The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-16 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1855.

POSTSCRIPT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—FRIDAY.
On the motion for the recommitment of the Reli-
gious Worship Bill,
The Earl of DERBY moved for a select committee
to inquire into the actual state of the law on the
subject, and into the expediency of relaxing or dis-
pensing with it. He held that no practical incon-
venience resulted from the law, and the house should
pause before it did away with all restriction, and left
no protection to what it was the intention of the law
t) defend.
Earl Granville and the Earl of Shaftesbury having
spoken in favour of the bill, and the Bishop of

Oxford against it, Lord Derby's amendment was
carried by 47 to 30.
Adjourned at half-past seven.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY.

On the motion for adjournment till Monday,
Mr. OTWAY asked Lord Palmerston what stipula-
tions had been made by certain members of the
Government when they joined it with regard to the
stipulations to he made to Russia.
Lord PALMERSTON replied that the Government
would make no stipulation a sine qud non of peace.
All conditions would rest upon the events of the war,
and the Government would nit be pledged to any
course.

Mr. DISRAELI was averse to inquiring into circum-
stances connected with the formation of the Govern-
ment, hut Lord Palmerston, having referred to a
stipulation, could not be surprised at questions like
the present, which he thought Mr. Otway justified in
putting.
In this Mr. GLADSTONE agreed, adding that to his
knowledge no such stipulation had been made. He
regretted that he could not state all the circum-
stances connected with the matter which he had
heard, as vague statements were injurious to all
concerned.
Mr. LAYARD then rose to move the amendment of
which he had given notice. After referring to the
markeddyeeling of the country in favour of Admi-
nistrative Reform, he denied that his motion
could in any way influence the conduct of the
war, and contended that such a task was neces-
sarily undertaken by a civilian, as military men
hesitated from obvious reasons in coming for-
ward themselves. He should, he said, proceed
to glance at the three governmental depart
ments—the army, the diplomatic, and the civil
services. With respect to the first, after reading
letters from military men in authority approving of
the course he had taken, he adduced a multitude of
instances of meritorious officers left without promo-
tion, and of the improper advancement of men who
had no other recommendation than connection. He
declaimed against staff abuses, and undue promotion
of staff officers, which disheartened the rest of the
army. He proposed, as part remedies, the throwing
open for ever a free commission to all those which had
passed without purchase, which, since the commence-
ment of the war, had been more than half the entire
number. Then all the privileges of the staff must

be abolished. In all this the Government bad dou
•
nothing. He then came to the diplomatic service'
which had become a mere vehicle for favoritism,
and adduced the relative number of persons col.-
fleeted with noble families as compared with that of 01-
dinary persons, and instanced men of high qualifici-
lions lett to languish in subordinate situations. He cot!
tended that some proof of ability should be required,
that every one should be paid, and that advancement
should take place by merit. As for the consular
service, men were made consuls for the most extra-
ordinary reasons. They never rose, while many of
them were most able men. Then there were the
consular agents, men of unknown nationalities, who
made their money by selling protection. Next the
civil se vice, which passed in great measure into the
hands of men without talent, appointed from political
connections or from political reasons, and he read the
evidence of high authorities, to show the extent to
which this was carried. The late order in council
did not meet the case, as it did not provide for a
competing examination, and no one was rejected on
account of it. He read the items of examination
at the several offices to show their incompleteness,
and argued that without proper means of testing the
examinations they would always be a failure. With
this view he urged that the examinations should be
open. This, he said, would be a great relief to
members of the house, from the claims made by
their constituents on their influence. Adverting to
the question of pay, he argued that if the number of
unqualified officials were reduced, those qualified
cotfld be properly paid. It was owing to this state of
things that recent disasters were due, and our
last successes were not of sufficient importance to in-
spire confidence in the Government which could only
be done by a thorough reform in all branches of
administration. The hon. member concluded by
moving the following resolution :
That this house views with deep concern the state of
the nation, and is of opinion that the manner in which
merit and efficiency have been sacrificed, in public ap-
pointments, to party and family influences, and a blind
adherence to routine, has given rise to great misfortunes.
Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE said that DO remedy had
been proposed by Mr. Layard for admitted evils.
Arguing that routine was necessary for the good
working of the several offices, he said that an
actual routine was a bad one, and that when ap-
pointments were made we did not make the most of
our men. They were excluded from rising by merit,