The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-07-26 00:00:00

Imperial farliamtnt.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
MONDAY.— In reply to WI Kuseell and Lord Calms, Earl
Granville said steps would be token I.r the enforcement of
neutrality on the part of British subjects, and that ail the
papers in reference to the Pratco-Prawlan we would shorty
be lar.i before Parliament. —Their lirrdsh.ps afterwards went
into committee on the Married Women's Property Bill, which
has undergone considerable modification.
TtIISDAY. The Bill 'for guaranteeing a loan to New Zealand
WBA read a sec.mil time.
Till'AADAT.—The Lord, reads second time the Ecclesiastical
Crone Bill, but only slier an intimation from the E.G of
Shaftesbury that he would not carry the bill lurherthi. session.
The report on the Married Woinen's Property Bill was brought
up, and agreed to, and the select committee on University
Te.ta was no .•mated.
Fitotv.—The Elementary Education Bill wan read a first
time, The Married Women's Property Bill and the New
Zealand (Guarantee of Loan) Bill were read a third time and
pissed.

11OUSE OF COMMONS.
MONDAY.—Mr. OULRD Srrar preerutec a petition from Wey-
mouth against the employment of post-otice officials on Sunday,
also petitions from Winterborne Abbas, Maitston, Charlton
Marshall, Cbalbury, sod other places, in favour of the Per-
mitsive Prohibitory Liquor Bill.
Replying to Lord K. Fitzmaurice, Mr. CILAWITOS3 stated that
notaithstandini Inc decision arrived at in another place, the
Govvrumvnt did not think it their dutv to despalr ol pr ceeding
with the U..avervity Testa 13111 this StAlitnl.

t.MILDIRS, 11UU310/11 trona Mr. IL 04,41en°.
stated that Nr. Reed, be Contractor for the Navy, had offered
Lo continue his services to the Government, but the Admiralty
had declined to atscPpt Mem.
. .

-
Mr. Otaterosa aimounced that the Goraniment felt them-
solve+ compelled, although reluctantly, to abandon for this
enaloo the Parlimleotary aol Municipal Elections WI, the
Mines Regulation Bill, and the Sating.' Bank BIIL

The House then wen't into committee of supp.y on the army
estimate. The following votes were agreed to :—E412,400 on
account of salon em? service; £68,000 army reeerre ; X 374.900
for control esgablabuient and • ag. • ; r. 1,4,300 for prornthins,
forego. fuel, &a; and t L51,31)0 for clothing esta..lishments.
On the vote of £420,400 for supply, manufacture, and repair
of war and they store.
Mr. Os moth Inquired whether there had been any trial vf
tit it deadly instrument, the nittraillavet, and, If so, whether it
ma. to be compared with the field Had not toe result
been to prove the superiority of the field sun?
Mr. Csanweth mid there had been • trial of two of these
Instruments—an Ameritan and a Bel They had both been
returned to tteir inventor, from improvements ; only one of
them hal yet come beck, but the experiments would be re-
newed when both were In our po-ees-ion.
. . . _

In rvply to quota ns, Mr. eDVILL-- said a committee s-as
now sitUrig on the Martini-Heuri rifle, and his desire was that
the best possible reap tn ahould be adopted.
Mr. Vieux called attention to the experiments with the
Whitworth and Armstrong guns, and said he thought the
Government ought to have ordered one of the Whitworth

Major Axsox suggested that Sir J. Whitworth should send
one of his guns to be tented in the usual manner at Shoe-
busyness.
Mr. °swan : I am informed that Sir J. Whitworth la
willing to do that, and that he has submitted a proposal to the
right bon. gentleman at the head of the Horse Guards.
(Several hon. Members "The War Department.") %%ay well,
ths War Department; but really the whole thing is in a mud-
die; you have Otollshed one system, the Horse Guards, and not
put another in its place. Here we are, on the eve of • great
European war, and I believe we are unable to play our part
because we have gtt into such • muddle with our cheap and
nasey system—(laughter). I say it advisedly, we have pulled
things down to such an extent that you could not put an army
of 60,000 men in the field. I agree with what has been mid
about arming our infantry with the best weapon, but why
should not our artillery also be armed with the best weapon
8 r Joseph Whitaorth is kn we t have gre stet knowledge of
gunnt ry then and of the scientific mechanism connected with
it than any other man in this kinxdom, and this is admitted by
all er.c-pt those who belong to the Jealous ranks of what may
be called the regular proteision. Has he not revolutionised the
armament of thug country and of the world? Why, then, is his
gun not to have a fair trial? I do not profess to have an inti-
mate knowledge of the matter; but I have taken some pains to
inform myself; and I believe that it will be found hereafter,
when • me other nation gets thia gun, that we have committed
one of our must blunders of expensive economy.
Lord E. Caat, said he did not wish to enter upon the merits
of the Armstrong or Whitworth gun, but he had beard Prussian
and other officers sey th at the English were at pre-ent armed
with one ftf the worst guns in the world. With regird to the
War Office, his believed it was at 1 re tent in the mailed state o
disorder, and two days ago he beard that on the occasion of the
" fatal march," when water was served out, evay one of the
water bottles leaked, at d the result was that the Command int
at Woolwich relieved the thirsty troops with two barrels of
enter. He had also been told that there was the greatest diffi-
culty in finding proper fusee for abellw He only trusted that. if
England went to war, though he hoped that would not be the
caw, the country would not be found as unprepared as at the
time nf the Crimean war. He trusted, too, that the right hon.
gentleman would not he led away by the cry of retrenchment,
for those who tweed that cry would be the first to tuen round
on him, if any accident occurred -(hear, hes.r), The co ntry
should not only be In a state of defence, but also of offence,
should °caution require.

The vote wag alined to.
The rote of £700,. 00 (lea gs.wo for the repair of Knights-
bridge Bsmeks), for superintending eetablishtnente of and
and expenditure for works, buildings, and repairs, was agreed
to.

On the Dart vote, 440,000 for miscellaneous services,
Captain Resumer observed that one of the Items—A2,ooo
experiments connected sith torpedoes—was very sawn
Mr. Cthowith said the qiirstion of torpedoes would be found
under a separate head in this mom votes. This Item -as only
for espetiments.
Mr. MILLIM objected to the Item of Adoo for the salary of the
Inspector wider the Gaits ions 'breasts Act. He moved the
reduction of the vote by that amount
Mr. CMIDIRLt said no one could doubt it was the duty of the
execuiiveto c irry the act into olfeet The inspector was a
most meritorious officer.

The next vote was postpone!.
The following votes were agreed t0:—R27,800 as retards for
distinguished service.; £73,000 for the pay of gvneml officer,;
£698,000 for pay of reduced a d retired °Mars on ha Upsy ;
£155,490 on account of widows' pen.lons, &c.; £20,800 on
account of pensions for wounds ; £36,000 on amount of
Chelsea and Rilmainham Hospitals ; £1,220,100 for out-pen-
sions; £148,300 for superannuation allowances ; and £lB,OOO
for the militia, yeomanry cavalry, and tolunteer corps.
These being the whole of the votes, the House resumed
amid some cheering.
The Army Enlistment Bill was next considered in committee,
but beforn any progress war made Major Dicaaos, General C.
Lima's', Lord Boar, and other., took se. Joel exception to it
as weakening the power of recruiting, and as • hazardous
expe.iment in the present state of Europe. Sir J. PAILINGTON
51.0 was 4 opinion hat it would be wisest on the whole to
withdraw The Bill at this moment. Mr. O'Reilly defended the
Bill, and

Mr. Csatientu. maintained that, so far front striking • does
blow at the present system, the Bill would strengthen do by
giving the military authorities additional powers of recruiting,
and would enable them to attract into the army a class which
now never tot service. Though Intr.luoed originally in •
time of priound peace, he amer ed that even In the priment
Mai. of Continental politics It was • who measure and would
Increa-e the efficiency of our army. Hs pointed out. too, that
It would be at least six years before • single man woull be dis-
charged under Its operation.
Oenersl Hsassav, Captain Bisuiowt, and Colonel Noire
criticised the details of the Bill: the latter strongly condefan.
Mg the improvident economy of the Boum of Commons in
dealing with the army.
The Bill was then paned through Committee almost without
amendment. Colonel Romeo:iv endeavoured to raise the
general minimum from three years to six, and, falling thda, to
rain the term of service In the Cavalry, Artillery, and Engin.
eeers to seven }rows lie was supported by most of the mldtary
members of the Boone; but in the first division he was beaten
by 122 to rgi, and in the second by 111 to 86.
TVIISDAT.—The report of the Elementary Education Bill was
brought In, and • new clause, proposed by Mr. Dickinson,
authonsiog the managers of schools, with the consent of the
Education Departm nt, to frame and alter their rerulation,
with regard to the qualifications of teachers, waa agreed to
Other new clause. were proposed, but rejectaL Lord John
Manners endeavoured to get rid of the provision for taking the
poll In the election of school boards by hall,* but the attempt
was defeated.
Mr. ll'llsmon called attention to the case of Mr. Feenelly,
convicted of bribery at Bridgwater, and moved an address to
the Crown, praying for a free pardon to him. The Attorney.
General and the font, Beentdry opposed, end the sodas wee
rideoted by all to 11.