The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-06-15 00:00:00

TUESDAY.
Their Lordship! met at 5 o'clock.
The Stamp Duty on Passports Bill was read a third
time.

Lord LYTTLITON asked if the Government intended
to carry any further the system of competitive examin-
ations for appointment' in the Civil Barrio..
The Earl of Decay stated that in the Treastu7, the
Board of Trade, and the Customs no appointment had
been made to the junior class of clerks, except on ex-
amination. The principle wan quite novel, and he would
express no opinion adverse to it. But it was a system
the Government must watch with great attention, as in
many eases persons who hid gained in the examination
afterwards proved utterly incapable.
Earl Gsativicce believed the system wee working
very well. Cues of failure like those mentioned would
be just as likely to occur under the old mode of making
the appointments.
The Earl of ELLINBOROOGH objected to the examina-
tion for the Indian service that it had given appoint-
ments to persons of inferior position, who, on arriving
in India, appeared to think they had done all that could
be required of them in passing the examination. If per-
sons of inferior character were sent out to conduct the
government of India, no improvement in the form
of that government would compensate for the mis-
chief.
Earl GRZY WM glad to hear the Government intended
to proceed with caution in this matter, for he thought it
impossible, under the system of examination, to prevent
appointments becoming the reward of successful cram-
ming." "Cramming' was a pnictice that would grow
up by degrees.
Lord Wonniouaz spoke in favour of the system of
examination.
Lord REDMSDALE thought for military appointments
physical qualifications might well form part of the ex-
amination:

The Bishop of Ozroao gave notice that he should
on Thursday present a petition from Jamaica rela-
tive to Spanish slavery, and call attention to the tub-

'Lord BROUGHAM implored the Government to urge on
Spain the duty of extirpating the slave trade, which had
been effected in Brasil by the tirmneu and good faith
of the Government of Portugal.
The Earl of CLARIENDON inquired if the Government
could lay before the House any information on the
alleged proceedings of our °misers on the °out of Cuba,
of which the reports were exciting great uneasiness,•
from the preparations said to be making by the Govern
ment of the United States to prevent what it regarded
as equivalent to the exercise of the right of search.
The Earl of MALMENOU NT GoGld nob give any (*rain
information on the subject. From a conversation he
had that day had with the American Minister he be.
'hived there was no great difference in the views of both
countries on this point, and from the orders sent out to
the °Moors of the squadron in the American waters no
repetition of snob acts as those described was likely to
000 GT.
Their Lordships then adjourned.
--
THURSDAY.

Their Lordships sat at
Lord BROUGHAM laid on the table a Bill making
the fraudulent negotiation of We of exchange • penal
offence.
Earl FORTRIGUI moved the second reading of the
Property Qualification Bill. He approved the object of
the measure on the general principle that requiring a
property qualification from members of Parliament
limited the freedom of choice, and was an infringement
on the rights of the people, In practice the present law
was constantly evaded; of the facility with which it wail
broken through he gave a striking illustration in the
care of an Irish member, who marked out an mate on
the map In a wild region of the country, and on that
qualification sat through two Parlamenti.
Earl MOT should not offer any opposition to it. He
saw nothing unreasonable in requiring such a property
qualification from members as would guarantee their in.
dependence; but the law as it stood ITU evaded, and
the guarantee was weakened.
Lord &JURY approved the measure, which might be
dealt with on its own merit.; he could not madder it
as part of any great plan.
The Duke of RUTLAND protested against the Bill,
as the present law had never excluded any one from
Parliament.
The Earl of DERRY thought the question of a property
qualifioation was not important enough to be added to
the causes of Marino* already existing between the
two Houses of Parliament, He did not believe the abo-
lition of the qualification would make any substantial
I difference in the condition of the House of Commons
and the argument that the abolition would encourage
men of straw to set up as candidates at elections was
met by the fact that this did not happen in Bootlend,
where no qualification was required. As the present
law was constantly, almost with oonnivanos, evaded;
and al the more rigid nitration had been in the
course of pan gradually relaxed, he should not oppose
the Bill.
The Duke of NIWOANTLI supported the MIAMI on
lb own merit.; in • moral sense it was a most important

step.
Bari °RANI/ILL, felt assured that if they were to re-
sist all trifling reform. lAMB greater measure!) were
supposed to be in reserve, they were bound to oonsider
what was the chance of any greet comprehensive scheme
being proposed. He saw no probability of such mea-
eures In the present stain of the Glovermnent, the House
of Commons, or the country.
Lord CLIIPHILL spoke briefly in favour of the mea-
sure • he had always thought the property qualification
inexedient.
The Bill was then read a second time.
The Bale of Poisons Bill went through committee.
In reply to the Bari of AIaLIZ,
Lord hisucessuay stated that the Government had
not yet received a final 'newer from Naples to the de-
mand of compensation to the engineers of the Cagliari,
but that it was expected in the course of the week.
Their Lordships then adjourned.