The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-07-17 00:00:00

Imperial parliament.

HOUSE OF LORDS. —TUESDAY.
Lord STRATFOUD Di REDCLIIIM drew the attention
of the House to the recent massacre of Christians in
Syria, and in a very able speech pointed out the neces-
sity of this country providing fur those interests which
might be seriously compromised by delay or Mad-
fercnce.
Lord WoDEHOUsit was sorry to confirm the accounts
which had been receimd from Syria,than which nothing
could be more disnessing. The principal place* in
which these massacres hod been perpetrated were
Hasbeiya and Zablili. The attention of all the great
Powers had been diweted to this point, as it was con-
iliered absolutely necessary that some decided step
should be taken, 03C of the Consuls having reported
that there were 204100 women and children wandering
in the mountains without shelter, liable at any moment
to be murdered by tie infuriated Druses.
After a few wordsfroan Lon, BaouutiAm, their Lord-
ships passed to the orders of the day, which were of no
public interest, awl adjourned at 25 minutes to seven
o'clock.

THURSDAY.
The Jews Act Amenlinent Bill passed through com-
mittee, awl severa: other Bills were forwarded • stage.
Lord )(Aro moved for a select committee to inquire
into the state sod efficiency or otherwise of the new
Refuge liarbout at ..U. I d YI_ICA_ ; the eilik•C or em ei of
the number of wrecks that J:curred ther:iu daring
the last year ; aim, to inquire into the plan, as now
sanctioned by the Admiralty, for the construction of a
packet harbour for the accointoodation of a large class
of 'drainers about to be employed for the Irish mail

bereiee.
After a few remarks from several noble Lords the
motion was withdraon.

FRI DAY.
The Galway Ilarbour Rill, after • considerable discus-
sion, was read a third time.
Several other Bille were forwarded • stage, after
which their Lordships adjourned at 20 minutes to 8
o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TUESDAY.
The morning sitting was devoted to the detail, of the
Nuisances Re 1111 l sal sod Dieeive,i Prevention Bill, and
the Savings-bauks and Friendly Societies' Investments
Bill.
In the evening,
Mr. COCHK C moved a resolution, that this House
will resolve itself into a cummittie to consider of an
address to Her Majesty, praying that Her Majesty will
be pleased to place the officers, marines, and seamen of
the Beet serving in China on the tome footing a. Her
Majesty's troops with respect to extra pay and allow-
ances.
The motion was seconded by Sir M. Serum:R.
Mr. Uootitase afterwards withdrew the motion.
Mr. W LU moved for leave to bring in a Bill to alter
and amend the law and practice relating to the taking
of votes at elections for members to serve in Parliament,
briefly explaining its object.
Leave was likewise given to introduce the following
Bills :- —A Bill to amend the Law relating to Weights
and Measure* in Ireland a Bill to continue certain I
Turnpike Acts in Great Britten; a Bill to confirm
certain Proviaional Orders, made under an Act of the
lsth year of for present Majeaty, to facilitate arrange-
ment* for the relief of Turnpike Trusts : and a Bill to
continue an Act for authoriaing the application of High-
way Kates to Turnpike Roads.
The Union of Benefices Bill was committed pro

f °nal.
The Home then went into committee upon the
Roman Catholic Charities Bull; but, before the few
clauses had beer, gone through, after a long debate, the
. .

l'hairuian was ordered to report progress.
The remaining orders having been disposed of, the
House adjourned at a quarter to 9 o'clock.

After eonsideruble discnosson the vote was reduced,
at the auggestion of Sir H. WILLOUGHBY, by the sum
of £443,896, to be voted separately.
The vote of £3,356,104 was then agreed to, and the
Chairnian was ordered to report progress, the other vote
being deferred till this day.
On the order for the third reading of the Annuity Tax
Abolition (Edinburgh) Bill,
Mr. DUNLur wooed to defer it for three months.
The 'notion, upon a division. vu negatived by
204 to 17, and the Bill was raid a third time and
passed.
' Other Bills was forwarded a stage. leave vu given to
bring in certain Bills, cud the House adjourned at 12
ininutes to 4 o'clock.

FRIDAY.
The House, after an interval of about eight hours,
mimed its morning sitting, which was eshausted in
the discussion of amendments and new clauses on the
Report upon the Tenure and Improvement of Land
(Ireland) Bill.
In the evening, on the motion.for adjournment till
Monday,
Lord J. Ruasett. in reply to Mr. KINGLAILI, mid the
French Government I ad proposed three different modes
of reconciling the article of the Treaty of Vienna con-
cerning 3,4/viand with the Treaty of Turin; a
conference was one of those modes, and Her Majesty's
Government had no hesitation in accepting it as the
best mole; but it did not appear that any definite
answer ha i livim by the other Powers of Europe.
With reipect to the statement made by Mr. Hinglake,
he observed that what had occurred at the conference. at
Villafranca could have passed only between the two
Sovereigns, no other persons being present, and, though
the Government had received various accounts, more
or less official, as to the general substance of tlie con•
ference, they had not received any account that the
pnvosal alluded to was made.
Mr. WHALLEY called attention to the Excise duty on
paper, and asked the Chanceller of the Exchequer
whether it was his intention to enforce the payment of
the duty.
The Cnasext.toa of the EXCHIQUICR in reply to Mr.
Whalley, said the Government would not be justified in
taking any other course in revect to the Excise duty on
paper than with reference to any other duty.
The House then went into a Committee of Supply,
when the vote of £443,896, for repayment to the Govern-
ment of India of advances on account of former expedi-
tions to China, was agreed to, after a long discussion,
which ranged over a great vanety of topics relative to
the policy of the present and lost wars with China and
to the financial inciaents of this particular vote. In the
course of the discussion,
Mr. Rot:Beck put very pointedly the question to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer how it was that he, who
had denounced in indignant terms the war with China
in 1857, was now an advocate of such a war.
The Cliascli.tim of the EICHEQUICIII replied that the
nature of the two wars was entirely different. With
regard to the present war, he deeply regretted it, and it
hail been undertaker by the Government only in con-
formity with a sense of public duty.
Mr. T. BAKING condemned the war in very strong
terms. The merchants of England, he mid, wanted
commerce with China, and the forcing of the Peilio and
the residence of a Britlth Minister at Pekin would not
benefit the commercial interests of his country.
Lord PALIIILIUSTON replied to Mr. Baring, and juvti-
fied the policy of the Government. He was satisfied,
he sahl, that we should receive from the Emperor of
China a full and formal ratification of the Treaty, and.
no far from this act destroying his Empire, it would, in
his opiniod, rather add to its security. The Govern-
ment had had no choice, and the only question would
be whether they bad adopted means adequate to procure
redress, and those means bad been properly applied.
The Game Certificates, lac., Bill' and the Common
Law Procedure (Ireland) Act (1853) Amendment Bill
pamed the Committee.
Other Rills were advanced their respective stages,
and, the remaining business having been disposed of,
the Houle adjourned at 23 minutes put 2 o'clock until
Monday.