The Sun. — London, England, 1857-02-13 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, Two O'CLOCK. Letters from Liverpool state that the Cotton Mai ket yesterday was very steady, and the demand more active. Brazilian were id., and Egyptian id. per lb. dearer. The sales were estimated at 12,000 bales, 4,000 of which were taken by the Speculators. The Railway Share Market was very buoyan,t at a considerable advance on Wednes day's rates. In the Foreign and Colonial Produce Market this week a fair amount of business has been trans acted, and the quotations of all the principal staples have remained buoyant. The disposition to enter into speculation is still manifest. Sugar has been in active request at previous values, and the im portsrs evince much firmness. Native Ceylon coffee has advanced, and also plantation, but very little has been offered at auction. The market for tea has remained quiet, but yesterday a goad business was done in common congou at is. 11d. Madras rice, early in the week declined lid. to 3d. per cwt., but since then there has been a more active inquiry owing to the French Government having permitted distillation from white rice. Cocoa is quiet ; rum ld. per gallon lower, and saltpetre ra ther. dearer. In spices the dealings have been limited, and there is no particular movement in prices to report. Tallow has further improved. The indigo sales, which commenced on Wednesday, were rather thinly attended, and the biddings were by no means active. The superior qualities only realised an advance of about 3d. per lb. on the rates current at the last sale, while the inferior declined about 2d. The periodical sales of colonial wool are fixed to commence on the 26th inst., when about 35,000 bales will probably be offered, chiefly Cape, and prices are generally expected to rule very high. There was a half-yearly meeting held this day of the Northern Counties Union Railway Company, at which it was stated that arrangements were being made with the Bedale and Leyburn Railway Com pany for an amalgamation, which it was hoped Would be successful. The balance remaining in hand was 9,0001. After some discussion, the re port was adopted, and the meeting was adjourned for three months. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS.—(YESTERDAY.) SECONDARY PUNISRMENTS. The Marquis of SALISBURY rose to -move for the appointment of a select committee to consider the question of secondary punishy.ients. The noble earl entered at some length into the sulject, and concluded by moving the appointment of the committee of which he had given notice. The motion was negatived without a division. The Select Committee on the Second Rcport of the Statute Law Commission was named and appointed. Their lordships adjourned at half-past seven. I have been in active communication with those who can give me the best information on the subjtct. I have received information, and the fact is that the hflair never was in operation, and so I was. justified in my statement that there was nothing of the kind, and that the whole thing was a romance." Now comes the third act. \No now have an acknowledgment from the not 131)rd, net merely that there is a written docu ment in existence in the shape cf a convention between those two Powera for the ol,ject I stated, and that it is a se-ret document, but that the only statement which the other night tared the noble lord from substantial refuta tion - -namely, that the convention was not signed, is incorrect, and that the convention was signed. (Hear-) After these two admissions from the noble lord, I stand here to state again that which I stated on the first night of the session. I ray it was not a convention, it was a treaty—l say it was not only signed, but extensively acted upon—l say that every expressien the noble lord used in describing that instrument so little applies to its real nature, as it has been represented to me, that I really believed at the end of the debate the ether night that there must have been some mili tary convention in existence, founded upon the treaty, which had not been signed, and that the noble lord was entirely misleading the house. (Cheers.) I state again that there is a treaty—a secret treaty—between France and Austria, the object of which is to guarantee the se curity of the Italian possessions of Austria—that it was executed on the day I mentioned—that it has been ex tensively acted upon—that to the best of my belief it contains, on its surface, no limitation of the period of its operation—and that the character given of it by the noble lord the other night is entirely incorrect. (Loud cheers.) The thi d ordinary g neral meeting of the Char tered Bank of India, Australia, and. China was also held to-day. The report stated. that the residue of the shares bad been disposed of to influential par ties, and the calls paid in full. The sum subscribed Was 145,320/., which, with the two calls now made, Would suffice to fulfil the conditions of the charter. On the payment of the calls the directors would Commence business in a field of considerable pro rinse to the shareholders. After a short discussion the report was adopted. At a special meeting of the Commercial Dock Company, just held, the Directors were authorised to effect a sale of a plot of ground called Barnard's Yard, for 20,0001. The Bank of France return, completed to yester day, is considered satisfactory. Besides a decline in the securities held by the establishment, there is an increase in the "cash in hand." Although a large sum has been expended in the purchase of gold, the general results exhibited by the balance sheet are indicative of improvement. There is a good demand for discounts to-day, at previous quotations. No further improvement has occurred in the English Stock Market, but the prices are well Maintained. The advance has now been rather considerable, and the effect of the Budget 18 anticipated, but no disposition `is shown to reali se profits, and the tendency may still be Said to be in a favourable direction. Consols have been 93i to 94 for transfer, and 94i for the ac count. The New 3 per Cents. were 944 ; and the Reduced 914 f. Bank Stock is 216. Ex chequer Bills aro ls. to 3s. premium ; and the Bonds are 984 f. In Foreign Stocks there is very little variation. Turkish 6 per Cents. are 951 4. Spanish 3 per Cents. are firm at 401-, and the Certificates are 61 11. The following are the nominal prices of Foreign Stocks :—Grenada Deferred Bonds, 64 7 ; Mexi- Can, 214 2k; Peruvian, 74 804; ditto 3 per Cents., 65k 561; Portuguese 3 per Cents., 43 5 ; Russian 5 per Cents., 108 10 ; ditto 4 per Cents., 95 7 ; Spanish 3 per Cents., 40 ; ditto New Deferred, 241 ; ditto Certificates, 6k 4 ; ditto Passive, ti 6. Messrs. D. Bell, Son, and Co. state that during the week the market for American Securities has been quiet, and the prices of both State stocks and railroad bonds are without alteration. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Redeemable. Per Cent. United States G per Cents. 1867-1868."104A 1051 United States G per Cent. Bonds 1868-.1014 105)1 STATE SECURITIES. Alabama 5 per Cent ... 78 80 Maryland 5 per Cent. (Sterling Bonds) ... 89 91 Massachusetts 5 per Cent. (Sterl. Bonds) ...1003 1013 Mississippi 6 per Cent. Pl. Bk Bonds lB4l-1871...43 45 Mississippi 5 per Cent. Union Bk Bonds ... 16 13 Pennsylvania 5 per Cent. Stock Pennsylvania 5 per Cent. Bonds "877... 79 81 Tennessee 6 per Cent. Bonds Virginia G per Cent. Bonds 1886... 83 84 Virginia 5 per Cent. (Sterling Bonds) 1888... 83 85 _ LOANS OF CITIES. Montreal 6 per Cent. Bonds 1856-1865... 82 84 New Orleans 6 per Cent. Stock 1883... 75 77 RAILROAD BONDS. Illinois Central 7 per Cent. Ist Mortgage, not Convertible 1875... 89.1 90i Illinois Central 6 per Cent 1875... 85 87 Illinois Central 't per Cent. Freeland Bonds - 1860...1074 108. Illinois Central (Shares), $25 paid...., ... 23 29p Michigan Central Bp. Cent., Convert 1860... Do. do. do. 1869... 941 952 New York Central 7p. Cent., Convert 1864... 92 94 New York Central 6 per Cent., not Convertible 1883... 80 82 New York and Erie 7 per Cent. 3d Mort gage 1883... 87 89 N. York and Erie 7p. Cent. Convertible 1862... 8 0 82 N. York and Erie 7 per Cent. Sinking Fund 1875... 83 85 Panama 7 per Cent., let Mortgage (Ster ling Bonds), not convertible 1859... 92 94 Panama 7 per Cent., let Mortgage 1864... 93 Pennsylvania Central 6 p . Cent., ist Mort 1880 89 90 An active business h as b een done" in the . Railway Share Market this morning, and in most instances at improved prices. CaledonNiaourter advanced 10s. ; Eastern Counties, ss. ; Great we n, 1/. ; Great Western, 59.; Brighton, 1/. ; North-Western, about ;North Eastern 10s. ; ss. •, Manchester, Sheffield, and , astern Midland, ss. ; North Btitish, 10s. • I3erwick, 1/. ; and North-Eastern 'York, 15s. Scot tish North-astern, 1/. ; and South-Eastern., 125. 6 ( 1. The French lines are at nominal values, dealings having been reported in them this no morning. Dutch Rhenish have improved 5s • East Indian, Great Western of Canada, and Great Indian Peninsular are at yesterday's rates. Very few transactions have taken place in Bri tish, Foreign, or Colonial Mining Shares. Ti n Croft were dealt in at 41, Great Wheal Vor at oi, Great Wheal Alfred at 111, North Frances at 19i, Linares at 8, and United Mexican at 41. Joint Stock Bank Shares rule steady. London and Westminster have improved 55., and Union 1 , Australia ss. Commercial of London and Union of London were dealt in at former values. Micellaneous Shares are active, and realise full values. BRITISH FUNDS.—CLOSING PRICES—THIS DAY. (From the Official List;) Softest done Bank Stock 2lB 3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 94,k i New 3 per_ Cent. Consols Ann u ities 93i i 4 31 4 . 3 per Cent. Annuities94l h $ Lndn, Bonds 1. . 4 000 Consols for Account . . ********* "........ ******** 1 Brehequer Bills it ************ ...... Q4l) ' " 2560. ................. ...... 21000 ' l a • Small ................. Per 1 Ditto Ditto 80nd359 .s, 185 g, ii .......... ................ 1 08 3 P , 1 ......... ... . Grenada Now Act pRICES OF ive, 2 FOEIGNenFtEr . NDS . T 98 131S DAY. „. e p P er uvian Bonds 4i per Cent . ..... . 22i Ditto Account .. ............................. P or t ug uese Bonds, 5 per &id., . &;; lB 41 ..... 80 Ditto 1853, 3 per Cent .............. Russian Bonds, 1822, E, St., 5 Per Cent.,. 441 Ditto, 46 per Cent. ..................' .. — 9 Sardinian Bongs, 5 per Cent. ............. Ditto Account Spanish bonds, 3 per Cent. .................. 9 2 1 Ditto Account Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun 6s i Turkish Bonds, 6 per cent 94i i Ditto Account Ditto Guaranteed, 4 per Cont. Ditto Account lolg i , ,‘ emis 3e the above payable In Lone, n. French Routes, 4i per Cent. — Ditto 3 per Cent. ' ............Of. 75c. 50c. ex 25f. 20c. THREE O'CLOCK. Consols, money Ditto, Account (March 5) THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EIE"NING, FEBRUARY 13, 1857. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(YESTERDAY.) SIR R. PEEL'S LECTURE. Mr. STAFFORD.—I rise to ask thJ hon. baronet the member for Tamworth whether the report of a speech of his, made on tl.e 7th of January, at Saltby, near Birmingham, which appeared in the daily journals, be correct, especially those passages which referred to the Grand Duke Constantine of Russia, M. de Morny, and the Prince de Ligne ? Sir R. PEEL—My hon. friend has asked me a question, and I hope the house will allow me to say a few words in explanation. (Hear, hear.) It is said that ;t has been "arranged"—and the word is a heavy one—to put a question to me whether a speech reported to have been delivered by me at Seltily, and reported in the daily journals, is correct ? Now, I do not think, perhaps, that this is quite the tribunal in which I ought to be called to account for Expressions used in another place, and totally unconnected with the business of this house. (Hear, hear.) At the same time lam quite ready to accept the challenge of the honourable gentleman, and I am quite prepared to give him every facility in obtaining the most accurate information on this most important subject. (A laugh.) The hon. gentleman asks me whether I delivered the speech at Saltby which appeared in the daily journals. I beg to say that [ did deliver that speech as the guest of the hon. member for Adderley—(laughter)—for North Staf fordshire. He invited me to attend that meeting on the occasion of a jollification (laughter), and I addressed that meeting. I admit that lam not in the habit of reading reports of speeches of mine after they are delivered. I generally rest satisfied with the favourald I impression that I produce at the time. (Laughter.) It is, therefore, rather difficult for me at this distance of Cane to pledge myself to the exact accuracy of every word that appears in that report. I believe I spoke for nearly two hours and a half without notes, so that it is rather difficult for me to say whether that report is precisely correct. But this I am prepared to say, that such is the ability, the acknowledged ability, and impartiality with which the leading journals report the proceedings of public meet ings that I am quite prepared to accept the entire responsibility of every single sentence, except a particu lar phrase, which I do not think I used, but which if I had used I should have been equally prepared to accept the entire responsibility of. But I am sure that the louse, as a great deal has been said about this speech, will give me ten minutes fora few remarks on it. (Hear.) I shall be very glad indeed to offer some explanation, as my phrases have been tortured a good deal from their true meaning, and a meaning has been given to them that I never intended to convey. I did address the meeting at Saltby, and, as a great deal of comment has been made on my words, it will perhaps be right, as I occupy a public situation, to put them in their true and proper light. (Hear, hear.) I am sorry, and I do regret that any inconvenience should have arisen from any expressions that may have fallen from me, and which have been misinterpreted on that occasion. It is very far from my wish, and I think I may say from my nature—and I am known to many members of this house—to cause unnecessary pain to any one. (General cheering.) But these sentences have been very greatly twisted ; and, first, with reference to the Count do Moray, the Grand Duke Constantine, and the Prince do Ligne. (Hear ) As regards the Count de Morny, I absolutely repudiate having said anything about him which might not have been said by any gentleman with reference to his friends or acquaintances. (Much laughter.) I said that he was le plus grand speculateur de l'Europe. (Cheers and laughter.) Now, I did not intend to imply anything detrimental to his honourable character—(continued laughter)—and immediately on my arrival in town, when I heard that these expressions had been noticed, I wrote to Count do Morny to say that certainly envy and malice had done their best to twist these expressions of mine into something odious to him, but that I repudiated saying a single word against his character or the position he occupied. Now, I could not say more. (cheers.) As regards the Grand Duke Constantine, that is another mat ter. I certainly said that the Grand Duke Constan tine did not quite impress me with the feeling of a "frank and open-hearted sailer." (A. laugh.) I said that ; but the words were not mine ; they were used by the gallant admiral sitting there (pointing to Sir Charles Napier, amid much laughter). I never said one word against the Grand Duke Constantine, or any other member of the Royal family of that country. On the contrary, when I said that he did not give me the impression of being "a frank and open-hearted sailor," I meant that he gave me the impression of being a man of great powers of mind. (Roars of laughter.) What I intended to convey was, that he was not merely a simple sailor---(continued laughter)—but a man of greater grasp of mind. (Gr4t laughter in which Sir C. Napier heartily joined.) As regards the Prince de Ligne, I accept the responsibility of every phrase that I used. I certainly did say—l should be sorry to cause any unnecessary pain to any one—but I was talking in a familiar way, and I did use the expression that he was as stiff and starched as the frill of Queen Eliza beth." (A. laugh.) I cannot accept the re,ponsibility of every word in the report. I see my hor. friend opposite (Mr. Adderley) who was present, and Lord Lyttleton was also present, andl appeal to him to say whether a single word fell from my lips that might not have found an echo and expression from the most straight-laced gentleman in this house. (Laughter.) All I can say is that if, in the opinion of the hon. genilemen who may have considered this question—if, in the at tempt, the innocent attempt, I made to paint a few light and airy sketches of character—(laughter)—to, as Pope said, " hold the mirror up to nature"—(continued laugh ter)—to "catch the manners living as they rise"—(much laughter)—.if I have erred in the good opinion of those whose good opinion I honour and value, and whose judgment has weight, I beg to say, on this public occa sion, as an earnest of the sincerity of my feelings, that, though I do not feel that I did err, still, if I did err in their opinion, I now offer the most ample expression of regret—(cheers)—and that is the most fitting amende Ignorable that I can offer. (Cheering from all sides of the House.) THE " SECRET TREATY." Lord PALMERSTON—I wish to set myself right with the right hon. gentleman opposite with regard to an asser tion I made on Tuesday night with respect to the mili- - tary convention to which I referred. I said that I had been ieforrned that that convention had not been signed and my belief was that it had not been signed. But I think it right to state that, on further inquiry, I find that in point of fact it was signed—(cheers from the Op position benches)—but that, being in its nature more of a military than a political convention,and having for its object the regulation, the mutual regulation, of the French and Au-trian troops which might be in Italy in the contingency of Austria declaring war against Russia, and Austria never having declared war against 'Russia, that convention, although signed, became a deal letter, and never had any application or effect whatever. Mr. DISRAELI—Although there is no question be few rem ar k s, fore the h ouse, yet I hope I shall be allowed to ma k e a and they shall be of extreme brevity. The house will recollect that I mentioned on the first night of the session that there was a secret treaty between France and ikustria. That statement received a direct contradiction from the noble lord. ("No!" from Lord Pal merston.) It was " a romance." (Opposition cheers.) The noble lord said I was distinguished for my powers o f imagination, that this was a complete invention, that I had produced some works of imagination, and that this was another " romance." (Cheers.) A week elapsed, and I took the earliest opportunity of the noble ' lord's reappearance in the house to make a statement, which I hope from a sense of justice is still in the recol lection of the house. I stated that what I had said on a previous occasion was perfectly correct—that there was a treaty between France and Austria, and that the object of that treaty was to guarantee the security of the Italian provinces of Austria. I said that that treaty om acte l d tel on, i for the was signed—(Opposition cheers)—that it was acted troops Austria lt o t rno,were eewd withdrawn w sivel f y at a subsequ y ent n pe c ri o .o n d . sequence of that treaty ; was Italian Governments at the alarm was felt by the troops, and that they requested withdrawal of those Austria to communicate in the permission of . order to tranquillise con fidence the existence of the treaty in their subjects. This was the treaty we were told was never acted upon. (Cheers.) W hat was the answer I received on the second occasion ? The noble lord declared on the fi rs t occas i on th a t it was a romance. He was then , after the details I gave, obliged to own that therewawssas written document in exi s tence, the object of which to accompli s h th a t w hi c h I ex pl a ined. The noble lord said it w as not a treaty but a convention. But, said the noble lord, "That convention Was neversigned. (Cheers.) justice could not interfere with him in anything with which ho had properly to do ; and on that the question came to one of the proper distribution of work whicla must or ought to be done by somebody, and which the existing departments could not do. Then it was said that it woul I interfere with tic Irish exeentive. Now, he wanted to in terfere with the Irish ( ; and be believed that no part of the United Kingdom would be benefited so much by the appointment of a, Minister of Justice as Ireland. In that country what was wanted both in the administra tion of the law and the appcintment of the judges, was the introduction of English principles ; and the putting an end to all that went on at the castle. He wanted to see uni formity of legislation for the whole kingdom, and that the administration of the law should be as imperial as pos sible. In France the Minister of Justice published every year a report giving a full account of all the proceedings in and the state of all the courts of that country. If we bad such a thing in this country could we have got into such a mess as we have with regard tl the Ineumbered Estates Court in Ireland ? It was also said that this de partment would interfere with the freedom of Parlia ment. He denied that the having a minister of justice in Parliament to t a k e c h arge o f an d explain all matters re lating to the law could in any way interfere with the freedom of Parliament. In the proposition he had made for the appointment of a minister of justice, he did not desire to fetter the Government as to the way in which the matter was to be worked out. He knew that there were difficulties to be met iu arranging the details of such an establishment ; but he did not think that they were insuperable. All he wished was that his motion for an address to the Crown should be carried, and then let the Government take the matter into their serious conside ration, and he was convinced that if they had the will they would find the way to effect the object desired. He hoped the house would support him in carrying the motion. Mr. COLLIER seconded the motion. He lamented the unsatisfactory progress of law reform, which he at tributed in great measure to the indifference with which both the great parties regarded it. The Premier was no doubt Lord PALMERSTON—I have no right to trespass agai❑ ups' the indulgence of the house, but I hope I shall be :Wowed to say a few words after the observations of the right hon. gentleman, by which he attempts to cover his ignominious retreat from his first position. (Ironical cheers from the Opposition, and counter cheers.) The right hon. gentleman has misstated what he said on a former occasion. (Cheers and counter cheers.) He has entirely misrepresented his own expressions—his own statement. What was the right hon. gentleman's state ment ? His statement was that there was a treaty be tween Austria and France for guaranteeing the Italian possessions of Austria—(hear)—that it was now in exist ence—that it had been recently quoted by Austria in consequence of the discussions between France and Eng • land on the one hand and Naples on the other—and that it had been executed at the instigation of the English Government—(loud cries of " Oh, oh," and cheers)—that it had been executed not only with the knowledge, but at the instigation of her Majesty's Government. (Con tinued cheers and counter cheers.) Mr. DISRAELI—At the " instance !" Lord PALMERSTON—No, "instigation." But the right hon. gentleman cannot rest his statement upon syl lables. However, I heard the word, and I recollect it. I am sure he made use of the word " instigation." Mr. DISRAELI—" Instance" or "advice." Lord PALMERSTON—WeII, advice. (Cheers from the Opposition) Oh ! but I heard the word " instiga tion" distinctly. (Renewed cheers and counter cheers.) Mr. DISRAELI—You say it is instigation. Lord PALMERSTON—What the right hon. gentle man meant was that the treaty originated in advice and counsel given by the English Government to the Govern ments of France and Austria. I denied the whole of that statement at the time it was made, and the whole of that statement I again deny. To the best of my know ledge and belief rio such treaty exists or ever was exe cuted. I state most distinctly that the British Govern. ment has no knowledge of such a treaty, and therefore cannot have instigated it. I said the other night that if the right hon. gentleman had seen such a treaty, and could assert its existence on his own knowledge, of course I would bow to his assertion, and although I knew nothing of it I would take for granted that it did exist. I else said that a convention of a totally different kind had been negotiated —a convention regulating the mode of action of the French and Italian troops which might happen to be in Italy at the time, in the event of Austria declaring war against Russia and fighting in concert with Eegland and France, as Austria naturally wished her rear to be secured while she was fighting in the van in concert with the allies. I said that convention was founded upon the assumed case of a declaration of war by Austria against Russia, and such a declaration never having taken place the convention became a dead letter, and, whether signed or not, had no effect, and never could take effect. These assertions I still maintain, and I say the right hon. gentleman, notwithstanding the vapouring manner in which he has been pleased to follow up his statement—(cries of " Oh!" from the Opposition, and cheers froei the Ministerial benches)—has been im. posed upon. (Continued cheers.) I beg your pardon the right hon. gentleman used hard words, and I shall express my opinion, whatever he may think of my mode of ex2re.sion. (Cheers.) I say, then, that the right hon. gentleman has, to the best of my belief, been grossly imposed upon ; that a military conven tion, which never came into operation, because that which was to have been the basis and foundation of it never took place, has be en represented to him as being that which it never was, and was never intended to be, as a permanent guarantee of the Italian possessions of Austria by France —I say that it is utterly impossible that the military convention could have been made use of in the manner he described, because Austria could not have said to Naples, " I have a permanent guarantee from France for my Italian possessions," seeing that the only thing signed, as far as I am aware, was a con vention providing for a case which never had any exist ence, and that the military convention I have described was not signed at our instigation or by our advice, but was communicated to us as an arrangement already settled between France and Austria ; and the only queL tion with us was whether, on the whole, Franca was bound in honour to make such arrangements as would render the position of the Austrian armies in Italy secure. So far, therefore, from that which I have stated bearing out the ctatement of the right hon. gentleman, it shows that my own statement was perfectly true, and that the right hon. gentleman is entirely misinformed as to the facts of the case. (Loud cheers and counter cheers.) LEGAL REFORM. _ willing . to forward the progress of legal measures, but he did not regard - them with great anxiety, for ho knew welt enough that the right hon. gentleman opposite was not likely to oust him on a question of law reform. Bat the real fault lay in the present system. Neither the Lord Chancellor nor the Attorney and Solicitor-General could act as that Minister of Justice which Mr. Napier desiderated. The remedy lay, he believed, in the sug gestion made by Mr. Napier, and, therefore, he had no hesitation in seconding his motion. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that his right hon. friend the member for the University of Dublin had added to his distinguished reputation, by bringing forward this motion. Unquestionat ly the subject was one which had not escaped the attention of the Govern ment. The terms of the earlier part of the resolution showed that it had received the consideration of Minis ters ; but the rest of the motion might be said to be the property of the right hon. gentleman, inasmuch as he had brought it forward in the year 1845. It must be distinctly understood that in accepting, with a slight modification, the resolution of the right bon. gentleman, the Government did not see in the language used by him, nor would it recognise as a consequence of the adoption of the res dution, the necessity of any such plan as that which had been spoken of by him—namely, the establishment of a separate Minister of Justice. He did not conceive that at present there was any necessity for the introduction of any suck officer. Mem., hear.) He thought that all the objects of the resolution might be more effectually carried out by means of the existing machinery than by introducing the change recom mended. There were abundant means at disposal for effecting all that was required without the addition to the Cabinet of any each Minister. It would be utterly impossible to introduce into the Cabinet the addition of a Minister of Justice whilst they had the Lord Chancel lor there, and whilst they had the Secretary there, with out introducing discordant elements, the possioility of contention, and an absence of that unanimity which was essential in order to carry out just and proper views. Some years ago, when bills were introduced in 1852, for what had been called the reform of the Courts of Chan cery, hon. members would recollect that a new tribunal was constituted, called the Court of Lords Justices of Appeal. This court having relieved the Lord Chancel lor of a considerable portion of his judicial duties, it would be in the Lord Chancellor's power to discharge the duties which would devolve upon him under this pro posed measure, without the nomination of a Minister of Justice. It was certainly within the power of that dis tinguished officer, if he were only assisted by an effi cient staff, to accomplish, in a most complete manner, the three great objects which they desired to attain — viz., the effectual administration of justice in all its departments ; secondly, the superintendence and effec tual carrying out of the process of the amendment of the law ; and, thirdly, the giving prompt, eff e ctual, and complete assistance to the conduct of the business of current legislation. With the omission of some words in the resolution, which he considered unnecessary—viz , " an urgent measure of administrative reform," the rest of the resolution might be accepted in the language of the right hon. gentleman, and the Government would certainly give the subject all that attention which the right hon. gentleman desired. (Hear, hear.) They bad in this country one very great peculiarity which he believed was not possessed by any other—they had the misfortune to have a great number of courts proceeding, several of them upon antagonistic prilacivles. They had a great number of tribunals, none of which were armed with the power of dealing complete justice on any given subject—(hear, hear)—and there was the necessity im posed upon individuals to resort to a great number of tribunals to obtain justice. They obtained a little por tion of justice at one tribunal and a little at another. (Hear.) That state 6f - things must et 11 continue for a considerable length of time. The apathy of the people with regard to any alteration in the shape of reform was so great that it would be idle to expect any complete re construction at once without the process of patching. If this system continued therefore, as he apprehended it would continue, it spoke plainly enough in favour of having some great department charged with the duties of carefully watching over and superintending the work ing of our numerous tribunals, and endeavouring to in troduce harmony and conformity into a system which hitherto, in theory and practice, was in many respects in congruous. They had a portion of the laws in insc lvency dealt with by an Insolvent Court ; another portion was committed to a Court of Bankruptcy ; a third portion was committed to a sort of statutory tribunal, under the Wind ing-up Acts ; and a further portion still was assigned to the Court of Chancery. Theyhad also courts of law, which were in a great measure opposed altogether to courts of equity. Again, they had a great number of county court judges, and they had a defective system of crimi nal procedure—prosecutions were instituted and con ducted without any control. There was no adequate super intendence in point of judicial authority over the sen tences and procedure of the county courts. In point of fact, the whole system stood in such a position that the only hope of order and unity would be to charge some great and responsible department with the duty of super intending it ; of collecting the details of its working, and the duty of pie enting them in a great report to Parlia inent. With regard to the manner in which p tions were conducted, what was the pr esent s y stem ? rosecu- There was no machinery at all for improving it in any effectual manner; and, therefore, when an emergency arose, no means of meeting it were at hand. With re -ard to the amendment of the law, the house must un- Mr. LABOUC HERE observed that his right hon. friend the Secretary for the Home Department had stated on a former occasion that the Government had no inten tion of introducing any measure on_this subject during the present session ; but he said that when the question was brought before the house that would be the proper time for the Government to declare what course they intended to pursue. He (Mr. Lebouchere) hoped the hon. gentleman would not expect the Government now to go out of the way to express their opinion, but when the second reading of this bill came on, no doubt his noble friend (Lord Palmerston) or the Home Secretary would state the views entertained by the Government. Leave was then given to bring in the hill. GENERAL POLLOCK. Captain L. VERNON moved for a copy of al: cor respondence relating to the removal of General Pollock, G.C.8., from the direction of the Hon. East India Csm pany. The hon. and gallant member gave a sketch of the brilliant services of Gen. Pollock from bie first victories in India down to the time he received the thanks of Parlia ment, and quoted " Kaye's History of the War" in sup port of his statements. When it came round to the Go vernment to appoint three directors, of course Sir George Pollock was placed at the head of the list, because no man bad better led the Indian army ; but while he was only nominated fur two years, his colleagues, who had never saved an Indian army, were nominated for four and six years. Everybody expected that the gallant general would have received the appointment for the longest period, but he did not ; and on the 20th March, 1355, he received a letter from the India Board intimating that he would not be re-appointed, the only reason given being a subterfuge, that the act of 1853 required, not a re-appointment, but a new appointment, whereas two clauses in the act expressly contemplated re-appointments. (Tee hon. and gallant member read the correspondence between Gen. Pollock and the India Board.) He was an Indian officer, and of course his advancement was cavilled at by the Horse Guards, and he (Captain Vernon) con sidered the general had been very unworthily dealt with. (Hear.) He expected no redress in making these state ments to the house of the treatment experienced by that distinguished soldier at the hands of the Presi dent of the Board of Control. He knew what the answer would be. The right hon. gentleman, if he made any reply at al!, would thank him for the opportunity of explaining the transaction. His (Captain Vernon's) only object was, to complete the general history from the time he received the thanks of that house until the time when his great services were so unworthily ignored by the Government.' The records of that house would show to posterity the history of his great deeds, and they would likewise testify to the small esteem in which those great deeds were held by the Board of Control. Mr. VERNON S MITH said there was no such offi cial correspondence in existence us that for which the hon. member had moved, as to the removal of General Pollock, and further than that, Sir G. Pollock never had been removed from the office of director, nor had such a thing been ever contemplated. With regard to the letters that had been read, everybody who knew anything of Government patronage was aware that those communica tions were always considered to be private. That was the first time he had known letters of that kind to be read in that house, and he did not believe the general had ever sanctioned their being read. He was quite ready to ac knowledge Sir G. Pollock's services, and no one could have felt more pain than he did when he felt it to) be his duty to reuse to re-appoint the gallant general. His reason for refusing was the conviction in his mind that the spirit of the act required new blood to be infused into the di rection of Indian affairs. He considered Sir E. Rawlin son, whose diplomatic and military character was well known all over the work:, a better person to fill the ap pointment, and by the advice of the noble lord at the bead of the Government Sir E. Rawlinson was appointed. Shortly after, on the vacancy caused by Mr. Melville's retirement, Gen. Vivian was recommended for similar reasons. He hoped the house would observe the difficul ties by which the Government were surrounded. Ou one side were a number of gentlemen who announced their intention of watching every appointment that was matte, in order to see that the right man was put in the right place, while on the other side were gentlemen who, on every occasion when this principle was acted upon, brought charges against the Government of neglecting distinguished services. But Gen. Pollock lad never been dismissed. His term had expired, and he ceased to hold his appointment when his time was out as a matter of course. He had only to say that he did not regret the appointment he had made, and never shod l as long as he lived, and with researd to official correspondence, there was none in existence. Mr. DISRAELI opposed the Indian Bill in 1853, be lieving that it woull not work satisfactorily or improve the administration of our Indian affairs. And all that had occurred since had confirmed him in that impres slon. And he believed that on this point the Presi dent of the Board of Control concurred with him. He had at that time been somewhat reconciled to the measure by the manner in which the Government power of appointing directors was exercised. lie was not surprised that Sir George Pollock should wish to have his case hrought under the consideration of Parliament. But in what a strange pos.tion did they find themselves I He gave the President of the Board of Control full credit for having acted con scientiously in not re-appointing General Pollock ; but in vindicating himself he bad virtually censured his colleague (Sir C. Wood), who had appointed the gallant Mr. NA.PIER rose to move, " That an humble ad- .h CC, tee ..... _ questionably recollect the difficult position in which they general. It eauld not be that in three yearn ths: great dress be presented to her Majesty, praising that she will had been placed on various occasions during the last abilities which ho was said to have possessed, and must be graciously pleased to take into consideration, a s an two or three sessions. To w h a t w as it due that there have possessed, could have passed away. The letter w hi c h urgent measure of administrative reform, the formation was no department to which could be commi tted in he had written,and which had been read to the house, of a separate and responsible department for the affairs a satisfactory manner the consideration of any great was manly and dignified, and struck him as the produc of public justice." But the noise occasioned by mem- subject of legal reform ? If a measure came before lion of a man filly competent to the discharge of the berg leaving the house, and the buzz of conversation the house with the authority of such a department, duties of an Indian director. He believed the appoint which prevailed for some time after the exciting teens of they would then be able to receive a report of it. merit of Sir G. Pollock three years ago was a satisfactory personalities above reported, render hon. and learned rendered it impossible to The effects of the present s y stem . he would one ; he had heard nothing which caused him to think gather even the purport of the right gentleman'a observations. He was understood to de- the subject of the Courts of ous period to discharge the duties of the direction, and T n e r se t r ?e e m n f t en P m t r a n e r P d y n e :T i n n u f g ri e s a d nn i b c d i t l u i l o n o n t il inagn d for providing a chief and therefore, although he was not prepared to contest the plore the confusion, the inconvenience, and the inefficient chargetd by ls thehi Drought administration of justice, arising from the want of an ' the courts. momentnow t d h i a s t - right neverthelesshon . must gentleman's de e 1 aideclare exercisehisr regret r his e t that resP n G n e e n i n . i P lt o Y i 1. o c h k e efficient central supervision of all matters relating to judicial procedure, by some person aimed with autho. projecthew. member og fnr before the house, the hon. gentle- was not a director, and that he (Mr. Disraeli) entertained rity who should be in constant communication with the man tiln he Suffolk brought forward another for him that respect which he believed was entertained judges and those who administered the law, to ascertain n h ernpe op n o g sr l it a and th (the Attorney-General) recommended for him by the people at 1 irge. contending n h d o i n n . g gentleman rem ed ies the rrecommendedthere as a s e n L t a o t r i d ° LI P A t oLIVI describeEß STtOhNe course said i t pursuedwas quite bya what difficulties they experienced, and to suggest reme hlies,pr and to this two d Cr'raei.- dies, and to devise and superintend the framing of acts of Parliament, and the expurgation, classification, and hadybefor --a third bill was introduced, and dent of the Board of Control as derogatory either to Sir the house . t in he is P re r P e consolidation of statutes. The right hon. gentlemane it then three projects at one and G. Pollock, or implied that Sir C. Wood was wrong in proceeded to urge, that if we had one department of the the same time. Another argument to be brought for- appointing him three years ago. He hoped the hon. gen thirddifficult adde ward was with regard to the written and unwritten law. tivman would not piece on the records of the house a State for taking charge of the details of legislation and The written law consisted of a great variety of statutes statement contrary to fact, for Gen. Pollock had not been of the administration of the law, and it was properly or which were frequently obscure and inconsistent, and it dismissed. He was appointed by law for two years, and ganised, all that he had spoken of as defective in our was difficult to ascertain what the law was. The un- was capable of being re-appointed. But if at that system world be remedied, and, just as you had a de written law was in a worse condition. They had to find time his right hon. friend thought that another person P ertinent of finance, of trade, of war, of the colonies, you it in a hundred volumes of reports, added to without any was, from age or other circumstances, capable .f . more should have one of justice. Lord Bacon suggested that sufficient authority, and any gentleman of the bar who efficiently filling the office, he etas only doing his duty there should be commissioners of business t should be to keep their eyes t on the on h law. w His ouses hose published a volume of reports and affixed his name to it in appointing him. Nor c ould he admit that the high i added to the law, and these reports were being produced professional character of Sir G. Pollock was at all die (Mr. Napier'e) object was only to get something done, to by ear ear in very considerable numbers, and when paraged by the step which wa s then taken. get an efficient remedy for the existing state of thing s, and y cited in y courts of justice judges felt themselves bound to Captain L. VERNON would withdraw the word he was confirmed in the course proposed by the opinions act upon them as authority ; but it was impossible to al- "removal." As to the manner in which he got posses of many eminent men. The right hon. gentleman then low that the law of the country did not require consoli- siou of the letters he bad read, it was sufficient to say read rx•racts from a speech of Lord Langdale in 1836, and dation, and if the w ritten law required consolidation, the that they fell into his hands, and he thought be had a also from the last speech the same noble and learned lord unwritten law required it much more. In the observa- right to use them. As, however, there were no other made in the House of Peers, in which he advocated the tions which he had made as to the necessity of immediate documents in existence save those which he had read appointment of a Minister of Justice ; and especially attention being given to the subject, it must be un d e r- there was nothing for which to move , and he should in alluding to the extension of local j u ri sdictions stool that he had merely stated his own o pi n i on o f th e therefore withdraw his motion. by the establishment of the county courts, he said that matter, and that the Government must not cons id er hi m The motion was then withdrawn. that that circumstance had render ed more necessit y both as being pledged to it. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. the appointment of a Minister of Jus tice and the simpli fication of the law. Fortified by the se o p inions, and Lord J. RUSSELL thought the whole argument of Mr. L. DAVIES submitted to the house the neees ur of retaining the s i ty f or l eg i s lation to prevent the gross inequalities in he (Mr. Napier) had thought it desira ble to brin g this clause to which the . Government objected. H e s t rong ly the we i g h ts an d meas ures of the United Kingdom. The also by that of the noble lord the me mber for London, the Attorney-General was in favour subject again before the house. The law o f this countr y objected to vesting the controllin g p ower alluded to in p re sent law was quite inadequate t o meet the evils was now in a transition state ; and he be l i eved that the the hands of the Lord Chancellor, whose hands he be- which arose from the great inequalities of weights and .t an fully occupied. It was measures which prevailed in different parts of the collie the necessity of legal education ; the reform of existing only ° ll the supposition that t h h e at the Lord Chancellor was try. If the Government would not bring in a bill he Lmrisoradatiicoonhsanocf eallcotri,onosomfoprarsiendffucthtieomn law had declined in public opinion. He therefore urged lieved were . already more h law and a better mode of law-making for the future, all already i overworked, er could attribute the other- would himself introduce a measure rendering it compel carried out on the most enlightened principles. This he • the inproposing to reform the sory that in every part of the kingdom sales should be believed could best be done by Parliament giving to the law of marriage e , h present . Lord Chancellor omitted to wisp unassw able fact that, • H of e rsaalluicehdothe Panzs,Attornthee made by imperial weights and measures alone, and by no others. The loss caused by the present system country a separate department for the affairs of justice, 9 amounted to hundreds of thousands per annum between General on opinion that existed be- h th e e n p se rod o uc i e n r t a r n o d du t n h e e a cus h t i o li m t e o r. am H en e d b a e o gg u e l d uc l h ea o v f e th o e f the sth the administration of the law a better position in the eye sweep away . th d th a en o and he was sur e that it would tend to give the law and and for criminalthe c da n inffd v e e retnheee o c n of . ok of the public. With regard to the objections which had tween bins in . been made to the principle of his motion : in the first to the physicianand 6th Wm. IV. as related to weights and measures. place it was asked if we were going to have a Minister one of whom produced h most savoury dishes, which The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said of Justice ? were we going to have an office with a con- the other forbade im to taste. Ile would rather that no doubt could exist as the desirableness of having appoint the Home Secretary t w in a e n n te ta d l name ? He did not care about the name—he as Minister of Justice, an uniformity of weights and measures, but hitherto the thing ; although, as ;regarded continental relieving him of other duties which did not pro- legislation had in vain contended with the inveterate law, h belong to him. He had no hope a would say that in communications had had perly he - habits which had fixed the adoption of varying weights with continental ' • ' forms of the law being carried without the formation of and measures in different parts of England. He did men of ability a separate and responsible department of justice. and learning, and their knowledge not know whether in regard to corn it would not be imbued __. with the best principles Mr. ii-EATING hoped the Attorney-General 1 would better to discard bushel and quarter altogether, and sell Hite, let there be a departmenttoflaw. But call it what you y-Genera for th e a ff a i r o f justice. not insist on the omission of the clause. He thought oily by weight. But then the tithe commutation rent- Then another objection was ta on the score o f expense . Se the proper and natural head . of such a d epar t men t a s was charge was fixed by the bushel and quarter, and if the did not think, however , the count r y would grudge referred to was the Lord Chancellor, and not the Home change were made it would be necessary also to alter any expense for the establishment t of a reall efficient de- Secretary. our legislation on this subject. When the bill of the hon. partment of justice. Again, • i t was said thatitwould • The ATTORNEY'GENERAL said ra th er than member was introduced it should have his best atten terfere with the rights of the Chancellor - he would ; but as the mat raise any discussion accept the elause recora• Con. ter now stood, it was admitted that the Chancellormending the motion as"urgent measure." was without such an organisation of a body unusual, if i‘ t i ol n assistants as to objected to it as not unnecessary, in an ad- portance had yet been done to enforce an uniformity of enable him t a perform the functions of a isterofJustice; dress to the Crown. weights and measures. The act of Wm. IV. was practi and, indeed, the Chancellor could not do everythi ng . A s The discussion was continued by Mr. Ingram , Mr. cally rendered inoperative by a proviso which defeated to interfering with the Home Secretar y, a department of Evart, Sir B. Perry, Mr, M. Chambers, Mr. I. Jiingt the rest of the measure. The evils of the present aye and Mr. Warren, who supported the motion, and Mr. Matins, who contended that it woull prode . Q.e no good effect. Lord PALMERSTON . promised the house that the measure should receive the' serious attention .ot Govern ment, and in reference to the different opinions expres,ed, whether the new department would require a new Minis ter, fter or whether it o ught to be att , .ched t some one of the present functi o na r i e s, he expressed his own prefer ence for building upo n the old fotr , dati ,, ns. A and the afeww i ' n r o d t s io f motion was agreed to. CHURCH RATES.ELD, Mr. NAPIER replied, Sir W. CLAY rose to move for leave to bring in a bill for the abolition of Church rates, the bill to be limited to the total abolition of such rates, and a provision say ing existing legal obligations. The bill, he said, had not only the same object, but was identical in terms with the measure which he had introduced on the same snbject during the last session of Parliament, and the only dif ference was that a portion of the former measure was omitted from the present bill. He therefore felt it un necessary to trouble the house with any observations, but when he moved the second reading he would txplain the reasons which had induced him to make the omission to which he had referred, and he would also feel it his duty to comment upon the important returns raating to the subject which had been laid upon the tal le in com pliance with the motion' of a noble lord opposite. Mr. SPOONER-said that, although he and his hon. friends on that side of the house would not oppose the motion, it must not be supposed that they gave any assent to the bill which the hon. baronet asked leave to introduce, and which provided for the simple, ab;clute, and unconditional abblition of Church rate. He thought it would be convenient to the house and to the country to learn what course her Majesty's Government intended to take on this subject. They had already stated that they did not themselves intend to bring in a bill, and that they were not prepared to say that they would move amendments to any measure which might be in troduced. tem were very great. It ought to be uLdertaken by the Government, but as they would not br;ng in a bill, he was gltel the hon. gentleman (Mr. Davies) had done so ; and he hoped-that the feeling of the country and the opinion of tills - , house would suppert him, and either enable him to carry his meastun througb or force the Government to L?g•slate. AL that was wanted was that a slime, peund, bushel, yard, cr font should be the same, and ehoul 1 Le a fixed quantity in all gaits of the country, That was surely a simple thing, and one that could be easily eif,cte,3„ All that was requisite was to repealthe prcvi-o in the Act of Win. IV., I y which it was enacted that sales should not be void if tee mea sures used, though not imperial, were yet what they professed. If this were done, and if some machinery were provided for enforcing the penalties imposed for the use of illegal weights, he believed that the imperial weights and measures would soon be in general opera tion throughout the country. Mr. M`CA.NN suggested that the difficulty might be solved by insisting that dry goods should be sold by weight, and liquid goods by measure, all overthe empire. Mr. L. DAVIES having replied, After a few words from Mr. ROEBUCK and Mr. BASS, Leave was given to introduce the bill. MOLDAVIA AND WALLACHIA. Lord C. HAMILTON moved an address to her Ma jesty for a copy of the treaty concluded by his Majesty the Emperor of Austria with the Sublime Porte, on the 14th of June, 1354, relative to the military occupation of the above Principalities. He campleined that owing to long-established habit, unless her Majesty's name ap peared as one of the high contracting parties, no treaty, however important it might be to the general state of Europe, or however it might affect British interests, was printed unless some member of that house went through the process of moving an address for that purpose. It was to that point he wished to call the attention of the house, becaue treaties which were of much importance, and in actual force, were not to be found in the library. The object in making the motion was to get over a pre cedent which existed, according to whisk no treaty was printed unless moved for a private member. Tile last official statement of treaties was published in 1830, and there was no more recent list in the library for members to refer to. There were several other treaties which ought to be printed for the convenience of members, and he hoped the Government would give attention to the subject. Lord PALMERSTON—I suppose my noble friend having made his statement, will hardly press his motion, because the treaty to which he refers has been already laid before Parliament. (A. laugh.) With regard to the general question, I apprehend the case to be this—that the Government lays before Parliament all treaties, it being fitting that Parliament should know what engage ments the country has entered into ; but, with regard to engagements entered into with other Powers between themselves, we have no official knowledge of such, and therefore they . are not laid before Parliament. If a par ticular treaty is concluded bets een two foreign Powers, and it is thought to be one that by its nature bears in some degree upon the policy of England, a member moves for it, and application may be made for it to that foreign Government, and it may then be had officially and laid before Parliament. But what I apprehend my noble friend to mean is that all European, or rather all international, documents and engagements of general interest should be collected and placed in the library. Wtl', if it is thought fit to make arrangements for that purpose, and assign a remuneration too parson responsible for doing it, it might be useful to those gentlemen who may wish to consult those documents. But that will he a question for the house to determine, and my noble friend is aware that there is now a periodical collection made and printed for sale, containing all the documents, not merely of treaties, but every European document of general interest, and made up in volumes for each year ; and a very large number of volumes are now published. This is a work of great labour and research. Those documents are collected from all sources —foreign news papers, and the ac's of foreign Governments—and it takes a considerable time to collect them with accuracy. With regard to the other question, if the house thinks it worth while to charge any responsible person with the duty of coil, c jug, for the use of members, all treaties and documents of international operations, I do not ap prehend that the Government would be at all opposed to such a step. (Hear, hear.) Mr. DISRAELI—I think the house must feel obliged to my noble friend (Lord C. Hamilton) fur bringing the matter before them. There is a want of many docu ments of international interest in our library, but I am sure my noble friend tn,eant no censure upon the gentle man who now manages the library, for I believe no one could discharge that duty with more ability and ac . . curacy. (Rear, hear.) What my noble friend says is, that the collection at the Foreign-office is made with ample knowledge and proper research, and in every way satisfactory, except one, and if our representations were made'to the Foreign (Alice that there should be a little more energy employed in the production of the valuable collection of documents there, they should all have the information which it was eo desirable to possess. (Hear.) &fr. VANCE disclaimed any intention of placing himself in antagonism with the hon. member fur Westmeath, but at the same time he begged, in reply to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to state that he had never proposed his colleague toserve on any committee, and he hoped that his hon. colleague would now with draw his motion. The motion was then withdrawn, and the remaining names were agreed to. Tee Commons Enclosure Bill and the Royal Marine Forces Bill were read a second time. The house adjourned at 12 o'clock. MARKET NEWS.—(This The motion was then withdrawn. BANK ACTS. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose to move the appintment of the Committee on the Bank Act. He said—l will trouble the house with a few remarks relating to the nature of the committee I pro pose to appoint—namely, a Committee of Secresy. The actual difference between an ordinary committee and a committee of secresy is not, in fact, very wide. It is competent for a stl :et committee—and it often exercises the power—to exclude the public during the reception of evidence. All select committees exclude the public during their deliberations, which constitute the only part of their proceedings of which an authentic report by a shorthand writer is not preserved. To a committee of the sort I now propose it is not probable that the public would be admitted during the examination of witnesses ; but a complete report of the evidence would be taken, and the committee would have the power of laying it on the table of the house. Tue only difference between a select committee, not admitting the public during the examination of witnesses, and a committee of secresy is this—that it is the privilege of members not belonging to the committee to be present at an ordinary se ect committee, if they so think fit, while the public are excluded. But, if the committee be a committee of secrecy then members unconnected with the committee have not that privilege. That is the whole extent of the difference.. In looking through the series of committees appointed to inquire into the Bank charter and other questions of a similar nature, I find it to have been the invariable practice to constitute them committees of secresy. In 1819 the commit . ee on the exi eliency of the Bank resuming cash payments was a secret com mittee. In 1832 a secret committee was appointed to inquire into the expediency of aenewing the Bank charter. I a 1836 the committee of joint-stock .banks was also secret, and the committee on com mercial distress in 1848 was likewise a committee secresy. With respect to the arrangements between this Government and the Bank of England there is nothing which, as fir as I am aware, tia'.gh; not be published to the whole wed 1, and as far as Government is concerned there is no reason to wish that any departure shoul i take place from the usual mode of examination in committee. But the house must be a-rare that, in a committee of this sort, questions may arise affecting the credit of par ticular commercial establishments, with respect to which it Wight not be desirable that any publicity should oc cur ; and the, I apprehend, is the principal reason why this course Las been invariably purmed with respect to committees of t his kind. Therefore I have thought it desirable to adhere to what seems to have been the in variable practice, and I propose that this should be a committee of secresy. With respect to the members of the committee, it has been my study to propose as fair a list of names as poesible, and one which would insure a complete and searching investigation of the matter re ferred to the committee. I think the house will admit that there are scarcely any discussions so disagreeable to the feelings as those which arise with respect to the preference of one member to another for appointment on a committee, and if the house should be of opinion that, on the whole, the list I propose is a fair one, I trust that, without going into the merits of other members, it will be disposed to adopt the list I submit. Two gentle men—the hon. members for Wallingford and Perthshire (Mr. Matins and Air. Stirling)—have intimated their inability to serve on the committee, and I should there fore give notice of a moti in to substitute two other names instead of theirs. The right hon. gentleman con cluded by making the following motion : "That the committee be a committee of secresy, and do consist of 22 members—viz., the Chancellor of the E&ohequer, Mr. Disraeli, Sir J. Graham, Mr. Spooner, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. G. A. Hamilton, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Hildyard, Mr. Glyn, Mr. Beckett, Mr. Hankey, Mr. Poll ird-Urquhart, Mr. J. L. Ricardo, Sir C. Wood, Mr. Cayloy, Sir F. Baring, Mr. M. T. Smith, Mr. Wilkinson, and Mr. Fergus." Mr. PEACOCKE rose to protest against the fairness of the proposed committee. Opinions upon this subject were entertained by two schools, if he might call them so, which were diametrically opposed to each other. There was the school which wished to preserve the Bank Act in its present integrity, and which had on its side the high authority of Lord Overstone. There was the school which wished to introduce considerable modifica tions in the act, and which had on its side the still higher authority of Mr. Fullerton, Mr. Tooke, an d Mr. Wilson. The last-mentioned gentleman, indeed, had almost de luged the country with the variety of pamphlets, articles, and 'publications which he had issued on this subject during the last 14 years. On looking at the names that composed the committee, he (Mr. Peacocke) found one or two members of what he might call the Birmingham school, and he found one or two of what he might call the Overstone school. He found the names of some members who, he believed, had not expressed any opinion on this subject, if, indeed, they entertained any. But he did not find a single member of what he might call the school of economists, which had the very high authority of Messrs. Tooke, Fullerton, and Wil son. He listened to a great portion of the not very lively or instructive debate on this subject th e ot h er evening, and of the portion of which he had not the felicity of bearing, he read a report the next day. H e found that during the whole of the d e b a t e there was but one hon. gentleman who broached doctrines at all ap proaching to that school. The hon. gentleman, who was the hon. member for Wick Burgh (Mr. Laing), spoke most ably, but his name was not on the commit tee. Perhaps, howe ver he (Mr . Peaco c k e ) m i g ht b e told, as he had b een rem i nded by his right hon. friend the member for Buckin g hamshire, that the name o f the hon. memb er f or Westbury r. Jam es Wil son ) was upon the committ ee ; but he ( must take the liberty of asking whether he was a Wilsonite—(laughter)—for he was probably n(omrore a Wil Wilsonite than Wilkes was a lieve kite. He m that the bon.. Peacocke) was rather inclinedtionebd,e meinber for Westbury was .el like Wilkes, to repudiate hi s di sc iples, and be there fore begged to ask whether it was really his intention to take his pl ace upon t h e comm ittee, and, ifb e ehould do so, whethe r he w ould do so as the author of " Capital and Currency," or as the Secretary for the Treasury ; because, with the single exception of the honourable gentleman himself, there was no representa tive of the school of vihich he was once the apost'e. but of which he (Mr. Peacocke) believed he was no linger a disci; le. (Laughter.) If there was one question more than another to which the attention of the committee ought to be directed it was that of coun try issues. On le , :hing over the debate of the other evening he found that that euhject was alluded to by only one gentleman ' viz., his h on . f r i en d th e me mber fer Inverness-shire. But that hon. gentleman's name was not on the committee. There was another most kepi tent point. He believed that it. was a very general opi nion that it was they intention of the Bank Act that the bullion in the issue department should be exclusively for the purpose of securing the convertibility of the note, and that, the 1101 er of the bank note should have a spe cial lien upon it. Now, if the bank should break, was the holder of such a note to be paid pani passe with every other credit or ? That the Chancellor of the Exche quer must admit was a very important question for the consideration of the committee, but not one of those hor. gentlemen whose names had been proposed bad alluded to it, And so he (Mr. Peac)cke) was told that this was a fair and impartial committee for the purposes of inquiry. He declined to propose any alteration of it. H e thought that the play was amusing as it stood, and he did not wish to interfere with the performance or the distribution of the parts in this most solema comedy. (Laughter.) Mr. DISRAELI begged to repeat the appeal which he made the other evening to the Government, to intro duce a bill at once w ithout the intervention of a com mittee, as he thought that all the information that might be needed cou ld b e f urn i s h e d d ur i ng the discussion of the bill in its several stages in the house. The Govern ment bad matured their opinion on the subject, and he thought it was m os t una d v i sa bl e t o ap p o i n t a committee toinvestigate a subject with respect to which the Go vernment was prepared to undertake, on its own respon sibility, the introduction of a bill. He (Mr. Disraeli) was nut disposed to divide the house upon the appoint ment of a committee unless be should receive more en couragement than he then anticipated. Bat there was another point which was scarcely less important which be would urge upon the Government, and that was the expediency of not only changing the names, but reducing the size of the committee, which was unwieldy. All the opinions that ought to be represented might be repre sented by a committee exactly half the size. Why not have a c3mmittee of 11, as they chose 11's at cricket ? (Laughter.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it appeared to be the general wish of the house that a se lect committee should be appointed on this subject, and although he thought there was no necessity for one yet he would yield to that desire. Even if he bad deter mined to introduce a bill in the first instance he believed that the majority of the house would have referred it to a select committee. There was a general expectation, both within the house and out of doors, that the sub ject should undergo investigation before a com mittee. On referring to former committees upon this subject he found that they were generally composed of 26 or 28. The last committee was composed of 26. In proposing, therefore, a com mittee of 12, he did not choose an unreasonable num ber. The many applications which had been made to him by hon. members de-irous of being appointed on the committee induced him to believe that it was the general wish that the committee should be composed of at least 22 members. Mr. HADFIELD complained of the absence from the list of every hon. gentlemen representing the manufac turing districts in the north of England. Mr. TITE expressed his approval of an inquiry by a select committee as a preliminary step to the introduc tion of a bill. All the names preceding that of Mr. Pollard• Urquhart having been put from the chair and agreed t), Mr. GROG AN proposed the substitution of Mr. Vance's name for that of Mr. Urquhart, on the ground that the latter represented an agricultural, while the former represented a mercantile. constituency. After a few words from Mr. NEWDEGATE, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought that it was not the first time that the hon. gentleman had made a motion of a similar nature with respect to his colleague ; and he also thought that his colleague had made a similar motion with regard to himself. (Laughter.) He himself would adhere to the names which he had set clown, and, as among those names were the name of the hon. member for the University of Dublin, an accomplished financier, and of the hon. member for NVestmeath, who had on previous occa sions txhibited considerable acquaintance with the sub ject, he did not think that Irish commercial interests were not fairly represented. CORN EXCHANGE. The show of English wheat in to-day's market was vory moderate, and in poor condition. The attendance of mil lers was far from numerous, and the demand for all kinds of wheat of honie produce was in a sluggish state, at Mon day's cm rency. Only 2,120 qrs. of foreign wheat have come in, yet the show of samples, ex-granary, was extensive. Only a limited business was passing, but we have no change to notice in the quotations. Floating cargoes commanded very little attention. There was a slight improvement in the demand for bar ley, but malt met a dull inquiry, on former terms. The show of oats was only moderate. The trade, how ever, was inactive, at Monday's prices. Beans, peas, and flour moved off aldwly, on former terms. The imports o f American flour have lyaen large. Oats. 1 F.onr. 430 1,610 5,110 5,1701 3,263 barrels eartivetki THIS WERT.. W neat. Barley. I Malt. English .. 1,050 I 720 1,380 Irish .... — Foreign 1 1 2,120 I —. METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET. The supply of beasts here to-day was very moderate. The demand, however, for all breeds ruled somewhat heavy, at Monday's quotations. We had a limited show of sheep, yet the mutton trade was in a sluggish state, at about stationary prices. The general quality of the stock was superior. There was a slow sale for calves, but no change took place in their value. Pigs moved off heavily, at late rates. Much cows commanded scarcely any at tention. Per 81bs to sink the offals. 8. a. S. d.; S. d. a. Inferior Beasts.... 3 4to 3 6 Prime Southdown 5 4 5 6 Second quality.... 3 8 4 0 Largo crse. calves 310 5 0 Prime large oxen 4 2 4 8 Prime small do 5 2 5 Prime Scots, die. 410 5 Cqaarge hogs Inferior Sheep ...4 0 4 4Small porkers 4 6 5 2 Second quality ...4 6 4 10/Suckling calves 23 0 30 0 Prime crso.-wlled.s 0 5 ;Quarter old pigs 21 0 28 0 TOTAL SUPPLY. FOREIGN SUPPLY. Beasts ..............•. • • 1,015 i Beasts • • .................. g g Sheep • ......... 2,900 ( Sheep .... Calves ..... ••..•.• • • • .. 249 Calves.. ••.• • .. •... •• •• •• ito pip........ •• •• •• •• •••• 300 Pigs•••• •• •• •• ...... .. •• .. NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL. The trade generally was steady, at our quotations. Per Sibs by the carcase. s. d. s. d. I Beef, Inferior '3 0 3 4 Do., middling 3 6 310 I Do. prime laro. b e 4 0 4 2 Do., do. suiall 4 4 4 6 Pork, large 3 8 4 4 s. d. R. 4. Mutton, Inferior 3 6 3 10 Do., middling 4 0 4 4 Do., prime 4 6 4 10 Veal... 3 10 5 0 Pork, small 4 6 5 4 BOROUGH HOP. Our market is well supplied with all kinds of hops, both new and yearlings. Fine qualities are in fair request, at full prices, but other kinds command very little attention. Mid and East Kent pockets, 31 155 to 51 12s ; Weald of Kents, 31 5s to 5103 ; Sussex, 313 s to 410 s ; Worcester, 41 4s to Si 5s ; yearlings, 1110 s to Si 15r. per cwt. COLONIAL. their u s rt pe h e e u r la n to e rs ws de f f r e o ling China. TEL—The market is iire t t o i f ve f , operations until the Fees? lb. A large quantity id. per ova realises s. . . Common con,, Tuesday competition on next. is advertised for pu blic a has been an extensive demand for British SUGAR.— t•—Thera Ih d full rates are current, but owing to the plantation, !sn small quantity on o ffer, very little business h as b een done. Mauritius, East Ind ian , and foreign descripti ons have been firm, a t extreme prices. In the refined market prices rule steady, but the demand has rather decreased. COFFEE.—The demand continues very active for planta tion and native Ceylon, chiefly for home consumption, and higher quotations are current for all qualities. Mocha realises full rates. RlCE.—This article has been in rather better demand, and prices have been steady. Rum.--A few sales have been effected in Demerara, ai about late rates, but the m ar k et generally rules flat. SPICES. —There is little change to report in either pepper, mace, cinnamon, or cloves, the transactions without 'Aw ing been unimportant. COCHINEAL. —Th e mar k et rules dull, and prices any alteration. w hich corn' INDIGO.— At the public sales of this artic le ..n menced on Wednesday last there was a r ah sw ° l angu id, only attend ance of buyers, and the biddings were v !,.' r _T rpa h e advanced the superior qualities were in demand. .n." about 3d pea lb, and Madras decl ined iaat sa les. about 2d per lb, compared with the rates realised a t _ aye, b u t prices rule firm. has firm. TALLOW.—Thp mar PA - X., on the spot and 6d to 6Ss, and 54s to 54s market 13" ex been Ina c tive, for sPring exhibited much firmness. d e livery is quoted 67s t months 3d for the last hree . A man was folly comm itted yesterday for t r i a l b y t h e Southampton magistrates, town personating an a b sent v oter at the elec tion in t hat own on Tuesday last. CRYSTAL P A LACE —ONE SHILLING DAL—THURSDAY, 12. —A d m i ss ions on payment, FEB. 12. i 882 ; ditto, by season tickets, 330 ; total, 1,212. REBUILDING OF WALLASEY CHURCH.—A public meet ing bas been held at the Egremont Hotel to set in motion means for the raising of funds to rebuild Wallasey Ch u rch, near Birkenhead, which was destroyed by fire ea rly on Sunday morning, the Ist inst. The Lord Bishop of Chester occupied the chair. The attendance was numerous and influential. Subscriptions were handed in to the amount of 2001., the bishop heading the list with a donation of 1001