The Sun. — London, England, 1857-05-16 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. 'IOUS EOF Lor.DS (YrarzD2-; - .) The Lord CIIANCr.LLuit took lais beat WI Lilo woolsack at 5 o'cl.ck. Lord DUNGANNON gave notice that en Monday he should put a question to her NLjesty's Government as to what arrangements had been made for steam nom luunication between Holyhead and Kingston. If any had been made he would liketo know the period at which they would be carried into effnt. He also gave notice that on Friday next be would move for a copy of the correspondence that had take, place between the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Doolin Prot,?mtant Asso ciation. The noble 1)r1 al-o pre,ented a pt,nt;on from Armagh against any furttler grant to the Coil..ge of May n _ _ Lord COLVILLE presented a petition from the civil servants of the Crown employed at Chatham, prayiog for an alteration in the system of allowances from the superannuation fund. SCOTSCRAIG'S EST I.TE BILL. On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, this bill was !Tad a second time. ST. JAMES'S PARK. The Earl of MALMESBURY begged to ask the question of which he bad given notice — namely, what are the objects and expenses of the works now going on in St. James's park ? The lake in the enclosure bad been entirely drawn off, and works were in progress to diminish the depth of the water. Of course the works would coet a large sum of money, and in his opinion the benefits that were expected to result from the improvements would not be commensurate with the cost. He understood that the whole of the expense would cost between 12,0001. and 14,0001. One of the objects to be attained by the improvements was to render her Msjesty's palace more healthy by the fact of the water in the lake being rendered mere pure. It was, no doubt, a 'WEIL imporLant object, but at the same time he must say, as a resident in the lecelity, that he had never felt the slightest inconvenience from the condition of the park. The place had alwas Ft bean of a healthy descrip tion, and no complaints had ever been made by the in habitants. The second object of the improvement was the accommodation of skaters ; but, considering that in this country it was only about once in two years that this exercise was to be had, he, with out wishing i❑ the slightest degree to interfere with the amusements and recreations of the public, did not think this ‘7,19 sufficient to justify so heavy an out lay. The third object was to have a constant stream of water passing through the park, and thereby add to the beauty of the park. No doubt it was important to have the water as transparent as posskle, but whether Par liament would consent to the expenditure of so large a sum of money in making these alterations he very much doubted. The cost of carrying out the foot-'ridge would be 3,500/,, and the new ornamental entrance upwards of 4,000/. Their lordships might de pend upon it that much greater attention teustbepaid to the expenditure of - the •finances than had" hi therto been bestowed upon it. It would no doubt surprise many of their lordehipa when they were told that in the miscellaneous estimates since 1838 to the year 1856 the increase had been 4,200,000/. The increase upon salaries during that period was not leas than 463,0001. The noble earl hav ing noticed increases in other items, said that the im proieineuts as they were called that had been effected during the let few years were unworthy cf the coun try, unnecess,ary, and extravagant.' Earl GRANVILLE said her Majesty had made no complaint respecting the condition of the water in St. James's-park. The works were being carried out in ac cordance with the opinions of certain eminent medical men ; and the water in Sr. Janes' , -perk being considered in the worst state, it was determined that that should be first attended to. Nothing ceuld be more criminal than to lay bcr.leus on the couetry at large for the mere use less ornament of the metrop lis ; but considering what this metropolis was, the capital of a large and weel!hy kingdom, he believed that those who were not resident in it would not be satisfied if certain things were left ire an unfinished condition. In this town, compri-in,g two and a ball millions of inhabitants, there was great infe riority in many respects to second-rate towns on the Continent. But there was one peculiarity—the beauty of our royal parks ; while they added sornethieg, to the decent splendour of the crown, they contributed more than anything ue knew of to the recreation of the poorer classes of the caenrepelie. (clear, bear ) And so li n 4 as they thought it useiul to have those royal parks, that .s.lrLister who applied himsel judiclomly and economi cally, as he ought, to make those parks as healthy and beautiful as the nature of the case would permit was dc serving of praise and enaomagement, and not of censure, Fur these reasons he thought the noble lord had entirely laded in making out a case of uncalled for expenditure of toe public money in the measures which had been taken to purify the wat,rs in the centre of the metropcles and to beautify the Tie E i ri of HAP.DWICKE said the grants were made by Pailiament for asaeci tic purpose; but it appeared only a snail sum was speeded f r that purpose, and the recr.ainder applied to something ei-e. L ird Al ONTEAGLE wished to set the house right as to atiy excess in the sum vo•ed over that expended. He reretted to say twat there was no audit whatever appl - cable to any one (4 the votes in that paper ; therefore the cheek supposed to be found in the auditors in rtiility did not txot. For the funeral of the late Duke of Wel lington 80,0001. was voted, and for that purpose cull. Toe whole sum was withdrawn a few toototis after it was voted ; but of this 25,000/. was not employed at ail for the funeral, but for other purposes, spread over two or three years. There was no audit sufficient to correct that mariilest vailation of the law. It incidentally transpired in the other house that this had been dune, and the matter was then set right. lie did not blame a government for taking a vote larger than was actually required ; what he complained of was the application of the money to other purposes. With rtaark to the park, the campltint was that the improvement had been dune without ar.y vtte. (Hear.) Tne noble rail said they might cot have got a correct estimate ; but surly for such a thing as draining a pond this might have been done. Their course should bare been to vote on account. The course pursued was not in accordance with the con stitu• ion of Eeeland. (Flear.) The t x . .:enditure of money without a ;:ailiameetary authority ought not to be lightty pass d over. The 25,0001. surplus of the money yucca foe the Duke of Wellington's funeral had been ap plied to odier purpose F. Lord SPAN LEY of ALDERLEY—It was repa i d. Lord ONTEAG said it was only repaid when it was found out. (Laughter.) The Earl of WICKLOW theuaht the people of the rnetrepel s ought to be tuo,t grateful to the Governinekt for wliat Lad been done in the prks, as ought aleo those who lived in the neighbourhood, which had been rendered much roti:e healthy. The new walks bad been laid out with the utmost shill and judgment by Sir B. Hail, and parts formerly deserted were row favourite resorts. Lord 6TA NLEY of ALDERLEY whilcd to under stand exactly what had .1.1. en from Lord liontrale. Did he mean to say that any excess in one estimate might be applied to any other purpose ? He denied ti at this could be done. The oily way of proceeding was,. where an :ices- accursed on any estimate, on application to the Treasury by that department leave might be given to apply the surplus to some i , ther kindred of i sci,. The, surplus - of 25,0001. on the Duke of kVelliegtou's funeral, he would undertake to say, bad not been applied to any thing else, without being restored to the Treasury. Lord 11, ONTE GLE said the noble lord vi as in error. (e. laugh.) He was right as to the leave of the Trea miry being necessary for the application of ay,y staples on the array or navy votes ; but this regulation did nut aptly to any of the civil votes. It was also an error to nay that this would be corrected by the audit. Toe whole of the civil estimates were entirely out of the con trel of the auditors. On no occasion were they ever sub mitted to the Board of Audit; therefore no cheek was thus supplied. . Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY denied that the money voted for the Duae's luaeral had been perina newly al,; 1 ed to any other purpose. Lord MONTEAGLE--Jut permanently, but it had been applied to other purposes for two years—till in fact the matter czed out in the other house. Lord STANLEY of ,ALDERLEY repeated that no sums were ever appropriated to utjects ather than those for which they were voted, tx",;ept with the special ap proval of the Treasury, and be appealed to noble lords who had been employel in the administration of the civil departments whether that was nut the case. The sul . ject then drepriera P. THE ROP0: - SED NEW PUBLIC OFFICES. Tue Duke t SO aIERSET thew the attention of the house to the plans now exhibiting in Westminster-hall, And remitideo their lordships of the result which bad fol lowed a similar exhibition—that of plans for the New Houses of Parliament—a quarter of a century ago. They had been building ever since and they had not finished yet. Indeed, he wondered if anybody could tell when they would have them finished, or wias they would have to pay before the Howes of Parliament were completed? (Cheers.) He warned the Government and the publiC against r th e course on w hi c h t h ey were a b uu t t o en t e r. The Chancellor of the Exchequer to 4 the last Parlia ment that the ground which it was proposed to acquire would... cost a million and a half of money, and the poesi buity was that when they came to make the actual pur chase they would find that it would really cost much wore. He wished, therefore, in the first instance, to ask, whether the archit ec t s w h o had sent in designs ha d b een given clearly to understand the limits of the ground they were to cover . ? and w h e th er t h ose designs which ex ceeded those limits would a t once b e exclu d e d as not having complied with the conuitions (hear, hear.) In th e next rlace, he should be g l a d to know how far Par liament would be bound by any decision to which the royal commissioners, appointed a f e w d a y s ago, m i ght ,come ? (Hear) The manner in which such things were mually managed was this. After the rep .rt of cornmi sionerp, a vo t e was taken on account, and then, when any o) jection was made, they were met with the reply, "The work has teen begun, and must be car r i e d out. " In that manner they mi g ht have entailed upon the coun try a heavy annual ezriens e for the next 25 y ears . Earl GRA N-vTL A LE said that what had been do ne was merely carrying out the recomrnendatan s of a select committee of .the House of Commons. The committee bad reported on the great inconvenience of having had public business transacted in a ',umber of houses rented by the Governmenl; in different parts of the town; and it recommend e d that there should Le a concentration of all the public departments in the neighbourhuod of NLitehall. The committee, moreover, recommended that the architects of all nations should be invited to give plans for filling up the whole block of laud from the Horse Guards to Palace yard. What bed been done, then, was to ask, first, for designs fur covering the whole of this block of land ; and secondly, fur designs for a new Foreign and a now War-office, to be built on ground near Charles,treet,,nearly the whole of which belonged already to the Crown. In determining upon the smaller scheme, it would by no means be neceauiy to commit rEE gUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MA Y 16, 1857 s themselves to the larger; but it was thought better to have plans f,r covering the whole of the gr,und ; so that what was now built might form portion of a comorehen sive des!zil, rat . r.er than be wholly disconnected from what roi k ot, suosequently he done. The successful com petitors would only be entitled to the premiums awarded to them. The copyright of their plans would then belong to the Government, and it would be for them to adopt such portion of them as they might think fit. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH expressed his dis satisfaction with the course which had been pursued with regard to the Houses of Parliament. Some persons might praise what had been done ; but he confessed that he was himself mortified and disvusted at the extravagant expendi;ure into which they had been betrayed. (Cheers.) Titer,. was no necessity for the Government to embark in building operations at al. Why could not St. James's Palace be made into a Foreign office ? (Hear) Close by was another large building—Marlborough House. It was true they bad now some trash there which, he regretted to say, he had lost half an hour seeing ; but it might be packed up and taken away. It was said Marlborough House was wanted for the establishment of the Prince of Wales. But it was wholly unsuited for such a purpose ; whereas it would do admirably for public offices. (Rear.) There was a third building called Scitomberg House which the Government might also convert into offices ; and thus by an expenditure of 50,0001 they might avoid one of five millions. (Cheers ) Really, they must pay some regard to economy. If toe House of Commons would not do its duty, their llrdships, however foreign to their custom it might be to in' erten., in such matters, I must call the attention of the public to the subject ; for the public must h ave one. house of Parliament that w o uld not T neglect its of M its finatatEllltarests. (Cheers.) Tee Earl SBURY said that one of the reasons given for building new public offices was the ex pense to which Government was put in hiring houses. It was said that 20,0001. a year was thus spent ; but the interest on the mil ion and a 11,1 f which the Cliancalor of the Exchequer himself calculated the ground alone would cost would, at 4 per cent., be 60,0001. Earl GRA.NVIL LE was understood to say that noble lords on the other side had admitted that there must be a new Foreign-office. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH had pointed out how an excellent Foreign-office might be obtained with out. cost to the country. With regal d to the War De partment, he confessed he did not see what reason there was for additional accommodation, when they were di minishing the army in a manner which caused him great alarm. Only the otber day they determined to decrease the arti:lery at the rate of 20 men per troop ; whereas the country bad been given to understand that that was an arm which was in ll:awe to be kept up on an efficient scale. (Hear, hear.) Phe Earl of HARDWICKE certainly thought that the artilery was the last aria in the service that ought to be weakened. (Hear, Lear.) Lord CAMPBELL appealed to the Government on behalf of the law courts. (Laughter ) He trusted that means would be found to afford better accommodation to those engaged in the administration of justice; and that that might be done without removing the courts from Westminster. He should like also to see the pre sent facade of the courts brought more into harmony with the handsome structure which it at present dis graced. (Hear, hear.) After a few words from the Marquis of LANSDOWNE and Lord _REDESDALE, Their lordships rose at five minutes past seven. ber of the Administration—(hear, hear)—and, knowing the deep and sincere interest which my noble friemd takes in the measure to which he has so long devoted his attention, I am quite sure he will forgive me for appear ing to take it nut of his hands. (Hear, hear.) It appeared to me, that if ever there was a moment peculiarly favour able for calling the attention of the house to the oaths which are by law now prescribed to members of Parlia ment on taking their seats, the present was precisely that moment, because the house having been recently consti tuted every member whom I have tbe honour of address ing must have fresh in his recollection those oaths which by the present law he has been compelled to take, con taining, I am sure I need not say, many things that every man must be very reluctant to subscribe to under the solemnity of an oath, and which must therefore be most repugnant to his feelings. There cannot, I appre hend, be a more solemn act than the taking of an oath. It is an invocation by a man to his Creator to give His sanc tion to an engagement which that man is about to un dertake. That man has thereby pledged to a certain de gree his future well being for the performance of certain duties which by his oath he has undertaken to discharge. Such engagements have been sanctioned by the practice of all nations. Thera are duties of such importance in this world that it is fitting that those who have to dis charge them should bind themselves by the most solemn sanction to a due and conscientious performance of them. But tbe more solemn the act the greater is the responsi bility which a man incurs by taking an oath. The more that engagement is entitled to the respect of men, in the same proportion ought to be the seldomness of its being taken, and the importance of the occasion upon whioh it is taken. (Hear.) To invoke the Supreme Being with reference to engagamente which are absurd, and which no man could be supposed to break, is a profanation of a sacred rite. (Cheers.) It is, in fact, a breach of that commandment which forbids man to take the name of the Creator in vain. There are things in the oaths we now take which were, no doubt, fit to be sworn to in times long gone by, bet which are so inapplicable to the days in which we live, and to the persons by whom those oaths are to be taken, that they are revolting to the mind of every reasonable man. I may observe that the changes which I propose to make do not apply to the oath taken by Roman Catholics. That oath was settled upon full deliberation at the time when the disabilities of the Catholics were under discussion. Ido not intend to disturb that settlement. (Hear.) The change which I am about to propose applies solely to the oaths to be taken by persons who arq not of the Catholic religion. The object of the bill which I beg leave to introduce is, in the first place, to relieve Christians from the neces sity of taking oaths which are repugnant to their reason and to their feelings. (Hear, hear.) But, in the next place, by so doing, I propose to put an end to the last remnant of former prejudice and exclusion. The chauge which I am about to propose would not only relieve a Christian from oaths which a Christian ought not to be called upon to take, but would also sweep away that portion of one of those oaths which is the only obstacle to the reception of Jews in this House of Parlia ment. (Cheers.) It is hardly necessary for me to remind the house of the oaths which we now by law are compelled to take. So long a the law compels us to rake those oaths we submit to the necessity, and nn man can blame a per sou who submits to the law. But I do say that if the house has the power, which I contend it hoe, to relieve itself from these profanations of a sacred right, the house would incur a heavy responsibility if it did not exercise that power, and relieve individual members from the ne cessity of taking those oaths. What I propose to do is to abtloh, in alt cases in which they are by law required to be taken, the oath of allegiance as it now stands, the oath of supremacy, and the oath of abjuration, and to sutstitute for those three oaths oce single oath, which shall contain the oath of allegiance as well as that which is requisite in the other oaths, but which shall leave out ad those portions of them which I conceive are not fir, ttng or proper to be retained. The oath of allegiance will !stand as it now does, with such additions as I have men tioned. But to begin with the oath of supremacy. That oath is as follows : " I do swear that I do from my heart abhor, detest, and abjure as impious and heretical that damnable doctrine and position that princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope or any authority of the see of Rome may be deposed or murdered by their subjects or any other whatsoever." On what possible ground are we called upon to take that oath ? (Hear.) Why, sir, it is abjuring that which none of as believe in —(hear)—which no Protestant ever did believe in, and which I humbly venture to say no Catho lic of the present day beliave3 in. (Cheers.) It is true that in times long gone by that doctrine was held by some portion of the Catholic Church, but it is a doctrine so utterly repugnant to every feeling and principle of the present day that I am sure no man takes this oath without—if I tuay ;ay so—an inward blush at being compelled by law to abjure what under present circum statce3 could not by any possibility be even coutere plaoed. Tile oath proceeds , " And I do declare that no foreign prince, person, pre late, State, or potentate huh or ought to have any juris diction, power, superiority, pre-eininence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm." I propose to leave that declaration as it stands. We next cove to the ca'h of abjuration, which in these terms : " I do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify, and declare, in my conscience before God and the world, that our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria is lawful and rigutful Queen of this realm, and all other her )Majesty's dominions and countries thereunto belonging." Tuat declaration, in a somewhat briefer form, may, I oroperly be retained. Toe oath then goes on : and I do solemnly and sincerely declare that I do be lieve in my conscience that not any of the descendants of the person who pretended to be Prince of Wales timing the life of the late Bing James 11. ; as if James 11. had died some two or three years ago— (a iatig,E)— " and since his decease pretended to be and took upon him self the style and title of King of England by the name of James the Third, or of Sectlend by the name of James the Eighth, or the style and title of King of Great Britain, bath any tight or title whatsoever to the Crown of this realm or any other the dominions thereunto belonging ; and I do renounce, refuse, and abjure any allegiance or obedience to any of them." reeet I propose to sweep away altogether that declaration; (Cneers.) We might, with as much reason, for all prac tical purposes, abjure our belief in the lieptarchy. (A laugh.) The oath proceeds : " And I do swear that I will bear faith and true alle giance to her Majesty Queen Victoria, and her will defend to the utmost of my power against all traitorous conspi racies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against her person, Crown, or dignity ;" Triat is, I Oink, a very proper declaration, and one which I propose to include in the new oath which I shall ask the committee to substitute for the caistioes oaths, The oath goes on,— " and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make knee n to her Majesty and her successors all treasons and aitoroue conspiracies which I shall know to be against her or any of there." That portion of the oath I propose to retain, because I think it a declaration which may properly be made by members of this house. (Hear, hear.) The next clause of the oath is,— " And I do faithfully promise to the utmost of my power to support, maintain, and defend the succession of the Crean against the descendants of the said James, and against all other persons whatsoever, which succession, by an Act intitnled `An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown and better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject,' is, and stands limited to the Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being Protestants." Although I do not propose to retain the precise words I have just read, the form cf oath I shall submit to the committee will contain substantially the same declare tien,—namely, that the members of this house will erogage to maintain the Protestant succession in the descendants of the Electress Sophia of Hanover in con formity with the Act of Parliament. The oath concludes in these terms : " And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknow ledge and swear, according to these express worth by me spoken. and according to the plain common sense and under standing of the same words, without any equivocation, mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever; and I do make this recognition, acknowledgment, abjuration, renun ciation, and promise heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a Christian." I propose to omit all that disclaimer of mental equivoca tion and reservation—(hear)—and I also propose to omit those last words, "upon the true faith of a Christian," which are the words that preclude a Jew from sitting and voting in this house. (Hear, hear.) I will now read to the committee the form of oath which I propose to sub stitute for the existing oaths, — "I do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to her Majesty Queen Victoria, and will defend her to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatever which shall be made against her person, Crown, or dignity ; and I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose said, make known to her Ma jesty, her heirs, and successors, all treasons, and traiterous conspiracies which may be formed against her or them ; and I do faithfully promise to maintain, support, and de fend, to the utmost of my power, the succession of the Crown, which succession, by an act, intitled ' An Act for the further Limitation of the Crown and better securing the Rights and Liberties of the Subject,' is and stands limited to the Princess Sophia Electress of Hanover, and the heirs of her body being Protestants, hereby utterly re nouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto any other person claiming or pretending a right to the Crown of this realm ; and do declare that no foreign prince, person, prelate, State, or potentate, bath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm." That oath wil', I apprehend, contain every portion of the existing oaths which we can in reason be called upon to continue, and will relieve the Protestant members of this house from the necessity of pronouncing at the table, under the solemn sanction of an oath, a mass of jargon wholly unsuited to the times in which we live. I appre hend that no one can object to the proposal I make on general grounds, although no doubt in the future stages of the bid I shall have to encounter the opposition of those who are adverse to the admission of Jews to Par lsament. Now I have never yet heard any argument which appeared to me to have the least weight against the admission of British subjecte, being Jews, to sit and vote in this house. The main argument which has been urged it, that this house is a Christian assembly —that is to say, it is an assembly composed of men professing the Christian religion, the chief prac'ical doc trines of that religion being to act with charity towards all—(hear) —to do unto others as we would they should do unto us—(hear) —not to persecute ; to love our neigh bours as ourselves ; and, in short, to carry out in practice those principles which are ignored by the arbitrary and unnecessary Exclusion of our Jewish fellow countrymen from Parliament. Is it believed that the members of the Jewish persuasion are less enlightened, that they are less able to assist us in our deliberations, endless likely to 1 ecome useful members of the Legislature, than any other class of the community ? Anyone acquaue ed with the 1 facts knows that those Jews who most aspire to be meni• hers of this house are men eminently distinguished for the intellectual qualifications which would fit them for a seat in the Legislature of this country. Is it objected that the Jews have no property and no stake it, the country, and that they are, therefore, person 3 who would be ut terly heedless of the nature of those laws to which Pato liament may assent ? We all know, happily for them selves, that the very reverse is the case. (A. laugh.) Many of them are men of great wealth—men who have a large stake in the country—and who have, therefore no motive to assent to any legislation which will not conduce to the welfare and prosperity of the empire. (Hear, hear.) Why, sir, I must confess that since I nave been in the office I have the honour to hold, circumstaness have occurred which have caused•me to feel considerably ashamed of the present state of the law on this subject. When the country was in need of large sums of money in order to carry on the public service with efficiency some great capitalists came for ward--as my right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Ex chequer can tell you—and upon terms not less honourable to themselves than advantageous to the public, provided those means which we required. While making the ne cessary arrangements, however, we could not but feel that the very men who had been instrumental in render ing such important service to the country were precluded by an arbitrary and unjoet law from occupying seats in this house. (Hear.) Of late years the principles of civil and religious liberty have made great progress. We have swept away those urjnst enactments which placed the Protestant dissenters in a position of inferiority as com pared with the rest of their fellow-countrymen. We have also swept away those unjust enactments which excluded our Catholic fellow-countrymen from taking part in the deliberations of this house. The exclusion of the Jews is the last remnant of prejudice and intolerance with which we have to deal. What is it that you fear from admitting Jews to Parliament ? Are you afraid that the admission of. a few Jews will shake the Christian religion ? Why, sir, I have heard of many Jews becoming Christians, but it never fell to my let to hear of a Christian who be came a Jew. (Hear, and a laugh.) The progress of mankind is governed by laws which admit of s) retro gression. The Old Testament prepared the way for the New Testament, but the New Testament will never lead us back to the Old. Of what then are we afraid ? We cannot for a moment suppose that the introduction into the house of a few persons professing the Jewish religion will at all affect the Christian character of the country. I am convinced that such members, from their know ledge and intelligence, would render us material assist ance in our deliberations ; their position as men of consi derable property would be a guarantee for their interest in the welfare of the country ; and by admitting them to Parliament we should carry out that system of liberal legislation for the establishment of religious liberty which has of late years made so much progress. I trust, therefore, that the house will give its most sorious attention to this subject. Many members of the house are unfettered by pledges, and are free to act upon their own judgment. Ido trust that this measure will be carried by a large majority of the house ; and then, if the opinion of the house should be stamped upon the bill, in approbation of the principle it contains, I cannot but indu'ge the sanguioe expectation that those obstacles which elsewhere have hitherto impeded the realisation of the ardent wishes of my noble friend the member for the city of London may give way to an impful•e proceeding from a new House of Commons, and that at last we may have the satisfaction of giving the finishing stroke to that which has been too long delayed, but which I hope will now be conceded. (Great cheering.) Tee noble lord concluded by moving to bring in a bill to substitute one oath for the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjura tion. Sir F. THESIGER— It is not my intention to oppose the introduction of the bill proposed by the noble lord ; but, inasmuch as its avowed object is the admission of Jews to Parliament, and as my sentiments upon thatim portaut subject have undergone no change, I shall feel it to be my duty in its next stage to offer to the bill my sincere and earnest opposition. (Cheers.) The noble viscount at the head of the Government has made a graceful apolegy to the noble lord the member for the city of London for taking this question out of his hands; and I wish, as this has now become a Government mea sure, that for the sake of consistency the noble viscount had adopted the same course with respect to the present bill which be has pursued with regard to all other mea sures relating to Parliamentary reform. (hear.) The other evening the hon. member for East Surrey proposed a bill for the aboliticn of the property qualification of members. The noble viscount permitted that bill to be introduced upon the understanding that it should be carried no further, and waived all discussion upon the subject, because, he said, by common consent ad ques tions relating to Parliamentary reform were to be post poned until the next session. (Cheers.) That was a bill f)r the abolition of the property qualification. Toe pre sent is a measure for the alteration of the oatlis qua lification—(bear)—and if the one is connected with Par liamentlry reform, so also, I think, must be the other. (Cheers.) Why, therefore, it there is a common under standing that we are to have no discussion upon the subject of Parliamentary reform, the present bill should not share the fortunes of all the other measures and be postporwd until the next session I am at a loss to imagine. For what reason are the Jews to be so peen liar,y favoured 7 Are their demands so urgent upon the noble viscount that he cannot resist them ? (Laughter.) I cannot help thinking that the noble viscount has been forced by some pressure into his prominent position upon this occasion. Before the elections took place a deputa tion from the city of London waited upon the noble vis count and requested him to introduce a measure fur the admission of the Jews, and to make it a Government question. The noble viscount was unwilling to give any pledge upon the subject, and I have reason to believe that his reluctance and hesitation were not unservice able to the noble lord the member for the city in the manly and successful appeal which he made to that constituency. (" Hear," and a laugh.) The noble vis count, however, is now committed to this measure. If he looks back lie sees no possibility of retreat. I know well the resolution and perseverance of the noble vie count when he has made up his mind, and therefore I have undertaken in attempting to oppose a measure which is brought forward under the auspices and which is to be supported by all the weight and authority of the noble viscount. Tae noble viscount has bad a consider able advantage in the experience of the last 10 years in framing his measure in such a shape as he thinks w;11 be most heely to secure its ready acceptance. I have taken a rather prominent part in thestruggle upon thisquestion, and I think it will be neither uninstructive nor uninte resting it I shoull glance at the different measures which from time to time have been introduced, enabling the house to see how at the beginning the advocates for the Jew were ready to admit the Chtistian character of this assemb l y, and how at last they have advanced to demands which have a tendency utterly to supplant and destroy it. (Cheers.) It is not known to those who have riot paid attention to the subject 'under how many disabilities the Jews laboured as late as the year 1330, when Mr. R. Grant introduced his bill for their ernancieation. They extended to their exclusion from civil and military offices, from corporation posts, and from a wide circle of civil employments. No one, I hope, will believe that I have the least desire to revert to such a state of things, but I have always considered that the condition of the Jews at that tune furnishes one of the strongest answers which could be given to the suggestion we hear made from time to time that Jew's are prevented from sitting here by the accidental insertion of certain words in an Act of Parliament passed for a different object. (Hear, hear.) The disabilities to which I have referred were gradually removed between the years 1830 and 1847 ; and the first attempt which was made after that Fong period to introduce the Jews to Parliament came from the noble lord the member for the city of London, immediately after his return for that consti tuency with Baron Rothschild. I know that the noble lord is unwilling to have it supposed that his exertions upon this subject, which have been consistent and straightforward, had any connexion whatever with his return with Baron Rothschild ; but the fact is that, al though the noble lord was in high office during the greater part of the period between 1830 and 1847,it never appears to have occurred to him that the fitting time had arrived for proposing this measure until the coincidence took place of his return with—l may not say by—Baron Rothschil 1. (Cheers and laughter.) Let us now see what was the mea sure which the noble lord first thought it right, after a mattie:e deliberation of 17 years, to introduce to this house, It was emphatically, if I may use the expression, a Jew B:11. It was a bill to provide a particular form of oath for persons belonging to the Jewish persuasion, and the noble lord at that time thought it so inconsistent that Jews should hold certain high offices in the State, that he introduced provisions to prevent a member of the Jewish persuasion from holding the office of Lord Chan cellor, the office of Lord Lieutenant, and some offices in the Eccl3siastical Courts, and also from presenting cx eci.) to any livings. That bill passed this house, but was rejected by the House of Lords. In 1849, the noble lord brought forward another bill of a rather different descrip tion. It provided a new form of oath for all the Christian members of this assembly. The oaths of allegiance, su premacy, and abjuration were repealed, and thiscommon form of oath was to be substituted, containing the words —" Upon the true faith of a Christian," and I rememe ber well that my right hon. friend the member for Ox ford University expressed his gratification at finding that the noble lord had preserved these emphatic words as part of the oath to be taken by the Christian members of this house. (Hear.) It was provided that a Jew, in taking the oath of abjuration, should omit these words. There was no exception with respect to particular offices in that bill, because it was wholly unnecessary, inasmuch as the common oath was to be taken only as a qualifica tion for sitting in Parliament, and of course all those uigh offices to which the former bill referred could not be held without the holders taking the eld oath, includ ing. the oath of abjuration, with the words—" Upon the true faith of a Christian." That bill also passed this house, but was rejected by the House of Lords. In 1850 the noble lord made a very considerable step in advance. He introduced a bill which provided that in all cases persons of the Jewish persuasion were required to take the oath of abjuration, they should omit the words— Upon the true faith of a Chrietiar." There was no ex ception, as in the first bill of 1847, of those offices to which I have referred ; and the consequence was that, supposing that measure had received the sanction of the Legislature, it would have been competent to Jews to hold the highest offices in tha State. (hear.) line noble 1 'rd, however, was compelled in the month of July to drop that bill, and then some very unjust suspicions havirg, it seems, entered into the minds of the ad vocates of the Jews, they determined to take the matt,r into their own bands, and a very extraordinary scene apAeared in this house. Baron Rothschild ap peared in the house, and claimed to take the oaths on the Old Testament. The house came to the absurd deci sion that he :eight do so, though the oaths embrace the words " oil the true faith of a Christian ;"and the plan.' tical absurdity of the decision the house came to was soon apparent, for when the baron came to the words " on the true faith of a Christian," he orni.ted them, observing " They are not binding on my conscience " The noele (Lord J. Reseed) felt that tho-e words were a part of the oath, and refused to be a party to any mdi rect attempt to get rid of them ; and, therefore, pro. posed and carried a resolution that Baron Rethschil should not sit and vote in the house until he had taken the oaths as required by law. In 1851 the noble lord brought in a bill similar to that of the previous year, leaving it open to the Jews to obtain any of the high offices referred to. That bill was rejected in the House of Lords, and then Alderman Salornons —lately returned for Greenwich—claimed, under a resolution of the house, a right to take the oaths on the Old Testament. He went through the oaths, omitting the words " on the true faith of a Christian," kissed the book and then at once took his seat. He was directed to withdraw, but re fused to obey the Speaker's mandate. A resolution was passed that he should withdraw, and immediately he reappeared and resumed his seat. Again the re solution was passed that he withdraw, and again be refused to obey, until he was removed by the Ser geant•at-Arrns. In the course of the discussion Alderman &lemons asked the noble lord (Lord John Ru'sell) if he would prosecute him for the penalties in curred in taking hie seat. The noble lord replied that be should not, but that the alderman would have no difficulty in finding a friend to do so —(a laugh)—which he did ; but any idea of making it a mock trial was thwarted by the honour of the plaintiff's counsel ; and the result was that it was settled by the judgment of the Court of Exchequer Chamber that the words "on the true faith of a Christian" are an essential part of the oath. (Hear.) In 1852 the noble lord advanced another step, or rather stride. He introduced a Reform Bill, which he was compelled to abandon in the course of the session, and in that bill he inserted one oath to be taken by all members. In 1853 he introduced his bill with that form of oath which had been contained in his abortive Reform Bill ; and front the circumstance that it was to be taken by all members of the house—Protestant and Roman Catholic—it necessarily involved in it a partial recognition of the Royal supremacy. That did not strike the house, and the bill was passed, but was rejected by the Lords. In 1854, however, when a second bill was introduced, attention was directed to this point, and the bill was rejected. Whether disheartened by this defeat, I know not, but the noble lord made no attempt in 1855 to bring in his bill, and a measure introduced into the House of Lords by Lord Lyndhurst failed. Again the advocates of the Jews became distrustful of the noble lord opposite, and chose to take the matter in their own hands ; and in 1856 Mr. Milner Gibson introduced a bill which certainly would have made "clean work" of the question, by abolishing the oath of abjuration altogether. Toere are parts of that oath which are rather precious to Protestant minds. (Hear.) It contains the only recog nition of the Act of Settlement. (Hear.) The noble lord himself shared that feeling, and found himself in a most peculiar position—he was unable to take a leading part in advocating the admission of Jews into the house, and was obliged to defend the constitution from the at tack made upon it by the attempt to introduce them through the abolition of the oath of abjuration ; and in committee on the bill he introduced words equivalent to that oath. It is rather hard upon the noble lord that again the question is wrested out of his hands by the noble lord at the head of the government. The noble lord has explained the form of the oath he intends to propose. I am not aware of the reluctance of members to take the present oath of which he spoke. There certainly are words in it which I object to, because they are obsolete. But what the noble lord ought to do, as a fair way of dealing with that question, would be to remove from the oath of abjuration that obsolete portion of it, and then leave the question as to the admission of the Jews to be dealt with as a separate question upon its own grounds, as in 1847. The noble lord did not desire that on this occasion we should enter into the argument. But he i might have spared us his reproaches about " prejudice" and " intolerance." (Hear.) The noble lord has kis prejudices. We have ours ; but that is not intolerance. (near ) There are those who feel deeply on the subject, and who have no notion that in upholding the exclusion of the Jews from this house they are guilty of any in tolerance. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord said that it was a question of " civil and religious liberty." It is not a question of liberty at all. Those words haee a rairnu lating effect, and create emotions which very frequently pass for arguments. It is not a question of liberty—that is of freedom from restraint ; it is a question of political power. The question is whether persons who do not profess Christianity are to possess a portion of that su preme power which now belongs to a Christian legisla ture. Sir, I join with the noble lord in entreating that hon. members will give their serious attention to the subject. They will find from the observations I have gives that, eager as they may be fer the admission of the Jews, it is necessary to be cautious that in accomplishing that object they do not trench on cur honoured institu tions. (Rear, hear.) Lord J. RUSSELL—Sir, after what has been said by my noble friend at the head of the Government, and by the hon. and learned gentleman opposite, it is natural that I should wish to say a 'ow words. I assure my nuble friend that so far from finding fault with him for taking this subject into immediate consideration and bringing it under the view of 'Parliament, I agree with these who advised him to do so, because the ,question will stand the best chance if it has the weight and the influence of Government in its favour ; and so far from wishing to introduce it myself, as it has a better chance in the hands of the Government, and I am only anxious that it should stand the best chance of success, I cannot envy him the honour of bringine it forward. The bon, and learned member (Sir F. Thesiger) has given a history of the various measures which have been brought forward on the subject—a history which may be useful, as there are so many new members in the house, and of which I will only say that I hope he will soon be in a position to complete it, and to say "that in 1857 a new attempt was made by the noble lord then at the head of the Go vernment—(a laugh) —and he carried with him a great majority in the House o' Commons, the weight of a hich, with the influence of Government, was so successful that the House of Lords then conceded the measure, and an act passed for the admission of the Jews into Parlia ment." The hon. and learned member alluded to the connection of my advocacy of the question with my re turn for the City. But I first obtained the seat in 1841, when Boron Rothschild was not a candidate, and secured it in 1857 when he was a candidate with others, and where, I am happy to avow, that I received the support of many who hold the political views of the hon. and learned gentleman. (Hear.) The hon. and learned mem ber detailed the various measures which were brought forward ; the explanation of which is that we were will ing to concede as much as possille if the main object was secured, and in order to smooth the obstacles which might be raised in the other house. But Ido not con cede the necessity of always proposing such a m-aiure in the same shape and I consider that my noble friend at the head of the Government has done well to frame a measure in that shape, which is an improvement on many of the bills furmeriy iutrtduced. I remember when on a question, of which the hon. member might have given a simear history—that of Roman Catholic ernan cipation—Mr. Canning was reproached with not having alt the same "securities" which be had proposed in for mer similar measures, he replied, " I decline to be se curity-munger all my life. (A laugh.) I have proposed securities which you have rejected, and which I d.) not again propose." So I say as to this Jewish question, though it may have been right, with a view to obviate objections, to refuse:the admission of Jews to certain offices, those prop 'sale having been rejected, it is right to put the measure in the shape in which it may be most reasonable. (Hear.) The learned gentleman proposes on some future occasion, when doubtless we shall have a keen contest, to state his objections to the measure. The learned member says he is one of those who have a deep and conscientious feeling on the subject. Sir, I ad mit that there are those who have such a feeling ; and I say that it is a mere feeling, and not an objection founded ou reason or argument. I have heard many persons ex press their repugnance to the measure, but I never heard any one state good and solid reasons for thinking that there would be any danger in it —or, in fact, any real and valid objection to it at all. The learned gentleman said it was not a question of civil and religious liberty. I con ceive that it is so. But the learned gentleman, not being himself under the ban of any exclusion hi mse lf, can spea k at his ease on the subject. (Hear, and a laugh.) It, how ever, any measure were to be proposed for excluding all members of the bar from this hon-e—(laughter)—a measure in favour of which many plausible reasons might be given—(laughter) —as, for example, that a great deal of time might be saved (hear, and laughter) —we should no-, have the hon. and learned gentleman say that such a measure was no infringement upon liberty (hear, hear, and laughte ). We should bear his voice very loudly raised against it, and he would con tend that it was impossible that a legislature could respect civil and religious liberty who excluded a most respectable class of persons (laughter) from the privi leges enjoyed by other classes of citizens (hear, hear, and laughter). Let the hon. and learned member put himself in the position of the Jews, and fancy what his feelings would be if he were told that in this free country, although he might be Lord Mayor of Louden, he could not sit in Parliament, nor enjoy that, the common right of Englishmen (hear, hear). lam sure that his feeling would be most strongly that such a state of things was inconsistent with liberty (hear, hear) ; and I can only say that when this measure comes on to he detated I shall be found in my place giving it my hearty support (cheers). Mr. NEWDEGATE said that the indifference shown by the noble lord to the religious feelings of a large bodiof his fellow-countrymen was so great as to amount to a.gross prejudice. He would not enter into the argument of this question, but begged the house to bear in mind that the experience of the last ten years bad shown that, notwithstanding the repeated attempts which the Jews had made to force, their way into that assemblys—uotwithstanding their lavish expenditure of money and their pandering to the popular tastes—they bad not been able to excite among the Christian people of this country anystrong feelingin favour of their admis sion. He trusted that the members whohad come to that house for the first time would, before they gavetheir vote reflect that this measure was by the large majority of the people regarded as a direct attack upon the Christian character of the Legislature, and that het Majesty would never be called upon to sanction any measure which was directed against the religion of whicl. she was a sworn defender. To adopt this measure would be to decide that the laws should be enforced by n sanction of religion, and that they would govern ib , country by the ruh of might. He warned them that if they followed such a couree they must expect it to re sult in evili sim far tf, those which had been caused by its adoption in other countries. (Hear, bear.) Mr. LOCKIL KING assured the hon. and learned gentleman the member for Stamford (Sir F. Thesigcr) that he was no party to any understaniing tiat all melt: 'ores of Parliamentary reform should be pos . poned nnt;l next session, and he was very touch surprised when be lward the noble lowd at the head of the Governaleat ,tAte thst such an understiniiing cxisted. The abation of the property qualification of 'heath _ , rs was iutimattly connected with this question of the oaths, and be hoped that when ho moved the second reading of his bill for that purpose, the noble lord would not oppose the motion. Mr. HENLEY expressed his regret that the noble lord had not separated the removal of surplus or objec tionable phrases from the oaths—to which probably all members of that house would have assented—from the question of the admission of the Jews, to which many of them could not give their .upport. His own opinion was unchanged, nod he should vote again-t this bi las he had done against many others of a similar character. He did not see that there was anything objectionable in the introduction of this measure apart fru!) a Reform bill, from which it was a Boni-what different qneetion— (hear, hear)—but be that as it m;ght, the bill was now before them, and when it came on for a second rea iing they must deal with it. He wished to know when the noble lord proposed to take that stage of the bill ? Lord PAL WIERSTON said, that the bill could not be brought in until Monday night, and he tierefore could not fix the second reading earlier than imme diately after Whitsuntide. The question Was then put, and the motion having been agreed to, the house re-umed, and leave was at once given for the introducti,in of the bill. TRANSPORTATION AND PENAL SERVITUDE BILL. On the order for the committee on this bill, Lord A. V. TEMPEST moved as an amendment that it be referred to a select committee, his view being ter es• tablish before that committee the possibility of making our prisoners support themselves by their labour. Sir G. GREY hoped that the house would not accede to the motion of the noble lord, the only effect of which would be the renewal of long-protracted inquiry for pur poses which had been already achieved. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Pearson had explained his views to the house at great length on the selfeeernunerative system, and Col. Jebb and the Recorder of Birmingham had both been examined by committees of that house It would be a throwing away of all the advantages derived from the in quiry of last year if the select committee were now to be renewed. Besides, there was nothing in the present bill to interfere with the noble lord's selhremuneiative views, as it applied merely to that class of offences for which protracted terms of penal servitude were at present pro vided. At present convict labour was emp'oyed at Ports mouth and Chatham, and in both places supplied the place of hired labour. At Portland also, and Ber nude, convicts were employed in remunerative labour, and that would also be the case at Dartmoor, but that the cleat; of criminals sent there consisted of persons whose le . .bour would be of little voles elsewhere. The main, object of the present bill was to enable the Government to send a certain class of prisoners out of the country. Mr. BAXTER believed that the only effect of the present system of training was to send prisoners back . to society much lass able ti support themselves than be fore. He believed that immense' evils had arisen from the abolition of transportation, which had been as ad vantageous to the colonies as to the mother-country. Having these convictions, he cordially supported the proposition for sending a p irtion of our prisoners to Western Australia, but be warned the riot hon. gen tleman that it would be orly a temporary expedient, as the free colonists of Australia would soon raise an out cry against the pollution at their soil. Mr. W. WILLIAMS could see no reason why con victs in this country should not ho made to support themselves. In the prisons in New York, Canada, and various parts of the Gentinent, the labour of the pri soners more than defrayed the whole expense of the establishment. Lord NAAS believed it was not only possible but easy to return to transportation ; it was merely a ques tion of Expense ; bus they ought not to shrink from any expense within reason for the purpose of re-establishing that which be believed to be the most effectual secondary pui idament human ingenuity had invented. Mr. LABOUCHERE, after the most anxious in , vestigatiot, found it impossible to shut his eyes to the fact that to attempt to force convicts upon a free colo nial population would tend to the alienation of many of our most important colonies. The Australien colonies felt quite as strongly on this subject as the old Ame rican colonies did upon the subject of taxation. Is had been proposed to establish a penal settlement in the Gulf of Cerpentaria, and the noble lord the member for Cockermouth said that it was a mere piec e of sentimen ta,liem for the inhabitants of Sydney aid Moreton Bay to object to it. But in the case of Moreton B , y there were sheep walks that Extended within 500 miles of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and wherever sheep-runs Existed men easily travelled over 1 arge tracts of country, and thus facilities were ail irded for the escape of con viete He had . a curious instance the other day of the sensibility of the Australian colonists on this subject, for he beef re• ceived an addess from Tivrnania, which is the extreme south of the Australian colonies, praying that ne penal settlement should he established in North which could only have meant the Gulf of Carpentaria, for in the extreme north the climate was too tropical to allow of its being settled as a place of labour for the whi e man. In his (Mr. Labonchere's) opinion, we shuol f act most unwisely by attempting to disturb the present state of things in Australia, which was, that a penal settlement was in existence in Western Australia- -a region singu larly adapted for the purpose, being entirely insulated from the other parts of the colony, there being no land communication between it and them ; it was not adapted for sheep-farms ; so that there would be none of the intercourse those farms afforded, while it had, even by sea, more commercial intercourse with India and America than with the other parts of Australia. All these circumstances combined made it a fitting place for a penal settlement, and above all the other colonies agreed in the selection. He hoped it would be understood that it was not intended to deluge Western Australia with convicts ; but that it was only to be made available for the purposes of transportation ; so far as any intention was of carrying out that system on a modified plan. He believed that it was the wildest of notions to suppose that we could throw our convicts here, there, and everywhere. Some gentlemen said, let them be sent to the Falkland Islands, and if they escaped it would be of no c onsequence, as in the places to which they went, they would be glad to have them. But it was the fact that when a few hardened convicts from Bermuda went some time since to America, a law was passed by which a ship entering a harbour with even one such person on board was net allowed to land its cargo and was sent away. He believed that it was not safe or wise to legi-late against this feeling, and that any attempt to allow our convicts to find their way to other countries would be frustrated, and they would be re turned on our bands., He could not al:ow any such assertions as had been made with regard to the feelings of the colonists on this matter without a prote s t, an d without urging that we were bound to consider the feel• ings of the colonists in dealing with this question. After a short di - mtPsion, in which Mr. S. Fitzgerald, Mr. Garnett, Colonel Sykes, Mr. Macartney s and Mr. Wyld took part, Lord VANE withdrew his amendment, and the house resolved itself into committee. A debate of considerable length arose upon an amend ment of the first clause, proposed by Mr. Keating, the object of which was to repeal the clauses in the act of 1853 which eanotiontd the grant of tickets-of-leave. The committee divided— For the rejection of the clause B3 F'r r,tmtiun The clause was then agreed to. The remaining clauses were agreed to after discussion. Mr. WILSON obtained leave to bring in a bill for the amendment of the Cinque Ports Act, Mr, KENDALL moved for a select committee to in quire inuo the law and practice with respect to the rat ing 01 Royalties of mines ; which was agreed to. Mr. BUTT moved for a sel-et committee to inquire into the circumstances coonected with the employment of women and young persons in the bleaching and dye ing establishments in England, Scotland, and Ireland ; and to consider how far it may be necessary or expe dient to extend to those establishments provisions regu lating such employment ; and to report their ob-erva- Lions thereupon to the house ; which was agreed to. The house, after some further'business, adjourned at a quarter-past 12 o'clock, until Monday. • The house was exceedingly full ; many members wore unable to obtain seats and had to stand on the fl of the house beyond the bar. Baron Rothschild was pre sent and occupied a seat in that part of the house re served for peers. The Wanderer of Vienna announces that the King of the Belgians has gained the principal prize of 300,000 florins, or 750,000 f., in the drawing of the Austrian loan of 1834, which took place on the Ist inst. I ADVICATISKIdSNT. j — SPORTBMeN AND GRA TLEMR if i OF TS R ARMY AND NAVY. —S. anti Y i , Solumons, opticians, 39, Albe oaarle-street, Piccadilly, W. Observe—opposite the Vork Hotel.—Portability, combined with great power in Field, Racecourse, Opera, anti general out-door day an night powerful wai.tcoat pocket Perspective Gla'ses, weighing only four ounces, each containing 12 and 18 lenses, con structed of German glass, will snow distinctly a person's countenance two ane a half and three miles. Ihey serve every purpoze on the race-coarse, and at the opera nooses, country scenery, and ships are clearly seen at 8 to 10 miles. They are ale. , invaluable for shooting, deer -stalking, and yachting. Single ones, the szeof a w lent, possessing the same great power. Her Maje ty s rds are making US 3 of them as day and night glasses, in prefereLce o ad others; they havo also le onto iu general us. by gentlemen, of the Army and Navy, and by sports:, en, gentlemen, game keepers, and tourists. The most powerful and brillhnt ,eiescopes, kosswsing such extraordinary power that some, three and a-hall inches, with an eats.. est nomical eye p cce will show distinctly Jupiter's moons, taturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same teleseo, e can be aeon a toer son's countenance three-and-a-half mile-distant tad an object from 14 to 16 miles. All the above can be had of larger and all sizes, with increasing s,owers, and are secured by Ner Majesty's Royal Letters Patent. Newly-invemed spectacle Lenses of the greatest transparent power. The valuable advantage derived from this invention is, tht vision becomes preserved and strengthened ; very aged persons are enabled to employ their sight at the most minute occupation—can see with these lenses of a much !ess magmfy ing power—and they do not require the fre quent change- , to th e dangerous effects of further p ower- Ail assistance. Persons can be suited at the mo t remote part of the world by sendin one of the glasses out of their ,pect,cles in a letter, and stating the dist nee from the eye they can read :quail urint with it, and those who have not made use of Spectacles by staling their age. Deafness.--A ,ewly-inveutea ttisi.rinutait felt extreme (Imes of deafness. called the Sound Mag,n . fier, Organic V ibrator, aid Voice Conductor. It fits so into the ear as not to be in the least percept . ble; the unpleasant sensa ion o f t i nging noises in the hea iis entirely mho ed. It affords in taut laid' to the deafest persons, and enables them to hear dis inetly at church and at tublic asseml , hes. 39, ADiemarle-strect, Picca dilly--opposite the York Hata. Country Markets. LIVERPOOL-MAT 15. The corn exchange this mo•ning WAR slenderly attended by Millers and dealers, awl the trancactiers were limited, yet, having no pressure on the part of holders, quotations were nominally,the same as on Tuesday, excepting for In dian corn, which was in request to satisfy a continued de mand for Ireland. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair shortly before 4 o'cicck SWEARING IN OF MEMBERS. Mr. A. M'Carthy, Mr. B. Hughes, Mr. Sinaett, Mr. Connelly, Sergeant O'Brien, Mr. Deasy, Mr. Leslie, and Mr. Greaves took the oaths and their seats. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The followin g bilk wereqTad a third time and passed : —Bedale and Leybarn Railway ; Meriton's and Ha gan's Sufferance Wharves ; and Peebles Railway. PETITIONS. Petitions were prese►,ted in favour of the Beer Bill ; against the growth of opium by the East India Cum parry ; the removal of the Jewish Disabilities ; for an alteration of the civil service superannuation fund ; against the taxes on knowledge ; against the abolition of Church rates. THE RUSSIAN RAILWAY. Mr. CLAY asked the Vice-President of the Board of Trade, whether it was the intention of the Govern ment to bring forward any measure for the abolition of the Russian Company, or affecting any portion of the dues levied by that company Mr. LOWE raid that the proposed bill dii not contemplate abolishing the Russian company, but it did to abolish 2,0001. a year levied by Russian isto British shipping for charitable purposes, such as organs for Moscow and pictures for the Emperor of Russia, THE WIIITWORTEI RIFLE. Col. SYKES asked the Under Secretary for War, whether, as a grave expense was being incurred by the Governments of England and India in the supply of the E;,field rifle, and consi dering ihe prospects of its supersession by the superior arm, the Whitworth r;fle, it was intended to continue the manufacture of the former ; and, in case the Government considered further experiments neces sary with the Whitworth rifle helere they decidei upon itu adoption, to state when they would renew those ex periments. Sir J. RAMSDEN said that the superiority of the Whitworth rifle had not been established sufliclently to enable the Ceivernment to consider themselves justified in discontinuing the insnufacturing of the Enfield rifle for the use of theareny. Experiments had been made rela tive to theWbit worth r:fls of not an unfavourable character, but being incomplete he was unable to state more then. If the experiments, when completed, showed its supe riority over the Enfield rifle, the machinery for making the Enfield rifle could be adapted at a trifling expense for the manufacture of the Wbitwoeth r;fle. STADE DUES. Mr. RICARDO asked whether the Government in tended to continue the Treaty of 1844 with Hanover, respecting the payment of Stade dues by English ships, or whether they contemplated terminating the treaty by notice, so that the question of the future payment of the Stade t ,, 11 might underc. , n consideration? Lord PALMERSTON said that the matter referred to was under the consideration of the Government. He was unable to state what course the Government would pursue in reference to it. FIELD ALLOWANCE, Major KNOX asked the Unthr Secretary for War whether he had any objection to lay on the table any correFpond-ence that tcok place between the Secretary for War and the other authorities at home, and Sir J. Per:nefo.ther, on the sulject of field a:lowance claimed by the 51et Livbt Infantry, the Italian Legion, and other troop , stationed at Malta during the late war? Sir J. RAMSDEN said that'the matter to which the question referred had already been di-polled of in strict acc“rdali.a with tile regulations of the War•offiee, and that of, that ground the Secretary of State for War was not disposed to lay the papers before the house. THE ROYAL BRITISH BANK. Mr. CONINGHAM asked the Att,)rusy General whether it was the intention of the Government to prose cute the directors of the Royal British Bank? (Hear.) The ATTORNEY-GENERAL at some length ix plained that he had applied to Mr. Linklater for copies of the evience in this case, which, when forwarded to him, he should consider with a view to a prosecuti• , n, in conjunction with other learned functionaries. The law threw a great many duties of this kind on the Atforney-General without,providinv him with any machinery, and in this instance he should be indebted to Mr. Linklater for the papsrs at the expense of the shareholders. He asked the press to abstain from mak ing further remarks in the matter, as it might tend to defeat the ends of justice. SHERBURN HOSPITAL. Mr. ATHEEZION aaked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it was the intention of her Majety's Government to brin , ! forward any measure during the present session, founded r on the ri-port of the Charity Commissioners for E , :gh.nd and Wales, relative to Sherhurn tio , pital, in the county of Durham ? Mr. BAINES said that the Gavtrnment had no in tention to introduce such a bill this ges,ion. PRISONERS AT lIONG KONG. On the motion of the adjournment of the house until Monday, Lord R. CECIL called the attention of the First Lord of the Treasury to the alleg , d detention at Hong Kong of 42 prisoners, in a room 15 feet square for 20 days. Mr. LABOUCHERE said tliat he had every reason to believe that there was no foundation for the rumours that had been spread relative to this subject. He had seat to China for inturmation. ENCUMBERED ESTATES COURT. Mr. W RITESIDE called attention to the conduct of the Government, in not removing the court for the sale of encumbered estates in Ireland to a more convenient site than the present, in accordance with the recommen dation of a committee of this house. Mr. HORSMAN said that the Government bad acted upon the recommendation of the committee, which waa made in June last year, and he wrote to the Treasury, asking for an item of 10,0001, to he inserted in the esti mates of this year, for the purpose of building the new Courts. That had been done, and the item would befound in the estimates al'out to be laid on the table of the house. There was every disposition and intentioc, on the part of the Government, to afford every accoc-Anodation re quired for these courts. Mr. NAPIER supported Mr. Whiteside's statements, as to the inconvenience of the present courts. GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH. In coos, que. cc of the application of Mr. PALK and Mr. T. DIJNCOMBEy S,r G. GREY posponed the second reading of this bid for a week. PARLIAMENTARY OATHS. The house having rtsulved itself into committee for the purpose cf considering the oaths required to be taken members of Parliamest on taking their seats after their election, Lord PALMERSTON rose and said,—Sir, in rising to make the motion of which I have given notice I ought in the first place to apologise to my noble friend the member for the city of London for appearing to take out of his hands a question which hag long occupied his at tention, and with which be has (halt in a manner that entitles him to great credit. I can assure toy noble friend that it was by no means from any wish to take unneces sarily from him a Baket to which he has devoted so much attention that I gave notice of that Motion ; but I was told by those who are mo-t interested in the quo. - tion that the el wice of any bill which might be brought in passing into a law would be vety much increased by its being introduced as a Government measure by a mem• WAKEFIELD-MAy 15. The fine weather had a material influence on the market to-day; and the business in wheat was done at a decline of Is to 2s pei qr. In barley there was no material change. Beans steady. Oats and shelling full as dear as last week. Average prices of grain—Wheat, 57s 92;c1; bailey, 469 Od ; oats, 28s 54d ; beans, 46s 31 d ; peas, 43s Old ; rye, —s. Od. EXETER-MAY 15. COM.—Wheat, 7s 9d to 9s • barley, Ss Od to 5 5 6d ; grinding do., 01. Od to Os O d. Oats, 3s Od to 3s 4d. Beans, Os Oto 0 Od. Peas, 00s Od to 00 s Od. . _ FLOUR. —Fine, 44s Od to 46a Od ; seconds, 42s Od to 440 Od per sack. CATTLE. —There was a small supply of bullocks. Best beef, from 10s to Us 6,1 per score ; inferior, 9s 6d to 11s per score; fat calves, —d to 6d per lb ; barrenners, Oa Od to Os Od. per score ; cows and calve:, 121. to 201. s ; butchers' calves, Od to 7d per lb., reariu z calves —s to - s each; sheep, ewes and lambs, 21. Os to 31. -E1 per couple; ewes, Od to 8d; wetbers, 8d 8A,1; 1=134, —to Od per lb. Pigs, large size, —s to —s ; second size, —s to —s ; slips, —s to —s ; suckers, —s to —• s. Rough fat, 41 I per I}'. Pork carcases from 10s Od to Ids Od per score. BRISTOL SUGAR-MAY 15. The market has been very quiet this week, and with the exceptiou of about 2;)0 hhds Barbadoes, for part of which a decline of is per cwt. was submitted to, we are not aware of any transactions, although some parcels for arrival are spoken of. _ _ The refined market is quiet but very firm, and the maau lecturers have scarcely anything to offer. Rum is much wanted. COAL MARK . Prices of Coals per ton at s. cl. Dell's Primrose l3 3 s d. Bebside's Hartley 17 3 Bretton lB 0 Eden Main l6 6 South Hetton 18 0 Russell's Hetton 16 6 Waßaena, &c. Hough Hall 16 6 Hetton Lyons Main ....14 91Taes lB 0 ET.—MAY 15. the close of the market. Wallsend, 3to. Ships at market, 20 ; sold, 18. COURSE OF EXCELINGE. -YESTERDAY. kmsterdam.......• • • 11 iil Gibraltar Ditto, three months.. 12 Leghorn •••• 29 60 Rotterdam ...• e ••• 12 Genoa eeeeee •••••••••• 25 82% Antwerp •• •• •• •• •• •• •• 25 65 .• Milan •••••••••••••••• Brussels 25 65 Veniee................ Ramburgh •• •• .• •• •••• 13 9 1 A Naples •••••........• •. 48 Adtona •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Palermo .............. 130;ii Paris. ••••• •• •• •• •. 25 32% Messina •• ....... ••• 130 X, Ditto, three months .. 25 75 , Lisbon .. 52% Marseilles .•• —•••• •• •• 25 77% Oporto •• •• •••• • 00000 • • 52y. Bourdeaus, .• • IMe Janeiro ..... ....... Frankfort-on-Maine .• .. 120 i Buenos Ayres Berlin ................ Yew York,6o days' eight .•-• Vienna..........•• .... 10 35 Philadelphia . Prieste........ •• • .•.. 10 36 PRICES OF BULLION, PER OZ. Petersburg 37% Foreign Gold in Bars 3 17 9 Madrid 49 Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 0 Cadiz 49% Mexican Dollars .... 0 0 50 Barcelona •• •••• •• -- I New Dollars •• •• •• 0 0 •• Sliver in bars ...... 0 0 0 • LOCAL SHARE MARKET'S. LIVERPOOL, MAY 15. STOCK EXCHANGE. —Caledonian, 364 4—Easters Counties, ill. 15-16—Lancashire and Yorkshire, 102 Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 424 3—Midland, 8* —North British, 10 13-16 Grand Trunk of Canada, 161. 7-16—Great Western of Canada, 211 Manchester, Shef field, anal Lincolnshire, 3,1 per cent. Preference, 66—Lan• cashire Insurance, 3-16 pm. VASCHPSTER, MAY 15. STOCK EXCHANGE.-- The market was steady, but after a large business closed rather weaker. The sales were"' Eastern Counties, 114 15-16—East Lancashire, 9.l Lou don and North- Western, 105—Ditto, Bths, 3-16 (1- - Loudon and South-Western, 100—Midlands, 84 3i" Sheffields, 43k. 3IRMINGHAM, MAY 15. , SToox EXORANGIC. —Great Western, Birmingham pref. 9:2_3irmingham Gas, 40—Midland, 8i 84.}—South Stat . ' fords, 91 9i —Birmingham Guaranteed, 13 LEEDS, MAY 15. STOCK EXCHANGE.—Sheffield, Rotherham, and Goole,' 204 —Midland, 84—Grand Trunk of Canad a , Lit—Leta. Northern (No. 2) 3B pin. RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURN& TRLFFIC RETURNS FOR THE WEEK. Miles Opened, 1857. NAME OF RAILWAY. Receipts. BEITI9II. Aberdeen ...... Belfast and Ballymena •••• • •• •• •• Belfast and County Down•. • • • • •• •• Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Bolton,lllackburn,snd West York .... Bristol and Exeter - - Caledonian. Chester and Flolyhead.•... •• • •• Cork, Blackrock, and Passage •• •• •• Cork and Bandon .............. Dublin and Belfast Sunetion ........ Dublin and Drogheda • • •• • • •••• • •• • • Dublin and Kingstown .............. Dundee and Arbroath .............. Dundee, Perth, and Aberdeen Junction Dundalk an 3 Enniskillen •....• .4 • • .• East Anglian.... •••• • • • •• • • •••• • • East Lancashire • . .................. Eastern Counties and Norfolk...• ..1 Eastern Union .................... Edinburgh and Glasxow .•• •• •• .... .. Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee...... Exeter and Credit0r5................ Furness Railway •• • •• ...• •• Glasgow, and South-Western.. •..... Great Northern••.•. Great Southern and Western (Ireland) Great Western ••.•••••••• • • • • • • . •• Irish South Eastern ................ Lancaster and Car1i51e........ Lancashire and Yorkshire Leeds Northern .. • • Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport London and North Western ... • London and Blackvtall Loudon, Brighton, and South Coast London and South Western Londonderry and Enniskillen • • .....• Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock, &c. Aanehester, Snaffleld,And Lincolnshire Manchester and South Junction Maryport and Carlisle • • Midland • • • • •••••••••• • • • • • • •• • . NEdland Great Western (Irish) ..... Monklands .. • • •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• • Newcastle and • North British North Staffordshire • • .••••• • • • • . North-Western •• .. •• • • ... ieOttilh Central .• •• •• Scottish Midland .......... Shrewsbury and Birmingham •• •• .. *Shrewsbury and ..jhester ............ Shropshire Union .. •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• qontil Devon ... :....... Sputh Eastern •• •• •• South Wales .......... South York., Doncaster, and Goole .. Taff Vale •• •••• •••• •• •••• •••• •• •• ulster •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •—• •• •• Waterford r.nd Limerick .• ........ West Cornwall ••• • • • •.• ••• • • Whitehaven Junction ............... fork and Newcastle, and Berwick & York and North Midland & Leeds.. Dutch Rhenish ................, Lyons and Mediterranean Montereau and Troyes •••• Namur and Liege .• •• •• Northern of Franco •• •• •• •••• •• •• Orleans and Central .. Paris and Lyons .• •• .• •• •• •••• •• •• Paris and Rouen. •• • •• •• •• •• Paris and Strasburgh •• ttouen and titvre•• ........•• .• • .. Wegt and North-West of France • • 39,698 34, 01 --------- LOVELY LOOKS.—At a fancy fair in Paris, the .D rirte P kept a stall. A gentleman approached, tb e ; turned away again, as if hesitating to purchase, but r;r turned to the princess's invitation. "Yon aill Detre he said, " sell what I want." " We'd see—what is It Tne lock of hair falling on your shoulder." The I' I. A V cess took up a pair of cursors, cut off the hair, and manded 500!. "The gentleman paid the money, an hastening away with4he treasure, showed it in Muni 5 to an intimate friend. " Ah," said the confident, "I ° 6 have been robbed, my friend ; the Princess wear s wig r •BIRTHS, OF A SON. On the 13th inst., a t H o lly C o tt age , Hampton -W 3014 Mrs. George Henry Nichols. On the lith inst., at 120, Cambridge-street, Witrv ii square, the wile of Vesey W. Holt, Esq. OF A DAUGIITER. Of Oa the 15th i ns t., a t 24, Th ur l oe - square , the v .r oi ° George Gutteres, Esq. of On the 14th inst., the wife of Stanley G. Prudence, Gray's-inn, solicitor. MARRIED. r , On the 13th inst., at Croydon, John Rolt, Esq., Iltet of Ozleworth-park, Glocesterahire, to Elizabeth, cbi ll g of the late Stephen Godson, Esq., cf Croydon. , telt On the 14th inst., at St. James's Church, Padd ing e, Samuel Swire, Esq., eldest son of the Rev. John .0 1 vicar of Maufield, Yorkshire, to Gertrude Elizabeth, eater daughter of Charles Stanton, Esq. / of Stroud, Gl onngi shire, and 15, Susses-gardens. DIED. , „ fe rlv On the 14th inst., Samuel CuHey, Es q., of 2, 1 1 9" 8-r terrsce, Kensingtonst.,, aged 82. q. 0, 1 ,10 14 ou the 14th inst., , at Warrington, Mr. John .1-i• - • :wed 71. f O s ° On the 14th inst., Mrs. Susannah Stubbing, relict ..o,c late Be n j am i n , St u bbi ng , Es q ., many years deputy of J• 1""" bourn Ward,h in aged 85. C°'P tyin On the 13tst., at Bath, Caroline, th e wife of Frees tun, I.2it.N. • OW On the ili inst., at Upper Bariasbury-street , Ishug William Elopicins .t.. , . 1 '7 c l ., age' .-. • kenlis till On he 10th inst., a; 2, Piospect Villas, Twic of Mr. William Chandler, aged 94. On the 2tith ult., at Dialeira, Major L3llOO 1107 °to Long-parish-house, Banta, aged 45. ~. A hoi3 3 ° l On the 4th inst., at Southaui, the Rev., LuDY'-• M.A., iiged 81. _____....--'1 VOUI 46 ' LONDON : Printed and Publialied by MUIWO l4c. of No, 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Otto , of Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy , in the 0 tilliddlesar, Saturday, May 16,1,857' 1857. 1856 1,330 4,911 1,018 6,453 12,765 5,298 30 1,087 1,a68 1,680 557 1,042 602 1,108 6,50 23,783 5 818 6,314 6,281 21,651 7.086 29.293 311 5,918 23,449 65,054 1,319 13,456 14,515 733 10.00 12,223 978 31,686 4,274 4,784 7,565 977 26% 117 1:5814 94 183% 283 203% 415 25 90 286 k 161 637 51( 183% 277 173% _9;,i t7s4 301 1 , 11 4 108 27% 12 682 ~\ ~-~ ;~ 5.77 2 20.6 03 6,2 4$ 223 6 ! 24 7 5 87 3 22,3181' 62,0 1,3 1 ! 12,7 2 " , 15. 631 9.9; 9 78 1 29, 643 , 3,10 4 87 5 7,1 1 i 1,0 2,00 1 2,268 Will GA INt Add and tact IN( and Poi bee! CCSS L 3 ,1 Prii ten. 4—l Eat 9t u 9 unri till 1 Lect El the NEI VoT o , Week 21; th e 1 Um ; th e v kYa .......... ,t 1 inten as se, Addr wark and - z Secui thei r th e i r Per e leagc Per c Th the mho Duc Paid. At at th DAY Th itt.l Beni 33 pi ( 11 0 , VII ,ici