The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-23 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.---YESTERDAY,

The Speaker took the chair at five o'clock.
Lord PALMERSTON moved that the House, at its rising,
adjourn till Thursday, and gave notice that, on that day, he
abould move for the appointment of a Select Committee to
'"amine the journals of the House of Lords, and on Friday,
4,40 r the appointment of another committee to search for prece-
Thentt as to the proceedings of that House in rejecting the Bill
Repealing the Excise Duty on Paper. It was, he said,
.Portant that the facts should be ascertained, but hedis •
claimed all intention of taking any step which should bring
e two Houses into collision.
Lord NAAS called attention of the House to the state of the
°.riviet establishment at Bermuda, ae detailed in the report
the
before Parliament, and to ask the Secretary of State for
'IIC Home Department whether it is the intention of Govern-
bleht to send anymore convicts to that island. The establish-
Inent of Bermuda was a national, disgrace. There was no
l'roper provision for the prisoners, no accommodation for the
'officers, and no order in the arrangements; all the vices of
the old system seemed to be concentrated in this single esta-
blishment. It could easily be reformed after the improved plan
which was now in operation in Ireland, and which had there
worked admirably.
Mr. WitALLev, adverting to the rejection by the Lords of
the Paper Duty Bill, asked if the motion for the appointment
of a committee was the only step which could be taken in
reference to this unprecedented and important proceeding?
Sir G. C. Lewes, amid much laughter, replied curtly that he
had nothing to add to the statement of Lord Palmerston.
Passing on to Burmuda, he admitted that the confinement of
to many prisoners there in the hulks, the -consequence of the
want of prison accommodation elsewhere, was no doubt
objectionable. The question, however, was one of expense,
and the proper time for discussing it would be when the prison
vote came before them. The house would then decide if
further buildings should be erected or not.
Sir J. I'min:owe complained that this answer was scarcely
setisfactory some steps ought to be taken.
Mr. Diosv SEYMOUR reverted to the paper duty question ;
and asked if the Government was in earnest. If so, why did
they not move for the committee that night ?
Lord PALMERSTON, as curtly as Sir C. Lewis, said that he
law no reason for departing from his proposed course.
On, the motion of Lord Palmerston, the existing arrange-
raents on the order of baSiReSS were continued after Whit-
suntide.
Sir J. TRELAWSET obtained leave to introduce a bill to esta-
blish county financial boards for the assessing of county rates,
and for the administration of county expenditure in England
and Wales.
Mr. BAXTER moved a resolution that this House is of opinion
that the grant now annually made to non-conforming ministers
in Ireland, commonly called the Begium Donurn, should cease
and be extinguished as speedily as is consistent with the just
elPectations of the recipients thereof ; and with this view, that
no further grant be made on account of new congregations nor
tl any existing congregations after the present ministers thereof
shall have ceased, by death or otherwise, to be the ministers of
such congregations.
Mr. CROSSLEY seconded the motion, disclaiming, all intention
of interfering with vested interests, but calling upon all sects
to support their own pastors as they would their ow/e house-
holds.

Mr. CoNotLv moved, as an amendment, to omit the latter
raft of the resolution, and to add words to the effect that the
tharge should be removed from the estimates, and placed upon
The Consolidated Fund. After due consideration from the
house, he protested against members who quitted their proper
'There to interfere in the affairs of Ireland.
Mr. R. P. DAwsoN, seconded the amendment. lie contended
that the State had been a great gainer by the grant, in the
IYrality, order, and the loyalty of the Irish Pr:sbytcrians,
which saved the expense of gaols and police.

CARDWELL opposed both the motion and the amend-
Cent. None who were not prepared to carry out the volun-
tarp principle to the full extent could object to this grant,
Vhich had lasted through so many centuries. Ho trusted
that the general question of ecclesiastical endowments would
not be opened by further pressing an attack on that exemplary
body, the Presbyterian ministers of Ireland, but that the
Question would be settled summarily as had been that of May-
1130th.
The amendment having been negatived without a division,
the Rouse divided on the original motion, which was rejected
by 117 to IS.

_„.
Mr. COBBLTT called the attention of the House to the report
the select committee on the office of coroner; and moved
-r leave to bring in a bill hi conformity with the recommen-
dations in the report of the said committee. The main object
df the bill was to cause coroners to be paid by salaries instead
451 fees.

Sir G. C. LEwis would not oppose the introduction of the
bill, and would place his own bill for discussion on the same
day. -

Leave was given.
Sir F. Salmi was moving for committee to enquire into the
itate of the gunboats, when the hiotsp was coußtsout.