The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-03-15 00:00:00

IiOCSE or commoNa

MONDAY. —Lord R. Cecil gave notice of his intention,
on Friday next, to direct the attention of the house to
the banish tapers already presented, and to move for
certain other p-pen and 'stamen omitted therefrom;
and Mr. Disrsali gave notice that he should this day
address an inquiry to the Government
further papers on the affairs of Denmark. Mii:7=el
said he wished to know, as the invasion of Jutland
the Auetrams and Prussians was atill being pursued,
whether the Government could comnionicate to the
house any authentic information on the subject; and
also what the house might consider the view which the
Government took of that step on the part of the invading
Powers. Lord Palmerston replied that the accounts
received by the Government with reference to the in.
vasion of Jutland were exceedingly contradictory; Ise
was, therefore, at great leasto answer the question. As
the matter now stood he believed the two Govern-
ments *idled to take possession of the town
of Fredericia, which commanded the narrow
channel between Jutland and the Island of ninon,
and one of their reasons for this step was that
Danish ships of war had retaliated upon the
Germans by capturing German merchantmen, which
proceeding they said bad altered the relative position of
the parties. Another ground was that the occupation
of Fredericia. as well send Molding, was neeethary to pro-
tect the German troops from being harassed by the
Danes from the north of Jutland and the Island of
Funen. The view which Her Majesty's Government
took of the matter wee simply this--that the whole of
the military operations beyond the Eider were an out-
rage upon the independence of Denmark—an act of
violence not justified by the existing state of
things. The debate on the order for going into
committee on the Government Annuities Bill,
adjourned at a late hour on Friday night, was re-
sumed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who at
eonsiderable length answered the chief objections
which have been urged against the measure by persona
connected with assurance offices, friendly societal", loan
offices, and similar institutions. He observed that the
bill enjoined nothing and prohibited nothing; for all it
did was to offer to such portion of the public as might
choose to avail itself of the proposal certain fecilities for
.elf-help, and be might add for self-protection.
hoped the house would receive the measure with favour,
so he was confident it would be of incalculable advantage
to the working classes. Lord Stanley concurred in the
principle of the bill, but suggested that further time
should be allowed for its consideration. After Neveral
other bon. members had addressed the house the Chan.
dello, of the Exchequer agreed to the debate being ad-
journed to Thursday,
TO VIDA T. —Mr. M. Gibson called attention to the
report of the united committee on metropolitan railway
schemes, and moved that the bills therein recommended
to be abandoned should not be proceeded e ith, which
after some oppoeition was agreed to. Lord Palmerston
announced that it was his intention to propose that the
house, at its rising on Friday, the 18th instant, should
adjourn for the Ranter holidays until the following
Monday fortnight. Lord Palmenton, in reply to Mr.
Disraeli, mud that negotiations for a Conference were
actually in progress, and • hen they were concluded the
papers would be laid before the house. Mr. Adderley
then moved that grants made from the Treasury to
schools for the working classes should not in every case
be redwood by the whole amount of the endowments.
The right bon, gentleman contended that the recent
minute of the Committee of Council on Education was
contrary to the express intention of the parliamentary
grant. The motion wes wooded by Mr. F. Powell,
and • long debate ensued, which was concluded by Mr.
Lowe agreeing to the motion.
WEDNESDAY. The early part of the sitting was taken
up with discussing two Irish bills, namely, the Trespass
Bill and the Watching of Towns Bill. The former waa
read • second time; the latter, after a long debate was
withdrawn, Sir B. Peel strenuously opposing it. Mr.
Evart moved the second reading of the Weights and
Memento Bill, the object of which is to permit the
use of the metric system in mercantile transactions.
The measure met with much opposition, but on •
division it was tarried by 90 mains! 62 votes.
THURSDAY. —On the order for supply being read. Mr.
Berkeley called attention to the state of the llooyal navy;
and enumerating the various failures which bad been ex-
perienced with the Armstrong guns, complained that
after the expenditure of three millions of money, and
Mt teem of trial* and experiments, the country bad I.
go back to the old 68-pounder. Lord C. Paget replied.
He said the guns supplied to Her Majesty's 'hips had
for years been adapted for shells as well as shot, and
in this respect we were not at all behind the Americana,
He frankly admitted that the Admiralty were not
satisfied with the 110-pounder Armstrong gun, but they
slid not condemn it in lob. It was not oorreat to say
that we had nothing but the old 68-pounder, inasmuch
we had • nine-inch smoothbore gun throwing a
spherical shot of 100 lb for general the, ant were going
to arm large ships like the Minotaur and Bellerophon
experimentally with •300. pounder known as the 12 km
gun Upon the whole, he thought we were in advance
of the French in the art of gunnery, for the French
navy were depending upon the old M•Poonder,
grooved and rifled, carrying • rifled projectile of
110%. weight; and oothwithstanding all that had
been said out of doors it was extremely doubtful
if any country had made much more progress than this.
The house then went into committee of supply, and the
vote of £1,275,000 for the wages of artificers in the
dockyards was put and pronounced carried by the
Chairman. ffir H. Willoughby, upy• finding that the
rote ems agreed to, esomplained that bon, members had
been taken completely by surprise, inasmuch as it was
understood that the Civil Lord of the Admiralty would
enter into some explanation of the rumens for an aug-
mentation of 3,000 in the number of men, and on other
points of detail. Mr. Lindsay also protested against the
hasty and precipitate manner in which this vote had
teen put and carried, and moved that the Chairman
should report propene Mr. Bright denounced the pro.
media' as a trick, and an insult to the house on the
nark of the Government. This remark led to • retort
from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and after some
theversetion it was agreed that the vote should be re-
committed, in order to give the home an opportunity
of eonaidering and discussing the various items of which
it is lionipoeed. Several other votes were then agree'
to, and the hones having reamed went into committee
on the Mutiny Bill, and Mr. Cox moved the omission
of the clause authorising the punishment of flogging.
The motion, after some debate, was negatived by •
majority of &
FWD/A.-11r. S. Pitagerald drew attection to • dia.
eeepereiy between the statements made on Tuesday
evening by the Foreign Secretary in the House of Lords,
and by the Premier in that house, with respect to the
proposed Conference on the affairs of Denmark; and
inquired upon what basis the proposal had really been
made. Laid Palmerston replied that what he had stated
was that Her Majesty's Government had vainly endea-
voured to obtain the consent of the belligerents to an
armistice as the preliminary of • Conference, because
each party required conditions from that armistice
ehich the other
there
would not agree to. In ether
le gns*, Her Majesty's Government proposed to the
belligermits that should be a Conference without an
armistice, and that proposal had been agreed to by
%%Istria and Prussia. It was also made to Denmark, but
from her no answer bad yet been received. He also Aided
that Her Majesty's Ministers had good reason to be-
here that Franca, Rusin, and Sweden would ocean in
aich a Conference. On the order for going into eons-
mittes of supply, Mr. Hennessy sailed attenn to some
of the senses of the decline of the population of Ireland.
and especially to the difference between the laws for Un-
relief of the poor In Ireland, and tbe laws for the relief
4 the poor in England and Scotland, and moved,
"That the house was of opinion that it wail just and
expedient to extend to Ireland the hioneacdel provisions
if the &With poor law." The motion led to a thug dr
--a. bate, but was ultimately withdrawn.
t=et

The Hertford'We liteetke on Friday' resulted ht the
return of Yr. otartetbe dasserrettve eswildate. At
the dew of tie the ambers were ; Barter,
2,211; °onset, 2,017; lasiarlty, 355.