The Sun. — London, England, 1861-04-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY 'AVENING, 'APRIL 25, 1861. The Select Committee appointed to consider whether, by any alterations in the forms and pro ceedings of the House of Commons, the despatch of public business can be more effectually promoted, have considered the matters to them referred, and have agreed to the following report 1. In discharge of the duty confided to them, your committee, in the first instance, directed their attention to the inquiries and report of three select committees, which have been appointed within the last 30 years for the purpose of considering the best means whereby public business might be conducted in the House of Commons with improved regularity and despatch. 2. The first of these committees was appointed in 1837, and recommended only two changes, compa ratively small, in the ancient rules and established orders, both of which were adopted by the house. 3. The second committee was appointed in 1848. Mr. Evelyn Denison, the present Speaker of the House of Commons, presided over it. Various im portant changes were considered by that committee. The evidence of distinguished foreigners was taken with regard to the forms and order of proceeding in the popular assemblies of France and of the United States of America. No changes based on these models were recommended. The alterations adopted were six in number, although many others were discussed. The most important of them was that by which the ru l e o f progress w as applied to committees of the whole house on public bills. 4. Again in 1854 the same question was referred to a third committee. They also took evidence, and entered into a larger inquiry. They heard the opi nion of Lord Eversley, then Speaker, with respect both to the causes of delay in the transaction of public business, and the remedies which might be app li e d ; 36 alterations were proposed by the chair man ; they were tantamount to a revision of the standing orders of the house, and to a change of many ancient usages; but the committee were un able to concur in the great majority of these pro posals, and ended in making to the house nine re commendations. Eight of these were adopted. They were of the same character as those which were sanctioned by the house on the report of the committee in 1848, and may be regarded rather as supplementary aids than as decisive changes. 5. On all these occasions, the house and its com mittees have proceeded with the utmost caution. They have treated with respect the written and the unwritten law of Parliament, which for ages has secured a good system of legislation, perfect free dom of debate, and a due regard for the rights of minorities. 6. This respect for tradition and this caution in making changes have proceeded on the principle that no change is justifiable which- experience has not proved to be necessary,and that the maintenance of the old rules is preferable to new, but specula tive, amendments. 7. It is also to be observed, that this caution in making changes had not been unproductive of ad vantage. The new rules, which have been intro duced in consequence of the reports of the three committees above enumerated, have been found to work so well, that not one of them has been hitherto either altered or rescinded. 8. Such, then, being the principle on which pro posed alterations in the forms and proceedings of the house may be safely founded, the question arises, what are the objects to be kept steadfastly in view when alterations are suggested or adopted ? . 9. These objects are well defined by Lord Evers ley in his evidence before the committee of 1854, when (in answer to question 516) he says, "In all the improvements that we have yet made in the conduct of public business ; we have endeavoured, as much as possible, to let the house understand exactly what questions they will have to discuss, and to prevent surprises, and also to give some cer tainty to our proceedings." 10. The present Speaker strongly corroborates this opinion. He says that the most important thing to which the attention of this committee can be directed is certainty, day by day, so far as it is possible, as to the business to be transacted ; and that, for despatch, for the convenience of members, and for decorum of proceedings, certainty is to be regarded as the primary object. 11. Mr. Massey, also, the chairman of the Com mittee of Ways and Means, considers it desirable, for the or d er of proceedings, as well as for the con- I venience of members, that some closer approxima tion to certainty in the arrangement of the business of the house should, if possible, be effected. 12. In pursuit of this object of greater certainty in the proceedings of the house, the special att en -- tion of y our comm i ttee was called by the Speaker to the motions constantly made before going into Committees of Supply. Although only one amend ment to each motion, " That the Speaker do leave the chair," can be put to the vote, yet the attention of the house may on that motion be called to any number of questions, and a long debate may be taken before the house resolves itself into a com mittee. This course may be daily repeated on the same class of estimates, and long delay as well as uncertainty is the consequence before the details of the estimates can be considered. The remedy sug gested by Mr. Speaker is, that upon the four great heads of the army, the navy, the revenue depart ments, and the civil service, the house, having once gone into committee, might, on that same head of estimates, resume its deliberations in committee without any question being put. In a word, that the same rule of progress which prevails with re gard to committ ees on bi lls, might be extended to Committees of Supply on these four classes of esti mates. This suggestion was offered to the committee of 1854, as appears from their report; yet, from fear of unduly limiting the opportunities of debate and of the discussion of grievances, the committee, while admitting the inconvenience complained of, declined to recommend the adoption of any new rule by the house. This cause of delay, if it be an evil, has now for seven years remained unchecked, and, in the opinion of the Speaker, the delay has increased. At the same time, without imposing some new re striction, it is admitted by the Speaker to be impos sible to avoid these delays, and to give greater cer tainty to prog ress i n C ommittees of Supply. 13. Your comm i ttee have anxiously considered the policy of imposing some such check. The time consumed in these preliminary discussions was in the last session on an average three hours each day on the 11 occasions when the motion was made for the Speaker leaving the chair to go into committee on these four classes of estimates, which is equiva lent to the average of time occupied in four Govern ment order days. It cannot be denied that these multiplied preliminary motions are a serious obstacle to certainty in the proceedings of the house, and are a cause of much delay. On the other hand, it must be remembered that the statement and consi deration of grievances before Supply are among the the most ancient and important privileges of the Commons, and this opportunity of obtaining full explanation from the Ministers of the Crown is the surest and the best. Before going into a Commit. tee of Supply, the Ministers have an interest both in making a house and keeping a house. The debate proceeds, with the Speaker in the chair, with an appropriate motion under discussion, and the strictest rules of debate are necessarily observed. Your committee, moreover, apprehend that the ap plication of the ruleofprogress as proposed to Com mittee of Supply might produce serious inconve nience by creatinc , an additional obstacle to the Speaker leaving the chair for the first time on going into any class of estimates, and thereby delaying votes in Supply which mar be of great importance to the public service. On the whole, therefore, your committee adhere to the decision of the committee , in 1854, and have not thought it expedient to re commend a departure from established usage in this particular. 14. Under this same head of greater certainty, and of avoiding needless consumption of time, an other question presented itself, which had been con sidered by the committegg in 1854, " That the house at its rising do adjourn to Monday next." The committee of 1854 recommended that, by a standing order, the house on Friday " should stand adjourned till the following Monday, with out question put, unless the house should other wise resolve." This recommendation was brought in 1854 under consideration of the house ; it tonot negati ve d, b u t t h e mot i on to give effect n it was withdrawn, from the disinclin a ti on o f th e hous e t o a d opt it. ' This disinclination has been indicated in a marked manner for the last seven years,stour o n r and now a l mos t i nvar i a bl y on every Friday a 'liscussion takes place on th e mot i on of adj objections went to Monday. Doubtless, many grave be urged against these discussions, especially no because no atn n prolonged. They are inconclusive, house can be mendment to the question before the adjenrouvint; theyoore irregular, because they have icrestion put from the chair they are nnsat isfact tlie ° y 3 ' E i r beca use various subjects are interlaced; and a rte dangerous in their ten dency, as leadicg t o of dollte, the maintenanxeaetion of the strict rules 0 j e which rules in all their itlfe4rily is essential to of the 'T wos° o f c om w ra t o h o4 cha r. ra e t er and the of enied undefined it now exists, ito pr)•3:77:; on th e s peake i r I t i l e p ract i ce, as reTonsibility and em harrassin,r to enforce order in discussions not strictleya,v,°darilng and this responsibility with refers is increased by are to be put. every t . er y' a tempt to classify the various topics, nee to th e Minister to whom various questions Attempts of this kind give rise to dissatisfaction, as tending to obstruct the free current of debate. Nevertheless these discussions have been found co n . venient, as affording prompt opportunities for bring ing before the house matters of interest as they arise at short intervals; they often supersede the necessity of formal motions, which would occupy much longer time; and without altogether setting aside the rules of debate, they give some latitude to questions and answers, accompanied by reasons. These balanced considerations have been weighed by your committee. The Speaker, with the view of attaining certainty as to the hour of commencing the business of the day, suggested a limitation in point of time, and proposed that at a given hour on Friday the question of adjournment, if not previously decided, should be :put, and the voices be taken. A resolution to this effect was moved in your committee, but was negatived, on a divi sion, by a maj or it y o f t wo, t h e ayes b e i ng . eight and the noes ten: This proposal is obviously of the nature of a compromise; but it has been urged that it removes none of the obj ection s ; be . it restricts the advantages, if advantages t here , would save some loss of time, at the expense of the introduction of a new principle into the proceed ings of the house ; it would cut short debate by the' clock, without adjournment, and before its natural termination. 15. But your committee are of opinion that the ractice might be e qua ll y ob egular manner. a ta d i v n a e a d i n g e a s m o f o the re r p 16. In strict conformity with the ancient use of the house, the motion for going into a Committee of Supply or of Ways and Means does afford a legitimate opportunity for the introduction of wide and full discussion on every variety of subjects. A range as unlimited as that now assumed on the motion for adjournment to Monday is thereby opened without the transgression of any rules or usages of the house; and the vote in conclusion bears relation to the debate which precedes it. 17. Your committee think it therefore expedient to adopt the standing order recommended by the committee of 1854, whereby the house at its rising on Friday, without motion made, would stand ad- journed to the Monday following, unless the house shall otherwise resolve • but this on conditi on th a t Friday be a Government order day throughout the session, that the motion for a Committee of Supply of Ways and Means stand first among the Government orders ou that day. 18. The motion for adjournment on Fridays would thus be superseded, and the proceedings on Friday evenings, unrestricted, although desultory, would be conducted according to the established rules of debate, on a suitable motion, and with an appropriate conclusion. 19. Apart from the consideration of the means of giving greater certainty to the transaction of the daily business of the house, your committee have directed their attention to the inquiry whether any impediments to the progress of measures from the first commencement of each session can be justly attributed to the standing orders. 20. By standing order, 25th June, 1852 (No. 408) the Committees of Supply and Ways and Means are fixed for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and for any other day on which orders of the day shall have precedence of notices of motions. 21. By standing :orders 2 5th June, 1852 (No. 97), unles s th e house shall otherwise direct, all orders of the day set down in the order-book for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, are to be dis posed of before the house will proceed on any mo tions of which notices shall have been given. 22. By No. 99 the orders of the day are to be dis posed of in the order in which they stand upon the paper, the right being secured to her Majesty's Mi nisters of placing Government orders at the head of the list, in the rotation in which they are to be taken on the days on which Government bills have precedence. • 23. The days on which this precedence is now given to Government orders, at the commencement of the session, are limited to two, namely, Monday and Thursday; since, by a recent arrangement, Thursday has been substituted for Friday as an order day. On Wednesdays the Government orders have no precedence, and the bills introduced by pri vate members generally occupy the whole of each Wednesday, until the close of the session is at hand. 24. On Tuesdays and on Fridays notices of mo tion have precedence ; and the practical operation is this, that on two only out of five sitting days in each week can the Government business be brought forward with certainty. 25. It is true that a third order day is generally conceded to the Government towards the middle of the session. But it must be remembered how large a proportion of the public business transacted is now devolved on the Ministers of the Crown. All questions of Supply and of Ways and Means are exclusively in their hands; and for the express purpose of bringing large branches of the public expenditure more closely under the annual review of the House of Commons, numerous charges have been recently removed from the Consolidated Fund, and have been placed on the Estimates. Moreover, the whole cost of the collection of the revenue is now submitted in detail to annual vote. These salutary changes have added greatly to the labours of the Committee of Supply, and make a large de duction from the time available for Government bills on order nights. 26. Although it is expedient to preserve for in dividual members ample opportunity for the intro duction and passing of legislative measures, yet it is the primary duty of the advisers of the Crown to lay before Parliament such changes in the law as in their judgment are necessary; and while they possess the confidence of the House of Commons, and remain responsible for good government and for the safety. of the state, it would seem reason able that a preference should be yielded to them, not only in the introduction of their bills, but in the opportunities for pressing them on the conside ration of the house. 27. It has been already observed that at an ad vanced period of the Session a third night in the week is generally set apart for Government orders. But it ought not to be forgotten that it is at the commencement of the Session when the real pres sure is most urgent for the early transaction of the Government business. The Mutiny Acts expire annually on the 25th of April. Previously to their introduction for renewal, the number of men must be voted in a Committee of Supply. On the num ber of men mainly depends the annual charge for the army and navy, which constitutes the largest portion of the Supplies to be voted for the year. Much discussion necessarily arises ; and thus, before Easter, the two Government order nights in each week are principally occupied by debates before going into Committee of Supply on the Navy and Army Estimates, and by the consideration of the leading details of these two estimates in committee. 28. The obvious effect of this delay is to retard legislation, and to postpone the consideration of the Government bills untilafter Easter. A further con sequence is the failure of many bills which are in troduced. For this the Government cannot be fairly blamed; some are withdrawn in the Commons from the want of time fully to consider them ; others miscarry in the House of Lords, where they are set aside without discussion of their merits cn the ground of the lateness of the session. 29. These considerations have led your committee to the conclusion that more time should be given for Government orders of the day from the first commencement of each session ; and that standing orders of the 25th of June, 1852, should be revised. to 30recommen. With th d is view, yo ur comm i ttee have agreed Ist. That the Committees of Supply and Ways Means may be fixed for any day on which the house shall meet for despatch of public business. 2d. That on Friday, until the end of the present session, orders of the day shall have precedence of notices of motions, the right being reserved to her Majesty's Ministers of placing Government orders at the head of the list. 31. The first of these two recommendations will t le o a n v o e t u ic n e t s o o n f eh m ed ot t i h o e ns p o r eveeer d oe rndeeer sgiven h c o n Tues day. d p a r ) i -s . vete members will continue to enjoy, unchanged and unrestricted, their present right of making motions on Tuesdays, before any order of the day can be considered ; and this recommendation if adopted, will give on Tu es d ays to the Ministers of the Crown no power of placing their orders at the head of the list. Its limited effect will be to enable the Ministers to place Supply on Tuesdays among. the orders of the day, but without precedence. In the early part of the session this power may not be operative ; but as the session advances occasions will occur when progress in Supply may be made on Tuesdays, after the termination of de bates on motions. 32. An indirect effect also of this recommendation may be anticipated. I is remarkable that, since the yeaflBs6, on no else occasion has the house not been made at 4 o'clock. In the present Parliament, since July, 1859, the house has been counted out 18 times. This happened nine times out of the 18 on Tuesdays, and eight times out of the nine Wore 9 o'clock. It may be conjectured that Ministers on Tuesday's, having little business of their own fixed for that day, are indifferent as to keeping a house. The contingent right to bring on Supply at a later hour of the evening would give to the Ministers an interest in keeping a house, and a portion of a fifth night in many weeks of the session might thus be gained for public business. 33. These reasons have a bearing on the second recommendation of your committee. Independently of Tuesday, which vi ill continue to be the motion night, the opportunities of making motions are nu merous throughout the session before going into Committees of Supply and Ways and Means. With the view of advancing public business, order days are indispensable, and ou casting the balance between motions and Orders your committee are of opinion fort three d ays out of five in every week set apart orders will greatly facilitate the despatch of public business, without an undue encroachment on the privilege of private members. Your committee therefore recommend the trial of this change in the standing orders at least for the present session. 34. Before the committee of 1854 Lord Eversley (in answer to question 457) expressed an opinion " that it would be desirable that a bill, which has been committed to a select committee upstairs, Should not in all cases pass through a committee of the whole house." He thought that the present practice of the house might be modified in this particular, and that the rule of recommitting to a committee of the whole house might in certain cases be dispensed with. 35. The Speaker decidedly concurs in this opinion. He says that " While other recommendations would perhaps tend more to certainty in the conduct of business, some alteration with regard to the pro ceedings in committee would, perhaps, tend to ex pedite public business more than anything which has yet been considered." Mr. Speaker then pro ceeds to state fully his reasons for this opinion. They are strong, and are clearly enunciated, and your committee trust that they will receive the careful consideration of the house. 36. It is not proposed that in any case a bill, after its second reading, shall be referred to a select com mittee without a distinct motion from the chair, and without the special order of the house. But on the report from the select committee, it is proposed that the bill shall not be recommitted to a committee of the whole house, without a motion made and carried to that effect. The presumption now is, that the examination of a bill before a select committee is insufficient; and that examination ought, clause by clause, to be repeated in the house. By the pro posed change the presumption would be inverted. The - examination of the bill before the select com mittee would stand good, and be held to be suffi cient, unless the house by vote should declare to the contrary, and order the bill, either in whole or in part, to be recommitted to a committee of the whole house. 37. The precise nature of this proposal is worthy of close attention. If a motion be made that a bill after the second reading be referred to a select committee, the house on each occasion will have the opportunity of exercising its judgment whether the principle and details of the measure are so much intermixed as to render the reference to a committee upstairs inexpedient. The controlling power of the house over each bill will in no degree be compromised. The decision to refer or not to refer will remain entirely in their own hands ; and when the report comes down from the select com mittee the house will have an ample opportunity of revising the proceedings and the decisions of the select committee. If they be sanctioned, the delay and the unnecessary step of a reference to a com mittee of the whole house will be avoided ; if it be deemed necessary or wise to reconsider the amend ments, on motion the bill will be recommitted, and an appeal will thus be given to the judgment of the whole house. 38. Without recommitting the entire bill, there maybe frequently great advantagein recommitting certain clauses only. The consolidation of the statute law is now a great branch of law reform. But con solidation without amendment is imperfect, and the re-enactment of the existing law without change may be well considered in all its details exclusively by a select committee, and a great saving of time be thereby effected ; yet changes in the provisions of the law ought still to be submitted to the collec tive wisdom of the house; and this might be con veniently done, if clauses containing new matter were specially reported by the select committee, and if these clauses only were recommitted to the whole house. 39. The bills which have been sent down by the Lords in the present session, for the consolidation of an important branch of the criminal law, and for the repeal of statutes which have fallen into desue tude, would afford a good opportunity for testing the experiment. The latter bill contains a schedule of /08 pages, in which are given the titles of nearly 800 Acts of Parliament to be repealed in whole or part. Your committee recommend therefore that— When a public bill has been committed to a select committee, and reported to the house, the bill, as amended, shall be a pp o i n t e d for consideration on a future day, when, unless the house shall order the bill generally, or specially in respect of any parti cular clause or clauses thereof, to be recommitted to a committee of the whole house, after the conside ration of the report, the bill may be ordered to be read a third time. 40. Your committee have not overlooked a pro posal made in the other House of Parliament, that a power should be given by statute, to either House of Parliament, of suspending (at any stage of pro ceeding) bills which shall have been passed by the other House of Parliament, and of resuming such bills in the succeeding session at the precise stage where they had been dropped. 41. The objections to this proposal are grave and numerous. The power sought would only be exer cised with respect to important measures; and this power of suspension would give increased facilities for retarding legislation. There is also much greater facility in altering in a new session the frame and scope of a measure when it has been extinguished by prorogation. A bill sent from one house and suspended in the other could not be amended during the recess. It must be resumed as it was left; and all amendments which might then be introduced could be fully debated in one house only; for the house to which the amended bill is retnrned oannot recommit it, but must accept or reject the amendments proposed. The opportunities for reconsidering, improving, and amply discussing important measures would thus be inconveniently abridged. 42. Moreover, this suspending power in either House of Parliament, if exercised at its own dis cretion, would be at variance with the prerogative of the Crown. The deliberations of Parliament may be cut short at any moment by the exercise of the Royal power of prorogation, which quashes all proceedings pending at the time, except impeach ments by the Commons, writs of error and appeals before the House of Lords, and trials in progress before election committees. Every bill must be renewed after a prorogation, as if it had never been introduced, though the prorogation be for no more than a single day. In 1689, Parliament was pro rogued from the 21st of October to the 23d, for the purpose of re-introducing the Bill of Rights, con cerning which a difference fatal to its progress had risen between the two houses. 43. In June, 1610, the Commons established a rule " that no bill of the same substance be brought in the same session," and so imperative has this rule been regarded, that in 1707 Parliament was prorogued for a week, in order to admit the revival of a bill which had been rejected by the Lords. 44. If this power of suspending had then existed in neither of these two cases could the prerogative of prorogation have been exercised with its salutary effects ; and the tendency of this new power would be to give to the house exerting it an equivalent to the Royal veto in its mild form, when the Sovereign declares "Le Roi eavisera." 45. But in the bill introduced into the House of Lords in 1848 there was a provision that the con sent of the Crown should be first duly signified to such suspension. This consent of the Crown to the mode of dealing with bills not perfected by the concurrence of the other branches of the Legislature would be a novelty at variance with constitutional practice not to be defended by any necessity. The prerogative of the Crown in all cases where the rights, interests, and property of the Crown are not specially affected is limited to assenting to or re jecting bills which have passed both houses. It is barred from all interference during the discussion of them in either House of Parliament. 46. On the whole, therefore, your committee ad here to the opinion expressed by the select com mittee in 1848, and which came to the resolution " that having considered the provisions of the Par liamentary Proceedings Adjournment Bill, they do not think it advisable to recommend it for adoption by the house." 47. Your committee cannot leave unnoticed an intimation, which they have received from the Se lect Committee of the House of Lords on Public Business, that they would suggest for adoption by both houses the three following resolutions :- Ist. That it is expedient, in certain cases, to adopt an abridged form of proceeding with reference to bills which shall be again brought before this house after having been passed by it, in the imme diately preceding session of the same Parliament. 2d. That the bills in respect to which such abridged form of proceeding may be adopted shall be, mutatis mutandis, the same bills which this house may have passed and sent to the other house, and as to which that house may have resolved that there did not remain time for their due consideration in the session in which they were received. 3d. That on a resolution being moved, that it is expedient again to pass, and to send to the other house for its concurrence, any such bill, the question shall be put whether the house will. agree to the same, and on such resolution being agreed to, the bill to which it relates shall be forthwith sent to the other house for its concurrence, without any farther question being put or any debate allowed. 48, These resolutions are not, indeed, open to the objection of interference with the prerogative of the Crown, as they do not contemplate the actual sus pension of bills from one session to another, not withstanding a prorogation ; nor are they open to the objection of sanctioning a novel practice as to the concurrence of the Crown in the mode of deal ing with bills in progress through Parliament. 49. But their avowed object is to provide in cer tain cases for the resumption, in a new session of the same Parliament, of bills passed by one house and not considered by the other, by means of new and summary forms of proceeding, which they declare it expedient to adopt. 50. The objections already stated against a statute for the purpose above-mentioned apply in a great degree to these resolutions. They, in common with the statute, would apply only to measures of im portance, involving considerable detail ; and it is extremely improbable that, after an interval of several months, either house would desire to send up to the other house measures of this nature without any amendment. 51. In order, however, to effect this object, if de sired, the resolutions, so far as the Commons are concerned, are not necessary. Whenever it may be thought desirable promptly to pass, and to send to the other house for its concurrence, a bill passed in a former session, but set aside in the Lords, the Commons may pass the bill rapidly through all its stages, if they be so minded ; and this course is not open to the objection of providing fresh opportu nities for the postponement of legislation. 52. With regret, therefore, your committee have come to the conclusion that the three resolutions suggested by the committee of the House of Lords cannot be recommended to the Commons for their adoption. 53. There is a minor point, on which it is under stpod a new arrangement might be made by the Commons, which would be satisfactory to the Lords. Every bill sent up from the Commons is, on the motion of the Chairman of Committees, read a first time, and is ordered to be, printed, as a matter of course and of courtesy, but no time is ne cessarily fixed for the second reading. Bills sent from the Lords to the Commons are not so treated. They are not read a first time and printed, unless some member, who makes the motion, proposes also a day for the second reading. By a standing order of the House of Commons, made on the 25th of June, 1852, when any bill is presented by a mem ber in pursuance of an order of this house, or is brought from the Lords, the questions, " That the bill be read a first time," and "That it be printed," are to be decided without amendment or debate, and no bill can therefore be read a first time and printed without such leave obtained. Your committee ap prehend that, if the suggested alteration as to bills brought from the Lords were to be adopted, it might lead to an alteration of this established usage of the Commons, which your committee think would not be txpadient. The Lords are desirous that bills in the same circumstances should be treated alike in both houses. But the practice of the two houses with respect to the introduction of bills is dissimilar. No member of the House of Commons can bring in a bill without a vote of the house, after due notice, permitting its intro duction ; and even when leave has been so given, the first reading is a question to be put from the chair. It is not expedient, in the opinion of your committee, to change this established usage of the Commons ; and some danger of a departure from it might be incurred by the adoption of the suggested alteration. 54. It is admitted that within the last few years the public and private business of the house has greatly increased. It must be admitted also that this increase of business has been met by a corres ponding diligence and energy on the part o f the house. In the l as t Session of Parliament, the hOuse on an average sat nearly nine hours on five days in each week. The number of days of sitting was 145 ; the entire number of hours was 1,244 ; the number of howls after midnight, 147 ; this, too, independently of the time employed in committees upstairs both on public and private business. The number of public acts passed in the last session was 154. Here there is an immense amount of business transacted on the whole to the satisfaction of the public, without any extensive change in the forms and order of proceedings. 55. Your committee suggest that, except for the purpose of bringing some important debate to a conclusion, the house should not sit more than nine hours out of the 24 on days when the house meets in the evening, and not more than 11 hours when the house sits both in the morning and evening. Your committ ee b e li eve th a t this object would be best secured by a refusal to commence the discus sion of opposed business after 1 o'clock in the morning. 56. It is necessary, however, to be watchful, and to guard against the broad of new causes of delay. A practice has arisen of putting questions to mini sters, on notice, when no motion is before the house ; and these questions, and the answers to them, are confined wihin narrow limits, intended to be precautions against irregular debate. There is convenience in this course; but to prevent this license degenerating .nto abuse it is most impor tant that both the questions and answers should be as concise as possible, and not sustained by reason ing, which might give r i se t o d e b ate. Recourse on these occasions has bmu sometimes had to the ex pedient of moving the adjournment of the house for the express purpose of opening debate. This proceeding is to be regarded with the greatest jea lousy. It is in reality an abuse of one of the forms of the house, with the avowed intent of virtually breaking its essential rules. Your committee have come to the conclusion that this evil has not reached the point wherespecial interference by a new stand ing order would be expedient. They are disposed still to rely on the forbearance of members in the use of forms which respect for ancient usage leaves unaltered; and the marked disapprobation of a large majority of the house may check the growth of so objectionable a practice. 57. Your committee, 1;1.0 prceedtug committees on the same subject, have passed in review many suggested alterations, but like them have come to the conclusion that the old rules and orders, when carefully considered and narrowly investigated, are found to be the safeguard of freedom of debate, and a sure defence against the oppression of overpower ing majorities. Extreme caution, therefore, in re commending or introducing changes is dictated by prudence. These rules and orders are the fruit of long experience; a day may break down the pre scription of centuries. It is easy to destroy ; it is difficult and toreciofntshte excellence But if c h anges b e thus dangerous, of the existing rules it is the fir s t d u t y o f rules inviolate, and t o t b h e e t h hu eu s s c e on to st m an a t i l n y ta r i e n cog th c e is s e e d, resist every attempt to e ncroach on them. The Speaker is their appointed guardian; he is en titled to the unanimous sup port of the House in his efforts to enforce th em, Common consent is t their he b maintenance. Order is without order freedom of debatee e s e t alen se de c h u jp r ei i .e t o y tm; despatch of business cannot for their d their long exist. 58. It remains only to give a summary of the recommendations adopted by your committee. are as follows : They ar e f our i n num b er 1. That th e C ommittees of Supply and Ways and Means may be fixed for , and every day on which the house shall meet for the despatch of public business. 2. That on Friday, throtghout the session, orders of the day shall have the precedence of notices of motions, the right being reserved to her Majesty' s Mi n i sters o f Placing Government orders on the head of the list. on 3.Frida That by standing or!ier the h ouse at i ts r i sing y do stand adjourned to th e f o ll ow i ng should otherwise resolve ; Monday without question p ut, Committees of Supply and unless the h ouse provid e d t h at, while the of Ways and Mean s are open, the first order of th e day on Friday shall be either Supply or Ways and Means, and that on that order being read, the motion shall be made, "That the Speaker do leave the chair." 4. That when a public bill has been committed to a select committee, and reported to the house, the bill, as amended, shall be appointed for con sideration on a future day; when, unless the house shall order the bill generally, or specially in respect of any particular clause or clauses thereof, to be recommitted to a committee of the whole house, the bill, after the consideration of the report, may be ordered to be read a third time. April 19, 1861. —______ (From the Times.) The Select Committee on the Business of the House of Commons has made its report. Those, if any, who looked fora comprehensive scheme which should revolutionise the present mode of managing di sappointed. The re commen d at i ons bo affairs body yh ei Committeeintrusted b t e e d d w isa arewith h he few t and simple, a s b : :seems a revisal of usages w hi c h have been imitated by every representative as sembly in the world. This is not a time when large cha'iges would be popah,r, or even possible. When we take up this report our memory runs back to the year of turmoil, 1846, when N. Gu:zot, just fallen from power in France, gave evidence as to the prac tice of the Assembly which perished with him. The opinion of Americans was also taken respecting cer tarn forms in vogue in Congress at Washington. But the British Parliament would accept neither the "cloture" nor the sandglass. For centuries an English politician had nev.'r been restricted to time, nor placed at the mercy of his hearers' impatience. He might talk till the holm adjourned, and the only deliverence open to the weary listener was to withdraw. This liberal practice the House of Com mons would not abandon on the examp e of foreign and new-fangled Legislatures. In 1861 it is still less likely that 'strange customs should be intro duced. Since the days we speak of France has had two new Constitutions, and the American Ittlaub!ic is no more. The British Parliament remains not only original, bat unique. It may well claim to be judged by its fruits, as well as by its et.erable trunk and spreading branches. Its wcrks are before the world, and excite wonder by their quantity as well as th e i r mer i t. In spite of floods of talk, which surge yearly higher and higher, in spite of an increased number of annuals in the shape of motions, which consume an evening though they may not command an audience, in spite of the mass of private bills, which must be considered with more or less attention, Parliament does man age to perform a great deal of work. The cause of the evil and its remedy have been often pointed out in thgse celumns. The change in Parliamentary usage hats laid upon Government the task of introducing all the important measures of the session. Of old this was by no means the case. In fact the very idea of a Government measure is comparatively modern. In the days when the forms of procedure in the House of Commons were insti tuted the Ministers were administrators, and little more. They were charged by the King with the manatement of their several departments, and legislation was, on the whole, more the work of the Opposition than of the Ministers. Even up to our own time private members brought in and car ried bills continually, but now a private member can only hope to pass a measure of his own origi nation by_ causing it to b e " a d opte d" b y Govern ment. When it is fully understood that the mass of legislation to be accomplished increases yearly, and also yearly becomes more centralised in the hands of the Government, the necessity of a change in the practice of the house is manifest. One of the hardships which presses on the working members of the house, and on Ministers especially, is the being forced to attend hour after hour while the time of the house is wasted by some independent member on what is called the " ventilation" of his favourite idea. The remedy for the evil plainly is; that either the Government should have a larger number of days on which to bring forward the business they have taken in hand, or that when a subject stands in the list for the day it should not be put off by preliminary discussions. "It cannot be denied, - say the committee, " that these multiplied prelimi nary motions are a serious obstacle to certainty in the proceedings of the house, and a cause of much delay." The committee, however, are naturally anxious not to curtail that ancient and important privilege of the Commons—the statement and con sideration of grievances before going into Committee of Supply, and so they make no recommendation to that effect. But they recommend, first, that the Committees of Supply and Ways and Means may be fixed for every day on which the house shall meet for the despatch of public business ; secondly, that on Friday Orders of the Day shall have prece dence of Notices of Motions, the right being re served to the Ministry of placing Government orders on the head of the list ; thirdly, that the house at its rising on Friday shall stand adjourned to Monday, without question put, thus getting rid of one of the most constantly recurring inter ruptions of the week—the debate on the motion for adjournment; and, fourthly, that Public Bills which have been referred to a Select Committee may be read a third time, after being reported, without being recommitted. The result of these recommendations will be to give Government three days a week, certainly not too much for the proper transaction of the business with which they are charged; It requires some philosophy to acquiesce in the reserve of the Committee on the subject of motions on going into Committee of Supply. Yet we are disposed to think that, on the whole, it is better to leave things as they are, and to trust to the good sense of the House to prevent the abuse of the privilege. After all, Parliament is not merely a legislating body, but also a mouthpiece of the country; and even the random discussions on Fridays had their use, in testing the opinions of the House, drawing declarations of policy from Ministers, and informing foreign countries of the public feeling of England. It is undoubtedly tire some that important matters, as t he Army, the Navy, and the Revenue, should be delayed by frivolous discussions. But, on the other hand, there arise occasionally matters which private members ought to be able to force on the attention of Government at the very shortest notice, and no more efficient means exist for accomplishing this object than a motion on going into Committee of Supply. If this power did not exist, a Government might be able to stave off discussion on an unpleasant subject during almost an entire Session. The proper jealousy with which the Executive ought to be regarded should make us submit to many inconveniences. We trust, however, that the opinions expressed by the Committee as to the unreasonable delays inter posed by these preliminary discussions will lead independent members to use their privilege seldom and briefly. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE METROPOLITAN. A special general meeting of this company was held yesterday at the London Tavern to consider three railway bills as proposed to be introduced into the House of Commons, having passed the House of Lords—Mr. J. Parson in the chair. Mr. Burchell, the solicitor, read the heads ofa bill to authorise the Metropolitan Railway Company to make certain improvements in their communication with the Great Northern Railway and the Metro politan Meat Market at Smithfield; to authorise the purchase of additional lands for purposes con nected with that railway; and to authorise arrange ments with the Corporation of London and with certain railway companies. The CHAIRMAN said he had explained the object of the bill at the last half -yearly meeting. It was agreed with the Great Northern Railway that if they would make what was called the Western or Hotel branch from their line to the Metropolitan Railway at King's-cross, the latter company would make an improved communication from their King's cross station to the Great Northern Railway in Maiden-lane, as it was important that the commu nication from the New Cattle -market to the Meat Market in Smithfield should be as direct as possible. The cost of the improved junction would be £40,000. The improved communication froth the Metropoli tan Railway in Victoria -street to the Meat Market in Smithfield was rendered necessary to enable the Great Western Railway Company to have conveni ent access to tbeir large goods depot, which would be situated under:the market. The cost of this im proved communication would be £60,000, making, with the £40,000, an additional sum of £lOO,OOO, the raising of which they asked Parliament to sanc tion. The Great Northern had expressed a wish that the Metropolitan would lay down two addi tional lines of railway from King's-cross to Far ringdon-street. The powers in the bill for purchas ing land were large enough to make the four lines, if it should hereafter be deemed expedient to do so, and to raise additional capital of £200,000 for that purpose. He concluded by moving a formal reso• lution approving the bill. Mr. AUSTEN seconded the motion. It reply to questions it was stated that the line from Farringdon-street to the Great Western at Paddington would be opened for traffic in the spring of next year. The new line to the Great Northern would not be ready by that time. The directors would not proceed to make the two addi tional, lines until the traffic justified it. During the last fortnight about 400 feet in length of the Metropolitan line was constructed, and in a couple of months it was expected that the tunnel from Coppice-row to Bagnigge-wells-road would be com pleted. The resolution approving the bill was then unanimously adopted. The solicitor then read the heads of a bill for ex tending the Metropolitan Railway from Smithfield to Finsbury-circus, to authorize arrangements with other companies, and to amend Acts relating to the Metropolitan Railway. Provision was made for raising a separate capital for this purpose. Five years were allowed for the completion of the works ; cases of compensation were to be decided in the Lord Mayor's Court. A cheap morning train was to be run from Paddington every working day, stopping at all the stations, to convey the labouring classes to the city, and another cheap train for the same purpose in the evening, the charge to be ld. for each person for the whole distance. The trains were to run at such convenient hours as might be decided on by the Board of Trade. The company would have power to construct dwellings for their officers and servants. The capital would be £500,000, with power to borrow £166,666. In case this company and the Metropolitan ,Company should on the average of three years pay dividends of 7 per cent., then it would be no longer necessary to keep separate accounts, and the companies would become amalgamated. Mr. HARTIIIDGE was anxious that the new com pang should not entail any loss on the shareholders of the Metropolitan Company, or involve them in liabilities. He thought they should have had more information with regard to the bill, and that the meeting should be adjourned for a week. The CHAIRSIAN explained that negotiations were still pending as to the question of raising the capi tal. The Great Western, the Metropolitan, and the London and Chatham and Dover Companies were in favour of paying, in certain proportions, a fixed rent for the use of the extension line and station at Finsbury, but the Great Northern, who were al so anxious to use the s t a ti on , preferred paying tolls according to a certain s ca l e , w hi c h would, it was expected, - be very remunerative ; so that three of the four companies using the line and station would be owners, and the fourth company would pay tolls for using it. The Great Northern Company had agreed to purchase from them three acres in Vic toria street for warehouses and goods stations, the Great Western goods stations were provided for in Smithfield, there would be a passenger station in Victoria-street, and the terminal station would be at Finsbury -pavement. He concluded by moving a formal resolution approving the bill. Mr. AUSTEN seconded the motion. A long discussion ensued, in which Mr. Laurie, Mr. Hartridge, Mr. Deputy Harrison, Mr. Hales, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Deputy Bower took part, in the course of which it was explained that the cost of the extension and station at Finsbury would be £600,000, the rent or interest would be £30,000 a a year, and about one-fourth of that sum, X 7,500 or PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. £B,OOO a year, would be the charge on the Metro politan Company, out of which was to be deducted the charge of £6,000 a year for station land sold to the Great Northern, thus adding but £2,000 a year to their former liabilities, for which they would ob tain the use of a superior station at Finsbury pavement. - On a show of hands, 38 appeared in favour of the bill and 9 against it. A poll was then taken, and the result was that more than the required propor tion of capital required to carry the motion was recorded in its favour. A resolution was passed, leaving to the directors to decide as to whether rents or tolls should be paid by the four companies for the use of the Finsbury extension line and station. The solicitor then read the heads of a bill for making a railway from the Great Western Rail way to Hammersmith, to be called "the Hammer smith and City Railway." It would bring traffic on their line, and it was proposed that the Metro politan Company should work the traffic, on terms to be hereafter decided at special meetings of the respective companies. A formal resolution approving the bill was car ried unanimously, and the proceedings terminated. LEEDS, BRADFORD, AND HALIFAX JUNCTION. Yesterday a Wharncliffe meeting of this com pany was held at Bradford for the purpose of con sidering a bill to authorise the company to construct a branch railway to the Birstal line at Batley. Mr. E. Ackroyd presided. Mr. NELSON, the company's solicitor, stated that the bill would authorise the company to raise £60,000 on shares and £15,000 on debentures. The time for the compulsory purchase of land was limited to two years, and for the completion of the works to three years. The CHAIRMAN said the bill was in reference , to the company's Batley and Adwalton scheme, and the arguments he advanced in favour of it at their last meeting had been materially strengthened by the evidence adduced in the House of Commons. Independent of any passenger traffic, the scheme might be justified by the large coal traffic which it opened up in the district of which Bradford was the entire centre, He concluded by moving a for mal resolution approving the bill. Mr. WATERHOUSE seconded the motion, and it was unanimously agreed to. The proceedings then terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman. LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE. At a Wharncliffe meeting of this company, held at Manchester yesterday, there was a motion that the bills for the construction of the Settle and Shawforth lines be rejected. The motion, on a poll being taken, was carried. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE, Mr. J. Osborne's Lopcatcher, 3 yrs, 6st 111 b (inc. 71b ex. (H. Grimshaw )) 1 (Chall Mr. Aspinall' s T ress illi an, 3 yrs, sst 71b .... (D o yl e) 2 eoner) 3 The following a l so ran : —M a i d of the Mist, Corona, The Don, Scrubbing Brush, Squire Peirce, and Reverie. Betting -2 to 1 agst Cosmopolite, Ito 2 agst Lopcatcher, 5 to 1 agst Corona, 6 to 1 agst Scrubbing Brush, and 7 to 1 agst any other. Lopcatcher, with Corona, Cosmopolite, and Maid of the Mist made the running, with Trenaillian and The Don in close attendance, Squire Peirce being last. In this order they ran to the Red Rouse, where Corona obtained a clear lead, Maid of the Mist at the same time dropped back, Lop catcher and Reverie going on second and third. Cosmopo lite heading the rear division, lying in the centre some two or three lengths away. Entering the straight the French man came by his horses one by one, and at the distance obtained a decided lead, Lopcatcher being second, and Tres sillian third, to which three the race was left, Cosmopolite winning with the greatest ease by two lengths, Tressillian was a bad third, Scrubbing Brush fourth, Corona, Maid of the Mist next. The Don was last. The Scurry Stakes (Handicap) of 3 sovs each, with 20 added, for all ages; winners extra. The second to save his stake. Red House in. 6 subs. Baron Niviere's Palaiseau, 3 yrs, 7st 71b (IL Grimshaw) 1 Mr. Saxon's Vixen, 6 yrs, 7st 121 b ((E, Fordham) 2 Mr. Smith's Foretop, 4 yrs, 7st 41b ... .(Challoner) 3 Betting--7 to 4on Palaiseau. Vixen jumped away with a strong lead, waited upon by the favourite and Foretop to half way in the cords, when Palaiseau came out and won by two lengths ; three lengths separating the second and third. The Innkeepers' Stakes of 3 sovs each, wall 25 added; weights for age, with selling allowances ; the second to save his stake. Red House in. 6 subs. Mr. T. Bancroft's Tidlywinks, 4 yrs _(420), 7st 51b (H. Grimshaw) 1 Mr. Lint on ' s T w i n k le, 3 yrs (.C2O), sst 131 b..... (Carroll) 2 Mr. Bishoprick's Suckling, 3 yrs (X2O), sst l'Alb (Arnott) 3 Betting—Even on Twinkle, 5 to 4 agst Tidlywinks. Tidlywinks, with Winkle and Suckling in. close attend - dance, made the running to the distance, when the latter was beaten and dropped back, leaving the t we to finish the race home; at the stand Tidlywinks got her head in front and won easily at last by two lengths ; Sue kling trotted in. Handicap Hurdle Race of 5 says each, with 30 added; winners extra; the second to save his sta kel. Two miles and a half, over five flights of hurdles. 14 subs. Mr. Saxon's Vixen, 6 yrs, 9st 41b (Xleadland) w.o. Match-50 soya each. Two les. Mr. Hardy's Knuckle Duster, 5 yrs, 9st 71h 3 .. Mr. received Mr. Hunter's Noisy, 4 yrs, Bst 71b • • ..... paid LATEST BETTING. TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS. 9to 2 agst Kettledrum (off., take lo 1) 7to 1 agst Klarikoff (taken) 10 to 1 agst Sweet Hawthorn (taken) 11 to 1 agst Overton (taken) 12 to 1 agst Preceptress (taken) 15 to 1 agst Russley (taken) 16 to 1 agst Diophantus (taken) 30 to 1 agst Struggler (taken) 50 to 1 agst Elborus (taken) , CHESTER CUP. 7to 1 agst Chere Arnie (offered) 7to 1 agst Wallace (off, take Bto 1) 10 to 1 agst Man-at-Arms (offered) CURRAGH RACES—WEDNE4 RAY. Handicap. I Frost Bit . Billy Banks . . .. 2 Sparta .. 3 The Queen's Plate. One mile six fucrlongs. Ben Webster Hilltown 2 William the Conqueror ' .... 3 The Trainers' Stakes. One mile two St niongs. Whoo Dare Say 800, 2 yrs ... ......... 1 Katty Flanagan, 5 yrs Aferin, 5 yrs , .......... 3 The Wellington Stakes. One mile 2 furlott gs 28 yds. The General . .......... Shamrock • Donne The Selling Stakes. On e m il e on the Pe ail Course. 3 Albert Smith Necklace Three others ................. ..... also •ran. MANCHESTER BETTING.--WED:TISDAY. There is no great amount of business doihig on future events, but the little done is not without it s p eculiar inte rest. For th e T wo Thousand Guineas Kettledrum was supported at 9 to 2, Sweet Hawthorn receding • during the afternoon to 6 to 1 (offered), which appeared t;c) strengthen her for Chester Cup, for 100 to 6 was f ree l y t; iken, and in one instance 100 to 7 was taken, but before thee rooms up 100 to 3 was offered, and at the same time. 100 to 6broke was taken against Ben Webster, CLOSING PRICES. TWO THOUSAND. 9to 2 agst Kettledrum (taken) 6to 1 agst Sweet Hawthorn (offered) 8 to 1 agst Overton (taken) Bto 1 agst Klarikoff (taken) 100 to 6 agst CHESTER. CUP. 30 to Ben Webster (tak en ) 1 agst Herne (t a k en ) 30 to 1 agst Horace (t a k en ) 100 to 3 agst Sweet Hawthorn (offered) , 40 to 1 agst Scbsisre (offered) ORK SPRING RACES--MAY• 14. Acceptances for the Groat Northern Handic mp, two miles, 7 6 gas.; 46 of whom pay 6 boys each. The highest DONCASTER RACES, WEDNESDAY. The Betting Room Stakes, of 5 sovs each, with 50 soya added; for two-yr-olds, 7st; three, 9st ; fillies and geld ings allowed 31bs ; winners extra, with certain allow ances. Red House in. 18 subs. Capt. White's Jung Frau 2 yrs, 6st 111 b ..(T. F rench) 1 Mr. T. Dawson' s Birdhill, 2 yrs, 7st (Madden) 2 Mr. T. Dawso n ' s T ommy Jones, 2 yrs, 7st (Buck) 3 Also ran Johnny Armstrong and Wetherby. Betting -5 to 4on Jung Frau, sto 2 agst Birdhill. Mr. T. Dawson declared to win with Birdhill. Birdhill, with Tommy Jones and the favourite, laid in front, in the order named, to the turn into the straight, rounding which Birdhill and Tommy Jones came breast. At the stand enclosure they were joined by Jung Frau, who, in a few strides, obtained a slight lead, which he held th the end, and won cleverly by a neck; Tommy Jones finished a bad third ; Johnny Armstrong fourth ; and Wetherby last, but who did not pass the post. The Juvenile Selling Stakes of 5 sovs each, with 30 added; for 2-yr-old colts, Oat; fillies and geldings, Bst 101 b; with selling allowances. Half a mile. 3 subs. Mr. Over's Fugleman's Daughter, 2 yrs (£4O), 7st 31b Mr. J. Osborn e ' s Old T ow l er (H. Grimsh, 2 yrs (£4O), 7st 71b aw) 1 Mr. Grove's Harrog a t e (Challoner) 2 , 2 yrs (£4O), 7st 71b (Doyle) 3 The race w as s t ar t e d before Harrogate could get to the post, and before Mr. Johnson could get to the box. Fugle man's Daughter came in first and Old Towler following. On returning to the enclosure the Stewards declared it no race, and ordered the trio to the post again. The actual race—Betting-3 to 1 on Fugleman's Daughter, who made all the running, and won in the com monest of canters by 10 lengths. Harrogate, who was out paced from the first, finished a long way in their rear. The winner was bought in for 80 guineas. The Chesterfield I'late (Handicap) of 100 soya, for 3-yr olds and upwards; winners extra. One mile. Baron Niviere's Cosmopolite, 6 yrs, Bst 71b ler Bat 121 b, it has been raised Iroportion. T weight accepting being un, I to that, and the others in p: Yrs st lb Yrs st lb The Wizard Comforter Cape Flyaway Crater 4 8 4 Satinstone 6 6 6 1 . Horror Ben Webste r Lady Trespass Oxford First Lord 4 8 0 Combondo 4 6 Pax 5 7 13 Cashio Flash-in-the-pan.. 57 8 B ushman 3 u Petra • 5 Syringe 4 7 4 Weatherwitcb. ..• • 3 l3 Millionaire . 47 3 E r i cthonius 3vAi 12 1 g Makeless filly - Acceptances for the Flying Dutchman's Handieap, one mile and a quarter, 42 subs, 21 of whom pay 5 sovs each' Yrs at lb Yrs ! I t 11 : The Wizard 3 o 4 8 12 Brow n H o ll an d .... 5 Lady Trespass g 9 Oxford -„ 8 Benbow . 5 7 11 ; Maid of Ch es t er fi e ld 4 6 Pax „ 6 Wildman die •• 0 Montrose Sutton •.* " Flash-in-the,Pan 5 7 5 B rassey 4 6 Syringe Millionaire Sparrowhawk .... 4 7 0 AQUA TICS. KINGSTON ROWING CLUB. The eight-oared race of this club finished yesterday, the following being the result : The Captain's crew—Messrs. Hornby, Linley, W. Bain bridge, Woodhouse, R. Bainbridge, Browning, Gib- „ bons, Bennett (stroke), F. Walton (coxswain) The Vice-President's crew—Messrs bolt, Reid, Percival, Heathfield, Pressly, Cobb, Lark, Dean (stroke) Francis (coxswai n ) The race was from the waterworks at Ditton, to close at the bridge at Kingston, and was witnessed by a large and fashionable party. They dashed away at a rapid pace, level, and so rowed for 200 or 300 yards, when the captain's crew went away with the lead, and gradually increasing it, WO by three lengths. COUNTRY lIIABRETS. NEWARK-APRIL 24. A limited supply of wheat at market, the trade in which was pretty fair, and late rates fully realised. Oats were scarce, and met a steady sale. Barley in small supply, at late rates. Beans, with a fair demand, were unchanged in value. Peas as before. White wheat, new, 65s to 708 Barley, grinding.. 30s to 32e Red do. 6os to 78s Oats, old, .. 3os to 34 3 Old white 6 ss t o 70 s New do 26s to 30s Red do. 50s to 60s Beans.. 40s to 44s Barley, malting.... 38s to 44s Beans, new.. 38s to 450 Peas, ....445 to 555. NEWCASTLE-UNDER LYNE—APRIL 22. At this corn market there was a limited show of wheat• The trade was inactive, but prices were fully equal to the rates of last week—white making 66s to 725, red 5 85 to 655. The demand for barley was limited, and wag receding in value. Oats were in steady request, with a firm sale, from 24s to 32s per 24 stone. Beans as before, flora 40s to 50s per qr. HULL—APRIL 23. A short supply of English wheat to-day, with an average attendance. The best descriptions sold readily at the prices of last week; inferior samples were in little request. Best foreign reds at fully former prices. Barley inactive, the demand chiefly for grinding. Oats were in scarce suppirt but unchanged in price. Beans firm, and dearer. Peas 0 1 good demand, at late rates. Rapeseed advanced in price. Linseed rather firmer. Wheat.... Old white per qr. ... 65s Od to 68s Od Old red 7, New white • . „ New red .... , Dantzic, Konb , Btc. old white 63s Od to 68s Od Dutch, Belgian, and French. 60s Od to 62s 0c), Baltic and Hamburg, re d St. Petersburg an d Ri ga , o ld s 2s O d to 55s ua... Barley.... English ma lti ng 3Bs Od to 44s oa Grinding • 32s Od to 36s Od Saal and Oderbruck Holstein and Danish 3BB Od to 40s Od Grinding 32s Od to 34s Od Oats English, old Archangel and Riga, per st Os 14d to 140 Friesland and Dutch osl4d to 0315 d Swedish and Danish Beans ....English, old, p er qr New pigeon , 6 o o : l o4 dd to o 5 0 85 1 E4 41d d 44s Od to 45s Od New tick. 43s Od to 44s Od Egyptian 3Bs Od to 40s Od Peas Foreign breakers Grinding Tares ....Spring —s Od to —s Od Indian Corn Linseed, feeding crushing Linseed cakes (Hull) £9 15 0 to £lO 0 0 Foreign 9 5 oto 10 0 0 Rape cakes 6 5 oto 610 0 Bones .. COAL MARK (Prices of Coal per Ton at .ET—ApaiL 24. t the close of the market s. d. Walker Primrose 12 3 Lambert's West Hart- s. d. Walls End. South Hetton ...19 0 Hartlepool.... Brsddyll'a Hetton 17 9 Harton Kelloe .... ~17 9 H011ey.... l6 0 Tunstall Iragwell Elm Park 15 6 ley l6 9 Tanfield Moor 13 0 Tanfield Moor Butes l3 0 Carway and Duffryn Malting . 24 0 Do. Anthracite 21 6 West Hartley 17 0 Holywell l6 6 Byass's Bebside West Hartley l7 0 Wylam l6 6 Bell's Primrose l3 0 Dixon's West Hartley 16 0 Hastings Hartley l6 9 Lambton 18 9 Gosforth ....15 9 Bell.. Wharncliffe ..16 3 Trimdon Thorn ley.... 16 6 Whitworth 16 0 South Hartlepool 17 0 ;, 45; sold, 30. Ships at market [ADVERTISEMENT.)—The possibility of abandoning medicine altogether is shown by the numerous extraordinary cures without medicine of indigestion, (dyspepsia) flatu lency, constipation, nervous, bilious, and liver complaints, cough, asthma, consumption, and debility effected by Du Barry's delicious Health Restoring Revalenta Arabia Food ; the following are not the least remarkable :—Cure No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, timber merchant of Frim eafn deafness.—Cure l derangement,ey , ofth i r t y 81o1o6d. ,Mrs. liver Holze, aged 107 years, of dyspepsia (indigestion) debility, irritability and nervousness which had tormented her for seventy years.—Cure No. 46,814. Mr. Samuel Laxton, Leicester, of two years diarrhoea. --Cure No. 180. " Twenty-five years nervousness constipation, indi gestion, and debility, from which I have suffered great misery, and which no medicine could remove or re lieve, have been effectually cured by Du Barry's Food in a very short time. W. B. Reeves, 181, Fleet-street, London." Avoid Pills and Medicines : they invariably aggravate and perpetuate diseases ; their annoyance, disappointment ! and expense may be avoided by using Du Barry's Food which, at a few pence per day, saves 5e times its cost in other remedies, removing effectually, R .thout purging, constipation, indigestion (dyspepsia) nervous, bilious and liver complaints and all their consequences. Certificate No. 36,418. We find it the safest remedy. Andrew Ure, MD., F.R.S. Dr Harvey, Dr. Wurzer, Dr. Shorland, D r . Campell. Let invalids avoid th e fearful dangers of spu rious and injurious imitations offered under a variety of false pretences. Nevill's imitations are prohibited by the high Court of Chancery under a penalty of £5,000 against Alfred Hooper Nevill and his agents ; and the pretences that Nevill has a patent for Arabica Food and that DU Barry's are connected with such patent are utterly fake. No canister is genuine without the name Barry Du Barry and Co., 77, Regent-street, in full, ontheseal and wrapper. Shopkeepers who attempt imposition in one article must expect to be distrusted in all others. Packed in tins 1115. 2s. 9d.; 21b. 4s. 6d. ; 51b. lls.; 121 b. 225. ; 241 b. 40s. The 121 b. and 241 b. canisters are sent carriage free on receipt of Post-office order by Barry Du Barry and Co., 77, Re. gent-street, London; Fortnum Mason, and Co.; AWN 60, Gracechurch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; 63 and 150, Ox bard-street ; 330 and 451, Strand ; 49 and 60, Bishopsgate-• street ; Batty, 16, Finsbury Pavement ; Phillips and Co. tea-dealers; Petty, Wood, and Co., King William-street City ; at 127 High Holborn; and all grocers. EADVERTISEMENT,I —Holloway's Ointment and Order and Ease.—These remarkable remedies surpass every other medicine for general family use. Their action is alterative, anodyne, tonic, and healing. The Ointment has only to be perseveringly rubbed twice a day over any afflicted organ to penetrate to it, regulate, and soothe it. Its tonic properties are obtained through the wholesome influence it exerts when rubbed over the stomach and liver ; on both of which it produces the happiest effects by making their secretions abundant and natural. Holloway's purify ing Pills should be simultaneously taken. The combined action of these safe yet potent remedies over stomach, liver, bowele, kidneys, muscles, and nerves is immediate, bene- • ficial, and lasting. Holloway's preparations restore order, ease, strength, and happiness. BIRTHS. HICKS.—On the 16th inst., the wife of Lieut.-Colonel B. Hicks, of a son. NELSON.—On the 23d inst., at East Sheen, S.W., the wife of Albert 0. Nelson, Esq., of Doctors'-commons, of a son. RIACH.—On the 23d inst., at 18, Lansdowne-crescent, Kensington-park, the widow of the late John Riach, Esq., Oriental Bank Corporation, London, of twin daughters. MARRIAGES. - BARKER—PARKER.—On the 23d inst.,. at Little Comber.. ton, Worcestershire, Charles Henry Barker, Esq., of Gray's inn-square, London, to Annie, daughter of the Rev. W. Parker. SMITH.—BOSWORTH.--On the 24th inst., at Dishley-cum- Thorp Acre, Leicestershire, Henry J. Smith, of Manor dale, Forest-hill, Kent, to Sara, the second daughter of Charles Bosworth, Esq., of The Grange, Dishley, Lei cestershire. DEATHS. ARCHER.—On the, 23d inst., at 23, Worship-street, Fins" bury-square, Sidney Archer, Esq., aged 52. DICKINSON.—On the 19th inst., at Hurstpierpoint, M a jor- General Thomas Dickinson, late of the Bombay Engi' neers, aged 77. LEECH.—On the 23d inst., at Stalybridge, J o hn * Leech , Esq., of Gorse Hall, S:alybridge, and 20, Kensington Palace-gardens, aged 60. LOWE.—On the 23d inst., in London, the R ev. Ed ward "Walter Lowe, recto r of North Wingfield, Derbyshire. PLATTEN.—On the 20th inst., at North BO G, Mr. Thomas Platten, aged 79. WALKER. —On the 21 s t i ns t., at Nydie, near St. Andrew's, N. 8., Peter W a lk er , E sq ., of Kingask. LONDON : Printed and Published by munDo YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Oftee, No. 112,§trand. in the Precinct of the savoy, in the County of Middlesex, Whgra day, April 24, 1881. M R ' /1 ME: q„,RAPIIIC right. pri area, 2s. ; a s een, and E % Et ee, Iron .ax e l, 2. tVANE per " -- Per !‘ i egunt Per tot Songs, tge main .4raa a , . 6 VRGY Zith the Ce 14ren pearl Ope at ons. Lam tzt, , TRE „„ High muted Bal r,uducted e 1 4111 d, under il tradaci cr and n '. 4„ - WUNSralt2 nightly h l 3 phed are Hl F 3 are E art. A OLERII t ine . !;.l °: Seven thll3 B l W e A hr l i Ave been p Tables of c ilY of the E GI erliE The Three ; 1 . That t A plrietora TITRDA C ompany, 2 . That a T en or mor( vaiths ma 3 That Tti Thomas Cb retire by rol of Whom, be , 4 . That to krone of be an gi ve w fl tar ng.ecre APril 24, 1 UR. Is 4 intitul the led /I an d to relie (I'reditors ar it thea countaZin the 6th vto'red by c retuall er tl ilet Reoistz din ' then 1 tstate , Oulduiof d R th e it August, I b the- expii astate. and ic e Parties „ern.auds on' person s ind( iT 4 ied, are b .ve debts tc au thorised t Dated thiE IMPOW 1, th e aid o After 1( whereby oal ith in the t n ecmpound seed &c., Zorth of oal wirket. Ti .. t the cost c Tr a draugb 4 1arterna of Wllrt. at Ms. ;' ~ waggoi " 4 eirt: sold D,an ied PH with gon `nE , o qg s-cros bai e Nvgate-st tbe country. TRORI (mixe Admiral R , toctaining __- THOR] , Incre Milk. 40s. THOR] Sold e nclosed, al i ngdom. 0 40s. p THOR' Mond Of Valuable cultural an treas. Pric ewp;ate-at NO I Volt CO] TA TIO DEBIL AST fl En 62,