The Sun. — London, England, 1857-02-04 00:00:00

Party in this house, a very powerful party, representing very . different i n te rests, a party whose iuterests and whose honour aught to bo very clear to the House of Commons. By that P r oposition - they were placed in a very difficult position, for a Part of thascheme of the right hon. gentleman was the im- Petition of a succession duty on real property. (Hear.) I I r ish to state the case fairly to the right hon. gentleman the ' l eather for Oxford University. Ido not wish to have a dis enselon upon the merits and demerits of the question now. I 7ell admit th a t the right hon. gentleman brought the matter e r ward fairly, and w a s qu it e rea dy t o d e f en d th e measur e; olit allow me to observe that the position of the Minister of the d ay to those on whom the tax was imposed was intimately son fleeted with the settlement of the income tax. (Hear.) o -Qat s ucceselon duty was greatly opposed in this house; some f the prepositions connected with it were rejected, some Were carried binarrow•mejorities, but ultimately themeas t n i i; e e /4 's cariied by the votes of those who supported it, on efaith of the right hon. gentleman's promise that tho incona, . t e il • nPosed in 1853 should cease in 1860; that was the consi st upon which they had supported the concession. d. N the plans ofthe right hon. gentleman had not been t r s ed u a rb ee e d d se war two years ago, we should have been fifseessuient ; but owing to that. circumstance, '' a th yl o n s t g e h i a e nt re er i esi ne te e d it real property had not enjoyed the benefit of . ]need 7sement. Let it be remembered therefore that holdeiso • _" r ollert were being taxed to the amount of two millions a e ‘ • r • Without receiving that equivalent to which they had a W 'When you disturb the settlement of 1853, observe /ore a host of various and embarrassing questions in finance With Will raise. You will hive the question of how you are to precarious and settled incomes; and you will have , th the case where entire exemption is claimed—a Which I formerly attempted to settle ; and you will have e ,7 • 111 n and bitter complaint against the burden of taxation Nant the h o ld ers ' of real property, who, in addition to that c e h°M tt e ll , have i m p os ed u p in them a succession duty. (Hear, e • •) You will thus have a series of questions which will Arvass any Minister—the solution of which you will find '"uc he _ e eltlt, if not impossible. (Cheers.) I think that the pro rt ;7 and income tax places within the reach of the Govern thin those great resources which it possesses, and which, be.. Ir a are in some degree the cause of the dangerous policy jaich they pursue ; resources applied in a way not to be de which and which I consider ought net to be granted. "l ea r) 1 understood from the declarations of those officially 17inected with eher Majesty's Government, some 'in high s e, some in line not sufficiently high—(a laugh)—that it st_ e t the iateut ion of the Government to insist on levying Lae whale of the revenue at present derivable from this oug h t h of revenue; b ut I think that upon that subject there to be no doubt, al the present (Hear, hear.) I highly disapprove a g i tation of the public mind on the subject of !he iicome tax being allowed to continue. I highly object to the question being Postponed. I think it impolitic that Ira Should be called upon to wait a . month, or perhaps thiblv wc months, financial before her Majesty's Ministers lay bef . ore us .n ' cin. %. statement. Precedents are not wanting i th e " 140 27 for moving the house at an early period of e n „.l e eelon oil subjects of finance, and it is a proper and The committee of supply always PkTc--";eidb4lesittinalhat nfecnirse. ways'and means, and the Chancellor of the ocenrrioller,_makes hit demands on the House of Commons alf ir w the Wants and requirements of the coun t r y . e ar. hear But, lioe „,.._ .e air, I protest, ramßl in posi for my part, that we are readily to stop the supplie! if we (Hear, hear.) It is, sir, Zeit for the finaticialt statement. • of i t l a e Pini , _ .. on, of the Utmost importance, in the present state up on /atone mind, that we should come to an early decision it , - 4 t his subject. (Heel-, hear.) It is due to the country, kr due to oursel ves, and I think it is still more due to the -- i ehlt r3a (Cheers.) Let the Ministry know what the opi ith "I I q the country is, and then they will know how to shape te -eu. course, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer can devise ti"° means necessary for, the public, necessities. (Cheers.) I "erstand that ome notic ha been given by some on. tentleman on this subject. I think the matter a most h im -Irtant ono, and that it should be brought forward by some (V s.ll e speaks the opinion of a large party in this house. a e -er a.) I think that the question ought to be i brought for t_ I'l earlY, though I think it would be an unworthy and an :satisfactory mode of dealing with it, to take it up in the I, Y of Moving an amendment to the Address. I think an ,j ( ; - ,, P 4 ' 1114, itY for its discussion ought to be given by her Ma h Y's Ministers. I should be perfectly willing if some other t.L' u e gentlernaa who sits near me would have undertaken the 7k hut, as it has been thought fit that I should take upon leeuhe duty, I shall seek the opinion of the house upon the t° 'J e d, and I sball move for a committee of the whole house ::consider resolutions, of which I do not bind myself now re state the exact words, but which will be to the following bee ' h e 2t —To exp re s s the opinion of this house that taxes which on e n levied in time of war, for the purpose of carrying th a t shall only be levied or ,a particular period ; and Me t "' e • is the opinion of this house that the settle tie4 4 ' 1853 shall, in spirit, bo adhered to. I can but observe, sir, that if these resolutions be carried it 4411 effect some advantageous changes in the financial ell s gernents of the country, and shall give a beneficial 'tne to its interests. (Hear, hear.) Sir, I think it is t a rt for me to express my opinion, that it is not advisable Englandshouldbecome a great military nation. (Cheers.) s e , ar s Prepared to v o t e a ll ways an d means th at are neces e .‘ te support an effective army, but lam not in favour of ~,'l,,sw military system. I am not afraid of expressing the It° the opinion, that a large st tuding army is opposed 1 • 0 the liberties of aSt Ito. (Cheers.) I know that we must t ba ave troops, and we have an army of which, I think every een hae reason to be proud. I wish to see that army , main ee'ned in full ethciescy, and I would h ave th e m iliti a p l ace d 4 ,' a more effective footing. (Cheers.) It is objected that a i."‘l'd ll ing ary cann o t be dangerous iu these days because it t; tder th e m control of Parliament, b u t I prefer seeing the a l us under the c on t ro l o f h er M a j esty than under the direo `oll of the Parliament of England. There is danger in an Ny whether disciplined or undisciplined. If undisciplined if • will become abandoned in its habits ; if disciplined, it may be come an instrument for the oppression of the State. (Hear, h eal,) I care not what may be the form of government W hether Royal, Imperial, or Republican. Wherever there e 'tre 500.000 in a State highly disciplined, let a man i'esve authority Over them, and that mends dictator. I hope `' e ll, sir, that neither the glory of the late war, nor that of tither wars in which we have been engaged—perhaps more meat u ewill lead the people of this country to sanction inilit • to hi' b - t (Cheers.) I entertain the conviction aiy es.a IS JD( il s peo ple' the that the more you reduce the burdens of the peo greater will be the resources that you find placed at /Our disposal. I shall not on the present occasion ask the P e "se to express their opinion on the topic to which these olution s refer, but shall give my support to the huinble '‘ddrese to our gracious Queen. (The right hon. gentleman Ra t clown amid loud cheering.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that if the advic e of the right lion, gentleman opposite (Mr. Disraeli) 'ail been followed in the composition of the gracious Speech W hich has been read to the house, and if it contained a Par e ,— 1 4 e‘epn recommending the . house to enter upon a remis- F l u ' of taxation, and an adjustment of . the burdens of the 1 7 41 ° to the state of peace which we had now happily reached, e -e (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) feared they should have the y told that such a general assurance was of no value ; that ' lle3 ' might have assumed it as a matter of course. It had not teen usual to make such specific Atatements as the right hon. Reetlernau desired in Speeches from the Throne. It had been lef t b , to the discretion of the house when the estimates liad „ e -s f ramed, with due regard to public necessities, to decide ; 4 the way s and means necessary. He would confine himself curic; the o bservations of the right hon. gentleman on the subject e income -tar, without following him in his wide digres 'lll into European politics. (Hear, bear.) He protested "t7, e 4 , 1 9et hon. members imputing to the Government such in itaeuons as had been adverted to by the preceding speaker d u 7 certainly had no design to establish a standing army, t:i.,ngerous to the liberties of the people. He must defer en inii Into the details on the subject of the army and navy ' 4 til b,„_ the period when the question would come before the i e u ee in th e way of regular business, when it would be his e _tY to m a k e th e statement for the coming year. He would, ;slaWever, remind the h ouse th at h eavy expenses had been en ed by the necessity of keeping up armaments after the file seas over. Last session the amount of taxation had been 4 ea by the house after mature deliberation. It was his I;„" e _lio_us wish to lay the financial statement of the ensuing 1 4 .. rs before the house at the earliest possible opportunity the ! ,.. * _T r as of the house would permit.budget,ar.) He believed on tie: are occasions the annua was stated on going ti ee. a e atonaittee of supply, but such was not the usual prac tnteie iThe usual practice was to allow some progress to be Me et , n c"nernittee of supply, and to make the financial state jaw. :a a committee of ways and means after the great esti f,e''s bad been laid before the ^ house. His into tion was to e a , st e i e_ _t.he had opportunity after the army and navy h mates had esubmiletl to examination by the e nse, to have made the annual financial statement to have e ca.bled the house to judge of the probable expenditure of the coming year, and alsa of the insane with which Government propwohseiedhitoulineeGetotveciat expenditure. He trusted that the course taking, before the remarks of the front had resolved upou ni„lijaent.i.fgaeentotli7emataoi the e e Member for Buckinghamshire, Thi g hf house • and at all events, 'whatever might be sub beitted for their consideration by th e ri ° g i i ° t n gentleman, or by any one else, that the house weuld n et ° Came to any existence definite resolution on the subject of a ta now tuitii they had heard what might bo the;eimr expendi ture of the ensuing y e ar, and what were tho financial plans of the Geyer anent in order to meet that expenditure. After a pause, no one rising, The SPEAKER rose to put when the A ddress, but h a d not got through the first paragraph ' Mr. GLADSTONE rose in a very thin house and time spoke '—Re confessed his reluctance to rise at that moment. When Mc right hon. friend had left his scat to follow what be must %111 the comprehensive and remarkable speech of right hon, aeutleman, he did n o t suppose b ut that they would hear from kinister of the Crown some notice or some reply to those Tel, . -.' grave matters with which the earlier portion of that ..D e „, A . t e - r u n e ras charged. (Hear.) It appeared to him inconsis_ ti c t with tharespect due to the house and to the country Who ''' ; fiber of the house, and especially a member )11 ! a s su pposed to speak the sentiments of many other "lb "; had foreigti _ ,in debate up on th e Ad dress, questioned the b een elicY of the Government in terms so grave 'as had ~ronehia7e•lihkereployed, that the Government ' should not ore rothen he one e ll' . of notice to these charges. Ho was not ski n upon which a n , tered the house of the nature of the discus. ter. Ito did the rightlon , gentleman was about to en " his ..---. ..... PreBlu nc—and it was an act of presumption Part to .- °ter the hon. clack . th e S peaker's eye immediately aat thi wn ; and ilfeen.tlm,u,, the seconder of the Address, Well k new that - did so u p o n so peculiar ground that he mno,a at, m e i, mentell i t i mporta nt 'considerations of finance were agita ting the. mind of the country— teat;;; I nierY---whieli . Bo n i elee n L a s ; of the toeschen o „ulded the interest and at eeac the right on. mat hotuse and he wished to anti querknowin. 4,_. gentleman the te be defi n it e ~,.s bun th ere Ne Chancellor of the Exche - that Re m -""' d p rompt i as one person especially bound was t he indi n " Willing hi vie ws , a nd that emise q u ellec ef the vidua l who ne ' rangement of 1853 e P°ll. tu ition h W addressed them, in ea occupied at the financial ar bound • c duty, no 1 by ties of publi — ' e ar. hear our, net to lose a )Re considered ho was % cal hon her ') fie than by those of per , 4.. he recognition he feltrab vtith t °meat in acquainting the house bound to make of any obligations. ,se %hag 'on him so far 'ltottliail Of COMMOUS, and tha's he could in justice do so in the illsti petition with the the reason why he rose in rightlhewan.sgentleman the member for e&ll3ll2alne hirt At , a Witte n,, almost from the fi Period when the Speech from the to ottr foreign poi*, setae of these topics rat line to the last, was occupied It was his intention to have adverted , but th ri h exercise sra • of h is Privile es w ide field —h a d e g t hon. gentleman, in the loge as a member, had entered upon a questioned the foreign policy of the Go h, runsent root b----oettelay,athe honou r ef and branch, and had made charges whi h he Government them to the required c ' his honeyrigliutit° to; and he must express his regret that ,esponiiblend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Government adviser of the Crown, had omitted to defend the n where it had been most formidably assailed. S ame of the alle* tigh t hon , gentle g uns' made against the Government by the flue e • stood the right hen, quite new to him. If he under -401310 butrumout or _gentleman rightly he said that there was .9151'44 by whicia unk,n,OWla to the Par, liament or people of this country, we had become parties and guareetees for her lee.; peeeees Mr. DISR A.ELt—I beg the right hon. gentleman's par don for a moment. This is a point upon which there should be no mistake, or false conclusions might be deduced. I thought there could have been no mistake as to the state ment which I made, and which was this r—l asked, Would the house believe that the Italian domitions of Austria were guaranteed? Upon which the noble lord at the head of the Government asked, By what Power ' I replied that there was a secret treaty for guaranteeing the Italian dominions of Austria to enstria, by France, but with the sanction, ap probation, advice, and at the instance of England ; but I added that England herself was not a party to the secret treaty. Mr. GLADSTONE was glad to have elicited that explana tion, for the impression of many of these near him as to what the right hen. gentleman had said was the same as his own ; but, taking the matter as it now stood, if such a guarantee had been given by France. to Austri t, with the entire con cuerenee (the right hon. gent.eman said) of this country, or rather of this Government, he must say that in his opinion, such a proceeding ought to be known to Parliament, for it had an essential bearing on any course which thehouse might think fit to pursue upon Italian affai.s. (Hear.) As to Naples, inasmuch as the Speech from the Throne had pro mised to lay papers before the house, he would not enter into any details upon so interesting, so important, and so difficult a question. With respect t 3 Persia, he had to say that there was great reason to complain that no promise or expression ou that question had been offered to the house. He would not then cater into the merits of the ca. e, but he must say than, no facts, as appearing to him from reports in the public journals, were an adequate justi fication of our proceedings with respect to that country. When he (Mr. Gladstone) heard the Speech from the Throne, and particularly that paragraph of it which related to the flank and the currency, he wee led to the belief that the Go vernment were going to introduce legislation upon this sub ject. He found also that the right hen. gentleman the Chan cellor of the Exchequer was about to move for a select com mittee for the investigation of this important matter. (He (Mr. Gladstone) would venture to express a hope that mea sures might be takes for guiding the deliberations of the com mittee, and giving to it a different plan ; and, in mentioning this subject to the house, ho would observe t hat a very un fortunate change had taken place of late years with respect to the dignity and efficiency of select committees in matters of importance. (Hear, hear.) There were grave exceptions, no doubt ; several most valuable reports had been drawn up, which had been made the basis of legislation ; but often there had been introduced into these reports much that was of a slovenly charaoter, which had been apoligised for on the ground of the lateness of the session —(hear) —or some other unfortunate cause preventing due attention to these matters. He hoped that this would not be the case with the commit tee his hon. friend was about to propose. In the wording, however, of that clause of the Speech which relates to the Bank of England, he thought that less caution had been used than could be desired. He had a ver,i strong opinion upon that subject, for he thought that the privileges of the Bank of England required provisions quite as much as they de served renewal. (Hear) The relations betw e en th e St a t e and the Bank of England were of very ancient date. They were framed at a time when public faith did not exist, when no Government could obtain any credit from the monied world. Those were the circumstances under which the Bank of England came into existence,and he was bound to say that much of the relations now existing between the Bank and the State were founded upon antiquated and highly inappropriate ideas. Whatever new arrangement was made, it ought to be after a close and comprehensive investigation. The cha racter of the bank should be that of the great agent of the state in matters of finance; but he (Mr. Gladstone) thought that the language of the paragraph ought not to im ply any foregone conclusion on the part of the house, (Hear, hear.) The Act of 1844 was one in a largo class of progres sive measures; and it did not pretend, in the judgment of Sir Robert Peel, to a character of absolute finality. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Gladstone) for one did not propose to un settle the Act of 1841, or to return to the state of things which existed before ; bat he thought it ought to be under stood, that it was open to the house toeonsider whether the Act of 1814 was capable of improvement. Such a course would tend to give an assurance to the country that they were at length beginuing to emerge from a series of monetary experiments, and to settle the question upon a permanent and comprehensive basis. (Hear, hear.) A more important con sideration remained. He (Mr. Gladstone) had watched, like others the reports which had apeeared of meetings taking place in different parts-of the country, with reference to the income tax. It was a feeling, perhaps, that was inherent in the nature of all such popular meetings, but it was one that he could not help regretting, that the country now showed a great disposition to be critical and sore on the subject of taxa tion, but not to be critical and sore on the subject of expen diture. If he (Mr. Gladstone) were to attempt to paint the temper of the country at that moment, he should say that the prevailing feature was, that they were jealous with respect to taxation, and reckless with regard to expenditure. It might be considered well that the question of direct and indirect taxation should be settled within the year. But he (Mr. Gladstone) thought that both the advocates of direct and in direct taxation -those who looked with the eyes of idolatry upon their respective systems —would have abundant oppor tunities of discussing their respective merits during future years. (Laughter.) There had been much discussion upon the question whether the income tax should be levied as at pre sent, or whether a varied rate should be levied upon various descriptions of income. They would never entirely get rid of these discussions, and financial and even political dangers might arise from such discussions; but he (Mr. Gladstone) had never scrupled to avow his opinion that an income-tax was en admirable instrument of taxation, but that it was a dangerous instrument. (Hear.) They had much discussion on the question of au uniform or varying rate for the income. tax ; whether incomes of 1001. or 1501. should be the limit of exemption; and whether a man with 1511. of income should pay income tax on his 1511., or on his 11. over the 1501. ; and upon none of these questions were the answers explicit and intelligible. The real necessity was to put the house and the country in the way of limiting their outlay to some just and reasonable scale of expense, suited to a peace establishment. (Hear.) T:iat was the question with respect to which the - house must in the first instance direct its atten tion, if they intended to disch arge th e i r d ut i es to the people of England, whom they represented. (Hear.) That was the point to which he (Mr. Gladstone) would• then endeavour to address himself. For once he was not entirely without infor mation on the subject. Teem was a portion of the country, the town of Arbroath, in the south of Sc Aland, which had been highly favoured by the interesting revelations and dis closures made by the Minister at War to his delighted neigh bours and friends. (Laughter.) He (Mr. Gladstone) would not then go into an important question of a different nature, but he could not understand why such a time and such a place should have been chosen by the noble lord the Secretary at War to deliver the opinions of a Minister on the report of the Crimean inquiry, by Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch. Lord Panmure was stated to have related to his friends that there would be a redaction in the forthcoming year of the military estimates by twenty millions. He (Mr. Gladstone) concluded that these were the military estimates--he sup posed that it was not the naval that were meant, but the estimates for the army, the ordnance, the militia, and the commissariat. Now, there was no means of coming to a know ledge of this subject except by the test of expenditure. It was very well to talk of a niggard economy and so forth— these were not only truths but truisms—so also to speak of the benefits and virtues of economy, of relieving ,the people from taxation, of removing their burdens, and so on, were truths that came from the other end of the diameter. They might as well be uttered in Sanscrit for the practical use they possessed. (Hear.) But figures were more intelligible to the house; and he would approach the subject by means of the figures which the War Minister had given through his great benevolence to his friends at Arbroath. It was said to be in the contemplation of Government that the military esti mates should be reduced by 20 millions. Last year they amounted to 35 millions, He (Mr. Gladstone) spoke of the unreduced estimates of last year, because the reduced esti mates amounted to 20, millions, and he would' hardly sup. pose that it was intended to reduce the latter sum by 20 mil lions, (Hear.) It was the unreduced military estimates that it was thus intended to reduce. With regard to the naval department he must say that his right hon. friend the First Lord of the Admiralty had not paid a visit to his friends at Halifax, and therefore he (Mr. Gladstone) had not the cor responding inform +tion as regarded that department; but he was afraid, if he might judge from rumours, that they were not to expect estimates of a very stingy character. These estimates last year were 20,0.10,000/. ; before, they were reduced to 16,500m01., which included no less a sum than 5,000,0001. for the transport service. He would now hope, however, that that would be reduced to an amount al together insignificant, and he thought that the probable amount that would be required by his right hon.friend would be about 9,030,0001. for the naval department. Adding that to the 11,000,0001. mentioned by Lord Paumure, as being ne cessary for the military department, he found that the esti mates for a peace establishment could not be less than 2a,000,000/. for the year. With regard to the necessities of the country, be thought they ought to look at what the expenditure bad been before the war commenced. It was quite true that many things existed which required improvement, and that that improvement could not be effected without expense. They had all seen, since their return to London, the improved material of the great-coats of the soldiers. Changes such ai these, and whatever tended to the social and moral improve ment of the soldier, he was sure the country did net grudge. But these were not the heavy charges and expenses —they were caused by the tone of the policy which this country maintained abroad. If it ware true that there were changes of necessity to be m a d e i n the military system which would entail expense, it was not less true th a t there were important and happy the doctrinee"bene t • He repudiated ry which tended to g have vast armies to defend th v e as ni t . economy. (Hear, hear ) a g n e:a w k e in had lace in the condition of the emu institutions garrisons. ilnt Suchcolonial was only necessary when they had a slave population to keep paesacoeusersieensowf we must down, or where it was necessary to maintain great military theev as coloniesperfectly ought plain to o that the progress of new ew , carry with them the ob ligation to discharge thei rown burdens. We were pro our title and inheritance of freedom, and there was no free man who believed some• him f the one else should relieve f r om necessity of these charges . Then, again, the state of things at home before the war was very different to what it was now. In Ireland there were from 20,000 to 30,000 men act ing as police , and the great bulk of the troops di sc h arge d the Y same duties thro ug h out the country. Agroat change bad, howevor,been made i n that syst n e t rt r i . by the establishment ablishment of rural police, thereby su bj ecting real property and the rate payers generally to a considerable charge. Bat that would enable them to dispense with the application of their military force, as they did 20 or 30 years ago, and, therefore, the ex penditure on this head must be considerably less. The aver age of the military estimate during the 4,1 years previous to the war was 14,000,0001. The lowest, in 1835, was 12,000.000/. The estimates since that year had risen considerably, but sel dom beyond 17,0001. During the last 15 or 20 years, a new steam fleet had been created, with a new system of propul sion, by which a very large expenditure was incurred. But that fleet being now completed, there mu.t of necessity be a vast reduction. The estimate, however, to be proposed by the Government exceeds that of the years when the steam fleet was being made He and those with whom ho was familiar were of opinion that that house ought, in the first instance, to look at the expenditure of the country. He would then proceed to show the danger in which the house would find itself if it voted away the 9d. income tax. The feeling of the country would no doubt be with them, but the consequence must be that the Government would be cern ,pelled to fill the vsouum by a new taxation or to borrow money, and he for one was not willing to be responsible for such a measure. The right hon. gentleman then vindi_ated the conduct of Lord Aberdeen's Government with reference to the alleged arrangement when the -accession Duty Act was n 18 passed, i 3, for the extinguishment of the income t ax, and said that in reply to complaists that income was charged equally with capital, the Government, unable at the time to reconstruct the income tax, had, by the Succession Duty Act, thrown an additional burden on capital, and thus relieved in come. There were many purposes of the income tax yet un fulfilled. The re rema i ne d to be e r ec t e d r eforms in our tariffs both in i.he customs duties and it duties of excise, which ought not to escape the attention of the house, and the re duction of which was perfectly practicable by the existence of a moderate income tax It was it his mind reasonable and j o u f s ii tltliathe right hon. gentl emat (M r . Di srae li), on behalf const s friends'ituentssahleulcl d any independett mem b er on b e half of his acknowledge '.t the duty of the House of CPLaIIIOI33 to any BOW, VA 1857, "nether the pledgee et 1853 were or were not to I,e fulfilled. He (Mr. Gladstone) de ' tel 'trial'ire ielferelity of the rate and the varying of the rate ; but these were matters of a practical character, and it would be his duty to secure the pledges which had been given in 1853. He could not forget the conduct of the House of Commons at that period. If they voted the abolition of the war tax in April, there would still remain half a year's income tax; and the question was, whether that should be subject to the pub lic expenditure. In 1854 they asked twelve millions addi tional taxes, which was for one year's war expenditure, and a part of that depended upon the income tax. He (the right hon. gentleman) believed that the Government did not intend to borrow money when the expenses were on that scale. The Government asked permission to raise money, and the income tax was, it might be said, to meet that. The question, then, was whether the six mouths' income tax should not be applied in the liquidation of the interest of the loan? It was the duty, no doubt, of the country to see how the public expenditure could be best met. As regarded ehe motion of which the right hon, gentleman had given notice, he (Mr. Gladstone) should be prepared at the pr o p er ti me to give it every support, and if notice of such a motion had not been given he (the right hon. gentleman) should have felt it his duty to have brought such a motion forward himself. Whenever the question was raised with respect to the pledge given in 1853, he had no doubt the house would be prepared to redeem it. There had been 40 or 50 millions of additional debt, and the interest of that must be provided for. Circumstances might occur before 1860 which might require additional modifications to b 3 made in the financial system, but nothing had occurred which dis entitled the house to the pledges made in 1853, and it was their duty to see them carried out. • Lord PALMERSTON said- —Sir, I can assure my right hon, friend who has just sat down that if I did not rise immediately after the speech of the right hon. gentleman, opposite; it was not'in any degree from any want of respect to that right hon. gentleman or to the house. It was, if I may say so, out of re spect to my right hon. friend (Mr. Gladstone), as I deemed it more respectful that I should hear what my right hon. friend had to say before I should offer any observation to the house. The speech of the right bon. gentleman opposite appeared to me to be an instance of the danger into which men of eminent talents who distinguished themselves in different walks aro sometimes tempted to fall, by indulging in a display of those talents which have raised them to eminence. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman stands pre-eminent in the house for statesmanlike qualities, for talents in debate, and eloquence as a speaker. He has also risen to great re putation as a man of genius in another department of intel lect, as a great master of the powers of imagination. (A laugh ) I am not going to accuse him on this occasion of being in debted to his imagination for his facts and to his memory for his arguments —(laughter)—a reproach applied in another Parliament to a distinguished orator ;'but I must say that the greater part of the right hon. gentleman's speech about our foreign policy was a perfect and entire romance. (Hear, and laughter.) The right hon. gentleman had been spending a part of the vacation in Paris. We know that in that great capital there are many active men who amuse themselves by practising on the credulity of those whom they call gobe m•ouches. '(Laughter.) What a godsend it was to them to have in their hands, not a common traveller, but the leader of the opposition in the English House of Commons —(hear, hear, and renewed laughter)—a man of distinguished ability, capable of disseminating with great advantage those tales which he had stored up in his memory. (Laughter.) To begin with the question of the Russian treaty, the right hon. gentle. man did ample justice to the Government, both in regard to the reasons of the war, and in carrying on the war, for he says we have secured a peace which was honourable to the objects of the war, and which had not humiliated Russia unneces sarily. I quite agree with the right hon. gentleman that we had secured the iudependenee of the Black Sea and the free dom of the Danube. I also agree with him that Russia, al though she was compelled to accede to terms which at first had been rejected, had yet no reason to feel humiliated with respect to the conflict. She fought a noble and gallant battle at the extreme end of her dominions ; and I think, as a Rus sian, a man might be rather proud o f th e great efforts she made. There was nothing in the conduct of the war which was not honourable to the allies, and nothing in the terms of peace to inspire Russia with any humiliation, (Hear.) But then the right hon. gentleman says, in the negotiations which took place at the Conference in Paris, there was a great want of geographical knowledge. and the blunders of our plenipotentiaries caused difficulties to arise. I. will touch as lightly on the subject of the Conference as is consistent with its delicacy and importance, and I think it would have been better for the right hon. gentleman to have accepted the solution of them without going into the details. It was well known that Austria began by stating to the French and English Governments that she was willing to submit to the Government of Russia certain conditions as the bases of peace, provided she was assured that those conditions would be accepted by Russia, and would be equally accepted by the allies. She was told she might make the proposal. She sent the conditions to St. Petersburg, intimating that they were to be accepted or rejected without modification. The ans tier in the first place was a modified acceptance, and the Government of Russia was told that would not do, Mit that the only condi tions whica she co u ld be instrumental in carrying out must be purely and simply accepted. One of those conditions was, that there should be a new frontier in Bessafabia, and that was ac cepted by Russia. Russia was then bound by the acceptance she had signed. When the plenipotentiaries met in Paris, the Russian plenipotentiary stated that although the Emperor ad mitted that he was evidently bound byhis acceptance, it would greatly soften the conditions, and remove feelings of dissatis faction, if such a modification should be made as would still leave the Principalities untouched, on which the allies grounded C th on ei t r ac fr t itowntiehh frontier, be a D m a e n ly u ,t , hat Russia should be excluded from the Pruth whi c h discharge a s u i d ts f e l l 'e f ul in t t h o e t u h a e v b ga an t u ie b u e. of S p e a v i e t r u al f proposals were made and not accepted, and at last the Russian plenipotentiary proposed a line which was accepted, begin ning at a certain point, and running is au easterly direction to the Black Sea. The day after, the Russian plenipotentiary stated that he wished a modification of that line. That lino went just to the north of the town of Bolgrad, which was the head.quarters of a colony of Bulgarians, which had been set tled there in 1780, and in which the Russian Government took great interest. The plenipotentiaries asked where the town was, and a map was produced, but, being Russian, could not be reed. (A laugh.) Then another map was produced, and the Russian plenipotentiaries were requested to point out the town, because much depended on its geographical position ; and if it was stated that a lino drawn to the south of the town of Bolgrad would leave a space between its frontier and the lake of Yalpuck, such a modification would not be objected to. It was found that an interval of four or five miles did exist between that town and the lake. All the parties were satisfied ; but when the boundary com missioners came to the country, and were occupied in tracing the plan, the English and Turkish commissioners said, " Here is Bolgrad Proper." Th e R uss i ans sa id that the English and Turkish commissioners were mistaken—that the Bolgrad which they (the Russians) meant was in a line five or six miles south. That led to long communications, and the Go vernments of England, Austria, and Turkey felt that they could net consider the new Bolgrad as the Bolgrad in the treaty, because the line to the south of it would be inconsis tent with the principles upon which the • boundary was to bo laid down. The result at last was, that the Russian Govern ment agreed to the boundary originally proposed, and we went to the north of Old Bolgrad. But as the Russians at tached importance to Bolgrad, as the head-quarters of Bul garia, they obtained a small acquisition of territory, perfectly immaterial to a country of such vast limits as theirs; and the commissioners included a town of sufficient capacity to become the head-quarters of the Bulgarian province. The Russian Government therefore failed to extend their territory south of the Black Sea and of the Baltic, and that was the ground upon which she attached such value to Bolgrad. Well, if that be so, we have attained all the objects we de sired, and induced Russia to soften down her demands. On the other hand, a change, it is said, was made in the treaty of Paris in relation to Moldavia ; but whatever change was effected was not to the disadvantage of our ally, and the Russian Go vernment consented to the change. (Hear, hear.) I have been asked whether the papers relating to all the different stages of these transactions would be laid upon the table of thr house ; but it is not desirable to produce those papers un til the difficulties to which they related should be arranged, and then, undoubtedly, they will be laid befere Parliament. The tight hon. gentleman next directed his attention to the affairs of Switzerland, and stated that the Swiss had expressed their anxiety to yield to the demands of the King of Prussia; but we are told in very eloquent terms that they would stand out like men if we would back them ; and then, that when they asked us if we would back them, that we said, " We'll not back you at all, and you must give in." (Laughter.) Now, the facts were these—" An insurrection took place in the province of Neuchatel, and a number of prisoners were taken by the Swiss authorities, and the King of Prussia de manded that those prisoners should be released and set at liberty. The demand of the King of Prussia was that they should be released unconditionally. The Swiss Government refused to comply with that demand. Tue French Government offered their mediation to induce the Swiss Government to come to understanding with the King of Prussia, and pledged themselves to do all in their power to try and induce that mo narch to renounce his demand, The Swiss Government de clined the offer. We were asked to join with France in re commending a reconciliation between the parties, and to use our efforts to effect that object. We again said that we could not interfere with any certainty that our efforts would be at tended with success ; for it would not in our opinion bo right ,to induce the Swiss to take steps under false impressions. The matter was again advised to be settled by the French Govern ment, and we said, " Don't rely on any assistance we can give you ;" and they said, " We'll not submit ; we will stand upon rights, and face the difficulty." Well, it has been said that there was an apprehension that the peace of Europe would be disturbed, and that the King of Prussia, so late as the 15th of lace N cl ve hi w s o a u rm ld footing.jyooninatwhearretlehthe prisoners It thad then would be set at liberty without trial. We said we will do been said that if if what we can to befriend you, but we have no certainty that the advice which th e right hon. gentleman says we gave them. our efforts will be suc c essful. We never, however, gave them We never told them to refuse to come to terms with the King of Prussia. Well, the the information which the right hon. gentleman received while in Paris was wholly untrue, and quite inconsistent with the facts eef the case. (Hear, hear.) We now come to Italy, and the right hon. gentleman has found out a treaty of which we never heard. (Hear, hear.) He announces that a secret treaty between France Austria, and Great Britain was concluded ; but that an nouncement was the first I ever heard of such a treaty. (Hear, hear.) Tho right hon. gentleman may have seen such a treaty ; but all I can undertake to say is, that we hive never seen it, and that had we been consulted, we certainly should have given our advice in a totally opposite way. So much for a treaty which was nothingi but an entire romance. (Laughter.) But, when it was inquired what course the Austrian Government would take, and when Austria had in luired what course the French Government intended to take, I believe that the French Government at that time said that it would take no course or part that was hostile to Austria. (Hear, hear,) The right here gentleman seems to consider that while, on the one hand, we were stimulating revolution in Italy ; on the other, we were advising and encouraging France tostake a different course, an inconsistency into which no Government would be likely to fall. The course of the transactions was set out in the protocols, as would be seen when the papers were laid on the table. The two Govern ments hbhon,eeya subject, jo n eu t c l lt e d, m ba a ne n da said f i lt d i bb h ee r e : meats having given advice to the King of Naples, the right bvyicea. coOmubrinGedovzirsmee,netirwysahaeotwe otGdaoaai Governments nothingoeoright tet that ato a st p ft co p bor r bmu o ur s v approvecourse . of t opinion • ui g a l ohd d at : . t g o enbteleampiannosvaeydsotlf ;atatuhdeheeouarlssee w sa e ys pu t r h s a u t ed th i e n e P o a u r rs is e w w as e that would g insure peace, peace, are huuent pursuing in Persia is the result not of anything that oc curred abroad, but rather of the advice sent out by7theH e o r le Government. Now, wh e th er the opposition against p was ordered by the auth or it y of the Governor-Gen era l o f India or by the Home Government was not the question. t The orders would certainly h ave b een sent out by the Cour of Directors, and through th e medium of the Secret Corn mittee by law established. N o doubt operations were undertaken by the authority of her Majesty's Govern ment ; and the course taken by fernia to a certainty justified the operations which were undertaken. The right hen; gentleman had talked of a predetermined system; endue doubt a predetermined system prevailed; but the Home Government were part of that system: Did the right hon. 'gentleman molder the taking of Herat of laugh little import. r ON 00N, WEDNESDA '; 1 1" EVENING, ante, that it was no matter whather Persia bad possession of it or not ? But of such great importance was Herat iu the opinion of the Government of which the right non. gentleman was a member, that Lord Malmesbury felt it to be hts duty to talk seriously on the subject to the Persian Minister, and the Persian Minister gave him his solemn assurance that the Persian Government would not attempt the annexation of Herat to . the Persian dominions ; and Lord • Malmesbury actually said that be would have nothing to do with him unless the idea of annexation of Herat was revoked. , (Hear, hear.) Well, it was stipulated that Herat should not be an nexed; and yet after that assurance, the Persian Government have now taken and are anxious to annex it. The right hon gentleman has said that I am the cleverest fellow in the world in creating disturbances, and the most successful in getting out of them; but was not the one counterpoised and made up for by the other? And was it not better to have a man like him, who, if he created disturbances, had the happy knack of getting out of them ? (Hear, hear, laughter, and cheers.) The right hon. gentleman says that it was the duty of the Government to call Parliament together ou receipt of the information'of the taking of Bashire. I admit that it is the duty. of Government to *all Parliament together on any emergency ; but to call Parliament together because, of the fall of Bushire would have been nothing short of burlesque. (Laughter.) Every government ought to maintain the honour and interests of the country, and if they did that successfully, and put an end to questions of difficulty with foreign governments, they were entitled to the approbation of the country. The -right hon. member for the University of Oxford spoke of what he said was the reckless character of the Government, and spoke of their making ten diffi culties where others made but one. If that was so, and he would not discuss the question with so gloat a master of language, but did he forget that the most important—not difficult —war in which they had recently been engaged, was brought on by a Government which he must re member—(hear, hear)—for he held the purse-strings in his hand, and had greater power and authority to put a stop to any proceeding which ought not to be embarked in than any member of that Government. The right hon. gen tleman then felt es every man did when in office; and cast ing aside all the refinements in which he was now embarked, he looked only to the honour and interests of the country, and although great was the stake, he manfully threw in his lot with the others. Then having adopted that course in office, he was not entitled now , out of office to take this course on minor matters. With regard to his observations as to the right of the Crown to cede the island of Ruatan without the consent of Parliament, he was in error as to the distinction he had drawn between colonisation and annexa tion ; at any rate Ministers were responsible. However, the fact was, the treaty was not yet finally concluded, nor could be until it received the approbation of the Senate of the United States, and until then it did not become binding, and therefore be could not yet lay the papers on the table of the house. Ho agreed as to what had been laid down with re spect to the principles which the Government ought to adopt as to their income and expenditure. He thought the first thing was to ascertai n th e pr i nc i p l e they sbould adopt, then the amount of the army and navy of the country, and thou find the necessary means for their support. Therefore the discussion of any particular tax was premature until the House of Commons had determined what was to be the ex penditure of the country. It was the first time he had heard an elaborate discussion on the estimates before they were laid on the table of the house. But the right bon. gentleman had entirely assumed the figure. His right hon. friend had said you must go 'by figures. Why, then, ho said wait tillyou° get the figures? (A laugh.) That would be found the best course in the long ran. His right hon. friend said they must not keep a large large army. He agreed in that opinion. It would be a mistake to have an enormous imilitary establish ment, inconsistent with the wants of the country. But the house must recollect that they had possessions abroad, in which certain garrisons must be kept, and that many of these places beicg countries of large extent, and thinly populated, it would be difficult on an emergency to obtain a volun teer force. They, therefore, required a certain amount of military force, and, as that force could not be kept perma nently in one place, there must be always regiments on their passage. They must bear in mind that, although he hoped peace might continue, it was not dependent upon themselves, but upon the conduct of other powers, and they might de pend upon it that for a country great and rich to leave itself without defences would not be the best course in the long run. They had now experience as to the force they should maintain. They should have scientific men, and to learn things which could not be learned atone°. That was more important than to raise large bodies of men. They should also recollect that some"other nations, great and powerful as themselves, were improving their military establishments, and building steam vessels to supersede sailing ships. They must not be behind, and the expense of building and of maintaining those vessels was one-third more than the expense of sailing vessels. He trusted the house would defer discussion on the estimates till they were before them. They could have no interest in proposing estimates greater than necessary, or establishments greater than necessary. There was on the contrary every temptation to propose proper establishments. But, on the other hand, a responsible government had duties to perform, which was essential for the safety and interest of the country, and it was their duty to propose to Parliament measures such as they thought would be be at calculated to support the inte rest and honour of the country. He had, in conclusion, only to regret that the right hon. gentleman opposite (U r . Di srae li) had picked up so many unfounded reports amongst the gossip of Paris, which might at once have been refuted if he had made application in the proper quarter. The noble lord re. Burned his seat amidst applause. ➢lr. H. BAILLIE regretted that the noble lord (Lord Pal merston) had set on foot a great military expedition without having condescended to consult Parliament. Lord J. RUSSELL said he regretted ho had no opportunity of addressing the house before the noble lord (Lord Palmer ston), although the noble lord had given upon many points ex planations fall and explicit. He would, however, state to the house bis impression upon some of the most important topics touched upon in the paragraphs of her Majesty's speech. With regard to the course which was pursued after the signa ture of the treaty of Paris on the 30th of March, certain arti cles were added to the treaty whica it was faun 1 necessary to reconsider and amend. That wasnot the usual course to adopt on the termination of a great war. The course which had been usual was this, that the belligoroats hail a;rool on. the , preliminaries of peace, and had afterwards embodied any sub sequent alterations in a definite treaty of peace, which had received the signature of the belligerents. The question wo raised with regard to Bolgracl, in which tho Russians had, no h donbt, the better of the treaty on their side, and in whi c h we the spirit and policy of it on ours, was one of vital im portance ; but though it appeared to him quite extraordinary that though so many months had been thus employed in dis cussion, the conclusion which would have appeared natural to mon of common sense engaged in other affairs was, thetas the approach to the Danube was expressly forbidden to Rus sia by an article of the treaty, Bolgrad should be allowed to remain to Moldavia, and Rnssia should have compensation for surrendering it. Certainly the extraordinary part of this dis cussion had been that, in the course of it, an uncommon amount of asperity had been developed, that it had been thought necessary to arouse debate almost to fever pitch, and that there should be so much difference of opinion on a point in itself so simple, and of which the solution appeared so easy. He could not but think that the recommendation contained in his speech at the close of last session, that all asperity should cease with the combat, was singularly applicable, and oug' it now at length to be acted on, and that Russia should no longer be referred to as if she was a power with whom we were actually at war, her objects having been defeated, while our own had been attained. His noble friend had partly explained the allegations made by theright h on. gen tl eman o pposite. lie had listened to them with so me surpr i se as they did no t resemble anything he had before hea r d on th e su bj ect o f Switzerland. The despatch of Lord Co w l e y was a cau ti ous d espa tch,proper e ly not committing the Ki ng o f P russ i a to renounce his pretended rights on Switzerland, b u t a t t h e same t i me exp ressing that goodwill towards S w it zer l an d w hi ch i t was r i g ht for this country to do. They cou ld no t expec t th e Ki u g of Prussia, having put forward these claims, to surrender them abso lutely; and the Swiss Government were therefore in the position that insurgents in Neuchatel might rise against the de facto, and, as he believed, the de jure Government, when the King of Prussia might again interfere on their behalf, and so bring the whole question up again. With respect to Persia, he by no means agreed with those who look upon our present hostilities as unimportant, being merely a n expedition to Bushiro. By all accounts whi c h h o had heard of the place, unhealthy he believed it to be perfectly after the month of April, yet a second expedition wa s now on its way there. If they were going to fight Persia a l one, it was a country so disorganised and reduced that th ey were likely to destroy its independence; but if they were going to fight Persia, sup ported by Russia, they had a formidable contest before them, and ono most dangerous to our Indian empire, tending as it did to bring our Indian frontiers and those of Russia into proximity4lle could not believe that any British statesman would endanger the present comparative vulnerability of our Indian empire, of which ho had heard the late Lord Hardiuge sa y, that . with its vast frontier there were but two or three manner as for Russia points at which it was assailable. T o prosecute such a war would be to give up a good position to th e enemy, and to Pon to accompli s h th a t take his weak one in exchange. lie thought it d es i rable that playing the city of Herat should not be an nexed to Persia, but surely a mightct y r n agreed against ins behind the scenes, he b e li eved that Russian states men were more anxious to husband th e resources of their o so b m je e ct inpropositiona satisfactory country after the severe trial it had passed through. With regard to another subject—Central America—he was very glad to find that there was no longer any risk of our being involved in a struggle with the great Republic of the United States on account of these central tribes and states, not one of which was worth the quarrel. He came now, however, to another subject, viz., Italy, as to which he would at once state to the right hon. gentleman opposite that he - was by no means satisfied with the statement of the noble lord, The King of Naples was sure not to be impressed by the course which had been taken. The Governments of Great Britain and F rance might have obt.lined the concurrence of Austria, and the three conjointly would have formed a strong moral power to act on Naples. The course which Lord Clarendon pursued, however, was that of saying that there were cases in which it was not only right, but it was the duty of this country to in terfere, and the interference should have, been carried out in practice. If the King of Naples had been inf ormed that terms had been agreed upon between France and England, he would probably have at once assented to them; but 'under the course pursued towards him his honour had actually been enlisted in a refusal, for whioh he had obtained the respect of some who never had respected him before. Concurrently with this, England had been lowered in the eyes of Europe, and the friends of constitutional Government mourned, while those of despotism and revolution rejoiced. Men of the highest character, and most patriotic intentions, had languished for years in the dungeons of Naples; yet bad as the King of Naples was there were other Governments in Italy that utterly failed to do their duty to their subjects, and whose principal towns were garrisoned with foreign troops. In the Government of the Pope there was not the excuse there was in Naples, that the people submitted to the Government. The Government was carried on by foreign occupation, and all with whore ho had spoken declared that that state of things would last as long as the foreign occupation. There was a tribunal sitting at Bologna, which city for more than eight years had been in a state of siege. The paper he had on this subject he might communicate to the house on a future oc casion, but he would now state that besides the military tribunals in that city, there was a criminal court of justice of which he had these particulars. For some years past there had been a °instant succession of assassinations, robberies, thefts, housebreakings, prevalent in the city and country of Bologna, that 100 gene d'armes were sent out under the command of a lieutenant, who took up a great number of persons charged with various crimes, from the year 1846 to 1855. No doubt the offences were committed, but when they came to deal with individuals, with respect to ten of them, there was no other evidence against them than was extorted by torture and violence. Was it possible that we should go on for eight, ten; or twelve years, allow ing foreign troops to occupy that country, without making any remonstrance on the subject? He could not believe that if he spoke to the French Government, and, in the next place, remonstrated with Austria, that the evils complained of would continue. There could be no doubt of the corrupt character of the Government at Rome, and that its neglect of the welfare of its subjects would continue during the exist ence of the foreign occupation; but if a day was fixed—say six months after the evacuation of Moldavia and Wallachia —that the occupation of Italy by the Austrian troops should cease, there would then be some chance of having an inde pendent and goad Government in, that country. The people FEBRUALY 4; 1857 ;of that country were highly en d owe d by nature, and inba- effect from and after the thirtieth day of April one thou bitants of so much intelligence ought not to be left in a state sand eight hundred and fifty-seven. cf misery entirely °wi n , t o f or ,i gn d om i n i o n. He said, And the Right Honourable the Earl of Clarendon, the " owing to foreign dominion," because though Austria had the Right Honourable Henry Labouchere, two of her no right to govern more than 3,000,000 out of 85,000,000 of Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, and the Lords Italians, yet by her armies and her influence she had, since Commissioners of the Admiralty, are to give the necessary 1815, governed nearly the wholy of Italy. It was only of directions herein as to them may respectively appertain. late years th a t th e G overnment of Piedmont—a Government I worthy of all a d m i ra ti on—had, as a constitut i ona l Govern ment, assert e d it s r i g h ts, and afforded a safe refuge to per- C. C. GREVILLE. sons who had been driven from gaol to gaol in Italy. He believed that if the Government of England took the matter up as a Government, and consulted France and Sardinia on the subject, all that was required might be accomplished without any danger of war. The declaration of a great Power like England would be sufficient to make Austria ecn fiue herself to that which was her just dominion. By adopt ing diplomacy in the place of vigour, and jnstice in the place of injustice, the Emperor of Austria would have more power, while, if the present state of Italy were allowed to continue, the misery of the people would not only be enhanced but the peace of Europe would be endangered. He (Lord J. Russell) believed that not only Naples but Sicily was iii a state of extreme discontent at present, and ho thought the time was come when several independent States should endeavour to remedy the jcvils complained of. It would certainly be a happy circumstance for the members of that house to reflect upon, that liberty had been restored and commerce extended, and that British influence had contri buted to that desirable result. (Cheers ) He would not go into the question of estimates, but would recommend his right hon. friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to lay before the house, as the late Sir R)bcrt Peel and others hold ing a high financial position had done, the state of the finan ces at an early period—to let the house know the estimated expenditure and the means of covering it, and also the ex pense of the Government with respect to the taxes, and let the house judge of those matters. He was sure such a course would be far more satisfactory than any motion made by the right hon. gentleman opposite, or any person out of office not having the whole information before him on the !subject of taxation. That house had been always disposed not to make the finances a matter of party discussion. They wished, if possible, to act in such a manner as to maintain the credit of the country, and to support those establish. ments necessary for its defences. During the last 30 years the country had been accustomed to low establishments, and although complaints in the first year of the war had been made, yet we feel ourselves strong, In France, ever since the accession of Charles X. and Louis Philippe, that coun try had been getting into debt, by maintaining a consi derable army and navy. We, on the other hand, had been keeping up establishments on a reduced scale, although some ,thought them too high. The result was, we were enabled to abolish duties which pressed on Ithe energies of out' people. We enabled them to get rich, and the last war showed what their wealth was able -to effect. (Hear.) When, during the last year, the resources of the enemy were ex hausted ; we had more than sufficient to defray the expenses of the war ; and such was the wealth and spirit of the people that we might have continued the war for six or ten years more without being impoverished. It was not then by large establishments, with generals and admirals so old as to be unfit for duty in time of war, that we were to succeed, but by having effective establish mens, though maintained at a moderate expense. It was by such a course, and by the spirit of our people, and not by any new-fangled system, that this country was to maintain herself successfully in a time of war. (Cheers.) Mr. GIBSON thought the noble lord's recollections would inform him that there was no question on which Government had been so frequently shipwrecked as on finance, and he (Mr. Gibson) thought finance was the rock a-head on which her Majesty's Government were likely to be split. Mr. HADFIELD complained of the omission from the Speech of all reference to our colonies and dependencies. On the motion that the Address be agreed to, Sir J. PAKINGTON, referring (as we understood) to the word " regret" in the paragraph respecting the Chinese war, as binding the house to an expression of opinion, expressed his hope that the noble lord would substitute some other word. Lord PALMERSTON said it was always understood that the Address in answer to the Speech was so framed as to pledge the house to nothing specific ; and if the word referred to by the right honourable baronet be thought too strong, he should have no objection to substitute another, which would not be liable to the same objection. The Address was then unanimously agreed to, and the house adjourned atthalf-past twelve o'clock. NEW SHERIFFS FOR 1857. At the Court at Windsor, the 2d day of February, 1857, present, the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. Sheriffs appointed by Her Majesty in Council for the year 1857. Badfordshire.—Sir George Robert Osborn, of Chick sands-Priory, Bart. Berkshire.—Richard Benyon, of Englefield-park, Read ing, Esq. Buckinghamshire.—Philip Wroughton, of Ihstone, Esq. Cambridgeshire and Huoti ng i ons hira.—Sir John Henry Pelly, of Wareham-court, Horsham, Sessex, Baronet. Cumberland—Charles Fetherstonhaugh, of Stanlaid- Hall, Esq. Cheshire—William Atkinson, of Ashton Hayes, near Kase&ll, Esq. Derbyshire—William Hatfield de Rodes, of Barlborough Castle, Esq. Devonshire—Sir Massey Lopes, of Maristow, Bart. Dorsetshit e—Hastings Nathaniel Middleton, of Bradford reverell, near Dorchester, Esq. Durham —William Beckwith, of Silksworth-Honse, Esq. E 36 lBX—John Francis Wright, of Kelvedon-hall, Esq. Gloucestershire—Richard Rogers Coxwell Rogers, of Dowdeswell, near Cheltenham, Esq. Herefor:lshire—Rob3rti Biddulph, of Lealbury . , Esq. Hertfordshire—William Reid, of the Node, Codi cote, Esq. Kent—John Savage, of St. Leonarjs,West Mallin ;,Esq. Leicestershire —Edward ChattertonlMiddleton, of Lough borough, Esq. Lincolnshire—George Knollis Jarvis, of Doddiugton hall, Essex. Monmouthahire—Thomas Gratrax, of Court Saint Law rence, Esq. Norfolk —Andrew Fountaine, of Narford, Esq. Northamptonshire —Wm. Harcourt Isham Mackworth Dolbw°, of Finedon-hall, Esq. Northumberland—Wm. Henry Charlton, of Hesleyside, Esq. Nottioghamshira Richard Milward, of Thurgarton Priory, Esq. Oxfordshire —The tight Hon. Charles Henry - Viscount Dillon, of Dytchley. Rutlandshire—Ayscough Smith, of Braunston, Eq. Shropshire —Sir William Curtis, of Cainham-court, Bt. Somenetshire—Sir Arthur Hallam Elton, of Clevedon court, Bart. Sta ' fforthilire—The Hon. Edward Swynfen Jervis, of Littlo Aston, near Lichfield. County of Southampton—William Charles Hutuphrys, of Elm-lodge, Burlesdon, noar Southampton, Esq. Suablk—John George Weller Poley, of Boxted-hall, Esq. Surray—John Labouchere, of Broom-hall, Dorking, Esq. Sussex—R. C. Pomfret, of Rye, Esq. Warwickahira- 11. S. Lucy, of Charlcote-house, E3q. Westmoreland—R. L. Watson, of Ecclerigg, Winder mere, Esq. Wiltshire—A. Morrison, of Fonthill Giffard, Esq. Worcestershire—E. V. Wheeler, of Kyro-house, Esq. Yorkshire—Sir J. Radcliffe, of Rudding-park, Bart. WALES. Anglesey --John Thomas Roberts, of Ucheldre, Esq. Brconshire—James Price William Gwynne Holford, of Buckland, Esq. Carnarvonshire—James Edwards of Benarth, Esq., M. D. Carmarthenshire—Charles Morgan, of Alltygog, Esq. Cardiganshire—J o h n P roper t , of Blaenpistill, near Car digan, Esq. Denbighshire—John Edward Madocks, of Glan-y-wern, Denbigh, Esq. Flint—Robert Wills,of Plaibellin, Esq. Glamorganshiro—Evan Williams, of Duffrynfrwd, Esq. Mon tgoweryshire—Maurice Jones, of Fronfraith, Esq. Merionethshire—John Nanney, of Maasyneuadd, Esq. Pembrokeshire—Sir John James Hamilton, of Fieh guard, Bart. Radnorshire—Thomas Evelyn, of Corton, Eici. COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY LORDS-LIEUTENANT. Royal Wiltshire Militia—Francis Frederick Piukett, Gent., to b 3 Lieutenant, vice Archer. promoted. Worcestershire Regiment of Militia—Major Thomas Webb to be Lieut.-Colonol Commandant, vice Lieut.-Col. Clowes, resigned. 2d or E Inionton Royal Rifle Regiment of Middlesex Militia—Francis Stanley Maxwell Stephens, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Melton, promoted. 4th or Royal South Middlesex Regiment of Militia— Robert Seymour Arthur Burgess, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Cooper, resigned. George James Gilbard, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Paley, resigned. BANKRUPTS. John Bryan, olectro-plater and cutler, Dyer's-building, Holborn, to surrender, Feb. 13, at twelve, and March 20, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basingball-street ; Smith, Warwick-court, Holborn. Joseph Curtis Wharton, licensed victualler, Stourbridge, Worcester, Feb. and March 9, at half-past ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Christie, official assignee, Birmingham ; Collis, Stourbridgo ; Knight, Birmingham. George Woodall, grocer, Carlisle, Feb. 17, at one, and March 19, at twelve, at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne District Court. Baker, official assignee, Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; Donald, Carlisle ; Maples, Pearce, and Co., London ; Hoyle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. John Alfrad Hatfield, draper, Bradford, Feb. 20 and March 20 ; at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Young, official assignee, Leeds; Rawson, George, and Wade, Brad ford ; Bond and Barwick, Leeds. , Samuel Baker, ironfounder, Birinin!::ham, Feb. 13 and March 6, at half-past eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Christie, official assignee, Birmingham ; Coldi cott and Canning, Dudiey ; Hodgson and Allen, Birming ham ; Reoce, Birmingham. John Holmes, builder, Branham, Feb. 20, and March 20, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Young, oflicial assignee, Leeds; Bickers, Talcaster; Carrie and Cud worth, Leeds. John Wilks, butcher, Whitby, Feb. 20 and March 20, at eleven, at the Leeds Dist r i c t C our t. Y oung, official assignee, Leeds ; Buchanan and Gray, Whitby; Bond and Barwick, Leeds. William Tyler, miller, King's Bromley, Staffordshire, Feb. 19, at half-past eleven, and March 12, at half-past ten forenoon, at the Birmingham Dirtrict Court. Bittleston, official assignee, Birmingham ; Bowen, Stafford, E. and H. Wright, Birmingham. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.' John Ferguson, grocer, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire. William Donaldson, tailor, Edinburgh. John Chalmers, draper, Blairgowrie, Perthshire. NOTICE OF INTENDED DISTRIBUTION OF NAVAL PRIZE MONEY. Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy, Admiralty, Somerset-house, Feb. 2. Notice is hereby given to the officers, seamen, and ma rines, and to all persons interested therein, that the distri bution of proceeds arising from the Russian vessel, name unknown, and the Swedish vessels Active, Charlotta, and Fernam, captured on the 19th Sept. and the 20th Nov., 1855, by her Majesty's ship Gorgon ; and the proceeds from a quantity of Swedish iron seized in the island of Applo by her Majesty's ship Falcon, sth Oct., 1855, will commence on Monday, 16th Feb., in the Prize Branch of the Depart ment of the " Accountant-General of the Navy, Admiralty, Somerset-house." Any officer, seaman, marine, or other person, who may desit e to receive hi s s h are from the Collector of Customs or Inland Revenue within the United Kingdom, is required to intimate the same by letter to be addressed "On Prize Busi ness, to the Secretary of the Admiralty, London," in which letter his own place of residence is to be precisely stated, as well as the place of the nearest Collector of Customs or of Inland Revenue, from whom it would be convenient to receive such share of prize money. The following are the shares due to an individual in each class : RUSSIAN VESSBL. Flag share Commander l3 11 10 Third class Fourth class 1 19 4 Fifth class 1 1 10 Sixth class Seventh class Eighth class 0 6 7 Ninth class Tenth class ACTIVE, °HARLOT £ s. d. Flag share Coin rnaudor 24 5 3 Third class Fourth class 3 10 10 Fifth class ll9 4 'TA, AND FERNAN. -.f.; s. d. Sixth class 1 15 5 Seventh class 1 3 7 Eighth class 0 11 10 Ninth class Tenth class tu IRON. 2 a. d. Sixth class Seventh class Eighth class 0 2 0 Ninth class 0 1 4 Tenth class SWEDIS: £ s. d. I Flag share Commander Third class Fourth class 0 12 4 I Fifth class 0 6 11 I REPORTING IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS.—SOIIIB time ago the Lord Chamberlain was good enough toappro priate a room to the use of the reporters in the. House of Lords. The kiedness of his Lordship was duly appre ciated by those whom it was intended to benefit, for the apartment was commodious and convenient. This room was prepared for the reception of the reporters as usual yesterday morning, but about midday the tables and writing-desks were removed from it to another apart went, which is too small to supply the requisite accom modation. The officers of the House themselves seem not to be aware who was the author of this summa!-rand discourteous p rocee di ng ; but, as it is in direetLod r Vio lation of t h e f ormally expressed intentions of the that Chamberlain, it may not unreasonably be expected this notice will lead to the immediate restitution of the reporters' room.—Times. MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION. —The portrait of Leopold R e d pa tb, so we lt known Greatf° r his frauds com mitted while in th e em pl o y o f the way Company, h a s just been completed and placed in the great room of this establishri The figure is ad tnirably constructed, beine . lifelike in its appearance, ''' mnit faithful likeness. and is considered a most - t valids by drugs increases [ADvaar t ssusxr.]—The great interest the public take in Du at injury inflicted ou many is. Barry's Revaleitta Arabica Food, which cures without medicin e i n di ge stion (dyspepsia), flatulency, constipation, ner vous, cough, asthma, consumption, and few out of many thousand cases of debility. vi e quote a :—From the Dowager Countess of bilious, and liver complaints, ,r 2 612. Rosstrevor, County of Down, Ire land,Castlestuart. Cure 0 .., 9, 1804.—The Dowager Countess of Castle- December . cures by this delicious food induced, in the interest of suffering humanity, to t th fe a c t ls Du Barry's excellent Revalenta Arabica Food has her, after all medicines had failed, of indigestion, bile, statest u r o e great uervousness and irritability of many years' standing. This food deserves the confidence of all sufferers, and may be considered a real blessing. Inquiries will be cheerfully answe red.—From the Ve nera bl e Archdeacon of Ross. No. Heel: and left Th mraereye,ais exc essive nervousnes s , w ith pains in my and ' general debility, which rendered my life v ery miserable, hasbeen radically removed by Du Barry's health restoringfood.—Ar,Ex. STUART, Archdeacon of Ross Skibcreen. Supported by testi mon i a l s from the celebrated Professors of Chemistry Dr. Andrew Ure ; Dr. Shorlo.nd ; Dr. Harvey ; Dr. Campbell; Dr. Gattiker ; Dr. Wurzer ; Dr. Ingram; Lord Stuart do Deeies; the Dowager Countess of castle stuart ; Major-Gen. Thomas King, and many other respectable persons, whose health has been restored by it, afterall other means of cure had failed. For further particulars respect ing this invaluable food our readers are referred teDu Barrfo advertisement in another part of this paper. HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE EK. At - the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29.602 in. The highest reading occurred on Thursday, and was 29.77 in. The mean temperature of the week was 31.2 deg., which is 7 deg. below that of the previous week, and lower by 6.8 deg. than the average of the same week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Ulaisher). The mean temperature was below the average on every day of the week, and on Thursday, when it was 26.2 deg., amount of depression below the average was nearly 12 deg. The highest temperature in the week was 39 deg. (on Sunday the 25t6), and the lowest was 20 deg. (on Friday). The range of the week was con sequently 19 deg. The • lowest on grass on Friday was B'9 deg. The mean des-point temperature was 28 . 1 deg., and the difference between this and the mean temperature of the air was 3.1 deg. The wind blew generally from the north-north-east till Thursday after noon, when it began to blow from the south-west. The amount of rain (or melted snow) was 0'44 in., of which 0.25 in. fell on Saturday. Snow or rain fell on every day except Thursday and Friday. MATZET NEWB.—(This Day.) CORN EXCHANGE. A very moderate supply of English wheat was on sale in to-day's market. For most kinds there was a fair, but by no means active, demand, at Monday's currency. Most of the samples came to hand in rather better condition. Only 480 quarters of foreign wheat have arrived this week, but the show of samples was extensive. Importers were very firth in their demands, and late rates were well supported. The barley trade was dull, at Monday's quotations. The malt trada was heavy, at barely pravious cur rencies. There was a full inquiry for oats, at full prices. Beans, peas, and flour sold to a moderate extent, on former terms. ARRIVALS TIIIB WEEK. Wheat. I Barley. Malt. 690 250 2,010 Foreign , 480 j 3,350 I English .. Irish Oat!. I Four. 280 I 640 4,870 — 29,20 BOROUGH HOP. Our market continues steady, and prices are well sup. ported. WHITECHAPEL. Each kind of ►meat Fold freely as follows :—Baef from 3s 4d to 4s 6d ; mutton, 3s 6d to 4s 101; veal, 4s to 5s ; pork, 3s 83 to 5s 4d per 8114 s. by the carcase. Country Markets. LIVERPOOL --FEE. 3. Business in wheat and flour proceeded slowly, owing mainly to the extreme firmness and indifference of holders of prime and useful qualities of both, and where pur chases were mad.) full and rather better prices had to be subscibed to. Indian corn was the prominent and favou rite article, some extent of transactions having occurred yesterday and to-day, chiefly fcr Irish account, at an ad vance over last week of 63. to 9d, per qr. Linseed cake advanced ss. per ton. No change in oats, barley, beans, and peas. UUL •FEB. 3. -5 5 ! Wheat, English, re d 56 t o 5 8 , Ditto white 6O to 63 Dantzie and Konigs berg C3 to 70 i Pomeranianandllam burgh Danish, Holstein, and 54 to 58 Friesland Russian and Odessa 58 to 631 Oats, English Ditto Danish Ditto Friesland Ditto Russian 27 to 30j Barley, malting Ditto grinding 35 to 381 1 Beans Ditto foreign Peas, white and yel 4O t o 42' IPeas, E. s grey and black to - (Linseed, Black Sea... G 5 to 66 Ditto Petersburgh 51 to 65 Ditto Riga and Arch- angel ;Ditto Konigsberg and Memel 48 to 56 Per Ton Hull —IN to 117 s 6d Ditto fine for. 91 Os 1O 15s0d Ditto inf. for Ol Os Od to 01 Ii 'Rapeseed OOl Os to 001 ON [Rape cakes -s Od to 127 s 6d Tares, English O4 to —s Ditto foreign 00s to Os Guano OOl Os 81 tol2/ 15e ones Flour, per brl. 3ss. 381 LEEDS, FEB. 3. Thera is a bettor show of grain to-day than of late. Fine wheat is held at an advance of is per qr., which checks the sale, but the full prices of Friday are obtain able. Barley quite as dear. Beans, oats, and other arti cles unaltered. Average prico of grain—Wheat, 583 91 ; barley, 49s 2d ; oats, 27s 21; beans, 46s 2d ; peas, —s. Od ; rye, —s. Od. COURSE OF EXCHANGE.-YESTERDAY. tmsterclam ••••••• • •• • • 11 14 Gibraltar •• •••••••• •• •• Ditto, three months .. 11 17yQ Leghorn 29 423 Rotterdam ............ 11 17y„ Genoa .......... 25 70 Antwerp •• •• •• •• •• •• •• 25 32% Milan ~.. ~.... ~.... Brussels 25 32 yi Elamburgh •••••••• •• • • 13 6 Naples •• •• ,„ .• 43% Altona •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• , Palermo •• • • Paris...- - - .. 25 22V„, Messina ... ••• 130 Ditto, three months .. 25 6234 Mar5ei11e5............. 25 G 5 Bourdeaux Frankfort-on-Maine .... 119% Berlin ............... Vlenna•••••••••••••••• 10 34 Trieste— •••••••••••••• 10 35 Petersburg ............ 37% Madrid •—•• • • •• •• •• 49% Cadiz • •• • • •• • • • • • • •• •• 49% Lisbon .. 51% Oporto ...• •• ....•• •• •• 6 17 Rio Janeir0.,,......,,. Buenos Ayres... ..... New York.6o days'sight Philadelphia ...... MIMS OF BULLION, r2l OZ. Foreign Gold in Bars £3 17 9 Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 0 Mexican Dollars Barcelona •• •• •• •• •:, ... Seville.. •• ............ .JoL ....• 0 0 0 New Dollars ...... 0 0 0 Sliver in harm .•..... 0 0 0 THE NEW BARON OF THE COURT OF EXCHEQUER._ Mr. Collier, M.P., it is understood, will be the new judge in the Court of Exchequer. The Solicitor-Gene ral will wait a retirement in the Court of Queen's Bench. It is expected that Mr. Justice Coleridge will retire by Trinity Term. MILITARY BANQUET.—The officers of the corps of Royal Engineers dined together yesterday at the Free. masons' Tavern, Lieutenant General Sir C. Pasley, 1C.C.8., in the chair. There were also present Lieuten ant General Sir Harry D. Jones, K.C.8., Major Ge ne r al an Piper, Colonels Saudham, Gordon, 0.8., and Chap Owen, 0.13., and S i m mons, Neville, • Nicholson, Ewart, Montague, y. C. o ß r . ke ; , L A ie l u o t o e d n y a , nt Colonels Walpole, R obinson, Majors Lewis,Feom.Brd.ei stone, Randolph, Martinda le , d 1 Lembert, and Cumber- Sim, Fowler, Scott, Oldfie i fe Tyler, Henderson, E l phi n and Ord ; Captains Westma N c ,e o v tt ic , lloe F : i , s p h i e no r gn , Donnelly, Gossett, ante from Cdhantobthe Cumber land ; Lieutenants Marti n, ba band of the corps was in attend.and Grossman. The and played cocioiufnrz several pieces evening, under most admired operas in a delightful man - pieces from the that so many of fi cers of the Royal It was observed that, so MURDER OF BACON'S MOTE{EII. t aw di ' ned together for many years. Engineers ha THE ALLEGEDdirection o f Mr. STAuFoan, Monday Afternoon.—A special messenger has arrived here from the Home office, beari ng a l etter from Sir George Grey, addressed to the mayor, request. ing that gentleman to inform the Government forthwith where the remains of Mrs. Bacon, the mother of the man charged with the murder of his two children, were buried, in order that immediate steps might be taken by the proper authorities to have the body exhumed and an inquest held without delay. The Mayor informed the Right Hon. Baronet that "Mrs. Bacon was buried in May last, in the parish churchyard of Great Chester. ton, near Oakham, in Rutlandshire, and that the coroner for the district is Mr. Henry Hough, of Pakham, in that county." The necessary orders from the Home - office were eent off last night to Mr. Hough, and the body of M rs. B acon will at once be exhumed, but the proceedi ng i n the first place will only be of a formal nature, as the i n t es ti nes w ill b e taken out b y thel oc al surgeon, who will make the post mortem exa and forwarded t o P ro f essor T ay l or f or t io n lyc dc' with the a e m is inat ß eo i r r , greatßeed, quantity thech ief oconstable informationo f Stamford , e e a h as ha collected t e d case. THE DOUBLE MURDER AT WALWORTEL —EXHUMATION OF BACON'S MOTHER.—OAKHAM, RUTLANDSHIRE, Feb. 3.—This morning Mr. Henry Hough, one of her Ma. jesty's coroners, in pursuance of instructions which he had received from Sir George Grey, gave the necessary orders for the e xh umation o e f d ytnhehbeor son in May, dyofMrs. Bacon, 155; a w n h d o , an it inquest isalleg will wase forthwith holden. MANCHESTER TRADE REPORT.—MANCHESTER, Tues. day.—The American news has had a tendency to produce a listless and inactive market. AP is usual in a quiet market, prices are in favour of buyers; in some instances rates which spinners would have rejected last Tuesday are accepted to-day; even this concession has not induced purchasers to operate largely. This applies to all counts under 40's ; finer yarns are in good demand at full rates. The cloth LuArketi a quiet. The deaths registered in the week that ended on Saturday were 1,209, which is nearly the same as the number returned in the previous week. In the ten years 1847-56 the average number of deaths in the weeks correspondin g with last week was 1,167 ; and if this is raised for the purpose of comparison, proportionally to increase of population, it will become 1,284. The rate cf mortality that now rules is not high, as compared with that of previous seasons, although it has lately shown that tendency to increase which is to be expected at a period of the year usually the mast fatal to human life. Thediseases of th e respiratory organs were rather les s th an a fourth part la d st ea w th ee s k c caused I b b e y ing of the total number returned. The average rate of mor tality from this class of diseases at this season would have produced nearly the same number. The number referred to bronchitis in the present return is 166, whi c h exceeds the average, and is double the number referred to pneumonia. Seventy-three of the deaths caused by bronchitis occurred to persons who were 60 years old or more, whilst 70 of the 81 from pneumonia occurred to children. Phthisis, which is not included in the above class, was fatal t 0146 penons (being almost the same as the corrected average ; and of these 107 died in that period of life which extends from 20 ta 60 years. Hooping-cough is at present decidedly the in At fatal disease included in the zymotic class ; 57 children died of it, whilst 29 died of scarlatina, and 23 persona at various ages of typhus , and common fever. Two children of a dock labourer died of " febris" at 4, Crown -court, Whitechapel. Three children died of measles in the workhouse, St. George in the-East. A mother, and her son aged 4 years, died of dysentery at Hammersmith. The death of a seaman who had been expelled from his ship when in a state of illness was accelerated by exposure to cold ; and that of a young woman by want of food. Of 60 persons wao had attained the age of 80 years of more, 7 were nonagenarians. The oldest was the widow of a tailor, who died at 1, Boddy's-bridge, St. Saviour's, at the very advanced age of 97 year s , Last week the births of 878- boys and 883 girls, in all 1,762 children, were registered in Loudon. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1847.56 the average number was 1,572. REPEAL OF THE INCOME TAX. The following notices were given in the House of Commons last evening Mr. A. Pellatt gave notice that he should move, on Thursday next, that " the house do resolve itself into a committee of the whole house to consider the income and property tax acts "which were passed ex pressly to defray the expenses of the war with Russia, and that the house is of opinion that the war having hap pily terminated, the said acts, or so much thereof, shall be repealed as to reduce the tax from lad. to 5d,, and that, the same should come into operation on the sth of April next." Major Roca gave notice of a similar motion for Tues. daynext._ kr. Muntz, to move the following resolutions on Tuesday, Feb. 17 : " That the collection of a property tax under the existing law is universally admitted to bear most unequally upon the parties who pay it. " That all taxes which boar unequally must be unjust and oppressive, and it is the bounden duty of the representatives of the people to remedy such inequality as much as the cir cumstances will admit. "That to defer the application of a practical remedy, un der the pretence that it would not be a perfect, one applicable to every individual case, is in truth only to add insult to inj ustice. " That such admitted inequality would be greatly alle viated if a property tax was imposed upon the owners of different classes of income, capitalised according. to the rela. tivo value of the subject from which the income is derived. " That the abstract justice of such principle cannot be denied, and the details for carrying it into practical operation would be very simple. " That among other tables of classification which !Ray be suggested tbo following would be equitable, and would un doubteilly relieve the people from a great portion of the inequality, 'injustice, and oppression inflicted upon them by the present mode : capitalised at years' Description of Property. ' purchase. Incomes arising from land, funds, rents, mort gages, tithes, shares 25 years. From house property l5 years. From commerce and trade lO years. From professions 5 years." Mr. Disraeli also gave notice that he would propose resolutions on the Property and Income Tax on the 17th of February. From the London Gazette of Last Night. At the Court at Windsor, the 2d day of Feb., 1857 Present, the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, this day the Right Honourable Sir Alexander Eimund Cockburn, Knight, Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, was, by her Majesty's command, sworn of her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and took his place at the Board accordingly. Her Majesty having been pleased to appoint the Most Noble Henry Pelham, Duke of Newcastle, to be Lord Lieutenant Custos itotulorum of the county of Notting ham, his Grace has this day took the oaths appointed to be taken thereupon, instead of the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. DUCHY OF LANCASTER, FEB. 2. The Queen has baen this day pleased to appoint Charles Towneley, of Towneley, Esq., to be Sheriff of the county palatine of Lancaster for the year ensuing. FOREIGN-OFFICE, JAN. 31. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Don Joaquin Garcia d-s Miranda as Vice-Consul in London for her Ma jesty the Queen of Spain. WHITEHALL, JAN. 31. The Queen has bon pleased to constitute and appoint Colonel Godfrey Charles Mundy to bo Lieutenant-Gover nor of the Island of Jersey, in the room of Major-General Sir James Frederick Love, K.C.8., resigned. CROWN-OFFICE, FEB. 3. MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THE PRESENT PARLIAMENT. Borough of Salford—Edward Ryley Langworthy. of Salford, Esq., in the raora of Joseph Brotherton, Esq., deceased. HER MAJESTY'S SUBJECTS IN CHINA. At the Court at Windsor, the 2d day of February, 1857, Present, the Q ueen ' s M os t E xce ll ent Ma j esty in Council. Whereas, by an Order of her Majesty in Council " for the government of her Majesty's subjects, being within the dominions of the Emperor of China, or being within any ship or vessel at a distance of not more than a hundred miles from the coast of China," bearing date the thirteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty three, her Majesty was pleased, amongst other things, to order that if any party charged with an offence committed against the treaties, or rules aad regulations therein referred to, should escape or remove from the consular district within which such offence was committed, aid should be found with in another consular district, it should be lawful for the Consul within whose district the party should be found to proceed against him in the same man ner as if the offence had been committed within such district ; and whereas, in and by the said order in Council, provision was made for the manner in which British subjects, convicted of crimes and offences, com mitted within the dominions of the Emperor of China, or being required and being unable, or wilfully omitting to give sufficient security to keep the peace, or to find secu rity for their good behaviour, might be sent out of the do minions of the Emperor of China to the colbny of Hong Kong, and also for the manner in which the expenses of so sending such persons to the said colony of Hong Song should be defrayed : And whereas, it is expedient to make further provision in respect of the matters aforesaid : I. Now, therefore, in pursuance of the several Acts of Par liament in the said Order in Council of the 13th day of June, 1853, recited and referred to, and in execution of the powers thereby in her Majesty in Council vested, her Ma jesty is pleased, with the ad v ice of her Privy Council, to order, and doth hereby order, that the Chief Superinten dent or Consul within whose j urisdiction any pa r ty c h arged with committing any offence against such treati es , or such rules or regulations as aforesaid, or who shall have es ca p e d or removed from the consular district within which such of fence was committed, shall he found, may lawfully, if such Chief Superintendent or Consul shall think fit, cause such party to be taken into custody, and se n t b ac k t o t h e con sular district from which he shall so have escaped or re moved, to be there dealt with according t o th e prov i s i ons of the said Order i n Council of the 13th day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three. ll.—And it is further ordered, that all removalsawhat soever of prisoners or other parties from or to the said colony of Hong Kong, or from or to any port or place in China, under the authority of the said Order in Council of the thirteenth day of Juno, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, shall be effected, and the expenses of all such removals shall be defrayed in like manner as by Articles 20, 21, 22, and 21, of the said Order in Council of the thir teenth thy of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty three, is provided with resp ec t t o th e em b ar ki ng , convey ing, delivering, commitment, and expenses of persons d epor ted under the authority of th e sa id ar ticles respec tively, so far as the provisions thereof respectively shall be a pplicable to the circumstances of each particular case. 111. And it is further ordered, that this order shall be read and construed with and as being a part of the said Order in Council of the thirteenth day of June, one thou sand eight hundred and fifty-three. IV And it is further ordered that this order shall take