The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-04-20 00:00:00

Majority &phut the seoond reading . 28
Their Lordships then adjourned.

THURSDAY.

Their Lordships met at -15—cFclOcTk.
Lord COLO:I6IMR stated that arrangements were
being made for shortening the time of conveying the
snails between Holyhead and Kingston. A contract had
been drawn up bat not yet signed.
The Earl of MALEMBUIIT, in presenting the oorres
pondenoe between the English and French Govern-
ments on the subject of passports, described the (drown-
stances that had occasioned It. After the attempt on
the life of the Emperor the French Government with-
drew the permission given to French Consuls and agents
to sign passports for English subjects travelling in
France. This, however, had been, he thought, unjustly
complained of, as it was only fair that strangers should
travel with • passport of the country to which they
belonged. The plan adopted by the English Government
of granting Foreign-office passports on the certificate of
a banker or magistrate was found insufficient, and it
had been proposed that they should issue passports inde-
pendently of the Foreign-offiee. But there was no
statute by which they were bound to perform such a
duty. To meet the difficulty the Government proposed
to increase the number of persons from whom certifi-
cates of identity could be obtained, on which application
to the Foreign-office could be made. In addition to
magistrates and bankers, as at present, all clergymen of
different Christian denominations, physicians, surgeons,
solicitors, and notaries, would be authorized to certify
the identity of persona wishing to obtain passports. He
thought it impossible that it an' part of England • per-
son could he so obscure of condition as not to be able to
apply to some one in the seven or eight classes autho-
rized to give a certificate. Agents would be appointed
in the chief cities to deliver the passports of the Foreign-
office ; and the Government proposed to reduce the cost
of those documents to 2s. As to the inconvenience of
the regulations of the late Government, he thought it
had been exaggerated, because they had not been under-
stood.

The Earl of CLARENDON explained that the regula-
tions of the late Government were only provisional.
He thought the whole system of passports a great mis-
take ; they afforded no protection against the very
persons the authorities wished to guard against; thoee
persons always had their papers in order, and it was
the innocent or ignorant traveller who was exposed to
annoyance. This was the opinion of the Emperor of
the French, and some years since he attempted to do
away with the system, but waa defeated by the diffi-
culties made by his own Government.
Earl Grey thought the present discuission itself proved
the inutility of the whole system. When so many
persons were authorized to give certificate.; to all who
asked them, what was the safeguard? Why not go •
step further, and empower the regular authorities in
towns and cities to grant passports at once!
The Earl of MALXIMBURY stated that they could not
be compelled to do it, and the funds raised would not
support more than six or seven agenta.
Earl GRANVILLE believed anything that reduced the
system to an absurdity would be a public benefit.
The Earl of DERBY laid on the table a Bill embody-
ing the recommendations of the select committee of 1856
on the Ecclesiastical Commission. The Bill was read a
first time.
Then Lordships then adjourned.