6,i in. betwe en d ec k s, w h ereas the Oneida was only 7 ft. 4 - in. Again, he had stated, that a ship had been ordered to come round from the Clyde to Liverpool to be surveyed, but that the owners declined to do so until they were assured of the ship being accepted by the Govern ment. On that point there was some mystification. There had been some mystification over that Treasury bench for the last two or three months. His statement was not denied ; but what was the fact ? The ship was ordered to come round either to Liverpool or London, not to be fitted, but to be surveyed. There was a marked dif ference between surveying and fitting. The owner would have no objection to go round for fitting; but to be surveyed merely ! Why, instead of the 4001. which he said would be the cost, the owner estimated the cost at 1,0001. of doing so. (Here the hon. gentleman was interrupted by several cries of " Question, question," but Sir Charles Wood, we be lieve, interfered with a " Pray don't"—evidently wishing that he should be allowed to go on.) The hon. gentleman proceeded to the next point, which was to deny that either himself or Mr. Gladstone was, directly or indirectly, inte rested in these ships or connected in any way with their ma nagement. The next point was, that the Govern ment had sent a vessel from London to the Tyne for 12 tons of iron cylinders. For that he produced the order from the Admiralty; but if they were 80 tons, why that was a point between the present and the previous First Lord of the Admiralty. Yet it was said the owner could not have remonstrated very strongly. Perhaps that might be concluded from the one extract which was read by the right hon. gentleman. But were there no verbal remonstrance? Why otherwise did the Admiralty insist on the ship Robert Lowe going to the Tyne? There must have been many remonstrances. The next point was thata ship had been ordered down to Wool wich to have her engines inspected. He had produced do cuments to prove every point but that. Yet it did happen that truth would triumph. The captain then on board that vessel was at present in England, and at Sunderland he read the debate, and wrote in reply that ho could sustain every word which ho (Mr. Lindsay) had said, and sent up an extract from his log, verified by affidavit. The log stated that he attended at Whitehall; was ordered to take the ship Tynemouth dow n to Woolwich to have her engines inspected; sailed to Woolwich and reported the ship to the commodore for inspection, and that the ship was inspected next day. She was detained altogether eight days, at a cost of from 6001. to 8001. to the country. To show the way in which contrary orders were issued, and how the time was spent, he read a further extract from the log, stating that one order came down to put out all his coals, another order, from another department, to keep coals enough on board for her engines ; that he took in two large guns, weighing 67 tons ; was asked by one authority why he did not take the other two; was ordered by another to pat out the two he had already on board ; and again in formed by another that the two guns might remain on board. Such were the contradictory orders which captains were obliged to attend to. (Hear, hear.) Again, the ri g ht hon. gentl eman a tt em pt e d t o find out a case in which a ship ordered to sail by a certain day was not ready to go to sea. He read a n ex t rac t froma letter stating that the machinery was not out of order—that it could not bo bet ter—that he had got it cleaned, and a few odds and ends put in, such as might b e requ i re d a ft er 12 mon ths' u se - - and th a t an improvement was made on the valves, which Tl w as e t r e cvl would have the effect of saving 20 per cont. but that they What (w donee th so e , fact?but theyh,) were ready i n d ue time toproceed to sea, and would as have ( r et a n m n e e ( n 1 t sfUtorresstoml,ecrse. taken on board at two o'clock iu the afternoon, and these stores consisted of cases containing cloth ing for the troops which were e m b ar k e d at Plymouth, d - P e ln the ship proceeded to sea at a quar t er past threeev elc The right h on . gen tleman refe rre d t o a letter, from Which he garbled extr ac t. If h e read any, he ou g ht to have only a the whole. He (Mr. Li n d say ) h ad further to staavtee readth the returns for whi c h h e moved in January, andat were laid upon th e table, were not corre c t. Tho returns which which he referred did not containone ite m of Cornmisaeitoat stores. Those returns, i n s h ort, did not furnish the matter to which he had referred. A s regar d ed the transports, the return was incorrect. He had instanced th e case a the ship Tynemouth, The sight lion, gentleman said he had quoted a wrong date. No suck thing—he knew the value of accuracy too well in such matters to be guilty of such an error. The right hon. gentleman said the ship had made only 12 voyages between 10th June and 18th Decem ber. He (Mr. Lindsay) had stated she made 21, and such was the fact, and the return was wrong, quite wrong, as regarded that ship ; and, if wrong with regard to one ves sel, most likely it was erroneous with respect to others. The right hon. gentleman had attacked him in his private capacity as a merchant, The best answer he could give to that attack was by simply pointing out what he h a d been and what he now was. That was the best proof whether he had managed his business well or otherwise. With respect to the ship Strathmore, he averred that it was recalled be cause of the prejudice and bigotry of the Government sur veyors. The right hon. gentleman had said the ship was unsteady, and liable to topple over. She never did topple over. Since then she had taken on a cargo to Bombay or Australia, and had, at all events, sailed more than 10,000 miles in all weathers, and had never toppled over. In the last voyage she encountered a hurricane and sustained some damage, as any ship might, but she was now repaired and in this country, and as sound a ship as ever swam the ocean. But he had only to go back a few months in order to inform the right hon. gentleman of a ship that did topple over as soon as she came into service, because the Government had supplied her—he meant her Majesty's ship Perseverance, which, having been rigged out as a 74-gun ship, without regard to her capacity, toppled over in Woolwich dock yard, her masts falling through the soof of a mill. The SPEAKER—I must remind the hon. member that h e i s now going into matters which are not of a personal nature. The hon. gentleman has obtained the indulgence of the house whilst he explains matters personal t• ) him self, but lie could not, with propriety, go further into this part of the subject. Mr. LINDSAY would of course at once bow to the de cision of the chair, and would take some other opportunity, or perhaps state in some other manner, the details with which he was now prepared. There was, however, one other i matter, which, as it was personal to himself, he would ask the indulgence of the house while he explained. The right hon. gentleman had accused him of entering into con tracts which he had not executed, and the right honour able gentleman, after ransacking for a period of ten years, brought up three cases. Now, these cases had occurred in 1852. That was a most extraordinary year. Ships were not to be had at almost any price. It was well known that the Peninsular and Oriental Company were unable to obtain sufficient ships or coals. The firm of which he was at the head had, on the contract to which the right hon. gentleman referred, lost 4,7001. And, after all, what was the breach of contract ? They had shipped 278,000 tons of coals out of a contract of 300,000 tons. That the whole contract was not fulfilled in the time speci fied was owing to the extraordinary circumstances of the time, and was altogether exceptional. If he managed busi ness matters in Austin-friars as they did at the Admiralty, he would have been in the Bankruptcy Court long since. The right honourable gentleman said that the coals, which ought, according to the contract, to have been shipped by August, 1852, were not shipped until June, 1853. Now the fact was, that for several months after the com mencement of the contract, his firm not only fur nished the required quota, but more than that. In June, 1852, 2,132 tons were shipped • In July, 1,065. Upon the whole, the deficiency on on e of contracts was not more than 710 tons, instead of 4,500, as the right hon. gentleman had asserted. But he would not now longer trespass on the house, but would quite justify and bear out the statements he had made upon a future occasion. Sir C. WOOD was glad the hon. gentleman had had an opportunity of making a statement on a matter strictly personal to himself, and as the subject was one which he (Sir C. Wood) might also say was personal to himself, he would ask the indulgence of the house for a few moments. The hon. gentleman had put words into his mouth which he had never uttered. He had never stated that upon no one occasion had the hon. gentleman performed his con tracts ; neither did he go back over a period of 10 years to seek for charges against the hon. gentleman ; and the hon. gentleman himself showed that he had not done so, for the case to which he referred occurred in 1852, only three years ago, and not 10. He had before him the return to which the hon. gentleman alluded, respecting the contract of coals with the East India Company, showing when the coals were to have been delivered by the contractors and when they were actually delivered. His statements upon this had, upon a former occasion, notwithstanding the re marks of the hon. gentleman, been strictly correct, and he held the return in his hand which proved they were so. The last delivery of coals ought to have been made, ac cording to the contract, in August, 18.52 ; but instead of August, 1852, it was June, 1853, when the last delivery took place. He stated at the time he first referred to this fact that there might have been circumstances to account for the non-performance of the contract ; but when the hon. gentleman asserted publicly that the Government business was all chaos and confusion, and that private es tablishments were so much better conducted than public ones, he thought it was a perfectly legitimate argument t o show that co n t rac t s un d er t a k en by hon. gentlemen pro fessing those opinians were not always so punctually and so religiously fulfilled. (Hear.) If those who advocated administrative reform in the public service did their own business as merchants remarkably ill, he could not understand what argument it was they were pressing on the house and on the country. He had not raked up any thing out of official documents, nor adverted to anything which had not appeared in the public prints or in public documents. With respect to the Strathmore, what ho had stated was upon authority. The agent to the Emigration Board reported that she was unfit and unsafe for the con veyance of emigrants. The officer at Tahiti who had sur veyed her—andwho, surely, could not be said to be biassed by the Admiralty—declared that the vessel contained with in her the elements of ruin, and that she was defective in her original construction. As to the Tynemouth, the ac cusation made was that the Admiralty had ordered the vessel from Deptford to Woolwich to be surveyed. The hon. gentleman had not given the slightest proof of that. The hon. gentleman had accused him of having on a pre vious occasion read a garbled extract from a letter. Now, the fact was, that he had read no letter at all—(hear) —no letter or part of a letter. (Hear.) What he said was, that on the 4th of June Mr. Gladstone reported that the Tyne mouth was ready to go to sea. But the hon gentleman read a letter as if it were a portion of that letter which ho assumed him (Sir C. Wood) to have quoted, but which he had not read at all. There was this, however singular, that the letter read by the hon, gentleman was not of the 4th of June, but of the 31st of May. (Hear, hear.) So that the letter the hon. gentleman referred to was of a different date altogether. But he now held in his hand the letter from Mr. Gladstone, dated the 4th of June, in which he said " The ship may go to sea to-morrow (the sth June), unless you have more stores to send." (Hear.) Yes, but that was from the owner of the vessel. The ques tion is, was she really and bona fide ready to go to sea? Now, hear the report of Mr. Galloway, who went to sur vey the vessel on behalf of the Admiralty :—" In reply to your letter I beg to state that I precetded, yesterday, to Blackwell and examined the machinery, &c., of the Tyne mouth. The workmen were completing her repairs. They say she will be ready by the Bth, when I will attend and make a survey and report the result to you." Now, this was the vessel the owner had declared was ready to go to sea on the sth. (Hear.) On the Bth Messrs. 111`Donald and Bateman went to survey her. They found that her compasses were being adjusted—the master was absent— the ship's articles were not on board, nor all the crew—and that she would not be completed for two or three days. Tho ship's hold was not properly stowed—a quantity of shot was scattered about. On the 9th she lost her anchor from want of a chain. She left for Plymouth next day, having received a certificate from the Board of Trade that she was fit to go to sea. Thus it would be seen that ho was entirely borne out by unquestionable documents in his statements regarding the Tynemouth. (Hear.) As to the Robert Lowe, he would not repeat what he had said on a former occasion. The hon, gentleman had stated that the Robert Lowe went to Newcastle from Deptford for 12 tons of combustibles, wherea s th e f ac t was, s h e went for 12 tons of combustibles, and 60 tons of cylinders as well— (hear)—so that it was not 12 tons, but for nearly 80 tons she went to Newcastle. (Mr. Lindsay handed a docu ment to Sir C. Wood, who, up )n looking at it, said) —Just so ; that exactly confirmed what he had stated, 12 toes of combustibles and 60 tons of cylinde rs a l so . He would now show that, with regard to another point, the statements made by the ,hon. member were with ou t foundation. He had stated that transports were required to convey 3,000 horses to the Crimea. The hon. member had misquoted what ho (Sir C. Wood) had said. His for mer statement was that, on the Ist May, about 2,000 and not 3,000 horses were to be sent out. The exact number was 2,010, but it was subsequently increased to 2,800, and by the 15th of June 2,600 were actually sent out to the Crimea. (Hear.) With regard to the Columbia, the hon. member had made a n a tt empt to represent that' she was ordered from Deptford to Woolwich to be surveyed, whereas she Ras ordered round to be surveyed and fitted for service. To one more case only would he refer, and he was glad to be able to do so, as the hon. member had now repeated for the fourth time a statement which was not correct. The hon. member must be understood as having made the statement after due consideration, for he made it first at Drury-lane, then in that house, then in a letter addressed to the Times newspaper, and then again in that house, and he challenged him (Sir C. Wood) to disprove its accuracy. The challenge ho most willingly accepted. It referred to the height between decks of the European, and he before stated that no condition was im posed upon the owner of the vessel, but that she was re ' fused partly on account of the price, and partly on account of her height between decks. He co u ld now s h ow f rom a letter in his possession that such were the facts, and that her height was not sufficient to enable her to carry horses. He had in his hand the original tender of the owners of the European. The document was signed by a partner of the hon. member, viz.: G. Gladstone for J. Gladstone. (He had before stated that, when the hon. member came into Parliament, certain contracts were transferred into other names.) The dimensions of the European were given and the height between decks in three places was 6 feet 6 inches. What means then had the Government of knowing the real facts if a document signed hya partner of the hon. member was not to be believed ? (Hear, hear.) Mr. LINDSAY explained that the height of the Robert Lowe was 7 feet 6 inches from deck to deck. Sir S. NORTHCOTE recalled the attention of the house to the original debate, and while he accepted the amend ment of the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the previous question as admitting the importance of the motion, he maintained it did no t t en d t o revo k e th e f ormer order l in council, but only to modify it in such a manner as to make it more efficient. He was sure that if Ministers would count up what they lost and gained by the present system, they would gladly give up their patronage for the sake of having their departments well and efficiently oonducted. Sir F. BARING denied that the civil departments were in such an inefficient state as was generally supposed, and he did not think that the system of a public and competi tive examinatllen would secure as good public servants as we had now. His fear was that it would fill our public offices with over-educated men, above their work, and dis contented with their position. Ho had something to do hweit‘hratshtehe right appointment man in the right place , but he should beintment of Sir C. Trevelyan, and he believed I s ; a r sorry . to Thhaev system a public of office f political no d or n w i n i t a h t i Sir w C a l ea s complainedr 1e s Tr of, but he believedgreat part of it arose from the cowardice of hon.gentlemen, who had not firmness enough to do their duty. The defect in the present system in his opinion was that there were no means of getting rid of the incompetent clerks who occasionally found their way there. Mr. GLADSTONE said if ho understoood aright, the the motion of the h on . mem ber for Cork wft best adapted w clu a t s . 8 n t j o cl t u s o o n :2 li e hwhetherthehouse every w a was paabort out t i i cul a o r record ec expression its vote in for the purpose he had in view, as whether—after the argu ments which had fallen from his right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer—it would be right for the house to adopt the p r i nc iple the motion contained. (Hear.) He asked them wheth e r the resolution to which he re ferred was sufficient t o m eet the call for reform, or whe ther to hini it wasno t thing, but whi c h cer t a i n ly at the same time might be un derstood to me a n ev e rything or nothing, according to the to? t H e e n n must n s ft generalities, w the hich resolution m ean ty a n ap peared- fancies of th ose by whom it was adopted. (A laugh.) All sorts of speeches] were made in support of the motion — some meaning much, /some meaning little, and others • meaning nothing at all—(laughter)—because, while pro fessing so much, it was asserted that everything had been . done which it was possible to accomplish. (Hear, hear.) Well, that resolution having been passed, and, ho would say, passed in a manner which he regretted, it was time for the house to consider what further duties in the same direction were incumbent upon it. They were called upon to see into the management of public institutions, I and the real question was, not whether they ought to copy or adhere to the plan pursued by private institutions, but whether they bad placed themselves in the position best calculated te provide the fittest person for carrying on the public business. His right hon. friend the member for Portsmouth had made, he thought, a very fair state ment upon the matter. He laid a fair statement, and he would only qualify that sentiment by saying he did not consider it was fair for him to lay so much upon the back of Sir Charles Trevelyan. Had the right hon. baronet read the paper of Sir James Stephens ? His was a testimony which was worthy of special attention, for it came from a man who had spent 30 or 40 years in the public service, and who, for his own part, eschewed the various proposals which had been brought forward, and yet that testimony would be found opposed to the obser vations bearing upon Sir Charles Trevelyan which had fallen from the right hon. member for Portsmouth. (Hear.) He (Mr. Gladstone) did not think there was any necessity for him to use any extraordinary terms in order to de scribe tie civil service. His right hon. friend the Chan cellor of the Exchequer would, doubtless, bear him out when he said the higher offices were well, and sometimes admirably, filled by men, indeed, whose conduct would do honour to the civil service of any nation. (Hear.) But the mode of election was not the most satisfactory, be cause, in consequence of the incompetency which prevailed in the lower grades—in consequence of the deadness of all the lower limbs of the system—when a good man was wanted in the higher departments, they had, in three cases out of four, to go out of the civil service altogether. This, of course, did not apply to such names as Wood, Trevel yan, and Merivale—and no doubt there were many other able men in various positions—but still, at the same time, he would repeat they had, in three cases out of four, to seek for the highest assistance without the ranks of the civil service altogether. (Hear, hear.) Now, he main tained that the lower ranks of the department should be brought into such a state of efficiency as to render that unnecessary. The general rule was to go out of the service for able men, while it should certainly be to find them within it. The consequence of the present system was, that in bringing in so many men to fill the higher ranks, the good, the middling, and the bad got classed together, and it was, therefore, no reproof to the men of the service to say that their condition was unsatisfactory. They could not look into the columns of the Times without seeing offers of money made for Government appoint ments. He held in his hand a volume, price 25., en titled, " A Guide to Government Situations." (Laughter.) It was a practical book, and pointed out that the only way to obtain an appointment was by means of Parliamentary influence ; and it dwelt especially upon the fact that the applicant should be careful to secure the interest of an active supporter of the Government, and not that of a silent member. (Laughter.) This showed there was a large class of men who were kept continually hanging in this state of expectancy. (Hear, hear.) He felt a strcng persuasion that the question was making steady way in that house, and that discussion was all that was wanted to come to the merits of the case ; and the more they went into it, the more satisfaction would they give to the public service. Mr. TITE congratulated himself and the house on the admission of the right hon. gentleman who had just sat down, that this question was making steady progress in that house. The hen, gentleman then entered into an ex planation of a motion, very similar in its nature to the present, that he had advocated, but that it had been totally misunderstood by the Government. He protested it had not been brought forward on political grounds, and was not intended as a motion against the Government, but was principally brought about by the result of the Sebastopol committee. He bad no doubt that in the long run public examinations would be adopted. He concluded by advis ing the withdrawal of the motion. (Oh, oh.) Lord PALMERSTON—I think it may fairly be said, as the result of the discussion, that all parties are agreed as to the object we have in view, that object being to fill the different offices of the Government with fit and capable men. The difference between us arises upon the method by which that object is to bo accomplished. In the first place, I must say that I think a great deal of unjust cla mour has been raised with regard to the efficiency and con duct of those persons who belong to the different depart ments. It is the fashion to say that those departments are filled by men incompetent for their duties. It often hap pens that somebody goes to a great public office with some application or request which is perfectly inadmissible and against all the rules of the service to which it applies, and when he finds he cannot obtain what he wants, ho goes about the town declaiming against the insolence of the clerks of the department. (Hear, hear.) Though we are agreed as to the object in view, many of those who have discussed the subject have adduced arguments which are not exactly those on which the ques ti on oug ht to bo decided. There can be no doubt that it is of the utmost importance to the public interest that the different departments of ti? Government should be filled by competent persons ; but 1 do not think that one of the principal reasons for that ob ject is that members of Parliament will be relieved from the trouble of corresponding with importunate constitu ents, who apply to them for places under Government. No doubt that is very inconvenient, and it is the more so, be cause those who are the most troublesome are the least en titled to the places they seek ; but it is an evil of which hon. members can relieve themselves by a little firmness and discretion, and those who evince that firmness and discretion will stand well with their constituents. It seems to me that the evil arisi ng f rom o b serv i ng th e prin ciple of seniority in appointments, so far from being di minished, would be very much increased by the proposal of the hon. member, for open competition. We aro told that one of the effects of it would be to fill the iuforior de partments with young men of greatand remarkable talent ; but if that were so, how would the systen of promotion be, in any degree accelerated, or how would these young men be relieved from the disappointment of waiting for promo tion by seniority? Where all are nearly equal in capacity, we mustlproceed necessarily more or less upon the principle of seniority, and promotions will continue slow. It may he said the present system of appointment by selection creates disappointment ; there are doubtless groat numbers of persons who pass theirlives in making repeated applications for situations for which th e y are no t qualified, and which they do not obtain; but I venture to say that if the pro posed system is adopted a great many more will be disap pointed, but with this difference, that they will be disap pointed with just expectations. The only result of it will be to bring a great many young men into the public offices, who will soon be disgusted at the length of time they have passed in inferior occupations, and who will eventually leave the public service, and go to the more alluring pur suits of commerce. The system which establishes a rigid examination of persons selected by the heads of depart ments, is that which appears most likely to conduce to the efficiency of the public service. I quite agree with those who say that examination is the real test of capacity. Pro bably examination may also only be a test of memory, but on the whole, it is the test of general capacity, and of in tellect as well as attainments. With regard to public ex aminations, I agree with the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the interruption arising from an influx of spectators during an examination would tend to disttu'la the opera tions of tlse mind, and distract those whose whole faculties ought to bo concentrated ou the matters before them ; and as examinations are chiefly conducted in writiong, there would be nothing of which strangers could become adequate judges. I should entreat the house to content themselves for the present, at least, with the arrangement which has been very recently established Ido not mean to say that the principle of competition should not to a certain extent be practised. For instance, the head of a department, in stead of examining one candidate for a single vacancy, might, when there were several suitable candidates, ex amine three, four, or five, and select from that number the person who was best qualified ; but I think it highly important that the selection in the first instance should rest with the head of the department, who is responsible for the conduct of the persons he appoints. One great difficulty has been adverted to for which, I confess, I see no effectual remedy. Some argue that the higher appoint ments in a department ought invariably to be given to those who have risen step by step in that department; others, again, contend that those more important places should be given to persons taken from other walks of life, who, from the qualities they have shown, are more fitted for them. This, I admit, is a difficult subject,. but it is impossible to take either of these rules to guide us. Fur ther, I can only say this, that it is the anxious desire of the Government so to arrange the system of examination as to secure the appointment of competent persons to the different departments of the State, and I should hope the house would, at all events, give the arrangements, which have been so recently established, a fair trial, which, as yet, they have not had. If next year the arrangements are not proved to be successful, any hon. member will then be at liberty to suggest such other method as he may think calculated to attain the same end with more certainty. (Hear, hear. Mr. V. SCULLY replied—He hoped that upon this occasion the house would vote quite irrespective of party, and in such a way as to their convictions should guide them. It was a mistake to suppose that be had desired to confine it to a literary examination ; on the contrary, he desired that it should be such as was fitted to the particu lar office for which the persons examined should be candi dates. The only question was, whether those appointed under the present system were equal to their duties, and if not, whether his proposals were such as would remedy the existing deficiencies. Unlike the amendment of the hon. baronet the member for Hertfordshire (Sir E. B. Lytton), which was purely theoretical reform, his motion was of a practical character, and he hoped that the house would agree to its adoption. The house then divided— For the motion Against it Majority against it -15 The motion was therefore loot. CALL OF THE HOUSE. Mr. ROEBUCK, at a quarter to one o'clock, but in a very full house, next rose to move, pursuant to notice, that the house be called over on Tuesday next. Ho said — I shall have to crave the indulgence of the house for a short time, but I will promise to be as brief as possible. The motion of which I have given notice, fora call of the house, is one that I think must recommend itself to every hon. member who considers with me that the question I propose to bring under the notice of the house on Tuesday next is one of great importance. (He +r, hear.) It is one which concerns the present Administration, a large body of political men, and the army of this country. It thein terest as well as the wish of this country that its army should be watched over and cared for, and a committee of this house was appointed to ascertain how that duty 'had been performed by those to whom it was entrusted. They were condemned by the committee so appointed, and I want to ascertain whether the house concurs in the report of that committee. A more important question could not be put, and therefore I move that this house be called over on Tuesday next. Lord W. PAULETT would not oppose the motion, but feared that it would bo ineffectual in securing an attend. ance. Lord SEYMOUR did not think that the object of the . hon. and learned mem b er wou ld b e effected by the motion, if successful, while it would put the house to great incon venience. (Hear.) There was a large number of members in town, while those who were not, were engaged on mili tia, assizo, and other important business. Besides, the notice was exceedingly short. It was usual to give at least ten days' notice of a call. Then, when a call took place, what usually happened? Members came down and an swered to their names, but there was nothing to comp 31 them to wait for a division. Besides, the hon. and learned member's motion might lead to an adjourned debat e, and, in addition, there was another motion of want of cc na donee for Friday, the debate on whiea wculd, most pl o °a bly, be adjourned also. Under all the circumstances ho would suggest to the hon. and learned member to withdr .w his motion, seeing that so large a body of memb ers were in town, and that those who were absent could not return without much inconvenience. Mr. 11.A.DFIELD supported the motion, and urged that the privateaffairs of members should not be held as justi fying their Lbsence from the house in a time of national exigency. Mr. S. VORTLEY appealed to the hon. and learned member to withdraw his motion ; adding that there were enough of rembers in town to discuss a question of im portance. Mr. ROIBUCK- I am sorry to give the house this trouble, bu I think I shall show some very good reasons for my moton. First of all, in reply to the noble lord the member forTotnes, I have to say that in a treatise on the rights and irivileges of this house it is laid down that the time for a all should bo from one day to six weeks, but that was tie rule when communications were not so rapid. Nov that we have the rail and the electric tele graph, I think that seven days is quite sufficient. I shall now state candidly my reason for making this motion. It has been stated to me more than once that attempts have been made—l won't say by whom, although the house well &new by whom—attempts have been made to induce members to leave town, and therefore I take my stand on tie ancient usages of the house by moving for a call. It vas the only deence I had against the artifices used to derive me of the means of testing the wishes of this house. And when I am bold that it is uanecessarily harassing nowhere, and at the same time likely to be un availing, Ithink that there is something contradictory in the statement. members are only brought to the house, I am sure be importauss of the motion will induce them to remain; while, on the other hand, if they are induced to leave town, the question will be robbed of its due sup port, and the country will suffer in an equal proportion. It is not therefore to give annoyance to hon. members, but to obtain a sufficient discussion on a great question that I make this motion, and I beseech the house to take the constitutional means of enforcing a full attendance. The house divided— Ayes lOB Noes 133 Majority —25 The motion was therefore lost. Tho result of the divi sion was received with some cheering. TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved for leave to bring in a bill to abolish certain payments charged on the Consolidated Fund in favour of the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, and of certain profes sors in the said college, and to repeal the stamp duties pay able on matriculations and degrees in the said college. Agreed to. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. In answer to Mr. DISRAELI, Lord PALMERSTON said that on Friday he intended to go on with the Limited Liability Bill and the Partner ship Bill. COURT OF JUDICATURE ((PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND, &c.). . . Mr. V. SMITH obtained les.;ire to bring in a bill to amend certain acts relating to the Court of Judicature of Prince of Wales Island, Singapore, and Malacca. The house rose at a quarter past 1. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. HOUSE OF COMVIONS -JuLY 10. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM. Motion made, and question proposed, " That an numblo address be presented to her Majesty, thanking her Majesty for her most gracious order in Council, of the 21st day of May last, by which certain persons were directed to examine into and certify the qualifications of all young men pro posed to bo appointed to junior situations in any depart ment of the civil service ; and praying that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to direct the examination to be an open one, and held in public, and that the examiners do have regard to superior qualifications and merit ; and pray ing also that a similar order in Council be issued as to the diplomatic and consular services, with the view to secure greater efficiency in those departments of the public ser vice." Previous question put, " That that question be now put." The house divided; ayes, 125 ; noes, 140. AYES-125. • Adair. 1.1. Gibson, T. Adderley, C. Gladstone, W. Alexander, J. Gordon, A. Anderson, Sir J. Graham, Lord W. Annesley, Earl of Greenall. G. Antrobus, E. Greene, John Archdall, M. Grcnfell, Chas. Ball, E. Greville, Col. F. Ba!dock. E. Gwyn H. Barnes, T. Hadfield, G. Bass, T. Hankey, T. Raxter. W. Hastie, Alex. Bell, J. llastie, Archd. Bland, L. Heard, J. Brady, J. Hervey, Lord A • Brocklehurst, J. ITeywood, J. Byng, G. Ilindley, C. Clay, Sir W., Bt. Hutchins, E. Cobden, R. Jackson, W. Cogan, W. H. F. Keating, Ti. Colville, C. R. Kennedy, T. Cowan, C. Kershaw, J. Crook, J. Kinnaird, A. Crossley, F. Knox, Col. B. W. Dashwood, Sir G. IL Lam ton, H. G. Dering, Sir E. Laslett, W. Dillwyn, L. Lindsay, W. Duckworth, Sir J. T. LOW E. Duke, Sir J. Lushinzton, C. Duncan, G. Macgregor, John Dunlop, A. MacMahon, P. Ehrington, Viscount Maguire, J. Esmond e, J. Mangles, Ti. D. Ewart, W. Meagher, T. Evart, J. MIMI, E. Fagan, W. Michell, W. Farnham, E. Murrough, T. Fenwick, Jr. Northcote, Sir S. Ferguson, J. Oakes, J. Fergusson, Sir J. O'Brien, P. Forster, C. O'Connell, D. Fortescue, C: 0 1 F1 alter ty; A. Galwey, Sir W. Oliveira, B. NOES-140. Otway, A. Parker, R. Pecheil, Sir G. Pellatt, A. Phillhnore, R. J. Pigott, F. Pilkington, J. Pollard-Urquhart, W. Renton, G. Ricardo, 0. Rich, H. Roebuck, J. Russell, F. C. Russell, F. W. Sadleir, James Sadleir, John Scholefield, W. Scobell, Capt. G. &Illy, F. Seymour, W. D. Shafto, R. Smollett, A. Stanley, Lord Stuart, W. Sullivan, Michael Sutton, J. Talbot, C. Thompson, G. Thornhill, W. Tite, W. Tollemache, J. Vivian, H. E. Walcott, Admiral Wells, W. Wit/Oman, J. Wilkinson, W. Williams, W. ise. A. Yorke, E. TELLERS Sadly, V. Goderich, Vis. Acland, Sir T. Frewen, C. Acton, S. Galway, Viscount. Bagge, W. ("mikell, J. Bailey, C. Gregson, S. Baines, Rt. lion. M. Getty, Sir G. Baring, Sir F. Grey, It, Barrington, Viscount Grosvenor, Ld. R. Beaumont. W. Hall, Sir B. Beckett, W. Hamilton, Lord C. Bentina, G. Harcourt, G. Blackburn, Peter Harcourt, Col. F. Bolder°, Col. H. 0. Ileathcote, Sir Cf. Bouyerie, Hon. E. P. Heatheote, G. Bromley-Moore. J. Henley, J. Bramston, T. W. Herbert, S. Brand, H. B. W. Horsman, E. Brotherton, J. Ho tham, Lord Bruce, Lord E. Hutt, W. Buck, G. Jerilyn, Earl Buckley, Gen. Johnstone, Sir J. Campbell, Sir A. Jones, Adm. Castlerosse, Viscount Knight, F. Cavendish, C. Knightley, B. Cecil, Lord R. Knox, W. S. Chambers, T. Langton, W. Chaplin, W. Lewis, Sir G. C. Cockburn, Sir A. J. E.-Lindsay, Col. J. Coles, H. B. Lovaine, Lord Coote, Sir n. U. Lowther, Col. Corry, H. T. L. Luce, T. Cowper, W. F. Mackinnon, W. A. Craufurd. E. H. J. Manners, Lord J. Davies, J. L. Marloribanks, D. Disraeli. B. Matheson, A. Drumlanria, Viscount Mlles, W. Duncan, Viscount Mills, T. D and aI, , G. Mitchell,lT. Duncarvan, Viscount Molesworth, Sir W. Egerton, E. C. Monck, Viscount Ellice, E. Mon crciff, J. Elliot, J. Monsen, W. El mley, Vis. Morris, D. Evelyn, W. Mowbray, J. E. Fellowes, E. Noel, G. Fergitison, Slr J. Osborne, E. Fitz Gerald, J. Omni stop, Lord Fitzroy, Hon. H. Owen, Sir J. Forster, J. Pak ington, Sir J. Palk, L. Palmer, Robert Palmer, Roundel' Palmerston, Visct. Peel, Sir lt. Peel, F. Pennant, Col. E. Percy, J. Perry, Sir T. Phillimore, J. G. Portal, M. Powlett, Lord W. Price, Sir R. Pritchard, J. Ricardo, S. Rice, E. Bolt, P. Russell, Lord J. Sawle, C. Seymer, H. Seymour, Lord Seymour, 11. Smith, M. Smith, R. Smyth, R. J. Somerville, Sir W. Spooner, R. Stafford,"A. Steel, J. Stewart, Sir M. Tancred, IL Thornely, T. Tyler, Sir G. Vernon, G. - Villiers, C. Waddington, 11. Walter, J. Waterpark, Lord Watkins, Col. Willcox, B. Wilson, J. Wood, Sir C. Wortley, J. S. Wyvill, M. TELLERS Ilayter, W. ISlu!grave, Earl CALL OF THE HOUSE. IMotion made, and question pelt, "That this house be called over on Tuesday next." The house divided; ayes, 108 ; noes, 133. AYES—ICS. Adair, H. Gladstone, W. Otway, A. Adderlor, C. B. Goderich, Viscount Pakington, Sir J. Alexander, J. Gordon, A. Palk, L. A rchdall, M. Graham, Lord M. Palmerston, Viscount Bailey, C. Greene. Capt. John Parker, R. Ball. E. Grenfell, Charles Peel, Sir R. Baldock. E. 11. Greville, Colonel F. l'eel, F. Barnes, T. Grey, Rt. Hon. Sir G. l'ellatt, A. Bell. J. Grogan. Edward Percy, J. Blackburn, P. Gwyn, Vowel 'Pigott, F. Bolder°, Lt.-Col. H. G. Hall, Sir Benjamin Pollard-Urquhart, W. Brady, J. Hayter, W. Rice, E. Bramley-Moore, J. Hindley, G. Bolt, P. Brand, H. B. W. Horsman, E. Russell, Lord J. Bruce, Lord E. Jackson, W. Sadleir, James Buck, G. Kennedy, T. Sadleir, John ' Byng, G. H. C. Kershaw, J. Scobell. Capt. Cobden, R. Knight, F. Seymour. W. D. Colvile, C. R. Langton, W. H. P. G. Smith, R. Cowper, W. Langton, IL G. Smyth. J. G. Crook, J. Laslett, W. Spooner, R. Davies, J. Lewis, Sir G. C. Stanley, Lord Dillwyn, L. L. Lindsay, C. Sullivan, Michael Disraeli, B. Luce T. Sutton, J. Duke, Sir J. Lushington, C. M. Taylor, Colonel Duncan, Viscount M`Gregor. John Vivian, H. H. Dunne, Colonel Maguire, J. F. Waddington, H. Egerton. Edw. C. Manners, Lord J. Waterpark, Lord Emlyn, Viscount Mull, E. Wells, W. Esmonde, J. Michell, William Williams, W. Evelyn, W. J. Molesworth, Sir W. Wilson, J. Ferguson, Sir R. Monck, Vis. Wise, A. Fitzgerald. J. Monsell, W. Wood, Sir C. Gallirey, SirilY. Mulgrave, Earl of Yorke, E. Gardner, R. Murrough, J. P. TELLERS. Gaskell, J. Oakes, J. Roebuck, J. A. Gibson, M. Oliveira, B. Hadfield, George NOES-133. Acland, Sir T. Ferguson, Sir R. Ossulston, Lord Acton, Joseph Fitzroy, Henry Owen, Sir J. Anderson, Pir J. Forster, John Palmer, Robert Alinesley, Earl of Fortescue, C. S. Palmer, Roundel' Antrobus, E. Frewen, C . 11. Pechell, Sir G. Ba,gge, W. Galway, Viscount Pennant, Col. E. Baines Rt. Hon. M. Gregson, Samuel Pe r ry , S ir E . Ball, J. Grey, It. Pilkington, J. Baring, H. Grosvenor, Ld. R. Portal, M. Baring, Sir F. . Hamilton, Lord Claud Powlett, Lord W. Bass, M. 'donkey, T. Price, Sir R. Baxter, W. Harcourt, G. G. Pritchard, J. Beaumont, W. Harcourt, Col. Repton , G. Bentinek, G. Hastie, Alex. Ricardo, J. Bland, L. H. Mastic, Archd. Ricardo, 0. Bouverie, Hon. E. P. Heard, J. Russell, F. C. Bramston, T. W. Heathcote, Sir G. Russell, F. W. Brocklehurst, J. Heathcote, G. Sawle, C. Brotherton, J. Henley, J. Seymer, 11. Buckley, Gen. Herbert, H. Seymour, 11. Campbell, Sir A. I. Irton, S. Shafto, R. Cardwell, E. Johnstone, Sir J. Smith, M. Castlerosse, Vis. Jones, Admiral Smollett, A. : . avendisli, C. C. Keating, R. Somerville, Sir W. Cecil, Lord Kinnalrd, A. Stafford, A. Child, Smith Knightley, It. Steel, John Cockburn, Sir A. J. E. Knox, Col. B. W. Stewart, Sir M. Corry, H. T. L. Knox, W. S. Stuart, W. Cowan, C. Lindsay Lt.-Col. 3. Thompson, G. Craufurd, E. H. J. Lovaine, Lord i Thornely, T. Crossley, F. Lowe, R. Thornhill, W. Dashwood; Sir G. Lowther. Col. H. C. Tollemache, J. Dering, Sir E. Megan, W. Vernon, G. De Verc, S. E. Mangles, R. Villiers, C. Duckworth, Sir J. T.B. Marjoribanks, D. Walter, J. Duncan, George 3tAtheson, A. Watkins, Col. Dundas, G. Miles, W. Whatman, J. Thingarvaii, Viscount Mills, T. Wilkinson, W. Dunlop. A. Mitchell, T. A. Willcox, B. Ebrington, Viscount Moncreiffi J. Wortley, J. S. Ellice, E. Morris, D, Wyvill, H. Elliott, J. E. Mowbray, J. R. Evart, J. Noel, G. TELLEII3. Fagan, W. Northcote, Sir S. Fellowes, E. O'Brien, P. Fenw :ck, 11. O'Connell, D. Seymour, Lord Hutchins, E. MANCHESTER TRADE REPORT, TuesdaY. The (Actin ing tendency of the cotton market in Liverpool, and the favourable prospects of a more adequate supply of the raw material reported in America, bring abou t a s till further degree of i nac ti on in this m, arket. The buyers keep aloof entirely, or offer only prices whic h are ruin ous to the producer, and which can be accepted only by those who ar e d r i ven to th i s necess ity, or to the alterna t Ivo of stoppi n g their establishment. COUNTRY MARKETS. e ----- LIVERPOOL—JuLY 10. trade t4l A fair attendance of the town and country and a good demand for wheat and flour, and. an 1 1 7 3 1 ) 1 ment of 2d to 3d per 701 b and is to 2s 6d per sack 1 1 nerally established. Oats were a slow sale and ld P'e r i g lower, and oatmeal was offered at a decline of 6d . P er t o with very little effect. Barley, beans, and Pensi ni in thol request, at late rates. Indian corn neglected, and a 1 holders submitted to a further r e d uc tion of 38 per yellow and 5s per qr on white, few sales Were made. IPSWICH—JULY 10. 0 We have only a small show of wheat ; prices _i f r e much the same, but choice q ua liti es b r ing about i s r over last week's p r i ces . W e saw one sam ple of 1000 the lowest price. psi; 41 / 0° rats QUARTER. Wheat, red (old) 74s to 77s Barley, grinding, ... g s w a Ditto (new) Ditto, white (new) 80s to 84s:Peas ........ 4290 flOsi Ditto (old) Barley, malting AVERAGES FOR TUE WEEE ENDING JULY 7, 1855 ' Wheat Oats Peas — OOs 0( ; Barley 32s 6 , ' Beaus ABERDEEN—JULY 6. Potato oats 9 7s 6d to 28s Od }4olbs per bulb 4 Common oats 26 s Od t o 26 s 6d Bere 30s Od to 31s Od 1531bs Barley 30 s 6d t o 31 s Od Wheat, red (spring)6ss Od to 68s Od 1 621bs 0 „ white 75s Oil to 77s Od Oatmeal 20s Od to 21s Od per boll. Flour 55s Od to 56s Od per sack. rGE.-YESTERDO , 1 Gibraltar •• •• 0 1 Leghorn .. • • • • •• • • Genoa •• ".. Milan •• • • • • • • •' Venice........• • • • •• Naples .........• •• ". Palermo .... ...... •• Messina ....... Lisbon ••., Oporto • • • • Rio Janeiro • Buenos .Ayres.. • • New York, 60 days' Philadelphia ...... .;1! I PRICES OF BULLIC'' ,1 11 Foreign Gold in Bail I Portugal Gold coin .• 0 I Mexican Dollars .• •• 0 / New Dollars ••• 0 I Silver in bars . •• COURSE OF EX, Amsterdam.• •• .• •• •• 11 18 Ditto, three months .. 11 19 3 4 Rotterdam .. l2 19. y, Antwerp 25 4% Brussels ..... • ........ 25 37% liamburgh ............ 13 8 Altona ............ Paris ................... 25 10 Ditto, thre months .. 25 37% Marseilles 25 37% Bourdeaux ........ .. Frankfort-on Maine .. 118% Berlin •• •• •• •• •• •• •• .. Vienna— •• .... 12 22 Trie5te........••••.... 12 24 Petersburg ............ Madrid .........., 49r, .. 50% Barcelona ............ Sevillo.••••• .••• ••••.„.• J SEABORNE MAILS. (N signifies that the malls are sent from the General l'' by the night—and 111 by the morning—despatch.) Day when made up' in General Post- Office, London.* From what Port Dispatched• ( Liverpool .• • ILiverpool •• 18outhamPtonl S outham pton l o ll !Dover .....•1 Plymouth Dover ..... • Southampto n Southampton its l Dover ..... • p i t Southampton ~,p Southampton 0 1; Various ports SouthampUr ISouthamPw !Bouthamptov !Paver •• Southampton IS 'Dover ...• • • 1 it? 4 , 14 44 avple; I ,c f ) t Otil t P;t IZI * , L '4P t Mit h 11 '4l.Zts 4:1 Ni kT04 4 ,7, Dover ...• •• 1 . 1 . 01 . ii tton e Deli ` Southamptoc ' voretnors 1 ,10 1 41 Itet e Cl ' : ,is oit onmpton A . 9 . 1 ,, 411 ' FI, .414 Pr London ~Was jog, ei rrk,, th e I Soutnarnpr VII -1 014 3 .3 tana Dover ...•• •_'. olf 1 ' l / 4 ',................ .Plymouth j oi ilDover .• •• '' n, `'''Ci C ' , Dover.. •• ** 1 '"4111Lo( 11.1'▪ , D PHBB°l;i o :Nuil v 'lleYttn e hrhh r ilaaeu t nmaothdlPl i tt°:°. " .filij°llllll : l ,s t eil 4Nlll44t 4 .l : :r) tli ' lllll.:Sttra: 43 l-"c°lt ; 41 : 14 4 0,2 4ct te 144 :rs e ' ri cl 11 Jaw 1,4 eCI ISoathaniptei - , , a ft h e . Dover .....• , ,q44 Rim ier ) SoutharnPte e tro ' ' 4 1 0, t RI, Various pert ' C api e . Dover .• •• •„' ' itt e ,4Et tei I SouthamPte . tioj et iak ka ,SoutharnPtf ll 'ij , \ 5, : ,.... ) ....... 4 t ti, Various PeLP' Dover .... • • ii Dover •••• *' pilf ' b I N . Southareptonl . 4 ,..rtl ' ali I / t he` uk inet SoutbsoP t"l j ' 41 , P hsritc l4 ° ............i'°t!is in; b will:'e erovoaa fel ll e lto. sP lint a s 4 %44 4 4 In t, the e ett ut medicine, il'e,"4„.. q 4 ell, its cost in °thef t ;Melo 3', t ri testimoniala e l 0W, 3 14 4 el , ire No. 4, 2138 ';1V /4 4 °11 g, b , with cranll 3s, g;4 • pow coved by 2, 4 y 1 k, ~, 1 4 ,t tbti t t ~. 'Am. John I, ' ol' 444.itif the Dowager v f pri ' 41 44, evor, County° „0,, 1,11;),. ,_ .. Coe°7 Itlt' B tli u Dowage. Ili ki 'est of sufferie‘ r, t t t li kti tevalenta Arsb„ l ,os i 1k,, , 4 1 4 t l il dr f i n u s rol t 41 44 ' failed, 9 i a s , r many Year s' a ~,,,, it,„ LL i sufferers, ae''' jj , !l o Nlit, )e cheerfully 9 ' l ' b, l iti l ltlL R • Ig l 4 4 , 4 1 trZ t , ; 51b„ Ils. , 4 , 3)Looos:it-daoonffincie;e43.ol:ll::;o;4l it .... 1,4 4 1 . 11 , r.. ' st ß r is ee h t ° ,* Ps6 C t ig, 4 ? 4c tii!.. , otil tl , ideas-town ;0 2 Ntth fond -street ; i .,00$ ~,,...., City ; 30 et;' 611 ingdon-strel, ,/t!! cat fe, , P 0 r t nian' ' lOlO j A . 11., arc EAST. ---- 0 ;/ 'lt • . S. and 0 . . 'in i 3, i : ie h ds e Pi ci r noa c p e rye M a s d af i nic i e ls o l p t : op l ai l 4 ;o4 6l o, Ns l k silb , ..! to know the y tg A i 41 eat imports ° e i l lYj t ''..... pes possess 0 : 1 0.0) a, with an 4 t/ 'l O I I , moons, s 9 • o ' c,1 0 .14 f (1). 4 44,... ...a ~.7. , -h.q.. -. oe F Ct tt tl t , e " It 2 COUNTRIES. America(byßrit.pack)N AmericP. (by United Sts. packet) ..........N America (by U. States packet) ..........N Australia (via South- 1 ampton) .M Ditto (via Marseilles) N Ditto (via Cape of Good, Hope) ............N Africa (West Coast) .. N Alexandria .. ..N Alexandria Bahamas ...........31 Belgium ............N Brazil ..............31 Buenos Ayres ........M Cape of Good Hope .. N Cape of Good Hope ..N Cape de Verds .. N Ceylon (see India) Ceylon ..N Channel 151e5.... N China ...... Constantinople ......N Constantinople Cont. of Europe M & N Egypt (see India) _ _ & Gibraltar MI Greece (see India) I Greytown Hamburgh N Llavannah Holland bill Honduras . India (viaSouthampt.)M India (via Marseilles)M lonian Isles (see India) Ireland & N Lisbon.. Madeira Madeira N Malta (see India) Malta Mauritius (see India) Mauritius N Mexico .• •• 00000 ••• MI Naples Now Granada M New Zea1and.......... Papal States Peninsula M Porn .. ••••••• • •• •• Port Natal Sicily Tuscany •• •• •• •• •• •.Isl Venezuela Van Diemen's Land (see Australia) .• ........ West Indies Every Friday ... 33d of the month.. 0, 24, & 30 of rn. 4th & 20th of mon. !17th of tbe month ,9th of the month.. 19th oi the month.. 9th of tho month 'Mon ~Wed.,BtFrid. 2d & 17th of month Once a month.... [ 8,13,18,23,&28 elm 14th & 20th of mon. Twice daily ...... ITwico daily. — !4, 7,17,20, 27 of m. i2nd & 17th of mon.i Tuesday & Friday 2nd of the month Daily.... • • ...... 17th of the month. 4th & 20th of mon. 9 th&2s th of month 7, 17, & 27 of mon Twice daily 7,9, 17, & 97 of m. 9th of the month ,23d of month .... 18, 18, &28 of mon. 14th of the month 2nd of the month., sth 15th25thamon. 2d & 17thof month By private ship .. sth 1 hth2lithofmon. 7thl7th27thotinon 'l 2d & 27th of mon., By private ship... sthlstll2sthofmon, sth 1 stll2sthofmon. 2d& 47th of mouth 2d & t7th o 1 month When any of these dates fall on a SnadaY , spatched on the following day. with the eac Southampton), and the Malta, both of which preceding day. [ADVERTISEMENT.I—Du Barry's delicio, Food invariably restores health, withow nience, or expense, as it saves 50 times dies. We extract a few out of 50,000 which had resisted all medicines. Cu: years' dyspepsia, nervousness, debility, and nausea, have been effectually rem, delicious food in a very short time.—Re• Ridlington Rectory, Norfolk. From t/ of Castlestuart.—Cure 53,612.—Rosstrel Ireland, 9th December, 1854.—The D, Castlestuart feels induced, in the interest nity, to state that Du Barry's excellent Re' has cured her, after all medicines had bile, great nervousness and irritability of This food deserves the confidence of all considered a blessing. Inquiries will be In canisters, lib. 2s. 9d.; 21b. 45. 6d.; The 121 b., carriage free; on receipt of Fos Du Barry & Co., 77, Regent-street, La Piccadilly ; 60, Gracechurch-street ; 33r 4, Clicapside ; 60 and 68, Cornhill ; 49, 55, Charing-cross; 54, Upper Baker- Oxford-street ; 89, High-street, Camd, mall; 7, Pall-mall-East ; 132, New Bo] comb-street ; 13, King William-street, street; 21, Cockspur-street ; 95, Farrin: Paul's Churchyard ; 6, Edward-street, [ADVERTISEMENT.] THE WAR IN THE PATENT RECONNOITRING GLASSES.— Messrs, mons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, opposite the York Hotel. By Letters Patent for valuable and extraor' in the most powerful and brilliant Tel course, Opera, and Perspective Glasses, of objects viewed through them—of Brea: army, navy, and others. These telescope; ordinary powers that some 3i inches, piece, will show distinctly Jupiter's m. and the double stars ; with the same telescoPi seen a person's countenance three miles and a /13'14er i/ 91 and an object from 16 to 20 miles. They are of larg sizes, with increasing powers accordingly; while to tt# l3 io ing from 4 to 6 inches enable us to discover raoreop above, and the Georgian, with his 6 satellites, Ste• 4 ," Exhibition, Ml.—Valuable, newly-invented, powerful waistcoat-pocket glass,the size of a walnut , a person can be seen and known l miles distant; every purpose on the race-course, and at the 0 1 3° 10,,,° country scenery, and ships a re c lea r ly seen at 8 t°,15 1 51 They are invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, P . *ur sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourist s o9 race-course, camp, and perspective glasses, with , D e yr, power.—Newly - constructed Spectacle Lenses of " p p? est transparent power. The va l ua bl e a d v antsg ° from this invention is, th a t v i s i on b ecom ing 0 0 , 0 0 1 ,,, preserved and strengthened, an d ver y a ged P ° 0 1 :1 enabled to employ their sight at the most la in 001 . pation—can see with these lenses of a much le ing power—and they do not requi re th e freqtte n r , to the dangerous effects of further pow er f u l assistan ce ness—Now Discovery.—The Organic Vibrator, an %AO C nary powerful, small, newly-invented instrument forisgo+ol entirely different from all others, to surpass any re ds. kind that has been, or probably ever can be, Being of the same colour as the skin, is not perel i 0 0 0 4 enables deaf persons to hear distinctly at chure,_4s4 public assemblies ; the unpleasant sensation of sinT io 9 in the ears is entirely removed ; and it affords all mice that possibly could be desired. 39, Albenla t Piccadilly. Observe—opposite tho York Hotel. BIRTHS. OP A SON. el On the Sth inst., at Croueh-end, Mrs. L. B. Fs If On the Bth inst., at Russell-square, the wife of of Jackson, Esq. „d r* y On the 7th inst., at Ruperra Castle, Glamorg— wife of Sir George Walker, Bart. t. foPil On the sth inst., at 24, H am ilt on - terrac e , 5 „ ; of wood, the wife of J. C. Macd ermo t y , E sq ., A 10 3" morton, Oxon. OP A DAUGHTER. On the 10th inst., at 8, Southwick-crescent, ir the wife of J. Bonham Carter, Esq. M.P. I, O OP' On the 10th inst., at 1, Albert-place, Black" wife of Win. Pantin Esq. the On the 10th inst. 'at Blackheath, the wife 11. Battiscombe, M .A. MARRIED. t On the 9th inst., at Si. Peter's Church, -. tb4i;o l4 Samuel Whitbread, Esq., M.P., son of Saran!' and the ilon. Mrs.Whitbread, to Ladylsabc l,3 4?) third daughter of the Earl of Chichester. j On the 3d inst., at St. Pancras Church, gr. 1 1 .0 Wymondham, Norfolk, to Miss Butler, of N or race, Hammersmith. .r) DIED. 013 % t i r , On the Bth inst., at Em s , i n G erman y, Sir lieu Kt., d. p a rry, Rear-Admiral o f th e White, an 2 / Governor of Greenwich Hospital, aged 65 . On the Gth inst., a t For glen House, 1331 '" -- a i dl,, l . Sir Robert Abercromby, Bt.. of Birkenhog , tt - e d At Christchu rc h, O x f or d , P . P usey , Esq.' B'll On the 10th i ns t., a t th e T errace , Canaberrie p ijr. H. o o n the Bth insqtidler, Es. a M.r. John Cute, ged 59. of Albi° ll Queen's-road, Dal;ton, aged 71. yov9 l LONDON : Printed and Published by of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Ofe'coon" Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy. in t' lle Middlesex, Wednesday, July 11, 1855. Vi a s 1 The m ornir and baairt every dhy ALBI :Notic e the rate 0 ; kE ICT to To aacis Every " A PPIY tot NTEp I1: 4*1 " IS b the t her e °. dec.] et ir th A,pL_E "El e ventattOttc coeiet, " y