The Sun. — London, England, 1857-05-29 00:00:00

for the welfare and happiness of his people, and in all respects a model sovereign. The noble lord who was so anxious to interfere unnecessarily in the cause of the the Brazils could not but be aware that vessels were con tinually being fitted out from the ports of the United States to engage in the A frican slave trade, yet they begird of no attempts on the part of the noble lord to pre vent it. (Hear.) It ought not to he forgotten that the great extent of the Brazilian coasts interposed very considerable difficulties to the entire suppression of the trade by the Brazilian Government, however sincerely desirous they might be (as he knew they were) to do so. If we were unable to put down the trade in our own colony of Sierra Leone—where it notoriously existed, and where, according to Gevernor Kennedy, it was im possible to get a jury to convict persons charged with being engaged in this traffic—how much more difficult /t enet it be for the Brazilian Government to protect their 3,000 miles of coast against it. He thought that if ever there was a case that demanded an inquiry it was the present and he hoped, therefore, the house would con sent to the appointment of the committee. Mr. M. MILNES admitted that the hon. and learned . member for Bath had made out a good case for the Go vernment of the Brazils, but not for the appointment of a committee, the motion for which he thought went beyond a mere inquiry, and indicated a policy. At the same time he thought they ought to feel greatly indebted to the Lon. and learned member for having elicited the statement which they had heard as to the present policy of the Bra zilian Government on this que-tion. The policy of the noble lord for the abolition of tf e slave trade had been eminently successful, In 1847-48 a committee of that house reported that it was vain to hope that theßrazilian Government would be brought to act with good faith, or that there would be any diminution of the slave trade in so far as that country was country was concerned. At that time the annual import of slaves into the Brazils was between 50,000 and 60,000 ; in 1852 it was reduced to between 700 and 800. (Cheers.) He thought it would be well if some hon. gentleman would move for papers to ascertain whether there had been any increase since, which was probable, as the important events in which this country had been engaged during the laet three or four years might have in some degree lessened the vigi lance of our cruisers ; but to call upon Government to relax its efforts, or to abandon any of the powers it pos boi,sed for the suppression of the trade, would be fatal. The feeling of the Brazilians as to the slave trade was not that rooted moral abhorrence with which it was re garded in this country, but rather an astute feeling of policy and self-preservation. They knew very wel that if any large increase in the number of the black popula tion took place, the lives and properties of the whites would be in danger. Happily the slaves imported into the Brazils were not of that tame submissive character which marked the black population of , he States. Their policy was to keep down their slaves to that standard which was necessary to supply the labour to cultivate their estates. If any great mortality took place among the blacks, no doubt attempts would be made to make up the deficiency by further imports from Airiaa c .nse quently it would be most unwise to abandon or relax - any of the powers possessed by our Government. Our success in treating with the Brazils should rather induce us to apply the same policy to other nations where the stave trade was encouraged than abandon it in that case. A committee would be productive of no good result ; it would afford no information of which the house was not already in possession, and therefore he hoped the motion would not be successful. Mr. ROEBUCK regretted to find that a subject of such importance excited so little attention. The noble lord bad stated no sufficient ground against the appoint ment of the committee. He asked the house to insist on an inquiry into a matter connected with our foreien. re lations. He could well understand that the noble lord woule object to any such inquiry, and he could also well understand that everything that fell from the noble lord would be very interesting to the hon. member for Pon tefract. (Hear, and a laugh.) What was the objection to the motion ? It was that if the House of Commons inquired it would give heart to those who were engaged or interested in the slave trade. What was the meaning of that, except that the house would come to a conclusion that wag beneficial to those persons ? That was not his (Mr. Roebuck's) pinion. He believed that the House of Commons would coats to a right conclusion. He be lieved the house was as much the enemy of the slave trade as the noble lord, but that it was feelingly alive to the honour and dignity of England ; and he believed that this inquiry, if set on foot by the house, would con duce to the honour and dignity of England. Why should it not ? " Oh," said the noble lord, " the Government of Brazil have been in former times great friends of the slave trade." True; but self-interest had shown them that the slave trade was dangerous to them ; and what was more potent than sell-interest "But, then," said the noble lord, "there are people in the Brazils who are friends to the slave trade." Why, did the noble lord believe that there were not people in England who were friends to the slave trade ? Let him not lay the " flatter ing unction to his soul." There were those in England --virtuous England--who would trade not only in the bodies of the blacks, but in their own souls. The secret encouragers of the slave trade were to be found within the island, of Great Britain and Ireland. (Hear.) The slave trade was carried on in spite of all our cruisers. True it had been almost put down in Baal. ; but bad it been put down by the noble lord ? Nut at ati ; but by the good sense of the Brazilian government and the Brazilian people. Our acts of parliament had not put down the slave trade, but they had done this—they had sown dissension between this country and the Brazils, and encouraged our diplomatic body to in , ult the Brazilian Geverntnent. The noble lord knew of Mr. Jerninghaua's letter. Suppose any such letter had been written by acv foreign minister to the noble lord, he would have come down to the house, talked largely of the outraged honour aild dignity of Eng land, and called upon the country to avenge the insult. Yet the noble lord deuied that England was the bully to the weak. Was it not true ? Where was the slave trade most thriving now ? In Cuba. Why did the noble fold not interfere to put it down there? Simply because he dared rot attempt it. The French Emperor would not allow it. (Hear.) The noble lord talked of vulgar preju dice. But had the noble lord answered the charge be had brought against him, of using the power of England to aid and assist the strong and to bully the weak I The weak were the people of Brazils—the strong were the people of Spain and the people of America. WroulA they dare to send an English cruiser up the Chesapeake to search American vessels Certainly not, for they knew if they did so that America would be immediately up in arms. and we should have the noble lord the British Prime Minister begging pardon of the American repre sentative for dariit to outrage the inviolability of her flag. He warned the house against doing anything that should induce the Brazils to throw themselves into the arms of the United States, reruindine them that the States could take the produce of the Brazils and supply her with manufactures on terms as favourable as we cool ourselves. Mr. DISRAELI suggested that the motion of the hon. arid learned gentleman was certainly a very strong one. Had he moved for papers and confined himself to a reso lution for furnishing to the house further information be fore cehing upon them to express a decided opinion, he (Mr. Disraeli) would not have taken the course which, as it was, he felt compelled to take. But any motion to take the management of the diplomatic relations of the country out of the hands of the Government hal always been considered a motion implying want of c snfidenoe in the Government. He had listened with great attention to the hon. and learned gentleman, and bad not under stood him to recommend his motion on the ground of any peculiar or particular ChSe that had recently occurred, or upon any complaint officially made by the teraz Lan Go vernment. Frem the noble ford, on the other hand, be understood that the act, of the operation of which the hon. and learned gentleman complained, was at this mo ment, by mutual agreement between the two countries, in suspense. Under these circumstances, knowing that the act, the exitence of which was the condition on which they were asked to withdraw from the Foreign office its Junctions, and transfer them to a committee of that house, was in suspense—and knowing also that,, if that was the case, it must be in consequence of previ ous discussions between the two governments—and if it remained in suspense, be had a right to suppose that negotiations would be renewed and that there was yet some prospect of a satisfactory settlement—he, for ore, could not give his assent to a motion to strong in its terms and character. He agreed, nevertheless, that the subject was one that ought to interest the house very much, and that the house was much indebted to the hon. and learned gentleman for bringing it forward. Our relations with the Brazils, which ware of the greatest importance bad been for some. time involved iu an amount of obscurity that was far from desirable. He did not know how many years it was since they had heard of an impending treaty of commerce with the Braz is that was to produce great advantage to both countries. He had himself more than once the honour of bringing the subject under the notice of the house, but never ou those occasions had he experienced much encouragement from those who were anxious to promote commercial ex change, but had generally been met with the argument, that commercial treaties were old-fashioned invention., opposed to the principles of political economy, and that it was not therefore desirable to enter into them. Ne `dettheless, it was admitted by all, that our commercial f‘elations with the Brazils were of great importance. Let them look at what had been the conduct of the Brazils since the' treaty of commerce was fer a mooted acid thought t o be a probable result of our diplomatic nego tiation, There could, he imagined, be no question that all these statements m which they were in the habit of hearing Scene tim e ago the slave trad e bye asto the encouragement given to Brazilian auth or iti e s and the Bra• zilian people, had now agreed with the hon. and learned any f nindation, and he not to the interference of the gentleman teat it was British t Government or the activity of British cruisers, but to policy of the Bra zilian government and the that the slave trade had become Brazilian people themselves, extinct. They knew that for 20 years the policy so vigorously o ull earnestly recom ypautrstuheed to put recom mended by the noble lord was vi down the slave trade in Brazil, and that the Brazils weanadof that time the impor t of slaves int o ex actly the same as i t was when t he eystera first com menced ; 20 years of t he utmost ener gy on our p ar t i n shaporting the views oft he noble lord p rod uced no e ff ect 'Whatever. What then ba d p roduced the chan ge but th e -opini o n of the Brazilian people and the cenviction of the Brazilian community that the prosperity of their country would be best secured by pursuing a policy directly at y e . riance with that which their predecessors had followed ; and that by encouragirg immigration of free labour, the Carrying out of agricultural an d the prosecution of internal improvements, they were doing that which was most con ducive to the wealth and power of the Brazilian empire. Bat if this were true, is was clear that the time had come when the utmost spirit of conciliation and courtesy should be shown by the English Government towards the Brazils—that the time had come when the noble bid might well consider whether this act, which bad now by mutual consent been suspended, should not be alto gether repealed— (cheers)—that the Brazilian Govern- j tient should be led to understand that the great improve- THE SUN, LONEON ) FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 29, 1857 quoted it again, and would probably be rawarded by selling off the stock now on hand. (A. laugh.) He quoted his letter, page 84, to Sir John Pechell, but be omitted to tell them what he recommended---that the sys tem of the purchase of commissions shop .ld be extended to the nary. He came down and omitted all that part, and wished them to call the Board of Admiralty not a board but a council, and the first lord of the Admiralty not first lord, but minister of marine. But the gallant admiral went on further, and quoted a pamphlet of Sir G. Cock .. . . to their being so many masters. The case was just the same with respect to the doctyards. Sir G. Cockburn, after pointing out the errors of the Board of Admiralty, recommended that the Admiralty Board should be abolished, and that the management of the navy should be transferred to a flag officer, as naval commander-in chief, to be assisted by two naval officers ; that another person, having a seat in Parliament, should have the control of the naval expenditure, submitting it to the Treasury for approval. The principal objection, as stated by Sir G. Cockburn, to placing a naval officer at the head of the service, was, that he might show too much fa vour to his personal friends ; but he did not. Why sbou d that be the case with respect to the navy more than it was with regard to the commander-in-chief ? He would now proceed to point out some of the evils attendant upon the constant changes which took place at the Admiralty. When the old set went out, a new batch came in—tee first lord, perhaps, knowing nothing of naval officers, and the others having all their business to learn. No body was left to teach them except the secretary ; and the confusion attendant upon each change might easily be imagined. The house would be astonished at the expenses incurred in ship-building under the different boards. Some years ago be took the trouble of ascer taining the number of ships which had been built and destroyed between the years 1815 and 1849. We bad got rid of 13 three-deckers and 2 receiving ships ; 153 two deckers and 22 receiving ships ; 20 50-gun ships and 9 receiving ships ; 180 frigates, from 30 to 59 guns, and 17 receiving ships ; 65 frigates of 30 guns ; 418 vessels of all descriptions and 20 receiving ships, making in all 920 ships. During that period there had been built 14 tbree-deckers. 49 two-deckers, 73 frigates, from 30 to 50 guns, 39 frigates under 30 guns ; 114 vessels of all descriptions, not including smell craft and steamers. In addition to the expense of breaking up ships, no less than 28 had had their sterns altered under Sir W. Symonds' plan, and 26 under other plans; 68 ships had had their magazines altered—some of them three times and eight of them twice. The expense of cutting down a frigate was upwards of 52,0001. From 1821. to 1849 the estimates for the navy amounted to upwards of 156,000,000/. of which more than 44,000. 0001. were expended on the dockyards. He did not mean to say tbat it was not necessary to cut down ships, but he was satisfied that the great number of alterations were attributable to changes in the Admiralty. He did not exactly agree with Sir George Cockburn, be cause he knew it was useless to attempt to ask any government to put any naval man at the bead of the Admiralty, for judged of by civilians, they were only fit to be shot at. (Laughter.) Lord St. Vincent was deolared by Mr. Pitt to be an unfit man for the office of first lord. But that noble lord, by his firmness and character during the time he failed that office, restored the navy from the degraded condition into which it had fallen u ider his predecessors. It had been said that all our great battles were fought under civilians. Now, in God's name, what had they to do with battles ? (Laughter.) Wby the French and English fleets used to put to sea and fight severe battles, but he could not at all understand what the First Lord of the Admiralty bad to do with them. (Hear) The greatest battle ever fought was fought not during the time a c vilian was at the head of the Admiralty, but when that post was occupied by Lord Barham. It was rot Lord Barham, however, but Nelson who won that battle. (Hear, hear.) A great deal was done by Sir James Graham to reform the Admiralty Board, and the right hon. baronet carried out several suggestions which had fallen from him (Sir C. Napier) such as the registering of seamen and giving a bounty, both which plans were steps towards the more efficient manning of the navy. But the right hon. gen tleman did not take advantage of his own law. With respect to the continuous service men, ho did not think one of them ought to be discharged without his consent, and doubted whether they ought to be di.charged at ail. He understood that an order had been sent down to discharge, with their own consent, all the first-class boys, who were beginning to be useful, and also all the novices who wished to be discharged. He did not approve a continuous service for ten years. He theught it would be much better to take them for five years, and then allow them to enter for five years more. He understood that two or three different orders had been sent on this subject, that the telegraph was almost always at work, and that the commanders at the different ports hardly knew what they were doing. The reforms which he pro posed were so very simple that he was surprised Sir James Graham had not adopted them. The Navy Board, the Victualling Board, and the Transport Board were abolished. There was one officer at the dockyard, one at the head of the victualling department, one at the head of the surveyor's department, one at the head of the head of the storekeeper's department. The objec tions of Sir George Cock burn and Sir George Clerk were, that the whole of the business would fall into their hands without responsibility attaching to them. And that was the case. When Mr. Labouchere began his political life, it was as a lay lord of the Admiralty. The accountant general's department was under his care, and he lived at Somerset-house, and attended strictly to his orders. There was no necessity for a lay lord to be placed over the head of the accountant-general, who ought to have the management of the whole of the accounts of the navy, and to be in communication with the first lord, and the first lord only. The hi.ad of the victualling department ought to reside at Somerset-house, and take his departure altogether from Whitehall. All orders belonging to the medical and victualling depart ments ought to be signed by him, • and his master ought to be the first lord. At the head of the sur veyor's department there ought to be another of f icer, who ought not to be at the Admiralty at all. The vice admiral of Great Britain ought to be at the head of the surveyor's and store department, and all letters and com munications from the superintendents of dockyards ought to be sent to him, and he ought to inspect the dockyards in an efficient manner, not proceeding at railroad speed, doing down to the different ports and hoisting his fist , . The rear-admiral ought to have the inspection of the victualling and medical departments, and to hoist his flag also. By these arrangements enormous sums of money woull be saved, and the different parties would only have their own specific duties to attend to. Now, now ought the Admiralty Board to be composed? It was said that the First Lord was responsible, but he al ways laid the blame on the board, and the board laid the blame on him. He had no objection to the present First Lord, because he would do as well as any other. (Laughter.) He would make the First Lord Minister of Marine, having under him the vice-admiral and rear admiral of Great Britain. Should he happen to be a civilian he ought to have a captain of the fleet to assist him, and make him acquainted with things which he might not understand, for they might as well make a naval officer a bishop as a civilian a First Lord. All orders ought to emanate from the Minister of Marine, who ought to have two secretaries, one a civilian and the other a naval man. Ile did not think it would be necessary to have more than one naval officer to assist the Minister of Marine, besides the two secretaries. He would tell the Government that Alen they did something very speedily to improve the condition of the navy some very serious disaster would happen. Oar disasters began at the lat ter end of the last great war. The English navy never knew what it was to be beaten until we went to war with America. The Americans took the whole of our corvettes. Then our frigates began to walk into the Americans; but they did not inflict that injury which they ought to have done. And why ? Because the Americana had paid more attention to their navy than we had done, and were proud to be able to heat their cousins. What was the result ? The Emperor of France sent nine frigates to sea, and we nad four drawn battles. That was the siate of the case at the end of the war. It was admitted that the French navy bad got into a high state of discipline, and sras as good as our own, and that they could man their fleet when we could not man ours. Now we ought net to allow our navy to remain in its present condition. We ought to have a better system of management, and our ships ought to be better manned. Unless an improve went took place in both these respects great disasters would befall the country. We had now no Channel fleet, and in the course of a few months we should not have a single ship of war in England. When our men were paid off they would go to America and other countries ; if we should want them we should be unable to obtain their services. Now, suppose a war should break out be tween this country and France, which was not impos sible, and Russia should join France, he did not believe the Queen's throne would be worth six months' purchase. (Cries of "On, ob.") Mon. members might cry "Oh, oh ;" but we had neither men nor ships fit for slosh a contingency, our best ships being all abroad, and nothing but trash remaining in our ports. He wanted to open the eyes of the country to the fact that if France and Russia were to unite, we should not have the means of defending ourselves. He had been himself in action, and had been beaten simply because his vessels were badly manned and disciplined. When in Portugal he had a bad ly-manned fleet, and when he fell in with Don Mignel's fleet, and his own son boarded one of the enemy's vessels, he was hardly followed by a single man. The men had no confidence in each other, and of the ten marines on boarl only three of them ventured to go ird. By all the rules of fighting his own vessel ought to have been taken instead of Don Miguel's. (Laughter.) The First Lord of the Treasury was responsible for the present state of the navy, and ought not to remain at the head of the Government unless he was deter mined to keep up an efficient fleet. He did not ask for a very large or expensive fleet, but one of high order, commanded by exesellent officers, and manned by young and able seamen and good marines. With these, and if they could man the fleet well, he defied the world. A British fleet • with men accustomed to act together would face anything in the world. But a fleet manned by persons picked up in the streets was not efficient. The hon. and gallant admiral concluded by moving the resolution. Mr. BENTINCK seconded the motion. Mr. B. OSBORNE said the speech -of the hon. and gallant admiral had been so discursive that he hoped the house would forgive hint if he imitated him in that re spect. The principal argument of the hon. and gallant officer was the want of permanence in the first Lord of the Admiralty. Why, as this Government was neces sarily parliamentary, the government officers could not be permanent. It would be an agreeable thing to many if they could. The head and front of their offending was the want of permanency. Sir C. NAPIER—The Duke of Cambridge is perma nent: would be met by somo other excuse ; but he wculd not press his motion. The motion was then withdrawn. TENANT RIGHT (IRELAND) BILL. Mr. MOORE moved for nod obtained leave to bring in a bill to provide for the better securing of and regulating the custom of tenant-right as practised in the province of Ulster, awl to secure compensation to improving tenvnts who may not make claim under the raid custom, and to limit the power of eviction in certain cases. MEDICAL AND SURGICAL SCHOOLS (QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY) IRELAND. burn's, or Sather some notes that he left, and which were never intended for publication. Now, it was known that Sir G. Cockburn, who was a long time at the Admiralty, ha great differences of opinion, not with the civilians but with the naval members of the board. The hon. aid gal lant admiral quoted these notes, but he would quote Sir G. Cockburn 's notes in that house. In that house Sir G. Mr. FAGAN moved for leave to bring in bill for secur ing the more effectual promotion of the medical and surgi cal sciences in the Queen's University i❑ Ireland, by ena bling the ratepayers of the unions of Cork, Belfast, and Galway to provide for the enlargement and better main tenance of certain hospitals in the said cities and town, and for the further extension of the provisions of the act of her present Majesty to endow new colleges for the advance ment of learning in Ireland. Mr. GROGAN opposed the bill. It ought not to be brought forward in the absence of the Secretary for Ire land, and as a commission was now engaged in inquiring into the condition and state of education in these colleges, they ought to wait for the report. J. D. FITZGERALD had not read the bill, but, as mach interest was excited on the subject in the cities affected by it, the Government would not oppose its intro duction. Before it came on for a second reading the Secre tary for Ireland would be in his place. After a few words from Lord NAAS, the motion was agreed to. Cockburn said "he had no hesitation in stating, and in staking his private as well as his public character on the ,'statement, that it was necessary - for the safety of the Country that the Board of Admiralty should remain con stituted as it was at present." Sir C. NAPIER—What date was that? Mr. B. OSBORNE—In 1820. But he had another, five years later, when Sir G. Cockburn said, " Speaking from the experience he had, he was sure that any alteration in the constitution of the Board would be injurious to the best interests of the country." Probably, when gentlemen got out of office, and when they got out of command, they might have different opinions. If he were rightly in formed, in the year 1826 the bon. and gallant admiral ap plied to be put. on the Board of Admiralty, He could refer to his own pamphlet. [Sir 0. NAPIER—The page ?] Page 213. This was Lord John Russell's letter to him : —" You may remember when you applied to me in 1846 for a seat at the Board of Admiralty, then about to be formed under Lord Auckland (a and I stated my opinion that your services would be more useful to the public in a naval than a civil department." He thought it rather extraordinary that the gallant admiral, having applied for civil service under a civilian First Lord in 1846 should in 1857 come down and tell them that it was impossible to carry on the nav a l a ff a i rs o f th e coun t ry with a civilian as First Lord. It was not the rule to have civilians as First Lords of the Admiralty. On the con trary, there bad been a great many nava l Fi rs t L or d s, an d although at the beginning of their office naval lords were popular, they generally ended with g i v i ng grea t dissatis faction. It was a singular thing that when e ve r ther e h a d been a parliamentary inquiry into the state of the navy, lit had always been when a naval man was First Lord ; and all the improvements in the navy had been effected when they had hail a civilian as First Lord. The hon. and gallant admiral went back as far as the reign of Edward VI. He would not go so far back. Was the lion. and gallant admiral aware that it was to Lord Sand wich, a civilian, that they were indebted for the marines as a separate body from the sailors; that he first com menced the inspection of the navy. Then, Lord Keppel was a distinguished naval commander, brit what did Lord Shelburne say of his naval administration ? He said that a change was necessary, seeing that the affairs of the navy were going to ruin. Then there was Lord Howe. He was a naval man, but as First Lord of the Admiralty he gave universal dissatisfaction, and there was a remarkable de bate, both in the Lords and the Commons, as to the fa vouritism displayed in the promotions while be was in office ; and Mr. Fox said, " he approved of Lord Home's conduct when at sea, but that all hisnaval ability vanished when he got on shore." But the hon and gallant admiral quoted Lord St. Vincent as a naval Firat Lord, Why, Lord St Vincent was most unfortunate in his administra tion. In his time they p , sitive;y sold the hemp in the dockyards to the French Government, in order to reduce the naval estimates. And what was Mr. Pitt's speech ie 1800? ." I am inclined to think that between Lord St. Vincent as a commander and as First Lord of the Admi ralt y there is a very wide difference. He is much less able in a civil than in a warlike position." Sir C. NAPIER—What was Mr. Fox's opinion? Mr. B. OSBORNE said he was aware that Mr. Fox voted on that occasion in favour of Lord St. Vincent, but he did not say anything in his favour. Sir C. NAPIER—Yes, he did. Mr. B. OSBORNE said then the gallant admiral ought to be ready with his quotation. Then he went to Lord Barham, who was a naval First Lord, and he took great credit to Lord Barham for fitting ont the fleet that fought the bat le of Trafalgar. He (Mr. B. Osborne) maintained that the First Lord's duty was as much civil as naval; and it was a singular thing that with this exception the fleets which had fought in all the great actions had been fitted out by First Lords who were civilians. Take Lord Rodney's vic tory in 1782, the victories in 1744, the battle of the Nile, and the battle of Copenhagen; the fleets in all these cases were fitt•sd oat when a civilian was first lord. Mind there was a deal in the selection of the officer to command. Now, what had been the great improvements instituted by first lords who were civilians ? Why, Sir James Graham was the means of saving 1,200,0001. b , r consolidating offices in the navy. Up to that time the navy accounts had never been audited, and from that day to this they had been audited. He did not mean to lay it down as a rule that they should never appoint a naval man, but he said that the opportunities and the education of naval men were not of that sort that they should be put into the important position of first lord of the Admiralty. If they found a man adapted to that situation, do not let it be against him that he was a naval man, but it would be stultifying them selves to say they would have none but a naval man. The hon. and gallant admiral ha I said that his late colleague Mr. Phinu retired because ho did not like signing letters which he could not read, and that be had conscientious scruples about signing them. Mr. Phinn had no such scruples, for he did read the letters, and he retired because he preferred the business of the bar. Then the hon. and gallant admiral talked about private letters, and he was astonished that he should, considering the use he had made of the letters from Sir J. Graham which wera never intended to be published. The hon. and gallant admiral said there ought to be a permanent officer to teach the boards who were coming in. There was a permanent officer, the surveyor to the navy, who was not.liablo to be changed on the change of government. The hon. and gallant ad miral was fund of maligning his own fleet, not regarding the neanceivres of that fleet when it anchored in Faro Sound. He would read the criticism of the Russian pa per, complimentary as it was to the hon. and gallant ad miral. It said :—" The handling of the English ships was admirable, The English make very little use of our buoys When they take a new channel they lay down buoys of their own. One thing may be affirmed positively, that no pilot of ours would ever venture on his own respon sibility to take deep sea going ships into places wki h have been navigated by large English steamers, though it must be admitted they have occasionally groun led." Now here was Russian testimony as to the efficiency of the British fleet. He was surprised to hear the hon and gal lant admiral affirm that the throne of England was not worth six months' purchase. If he did not know that the gallant admiral was rather wild about this subject, he should be ashamed that such an expression should have come from a British admiral. While they had the navy in its present condition, and while they had a Board of Admiralty comprising such men as Sir R. Dundas, Sir M. Berkeley and Capt. Milne, the throne was secure, and he hoped the house would not listen to such statements as those of tiie hon. and gallant admiral, and that they would deduce from that statement about the throne the inference that the hon. and gallant admiral was as little qualified to alter the constitution of the Board of Admir a lty as he was to judge of the stability of the throne. He trusted that the house would negative this motion by a large majority. Sir G. PECHELL said the fact of Sir G. Cockburn be ing 16 or 17 years at the Board of Admiralty and hiding his light under a bushel all that time detracted consider ably from the value of his notes. He certainly thought that the system of constant changes which prevailed at the Admiralty was much to be deprecated. Mr. KER approved of the principle which threw our do .kyards open to the inspection of all persons ; but he objected to the system o f giving drawings to per s ons w h o were experts in the ship-trade, when these persons were foreigners. He had been s h own a l arge mo d e l o f t h e Duke of Wellington line of battle ship a twelvemonth before that vessel was launched. T urged upon the house the necessity naval force in the Mediterranean. line of battle ships ought to be sta tioneddvocated also the formation of a scientific men, for the purpose of u pon . those scientific improvements which from f ti m e might . he made abroad, or which might be blo❑ a A khre d idea m pooi i funp r teagi opinion rop:n.r sufficient awel o aona reportin gtime to brought for ward by inventors at home. The hon. and gal lent member bad said that the junior members of the Board of Admiralty it with ropes round their necks, and that they were afraid to express their opinion. He could not believe so meanly of his professional brethren as to think that this was the case, but if it were so, all he would say was that be wished the ropes were stretched, and the junior members were hanged. (" Hear," and cheers.) Lord C. PAGET believed that upon the whole the pre sent system worked beneficially for the country. Mr. WARRE pointed out that in considering this mat ter it should not be forgotten that during the past few years science had completely changed the state of naval warfare. After, a few words from Mr. LINDSAY, Sir C. WOOD said that no continuous service men bad left the service except at their own request, or in conse quence of being unfit to continue longer in the service. However, as the question was the propriety of inquiry in to the conduct of the Board of Admiralty, he thought he should do best by confining himself to that question. With respect to having a naval first lord, he had never de nied the fitness of a naval man for the office ; but he did not think that the first lord should necessarily be a naval man, seeing that five-sixths of the bus ness transacted was of a civil character. The gallant admiral also proposed that the principal officers should be relieved from respon sibility to the board. So they were in all matters of de tail, it was only in matters of great importance that the jurisdiction of the whole board was brought into play. He (Sir C. Wood) derived the greatest assistance from the naval members of the board, and was the last man to un derrate the importance of their, professional knowledge. After one or two further observations, the right hon. gen tleman Sir C. NAPIER replied, complaining of t he line taken 9 concluded by opposing by the Secretary to the Admiralty , and of. the conduct o the hrtion. Sir Maurice Berkeley in writing to the officers of his flee for opinions of his character. The house then divided-- For the motion Against it LAND TAX ... 35 _152-117 Mr. MACKINNON moved for a select committee to consider the expediency of a more equitable adjustment of the laud-tax; also of allowing a further redemption of it ; and whether the tax might not be made more bene ficial to the revenue. This tax, he said, was so unjust in its operation and so partial that it was impossible it could be allowed to continue in its present state. He gave a short history of the land-tax, in order to show how it be came so unjust and unequal ; the rate being in some places in the pound, an i in others 35., rich communities pay ing nothing and poor communities being taxed heavily. Sir J. TROLLOPE observed that the impediments to a readjustment of this tax arose from the Act of William and Mary making it perpetual, and the Redemption Act of Mr. Pitt in 1798, and unless the house was prepared to repeal the latter Act, and impose a fresh mode of taxaticn in lieu of the land tax, it was impracticable for a commit. tee of that house to deal with the subject. He should therefore oppose the motion. Mr. NE ATE supported the motion. The real Tie s . Con he said, was bow far the Act of Mr. Pitt precluded Parliament from considering the whole subject, and the restoration of the tax to what it was intended to be. There was nothing in Mr. Pitt's Act, in his opinion, that pre cluded the house from considering the question in its widest beating. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER trusted that Mr. Mackinnon would not press his motion. The subject, he observed, was well understood ; it had been repeatedly considered by the house, where its anomalies had been fully admitted ; but the difficulty of removing them arose from the Redemption Act of Mr. Pitt. The only way of obviating them would be to impose what in reality would be an additional Income-tax. Mr, MACKINNON said he feared next session he Mr. B. OSBL}RNE said the Commander-in-Chief was in a totally different position. He was not a member of the cabinet. The hon. and gallant officer proposed no real change ; he proposed a board under a different name ; he could not call it a board, but a council. What h a pp ene d when they had a Lord High Admiral ? They had a council, the very thing that the hon. and gallant admiral proposed under a different name. And what happened then ? Sir G. Cockburn complained, and a change took place, and they went to the boari again. The hon. and gall nt admiral had quoted frequently from his book on the navy. The last time ho brought forward the subject he was the means of put ting his book through another edition, so many copies were wanted by the Admiralty and by bon. members, lio had meat in their feelings, the great improvement in the tone of society there, was appreciated by the Govern ment and the people of England, and that the state ments we used to hear were no longer credited as cha racterising what actually occurred in that country. (Hear.) The motion of the hon. and learned gentleman had had this advantage, that it had introduced to the House of Commons in this the first session of the new Parliament a subject of great importance in a way which would probably give an improved tone to our relations with the Brazils. That object having been obtained, he would urge upon the hon. and learned gentleman not to press his motion to a division, especially as it appeared to him far too strongly worded for the occasion or for the position in which the country stood in respect to its diplomatic relations. If the hon. and learned gentleman would rest satisfied with having elicited from a large majority of the house the expression of a general feeling that the conduct of the Brazilian Government and the Brazilian people was appreciated by the British Parlia ment, and that our Government ought to ex end to them feelings of union, he would have achievecta great result. He trusted he would be contented with that, and not ask the house to come to a division which would not con vey an accurate idea of the sentiments of the house on the subject. (Hear, bear.) Lord J. RUSSELL said—l should not have ad dressed the house but for one observation of the right hon. gentleman opposite, which I think is calculated to create a false impression. The right hon. gentleman the member for Bucainehanashire said that the instructions which were given by my noble friend had proved un availing, that the slave trade had increased, and that no check was given to it by the vigilance of our cruisers, and that the prazilians themselves undertook the management of the question and put an end to the slave trade. If that is a correct representation, the consequeuce would be that the Brazilians having performed the duty of suppressing the slave trade themselves, it would be only right in us to repeal the Act of Parliament which has been passed for the regu lation of this question. But I maintain that that is not a correct representation of the state of things. My re collection of them is that our own efforts, active as they were, did not have any material effect, and the Brazilian slave trade continued ; but the orders subse quently issued to our cruis , -rs, not to confine themselves to the sea-coast, but to go into the inland waters of Brazil and take slavers found there, were productive of such an effect that the Brazilians themselves passed an act to put an end to the slave trade, which bad then be come such a losing concern that many slave-dealers who bad before made large fortunes found the losses so great that they could no forger continue the trade. I believe that t ) be the right state of the facts ; and believing that, I am desirous to leave the question in the hands of my noble friend and the Government, as indeed I think most matters relating to the conduct of our fo reign affairs should be left ; but I believe that in this case the success of the course pursued by the Govern ment has been so great, that it is peculiarly a case for abstaining from interference by tt a appointment of a committee of this house. I ftbe hon. and learned gentleman could suggest anything with regard to the suppression of the slave trade to Cuba, I do not believe the government would be so afraid of the powerful monarchy of Spain —(a laugh)—as not to interfere. I hope the next time the hon. and learned gentleman touches on this question, his motion may refer to Cuba, with a view to the suppression of the slave trade there. The house divided. For the motion Against it THE BOARD OF ADMIRALTY. Sir C. NAPIER rose to move for a select committee to inquire into the constitution of thelßoard of Admiralty, with the view of rendering it more efficient, and better adapted to the various duties it has to perform. He said he should be thought imprudent, and perhaps un wise to ask for a committee to inquire into the constitu tion of the Board of Admiralty, for in the house they had not only the present First Lord and Secretary and most of the members of the past board, but several ex first lords, and six or seven ex-naval and civil lords ; still be thought it his duty to endeavour to persuade the house to grant him a committee. It was not only he himself who thought the navy ill-conducted,. but there was hardly a naval efficer or a commander-in-chief, or officer commanding is dockyards, who was not of the same opinion; and besides, in the Admiralty itself he believed that if the clerks at Whitehall and Somerset house were polled they would agre, in that opinion. It was necessary to point out the nature of the Board of Admiralty. Looking back, he found that in the time of Edward Vl. (laughiier)—the navy was governed by a high commissioner, a surveyor, and a clerk of the acts; and this continued till James 11. declared himself Lord High Admiral, and it was during this period that the well known Pepys was in office. William 111. ruled the navy by a board ' • and when Anne came to the throne Prince George of Danmark was made Lord High Admiral. The administration of the navy after that continued tto be carried on by commission until 1832, when the Duke of Clarence was created Lord High Admiral. At the time that the Duke of Clarence became Lord High Ad miral the navy had been ruled for 17 or 18 years by Lord Melville, and during that time nothing had been done to advance its interests ; no attempt had been made to do away with the manning of the navy by impressment. He remembered that in 1815 a cornet of dragoons.was one of the civil lords of the Admiralty, and Sir G. Cock born, who was then at the Admiralty when this case of the cornet of dragoons was complained of, stated to the house that the First Lord had so little time to attend to the duties connected with the navy that he was obliged to leave them to be done by the senior naval lord. Tide state of things continued until after the pas-ing of the Reform 8.11, when Sir J. Graham was appointed First feed of the Admiralty. At that time Sir J. Pechell, an excellent officer, was appointed a member of the board. He (Sir C. Napier) would read an extract from a latter wild he addressed to Sir J. Pechell. [roe hon. and gallant gentleman than read in a very low voice the ex , tract in question, in which as far as we could ascsrtain he sketched a plan fir toe administration of the Ad miralty, which would place greater responsibility os each head of the departments.] Shortly after this Sir J. Graham came into office, and introduced a bill to make a change in the constitution of the Board of Admiralty, and it was found to be somewhat such as he (Sir C. Napier) had suggested ; but it did not go sufficiently far. The 13.•ard of Admiralty as constituted now was com posed of a first lord, four naval lords, and one civil lord. The intention of Sir J. Graham was that the civil lord shoul I live at Somerset-house, and take charge of the du ties cennected with the Accountant-General, thatone naval rl would take charge of the medical and victualling de , partments, and another of the dockyards. However, he would read a description of the duties performed by the Board of Admiralty, taken from the evidence of Sir F. Baring, then First Lord of the Admiralty, before a com mittee of the house. (The hon. and gallant member then read an extract from the evidence in question, which us understood to explain in detail the duties of each branch of the officers of the Admiralty, with the composition of the board.] By this it appeared that the board had very arduous duties to perform ; but he could tell the house that all the lords worked in different rooms, and each wrote his orders in the name of the board, and the con sequence was that all sorts of contradictory orders were sent out by the Admiralty, many of which be had him self received. He would state the opinion of Sir G. Cockburn, who had been 18 years at the Admiralty, under both the old and the new system. [The hon. and gallant gentleman then read the opinion of Sir G. Cock burn, to the effect that the establishment of the Admi ralty was most unsatisfactory ; that it was a most incon venient and inconsistent practice for one member of the , hoard, without communicating with his colleagues, to issue orders in the name of the board ; there was, there fore, no real responsibility.] And again, as regarded the proceedings of the board when united for busi ness, it was absurd for a person to preside who did . not understand anything of the profession. The board consisted of six members, most of whom were selected because they had seats in Parliament, or parliamen tary influence. He (Sir C. Napier) thought it was wrong in Sir G. Cockburn holding these opinions not to bring forward a measure for the reform of the Admiralty, but at his death he left this opinion as a legacy. It was said that the Board of Admiralty was a responsible body, but he could show out of the mouth of a first lord of the Admiralty what that responsibility was. Be fore the Sebastopol committee Sir James Graham said that he went to Earl Spencer who had long been a first lord of the Admiralty to consult him how to carry on the war, and Lord Spencer told him that he had once issued an order for the removal of an officer from a command, and the members of the board all refused to sign it, upon which he said ho would go to Mr. Pitt and have them all turned out. Where could there be any responsibility when every man of the board sat with a ropo round his neck, and when they could all be turned out a moment's notice ? Sir George Cockburn actually turned out a Lord High Admiral ; for having a quarrel with the Duke of C arence, he went to the Duke of Wellington, and the Duke of Clarence was obliged to resign. It was impossitle that the duties of l the Admiralty could be properly carried on when l kach lord could act as if he was the board. He had seen a lord of the Admiralty, whose signature was necessary to a paper, sien it without looking at it or knowing what it was about. The second secretary of the Admiralty, Mr. Plume had lately resigned, and we had not been told why he did so; but he suspected that gentleman acted from a conscientious feeling that he could not take 1,5001. a year for merely signing his name to papers. He (Sir Charles Napier) knew from experience how the matter worked, for be had often reeeived contra dictory orders from the Admiralty. Oa one occa- kiln • Lord Auckland ordered him to take the upper deck guns out of the St. Vincent, and by the next mail he received a letter from the senior naval lord ordering him to put them in again directly. On another owes on he received orders to send home the Queen. By the next mail he receive.] a letter reproving him for sending that vessel home. Shortly afterwards he received a private note from Vice-Admiral Dundas, say ing, " All the clerks are gone; take this, a private note, and send the Queen to Malta directly." When he had the command of the Baltic fleet, he received a letter from the Admiralty ordering him to proceed to Ingersound. He had also an order which he was directed to open in a certain latitude. He did so, and found an instruction from the Secretary of State, which was much wiser than the Admiralty order. In pursuance of the Secretary of State's instruction he passed through the Belt, and anchored in Rioge Bay. After remaining there a short time, be receive a letter from the Admiralty stating that he must have had some good reason for not obeying their orders to p rocee d t o Ingersound. It appeared, ord d e m rs ir o a f it t y h . e S N ec o r w eta a ry he of h not knownor therefore, that so thes ee A the Russians and theremight Statead gone we t r o e thesw h ed a e v a e . ble i n ew a d j a n y n e c a ti f o te n rw b a e r t d w e ee h n he received a letter from the Admiralty approving of his conduct in not obeying their orders, and then a letter Ifollowed complaining that he had not gone to Ingersound. (Laughter.) All these clashing orders were attributable AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS. Viscount RA.YNHA.MI rose to move for a select commit tee to inquire into the operation of the act 16 and 17 Vic., c. 21, for the punishment of persons convicted of aggravated assaults on women and children. These offences had in creased to such an alarming extent as to be a disgtace to the country. He believed no arguments would be required to induce the house to consider the means of preventing them. Their attention had lately been drawn to social , evils, and there were none greater than this. He be• lieved, and his opinion was shared by many, that the act now in force did not prevent this crime nor effect the object for which it was passed. He would not detain the house by an enumeration of the cases that had lately be n reported, but only mention one or two of peculiar enormity. One lately occurred at Horncastle, where a young female servant in a farm was beaten with the most horrible cruelty by a man and a boy by the direction of her mistress. The magistrates before whom the case was brought expressed the greatest horror at its atrocity, and only tined the mistress 51., the man 31. 15s. 6d., and the , boy 1/. ss. There were two ways of looking at this ques tion ; and the principal one regarded the punishment, and whether something could not be devised which would have a deterring effect Corporal punishment, he thought, was the best for such a crime; but that point would be for the decision of the committee, if it was gr toted. Sir G. GREY said he should be happy to concur in any measure which would put an end to the crime with which it was now proposed to deal, and it was with that abject tkat the act now in operation was passed. He did not see how an inquiry by a select committee would have a prac tical effect. If the noble lord wished for any information which could be obtained by a return of the number of offences and convictions under the act, he should be happy to grant it. But it was impossible to have a return of those crimes which were committed with impunity before the 'wising of the act. If there were any cases such as that alluded to by the noble lord at Horncastle they could only have occurred from want of due exercise of their dis cretion by the magistrates, in whose hands the punishment was placed. As to the other case at Dawlish, which ended in the death of a girl, he thought that this was a case of manslaughter, wlrich could be dealt with by the ordinary law. He urged that in the present pressure on select corn- mittees that house would not consent to appoint any more committees, unless some strong necessity was shown. Mr. Bentinck, Mr. P. O'Brien, and Lord C. Hamilton supported the motion, which was opposed by Mr. Clay. Lord RAYNHAM expressed his regret that the Home Secretary declined to aid him in this matter. The house then divided * For the motion . 84 Against it, SCIENTIFIC AND LITERARY SOCIETIES. Mr. HTJTT moved for, and obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the act of 6 and 7 Vict., c. 36, to exempt from county, borough, parochial, and other local rates, land and buildings occupied by scientific and literary societies. MINISTERS' MONEY (IRELAND) On the motion of Mr. G. A. HAMILTON, a return wa,3 :ordered of the number of houses liable to the payment of ministers' money, and of their rated valae. HOP DUTIES. Mr. DODSON moved for a select committee to inquire into the operation of the excise and customs duties on hops. _ . The motion was ar.treed to. JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES, &c., BILL. , The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second read ing of this bill. After a few words from Mr. WYLD, the motion was agreed to, and the bill was ordered to be committed on Thursday. SUPPLY. On the question that the report of the committee of supply be received, BOVILL complained of the hardship to which inn keepers are subjected by . the billeting system. The allow ance per day to each man was 9d., for which the publican was obliged to find I /lb. of meat, 11b. of broad, and llb. of vegetables, besides lodging, fire, and candles. It was impossible for any publican to provide all these articles for less than 15d. or 16d. (Hear, hear.) He trusted the at tention of the Government would be turned to the subject with the view of removing the grievance under which the publicans were labouring. (Hear, hear.) The report wag then received. PORTLAND HARBOUR BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed, CINQUE PORTS AC "C AUENDNIENT BILL. This bill pas.ed through committee. PRINCESS ROYAL'S ANNUITY BILL. This bill was react a second time. The other orders having been disposed of, the house a journed at 20 minutes past 12 o'clock. MR. RUSSELL'S LECTURES ON THE WAR, AT WILLIS'S ROOMS. Yesterday afternoon that very popular narrator and publicist, Mr. Williatn. Russell, delivered the second of his Course of Three Lectures upon the late War between Russia and the Allies—as usual, be fore a rather numerous, a very fashionable, and a singularly attentive audience, at Willis's Rooms, St. James's. Resuming the thread of his Personal Narrative upon the morrow of the Battle of the Alma, Mr. Russell commented briefly, but signifi cantly upon the fact that for Three Whole Days the Allied armies were detained upon the field won with so much valour and so much bloodshed by t h e sluggishness of the English Con:mender-in-Chief ! fie spoke of the impatience of the French at this extraordinary and extravagant delay, of their eager', ness to follow up the advantages of the victory, of their threatening at last to hasten forward in the track of the defeated Russians without tarrying any longer for their British companions in arms ! At length,the morning of , hefourth dayafter the Battle, came the gladly-welcomed signal for the advance so long, and deplorably, and unaccountably delayed. At cockcrow the French were off—hours before the first regiment of the English army took its de parture! The lecturer described most picturesquely, as an incident never to be forgot'en, the wild flourish of trumpets and roll of the drums, again and again repeated in the grey light of the dawn, amidet ringing shouts of Vive rEmpereur ! as the Gallic soldiers moved onwards from the heights of the Alma, battalion by battalion ! He spoke of the grey mass distinguishable upon that historic hill side when the allied armies had at last left the scene of their first Crimean Victory—a grey mass covering about an acre of ground—that grey mass the Russian wounded, to the number of 750, at tended only (out of all that host) by two heroic Englishmen, Dr. Thompson and his servant. The former of whom, we all remember, died not many days later from the effectsof his benificent minister ing to that swarm of suffering foes—breathing his last, in fact, but a very few hours after his arrival at Balaklava. Afterwards came, in due course, Mr. Russell's personal narrative of the celebrated Flank March in suggested by Sir John Burgoyne. He rapidly sketched the peculiarities of the new position occupied by the assailants and the assailed when the allies moved round to the South side of Sebastopol, and deliberately entered upon that pro , traeted and bloody siege. The Second Lecture closing with an eloquent and thrilling delineation of the glorious and immortal Cavalry Charge in the Fatal Valley of Balaklava. Of which almost match ' less deed of heroism, the Lecturer, we all recollect full well, was himself an actual eye-witness. It would be difficult to tire of ever hearing of that magnificent but most lamentable achieve ment. It is hardly possible to listen to the account given of it viva voce by Mr. Russell, without the tears starting to one's eyes in mingled anguish . and admiration. Like an eminently rational man, as he is, Mr. Russell perfectly exonerates Lord Lucan from any blame whatever in giving the word of command for that disastrous and dauntless Feat of Arms. Lord Lucan simply obeyed the positive order of his Chief as brought to him by Capt kin Nolan—he (Lord Lucan) knowing that that Chief in sending to him those explicit injunctions, com manded a distinct view of the Russian positions, which were altogether invisible to the noble earl and his Brigadier 1 So the Trumpets sounded for that Charge in obedience to the word utteted, as it was his bounden duty that it should be uttered by the Earl of Lucan 1 And so that Charge was lei at a trot—at a cant ir—at a gallop along the whole sweep of that Valley of Death cleaving its way through a great Russian army, waiting t o receive in. position—led, t het memorable Charge, as it was also his bounden duty that it should be led, by the daring and dauntless Earl of Cardigan ! Listening to Mr. Russell's account of what he saw one could almost realise the wonderful scene be was describing, even to the flames and smoke suddenly bursting from those twenty pieces of ordnance—the flame and smoke " through which hissed the deadly iron 1" It was an unfortu nately brief, but, at the same time, a very vivid and oratorical description. GREAT HANDEL FESTIVAL.—The large organ erecting at the Crystal Palace for this enormous musical con gress is nearly completed. THE CALEDONIAN BALL.—The ladies patrnnessos of the Caledonian Ball met in committee at Rooms, yesterday afternoon. In consequence of. her Majesty having fixed her first grand concert for,the 19th of June, it was unanimously resolved to postpone this annual festival to Monday, the 22d proximo. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. HOUSE OF LORDS.—MAY 28. DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL. Moved, to insert the folloWing-clause,—" Provided neverthe less, that no Clerk in Holy Orders of the Church of Eng land shall, after the passing of this Act, be liable to any censure, penalty, or punishment whatever, in any Court Ecclesiastical or Civil, for refusing to perform the Marriage Service over any person or persons who, having been mar ried and divorced, shall seek to be married again during the lifetime of the husband or wife from whom they have been divorced ender the provisions of this Act." On ques tion, whether the said clause shall be inserted—Contents, 26 ; Non-Contents, 78. CONTENTS. VISCOUNTS. DUKE. LORDS. _ Norfolk Dungannon Clifton (E. Darnley) MARQUIS. Gordon (E. Aber- Congleton Westmeath deep) Delam ere EARLS. Hutchinlion (E. Ker (M. Lothian) Carnarvon (Teller) Dououghmore) Manners Hardwicke BISHOPS. - Oriel (V. Masse- Mayo Chichester reene) Nelson (Teller) Oxford Petre Portarlington St. Asapb. Red esdale Powis LORD. Stafford Arundell of Ward our Vaux of Harrowden y_TER M 'AJESTY'S THEATRE. r TO-MORROW EVENING. ALBONI, SPEZIA, GIUGLINI, VIALETTI, and BENE VENTANO, Third Night of Verdi's Opera of IL TROVATORE. Leonora, Mdlle. Spezia ; Azucena, Madame AlbQui. Maurice,. Sig. Ging ini. After which, will be revived the highly successful Ballet, by M. Perrot, entitled L'AU RORE, in which Mdlle. Katrine will make her first appearance this sew,on. l'or particulars see bills. A limited number of boxes in the Half Circle Tier have oeen specially reserved for the public, and may be had on ap plication at the Box-office at the Theatre Colonnade, Hay market. Price One Guinea and One Guinea and a Half each. ER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. GRAND MORNING PERFORMANCE. MONDAY, JUNE 1. Piccolomini, Alboni, Spezia. Ortolani,Ginglini, Reichardt, Bottailli:Beneventano, Belletii, To meet the many applications that have been made, and to accommodate the numerous famili-s resident in the en virons, a GRAND EXTRA PERFORMANCE will take place on MONDAY MORNING, inue 1, when will be performed Verdi's opera, _ LA TRAVIATA. Violetta, Piccolmini ; Alfredo, Sig. Giuglini. Germont Giorgio, Sig. Beneventano. To be preceded by (arranged in one act), Rossini's opera, _ IL BARIERE DI SEVIGLIA. Rosina, Madame Alboui. Between the Operas a DIVERTISSEMENT. Morning Dress only will be necessary. Doors open at One, to commence at half-past One, and end at half-past Five. LES BOUFFES PARISIENS—St. JAMES'S THEATRE. Triumphant Success of the FRENC 13 PLAYS. - THIS EVENING (FRIDAY),' May 29, the entertain ments will commence at half-past 8 o'clock precisely, by the production of (for the second time in this country), LE VIOLONNEUX. M. Guyot, M. Mesmacre, and Mdlle. Mareschal. After which (for the first time) Opera-Bouffe, en mi Acta, L'IMPRESARIO. M. Calllet, M. Charles Petitt, Mdlle. Del mont, and Mdlle. Mace. To conclude with (for the third time), Operette, en nn Acte. LA BONNE D'ENFANT. M. Guyot, M. Jean Paul, Mdlle. Mace, M. Antbonini. The Orchestra of the Theatre des Bouffes will ace nn pany these Representations, under the direction of the composer, M. Offenbach. This Engagement being limited to one month, Performance° will be given EVERY EVENING. Bases, stalls, and tickets may be engaged at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library, 33, Old Bond-street. THEA TR E-R OYA. L, DRURY-LANE. Lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith. OPEN EVERY EVENING. GREAT EQUESTRIAN AMERICAN and CONTINENTAL COMPANY, under the direction of Miss Ella. Prices—Pit and Promenade, is ; Boxes, 2s. 6d , 25., and 6d. ; Galleries, 6d. Doors open at half-past 7. Commence at 8. _ _ _ First Equestrian Artistes in the World : —Madame Schap' lain, Madame Newsome, La Petite Wells, Signora Delavanti, and Miss Ella ; Miss E. J. Wells, Mdlles. Flora, Fabia, ann and Marie, MissesNewsome, Moffatt, Delavanti, Potter, Jen nings ; the Manchester Boy, Masters J. Wells, A. Wells, E• Moffatt, Henrico and Carlo Delavanti, Sig. Felix Delavanti, Mons. Becq, Mons. Ferdinand, Mons. Eugene, Mr. Tonl Swann, Mr. B. Fuller, Mr. W. Fuller, and the great Shaks perian Clown, Wallett, will appear each evening in a series of Performances, original and unapproachable. Director__Mr• Stokes, Acting Manager—Mr. E. Stirling. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET Lessee—Mr. J. B. Buckstone. NEW ARRANGEMENT OF PRICES OF A DMISSION. THIS EVENING (May 29) to commence at Seven o'clock► with THE RIVALS. Followed by a new farce, MY SON DIANA! After which, the auccessfu) Classical Love Story, un der the Apple-lation of A VAL ANTA ; or, The Three (}olden Apples : in which Miss M. Oliver will appear; also Miss i l . Wilton, and Miss Ellen Ternan. In future the prices will be:— Orchestra Stalls (which may be retained the whole of the . . evening), 6s. each. (No charge for booking.) First Price. s. d. Second price. s. d' Dress Boxes Upper Boxes ....... ... 3 0 Upper Boxes... Pit . . Lower Gallery 1 0 Lower Gallery 0 6 Upper Gallery 0 ONo half-price to Upper Galled. V) OY AL PRINCESS'S THEATRE' THIS EVENING will be performed Shakespere's tragedy of KING RICHARD THE SECOND. King Richard 11, Mr. C. Kean ; Queen, Mrs. C. heap. Proceded by a new Farce, in one act, called AN ENGLISHMAN'S HOUSE IS HIS CASTLE. EIBATRE ROYAL, ADELPIII' Lessee—Mr. Ben. Webster. a THIS EVENING, will be performed the Adelphi d rali t of THE GREEN BUSHES. Madame Celeste, Mr. Wrig h and Paul Bed ord. Followed by a new Farce, called. FEARFUL TRAGEI:OI IN THE SEVEN DIALS. To conclude with the new and original domestic 810 01 entitled WELCOME, LITTLE STRANGER. Mr. Wright , Mr. Paul Bedford, &c. R OYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE , Lessee, Mr. Alfred Wigan. THIS EVENING will be performed THIEVES THIEVES!! EVES ! After which, a new drama, called DADDY HARDACR% Mr. Robson, Sze. To conclude with A SPLENDID INVEST WENT. Commence at half-past Seven. A L STLEY'S ROY AL AMP FIITHEATO AND- OPERA HOUSE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. W. Cooke. 00 Under the patronage of Her Majesty and His Royal High° Prince Albert. The most perfect triumph ever witnessed at this theft% has been achieved by the eminent Operatic Artistes.in,,,, e TROVATORE, which has been nightly received with 11, utmost enthusiasm, while Mr Wm. Cooke's Equestrian o i lustrations have met with every demonstration of, aPPr ° and applause. THIS EVENING, and during the week, Verdi's far-fail l e , Oper' of IL TROVATORE ; or, Ibe Gipsy's Venge 9 . ll .., ° The whole of the Music as performed a t th e It a li a n Or"' and Equestrian Illustrations. Miss Rebecca Isaacs, Miss M. Somers, and Miss Fanny Huddart. Mr. Augustus Brabam, Mr. Brookbouse Bowler* Mr. Francis Kirby, Mr. J. A. Leffler, and Mr. Borrani. Conductor and'Composer—lierr Meyer Lutz. With a powerful Band and Chorus. Manager and Director of the Opera Company—Mr. Augg ittil Brehm]. To conclude with a recherche programme of novel li te d matchless SCENES in the ARENA, in which the celelgt Brothers, Francisco's, will appear for the fifth time ow their return from Anierica. Commetce at seven o'clock. Dress Boxes, 4s. ; 1 : 1 :4 Boxes, 3s. ; Private Boxes, from 215., no charge for booP" Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, Is. ; Upper Gallery, 6d. Notion—During the Opera Season Half-price will take 1 31g0. at 9 o'clock. Box-office open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manse' Kr. W. West. Equestrian Director, Kr. W. Cooke, jun. CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.! OPEN EVERY EVENING.--The foll of o f ng company of. Vocalists are engaged for the performanco.„ elections from all the popular Operas, Madrigals, Chor ll 7, Glees, Duets, &c., viz.: Miss E. Pearce, Mrs. J. Caulg e V, Miss Brunell, Miss Summers, and Madame Marietta; gr' 0, aulfield, Herr F. Jonghmans, R. Grover, T. Farrant , Tones, J. Barker, W. Melling, P. Vorri, Senor Antonio de Solla, and E. L. Hime ; Masters Bennett and Corti': Messrs. Sam Cowell, Sam Collins and E. Pianoforte, Mr.. Cecil Hicks ; h arm onium, J. Caulfield, Erector, Mr. J. Caulfield. Commence at Seven o'clock r cisely. Suppers, die., until twelve o'clock. —.4 aILGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. 6 TII/EI DAY—Morn. 57 min. aft. s—Evening 24 mitt. a t " To MORROW—Morn. 52 min. aft. 6—Even. 21 catn. itO t . THE WEATHER—Strx °MOE, MAY 29. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 70—highest since noon yesterday. 53 -lowest this morning and during the night. 62 —this day at noon. BAROMETER, 29.99. WIND, N ; light, with dull weather. -IL4, • •• N 4'l . , . 2" i,A,_ •-- T .1, Vi. 5.,,,. , *.T. -------- , w..., LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 29, 1857 • Although we fully concur in one of the pri a pies, last night enunciated by the Honourable a ° 3 Learned Gentleman the member for Shef 6e l' e viz.—that it is exceedingly desirable that • w c , British Parliament should " resume the f 0 tions which for some time pa s t it h a d a bdiea ted ,O P respecting our relations w ith f ore i gn Statee'r rejoice at the signal f a il ure o f hi s mo tion f i) . r th select committee,to inquire into the relations /11 , 0 ,, respect to Brazil, evidenced by the decisive In 9 J a rity of 295—there being only 17 in favou r n ' v eci 312 against his p ro p os iti on . W e are sk!ti s6 itt that Mr. ROEBUCK would be one of the last re ap the world deliberately or intentionally to s timei s a the abominable traffic in human fles h an tha t blood. But we are fully convinced ha d even temporary success would have re, that effect. It would naturally be f part o garded as a retrograde movement on thbeabere. England, a virtual admission that she c Oul' her exertior-, and permitting "unrestr ic ted ivg tofare gone too far, and was desir ous of relax petition" in African slaves. that is a Fond as we are of " Free Trade," NON-CONTENTS. Cranworth, L. Chan- EARLS. LORDS cellor Stanhope De Ros DUKE. Yarborough Dynevor Cleveland VISCOUNTS. Downes. MARQUISES, Eversley Foley (Teller) Ailesbury Sydney . Hudson (V. Falkland Cholmondeley Torrington Kingston (E. Kings- Exeter Bisuors. ton) Townshend Bangor Leigh Winchester Kilmore, &c. Lilford EARLS. LORDS. Lyndhurst Abingdon Abinger Meldrum(M.Huntly) Airlie , Alvanley Monteagle (M. Sligo) Amherst Aveland Monteagle of Bran- Bantry Belper . don Beauchamp Blantyre Mostyn Chichester Bolton Penshurst (V. Clarendon Brodrick (V. Mid- Strangford. Derby dleton) Ponsonby (E. Bess- Effingham Byron borough—Teller) Fortescue Calthorpe , Rivers Graham (D. Mon. Can, oys Sheffield (E. Shef trose) Campbell field) Granville Clandeboye (L. Duf- Stanley of Alderley Grey ferin & Claneboye St. Leonards Harrington Clonbrock Sund ridge (D. Harrowby Colchester Argyll Howe Colville of Culross Talbot de Malahide Minto Crewe Truro Morley De L'lsle & Dudley Walsingham Pomfret De Mauley Wensleydale Portsmouth Denman Wycombe HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MAY 28. OUR REL TIONS WITH BRAZIL. Motion made, and question put, " That a select committee be appointed to take into consideration the relations of this country will Brazil." The house divided :—.A.yes, 17 ; noes, 312. AYES-17. Adderley, C. B. Hume, W. Bailey, C. Hutt, W. Cairns, 11. MacEvoy, E. Cobbett, J. M. Maguire, J. F. Corbally, M. E. Naas, Lord oreene, John Napier, Sir C. Hamilton, Lord Cland Philips, it. Roupell, W. Smith, J. B. Turner, J. A. TELLERS. Roebuck, J. A. Bramley-Moore, J. NOES-1112. Adeane, H. Fitzgerald, J. North, F. Akroyd, E. Fitzroy, Henry Ogilvy, Sir J. Althorp, Lord Fitzwilliam, C. Osborne, R. Anderson, Sir J. Fo ey, H. W. Ossulston, Lord Autrobus, E. Foljambe, Francis Paget, C. Ashley, Lord Forster, Charles Paget, Lord C. Atherton, W. Foster, W. 0. Pakenham, Colonel Bagwell, John Fortescue, Hon. F. Pakington, sir J. Bailey, Sir J. Frazer, Sir W. Palk, L. Baines, Rt. Hon. M. Freestun, Colonel Palmer, R. Baring, Sir F. Gallwey, Sir W. Palmer. Captain r Barnard, Thomas Gaskell, J. Palmerston, Viscount Bernard, W. - Gifford, Earl of Patten, Col. Bass, M. Gilpin, C. Paull, Henry Bataurst, A. A. Glyn, G. Paxton, Sir J, Baxter, W. Glyn, G. Pease, Henry Beach, W. Goddard, A. Pechell, Sir G. Beale, S. Goderich, Viscount Pennant, Col. E. Beaumont, W. Grace, 0. Percy, J. Bennet, Capt. P. Greaves, E. Perry, Sir E. Ben tinck. G. Greer, Samuel Pilkington, J. Biggs, John Gregory, W. Portman, W. Black, Adam Gregson, Samuel Power, N. B ake, J. Grentell, C. P. Price, W. Blakemore, T. Gray, Captain Pritchard, J. B amam-Carter, J. Grey, Rt. Hon. Sir G. Ramsden, Sir J. Booth, Sir Rt. Gore Grey, R. Raynham, Viscount Botfield, B. Griffiths, C. Rebow, J. Bovill, W. • Grosvenor, Earl Repton, G. Bowyer. G. Gunton, Brampton Ricardo, 0. Brand, Hon. H. Gurney, J. H. Ridley, George Bridges, Sir B. Gurney, Samuel Robertson, P. Brown, J. liamtblock, William Rolt, P. Bruce, Lord E. Hall, Sir Benjamin Russell, Lord J. Bruce, H. A. Halibut), Robert Russell, Sir W. Bu ler, J. W. Harkey, T. Rust, James Surghley, Lord Hanmer, Sir John Sandon, Viscount Bury, Viscount Harris, I. 1). Schneider, Henry Buxton, C. Flatcheli, John Scholefield, W. cafe tt, H. Hay, Lord John ' Scott, Captain Calcratt, J. Headiam, T. Seymour, Danby Campbell, R. J. R. Heatheote, G. • Shelley, Sir J. carden, Sir R. W. Henchy, D. Smith, V. Castlerosse, Vis. Heneage, Geo. F. Smith, A. Cavendish, Lord Hodgson, W. Smith, Sir 'f. Ca) ley, E. S. Hodgson, . illiam Smollett, A. Cheetham, John Holford, R. Somerville, Sir W. Child, Smith Holland, E. Spooner, R. Christy, Samuel Hope, Alexander Stafford, A. Clay, James Hopwood, John Stanley, Lord Clifford, C. C. Homuy, W. Stanley, W. Clifford, Lt.-Col. H. M. liorslaii, T. Stapleton, John C.ive, George Howard, C. Stephenson, Robert Clive, R. Hudson, G. Stirling, W. Close, M. Ingnain, it. Stuart Lord Codrington ' Gen. Jeimyn, Rt. Hn. Earl Stuart, Colonel Coibrooke, Sir E. Jervoise, sir J. start, H. Collins, T. Ker. Richard Stunt, 0. Colvile, C. R. Kerrisou, Sir E. Sullivan, Michael Cowper, W. Kersnaw, J. Sykes, Col. Coote, Sir C. H. King, J. Talbot, C. Conyngbam, W. King, Edward Tay or, S. Conyngham, Lord.F. Kinglake, A. Thompson, General Corry, H. T. L. Kinglake, J. Thornely, T. Cotterell, Sir H. G. Kiunaird, A. Tollemache, J. Cowan, C. Kirk, W. Tottenham, C. Cox, W. Knightley, R. Towushend, J. Craufurd, E. H. j, Laboucaere,Rt.lion.H Tretiosis, C. Cross, It. A. Langton, 11. U. Trelawney, Sir aohn + 'rossley. F. Legh, G. C. • Trollope, Sir J. Cubitt. W Lenaox, Lord A. F. Vance, John Dalkeith, Earl Leslie, C. P. Vansittart, W. Dashwood, Sir G. Levinge, Sir R. Verney, Sir H. Davie, Sir H. R. F. Lewis, sir O. C. Villiers, C. Davison, R. Liddell, H. G. Waddington, H. Denison, J. E. Lang, W. , Walcott, Admiral. Dering, Sir E. Lovatne, Lord Waridron, Laurence De Vere, S. E. Lowe, R. Walsh, Sir J. Disraeli, B. Luce, T. Waruurton, Major Dodson, J. Lygon, Hon.F. Warre, John Drummond, H. Lytton, sir E. Watkin, Edward Du Cane, C. Macartay, Alex. Weiby, W. Ouke, Sir J. Macaulay, Kenneth Western, Thomas Duncan, Viscount Mackinnon, W. Westnead, Joshua buncombe, A. Maims, Richard Whatman, J. Hondas, G. Mangles, R. D. Whitmore. H. East, Sir J. Mangles, C. Wickham, H. Ebringtori, Viscount Martin, C. Williams, W. Egerton, Sir P. Martin, i'. Williams, S,r W. Egerton, W. Massey, IV. Willyams, E. Ellice, E. Matheson, A. Willouguby, J. Ellice, E. Matheson, Sir J. Willson, A. Elphinstone, Sir J. Melgund, Lord Wilson, J. Ludy n, Viscount Merry, J .mes Wingfield, R. Ennis, John Miles, W. Winiungton, Sir T. Esmonde, J. Miler, Taverner Wood, Sir C. Euston, Earl of Mills, Arthur Wood, W. Evans, T. W. Milues, It. Wors,ey, Lord Ewart, W. Morris, D. Windham, Gen. Ewart, J. Mowbray, J. R. Wyndham, General Fagan, W. Mullings, J. R. Wyndham, W. icar.,uhar, Sir M. Newport, Viscount Wyvill, M. Fenw.ck, H. .N icall, D. TELLERS. Ferguson, Colonel Nisbet, R. P. Finlay, A. Norris, J. T. Hayter, W. Mulgrave, Earl of BOARD OF ADMIRALTY. Motion made, and question put, " That a select committee be appointed to inquire into the constitution of the Board of Admiralty, with the view of rendering it more efficient, and better adapted to the various duties it has to perform." The house divided :—Ayes, 35 ; Noes, 152. AYES-35. Elt gin, Sir A. Ronpell, Vl Gilpin, Charles Sibthorp, Major Greene, John Smith, J. B. Grogan, Edward Thompson,Gen. Hackblock, W. Townsend, J. Hamilton, Lord C. Waldron, L. Macarthy, A. Williams, W. MacEvoy, E. Wortley, Major Maguire, J. Windham, Geu. Moo:e, G. Neate, C. TELLERS. O'Donoghoe, The Napier, Sir C. Pechell, Sir G. Lindsay, W. NOES-162. • Anderson, Sir J. Bass, T. 'lazier, W. Bowyer, G. Caird, James Cl fford, H. Cobbett, J. M. Coningham, W. Cos, William Davison, K. Dillwyn, L. Date, Sir J. Elphinstone, Sir J. Akrayd, E. Foster, W. Ramsden, Sir J. Althorpe, Viscount Fortescue, C. Ramsay, Sir A. Atherton, W. Gifford, Earl of Raynham, Viscount Bagwell, John Glyn, G. Rebow, John Baines, Bt. Hon. X. Greaves, E. Ricardo, 0. Bernard, W. - Greenall, G. , Ridley, G. Beach, W. Greer, S. Bolt, J. Beale, S Grenfell, Chas. Ruahout, G. Bethell, Sir R. Gray, Captain Russell, Sir W. Biddulph, R. M. Grey, Sir G. Rust, James Riggs, J. Grey, R. Schneider, H. Black, Adam Gu ney, J. Selater, G. Blake, J, Gurney, S. Scott, Capt, Blandford, Marquis of Hall, Sir B. Seymour, Danby Bonverie, Hon. r. P. Hamilton, G. A. Smith, R. Bramley-Moore, J. Harcourt, G. Smith, A. B Brand, H. Harr s, J. Smith, Sir F. Bridges, Sir B. Hatch 11, J. Spooner, R. Brown, W. Hornb . , W, Stafford, A. Bruce, Lord E. Hudson, G. Stanley, Lord Buchanan, W. Hutt, W. Stay.ileton, J. Bury, Lord Jervoise, Sir J. Stephenson, R. Campbells R. King, E. Sykes, Col. Carden, sir B. W. Kinglake, A. Thornely, T. Castlerosse, Viscount Kinglake, J. Tollemache, Fred. k leetham, JOhn Kirk, W. i relawney, Sir J. Clark, J. Knatchbull-Hugessen Trollope, Sir J. Close St. Knatchbull, W. Turner, J. A. Cowper, W. F. Knight,.F. Vansittart, G. Cootc, sir ci. H. Labouchere,ltt.Hon.H V rney, Sir H. Conyngham, Lord F. Lewis, Sir G. C. Villiers, C. Cowan, C. Luce, T. Walcott, Admiral Crauturd, E. H. J. M ac ki e , J. Walsh, Sir J. Crossley, F. Mackinnon, W. A. Warburton, G. .Cuhitt, W. Mslins, R. Warr', J. Dalg ish, R. Mangles, C. E. Western, S. D eVere, S. Massey, W. Westhead, I. Diaraeli, B. • Matheson, A. Whatman, 3. Dodson, J. Morris, D. Whitbread, S. DruMmond, H. O'Connell, D. White, H. Duncan, Viscount Osborne, R. Willcox, B. Ennis, John Paget, C. Williams, Sir W Esmonde, J. r aget, Lord C. W ilson, J Evans, T. W. Palmerston, Viset. wiugfield, R. Ewart, W. Paxton, Sir J. Winnington, Sir T. J. Ewart, J. Pease, H. w ise. wood, Sir C. Fagan, W. Philippe, R. Wyld, James Finlay, A. Pilking ton, J. Fitzgerald, J. Platt, James Fitzroy, Hon. H. Potter, Sir J. F ley, H. • Power, N. Foljiunbe, W. Puller, C. TELLERS. Hayter, W. Mulgrave, Earl of COLOGNE CHORAL UNION. —This distinguished society gave•an evening concert yesterday at Exeter-ball. It consisted of a selection of some of the finest pieces per formed by this society ; and the execution was marked by all the wonderful finish and precision which make the Cnlrgne Union stand alone -among mus i ca l anietieq. Two solos—one by the tenor, Herr Paretti ; another by the baritone, Herr Dumont Fier, were encored L • the latter only being aocepted. Variations on the "Brin disi," and " Home, Sweet Home," were performed with great taste and spirt on the pianoforte, by Herr Brassin. This else obtained the honour of an encore. The room was well fiiled in all its part-, and the audi ence a pplauded aith genuine delight, as they always do at this highly intereAing musical entertainwent. The last evening concert by this distinguished society will be given on Thursday evening next at Exeter Sall. Romney charp 1826 ready any n may solem to the Brita, the B with that I We UT suade tnent wheth that t ass ura It i aealou Cuba illgs o be ag efforts that / securit should test, e iaag rar lish h strugi ally to our glave t hearts IlVing an Cl who o engage men m change the ac act of 1 ance, 11 and ha giversa It i s a der a fore, facti , m Tejecti❑ and so more 11 Present duce Would Let M. bow ti Pressed il l a ye: a. raajoi out, is Bill. if carril I t Was, cc of a Ri g ht Acruple opposit respect that uc pay chi the sir: agree t to be s lishme t acted Of the And if quire ilasul t i l atr up l € he i, a Provisc 11110 The The gradi n abolisl r eader discus; f or an that c ; tery Nsdei the of oordi n ° f hal e eedin have 1 I owa; th e i batigt jajurE Wage 11 01101 aye n more sham the !san e bent ; 7 -.. -,--- poin will rectl she N topic cusp; ream. the I The