The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-02-28 00:00:00

imperial Partiamrnt.

11 DUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAY

Lord Dr ROT, on inquiring what steps Her Majesty's
Gave rumen t intended to take to carry into effect the
2Uth ArtieJ eof the Treaty of Commerce with France,
said he sh mid not discuss whether this treaty was or
was not in accordance wth the principles of free trade;
it decided' y was in variance with the principles laid
dovn i by I ler Majesty's Government some two or three
won the al jo, and he read several extracts from the cor•
reale widen cc between Lord John Russell and Lord Cow-
ley to sho w that Mr. Cobden, with the sanction of Lord
Pali sentt m and Lord J. Russell, had been actually
nip qj a treaty on the very bases which they had
shot MY I adore repudiated The correspondence which
had bey a wade public was very meagre and untatisfac-
ton am I Parliament was able to gain but little informa-
tion few ii it. He proceeded to draw • parallel between
the me le in which Mr. Pitt had introduced his coin.
met vial treaty with France in 1787 and the manner
which t he present Government had deemed it expedient
to dm 4—very much in favour of Mr. Pitt's method of
pro Secla ire. Both in a political and financial light he
con mid( rel it was highly beneficial and necessary that
the se s juestions should be discussed by their lordship'.
Fo rU e sake of iregularity be would conclude by mov-
ing tb at there be laid before the House copies of so
mu ch of the journal of the two Houses of Parliament
in lie 7as related to the proceedings in Parliament with
reg an I to the treaty of commerce and navigation with
Fr 1111 e.
KAI ci GRAPVILLIS defended the Government in the
co an e they had taken relative to the treaty and pointed
ou 1 distinction which had escaped the observation of
Lo rd Derby—viz., that Mr. Pitt's treaty was confined
in if s operation to France and England, while the
re, an itly-made treaty dealt with the Customs' duties of
Oa, a country generally, and affected the whole world as
in, act has it affected France. In answer to Lord Derby's
oh je ctions that the advantages of the treaty were all
co al erred on France, it WAS the opinion of many ami-
ne n t Frenchmen that the treaty was solely advantageous
to : dngland, and that it would ruin French oomuierce.
H himself thought that both countries would find equal
ad V Dotages from it, and hoped tbat it might induce
Fa a nee to abolish her remaining restrictive duties.
Lord GRIST did not consider the present • fit occasion
tc discuss the merits of the treaty, but wished to point
oat one or two subjects of serious importance. Was it
• case, he asked, for the purpose of cheapening French
i mm isfactures we should bind ourselves to supply France
, wit Ii coals for ten years, while France continued to pro-
I iila t or levy • high duty on the exportation of articles
. A a aw produce, such as rags and silks, equally essential
to the manufactures of this country?
The Duke of ARGYLL said if the treaty were to be
testsi by reciprocity some defects would doubtless be
fourid in it; but the advantages conferred by the treaty
ought to be cousidered with its defects. He should
be highly gratified if the tiesty had been a Navigation
tree.e, but it was not so • and Her Majesty's Govern-
men t had not contemplated the revision of the French
navigation laws, as the French Government haul stead-
fastly refused to alter those laws. He wished it to be
understood that the continuance of the Income-tax was
not due to the treaty, but to the increased naval anal
military expenditure which has rendered the con-
tinuance of the tax necessary.
After • few words from Lord HARDWICK, Lord DILIBT
withdrew his motion, and

Their Lordships 'adjourned at 20 minutes to 8
o'clock.

TUESDAY.

After a cOnVeTaation upon the Constitution of Tas-
mania, in which Lord Drama, the Duke of NEWCABILZ,
and Lord GaET took part.
Lord SZLIIIRI moved for copies or extracts of certain
specified letters from Lord Elgin to Lord Malmesbury
respecting affairs in China.
Lord Bumf took advantage of the opportunity
afforded by Lord Selkirk's moving for papers respecting
recent proceeding' in China to vindicate himself gismo*
length from the charges of severity towards the Chinese
which bad been brought against him.
Their Lordships adjourned AA 7 o'clock.

THURSDAY.

Th. offences against the Person Bill, the Larceny
Bill, Forgery BiU, Malicious Injuries to Property Bill,
the Coinage Offences BiU, the Aosessories and Abet.
ton Bill, and the Criminal &Mute Bill were read •
ascend time.

The 1-7nds.eial4e Offences Bill and the Court of Chan-
einy Bill pawed through committee.