The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-05-17 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAT.—Sir G. Grey informed the House
that the Conference had that day enreed upon an

aro.iatioe for a month. jTho

was reap' ived

- with cheers,)—Sir 0. Grey then sabl that the Secretary
for the Colonies had received a telegram that afternoon
from Heligoland to the effect that an eagagement was
then going on between two Austrian frigates and three
gun boats and two Danish frigates and one corvette; and
since he had been in the House an additional telegram
had arrived from the governor of Heligoland that the
Danes had defeated the Austrian squadron (loud and
protracted cheers were evoked by this statement from
all parte of the Howie.) TIN right hoe. baronet added
that one Austrian frigate was in Samos, and that the
other, with the gun heath was making the best of her
way to Heligoland (renewed cheers). Hr. Disraeli come
planted that the House had not been treated with the
riepect to which it we. entitled, for he understood that
the terms of the Conference had been onumunicated to
the Reuse of Lords, whilst that House had been informed
by the Government that they had no communication of
the Dort to make. Sir O. Gray observed that he bad
stated to the Howse all the information he was possessed
of at the time. On the order for going into committee
of supply Colonel North moved an addrese to the Queen,
preying her to relieve the officers of Chelsea Hospital
from the payment of rates and lazes charged upon
them by a recent regulation for houses in that esta-
blishment occupied by them in the performance of their
duties. The motion was opposed by Mr. Peel, and
noon • division was negatived by 184 to 102. The
H sme then went into committee of supply on the army
est. tastes. . . .

TUADAT. -Mr. Cardwell, in reply to BirJ. Hay ,e zplained
that the war with the Ashantees had broken out with aa
unprovoked incursion by the Athentees Into the colony,
attended by • great lose of life and property, and that
the operations now going on were a renewal of the
hostilities of last year. Esinforcemente had been mint
to the colony, and every precaution taken to supply
the troops with all necessaries to ensure their health,
and the lateat information represented them to be in
good spirits and condition. Mr. Layard stated, in
reply to Hr. B. Cochnithe, that no official information
had yet reached the Government that the state of Ilew
York had resolved that the interest due to foreign bond-
holders should. in future, lie paid in paper instead of
&diem. Mr. White moved the appointment of • select
committee to inquire into the operation and incidence
of our preset &cal, and to consider and report if
any, and what, meanie could be devised to secure a
more equitable adjustment of the burden of Imperial
taxation, The Chancellor of the Exchequer atated
the objections be entertained to the proposal observing
that the main difficulties and isooevenienoes
perieneed by the tax-payer were connected with direct
taxation, and that recent legislation had been
favourable to the payer of indirect taxes, whisk o
still the most productive source of the public revesse.
He declined to accede to the trotioss, bemuse he
wished to avoid the risk of bolding out any expectation
that any great change could be effected : and he
ii=rit it would be wise in the House not to pledge
t'o any plan or proposal for carrying out a (node-
sestal sheathe in our system of taxation, first,
because such fundamental changes were not required
by justice, and, secondly, because they would be feted
to be impracticable in consequence of the obstacles
which they would have to encounter. After a short
debate the motion was withdrawn. Leave was given to
&r G. Bowyer to bring in a bill to appoint judicial cam.
mite's in certain eases, and to give tb• necessary
powers to such committees. Kr J. Jevons rose
to move an address to the Queen relative to treasure
trove, and was in the set of speaking in support of his
motion, when, at half-past seven, the House we counted
out.

--ifeteranntr.-1(r. Baines, in moving the second
reading of the Borough Franchise En% observed that
the present was • toast opportune period for deal*
with the question of Pael.sm.ntary Reform, aa the
public mind was quiescent. and no agitation prevailed
upon the subject. The Bill, it it pared, would hale
the effect of adding about 700,000 voters to the register,
and the result would be that whereas only one in Sr.
of the adult males in boroughs was now represented,
hereafter the proportion would be one in three. Mr.
Cave moved the previous question, contending that
there was no need or demand for Parliamentary Reform,
and that the working eleasee were already fully re-
prenented so far as their material inter, ids were ann.
tensed. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaking
in support of the second reading, admitted that since
1851 the question of reform had not been in a metiers°.
tory ormsditice. and thd it was for the interest of the
ecentry that it should be speedily entertained and
settled. In his opinion every man who mu not mentally
or morally incapacitated was justly entitled to be
,chnitted within the pale of the ceselitation, but he
was utterly opposed to all sudden, ineonsistant. and
violent changes. The right bon. ',edemas then spoke in
terms of the higher* ealogium of the working ot=
and said it was right that Parliament
•errider lb. slain pot forward on Wit baba to the
passoks el lb. hawk.* ; aid such eineiderarios be
Wu& el& he bettor adored apes at a mament like
tide, whin Ow wee as Wow el all whiniest sad
riatma the esbirip4dtb:a to mit While* dome of
e mire and its table arearleg under
petitions. Kr. Wh the temporary
Wiwi of Lord Pahnentenrellar the Roam, 4,