The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-14 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

meats where they were shut up out of sight or
hearing of their friends, or even conveyed away to
some affiliated institution on the Continent, without
leaving a trace of their destiny for the satisfaction of
their relatives. Citing several instances of this de-
scription in support of his proposed bill, the hon.
member explained its machinery to he the appoint-
ment of inspectors under Government authority, who
were to have the power, in company with some jus-
tice of the peace, "to visit and inspect" any house or
building where there was reasonable ground for
believing that females were kept in a state of coercion
and restraint.
Mr. C. BERKEIXV, who seconded the motion, stated
that similar systems of inspection already existed in
every Catholic country, Spam and Italy alone excepted.
Mr. liowvEn denied the truth of the statements on
which the measure was Jimmied, and even their pos-
sibility. The bill would, in fact, destroy the conven-
tual establishments, whose superiors could not endure
to live under constant surveillance by a Government
officer, and the result would be that Catholic ladies
of the higher ranks would be driven out of the country.
Mr. Sergeant Munettv declared that the law as it
stood was amply sufficient. The suggested alteration
was insulting to his religion. He utterly denied the
allegations of compulsion or suffering among the
inmates of conventual establishments.
Mr. NEWDEGATE argued upon inference that both
suffering and compulsion were possible, and from
evidence that they were inflicted to a serious degree.
Lord J. RussEt.t. regretted that the subject had
been mooted; thought the evidence on which
the bill was based too slight ; and could not consent
to violate the rights of privacy and add a rider to
the habeas Corpus Act without clearer proof that
such strong measures were necessary.
Mr. 11. .1)m• tso apprehended that the bill
would be utterly inefficacious. Legislation could do
nothing to counteract the monastic system or winnow
out the good from the bad in it. Nothing would do
except utter abolition ; but for this he feared that the
country was not prepared.
31r. WarrEsiDE considered the bill insufficient,
because it omitted the subject of property, which he
contended as smelt required protection as per-
sons, from the persuasive and compulsive measures
employed in the convents.
Mr. FAteAs was convinced that the bill, if passed,
would sound a tuesin of religious feud and discord in
Ireland.
Lord Ct,AunE HAmitaos and Sir R. H. INGEts sup-
ported the motion.
The house, on dividing, granted leave to bring in
the bill by a majority of 188 to 115-13.
DWELLINGS FOR THE LABOURING cLASSES.
The Lords, on the proposition of the Earl of
SfiArrEsurev, have agreed to the following resolution
by way of standing order :
That before the first reading of any hill for making any work
in the eonstritetion of which compulsory porter is sought to take
thirty houses or more inhabited by the labouring classes in any
one parish or idace, the promoters be required to deposit in the
Alec of the Clerk of the Parliaments a statement of the ber,
description, and situation of the said houses, the number far
ILA elm he estimated) of persona to he displaced, and w tether
any and what Kt 'vision is made in the hill for remedying the in-
n covenience likely to arise front sudt displacement, in order to
its being 111114ie a standiug order."
This resolution, according to the noble lord, will go
far to obviate the heavy complaints which had been
made of the privations su&red by the working classes,
whose habitations were swept away in the course of
metropolitan improvements, and would serve nearly
all the purposes of a specific bill upon the subject.

sIIEHIFFs' coUlas kScoTLAND) BILL.
Mr. envwrono on Wednesday moved the second
reading of this bill. He then explained the nature
end functions of the offices of Sheriff-substitute and
Sheriff depute, and the reforms contemplated by his
bill in these local courts, which embraced the aboli-
tion of the system of double sheriffs, or the appor-
tionment of judicial business between the several
grades of judges ; the reduction of the number of
appeals, limiting them to matters of law ; and the
partial introduction of juries.
Mr. Cowvx, objecting to the abolition of the
double system, moved that the bill be read a second
time that day six months.
A debate ensued. confined chiefly to Scottish
members. and turning upon the expediency of
abolishing the office of the non-resident sheriff; the
comparative merits of the bill of the Lord Advocate
and the present ; and the propriety of referring the
latter to the select committee to which the former
had been referred, giving the committee power to take
evidence.
ultimately. the horse divided, and the second
reading was negatived by a majority of 184 to 58.
ELECTIONS mu.
The object of this measure is to limit the expense
of elections by diminishing the time allowed to
elapse between the receipt of the precept and the
day of nomination, and which time is generally
spent in canvassing, with the too common result of
aggravating corruption among the electors and ex-
penditure among the candidates. Mr. BUTT On

SATURDAY,

Wednesday moved the second reading of the bill,
which, after a brief debate, was agreed to without
opposition.
ELECTIONS.
Pt.vuorrit.—Mr. Aw.toNtev, un Tuesday, stated that the Col.ll.
milieu on the Plymouth petition had found Mr. Collier duly
elected, and Mr. Mare not duly elected, to terve the borough in
Parliament. The committee had also tonne to a resolution that
Mr. Mare. both by himself and agents, had been guilty of bribery
by promising situations to voters, with a View of Influencing
their votes. On the second day Mr. Mare, by his counsel, had de-
clared that he could no longer defend his seat: but, taking hue.
account the extent of the allegations respecting bribery. the
committee had thought it their duty to recommend further
inquiry.
BARNSTAPI.E.—Mr. tt. STANLEY, on Tuesday, moved for and
obtained au address to her Majesty for the appointment of a
cot ttttt ission to inquire into the corrupt practice's which
took
place
at the late election for dae borough of littruttople.

'FRE FISE ARTS.
The Earl of MALMEMIUItY, ou MOlltilty, vaned the attention of
the chief tuiui,.ter tO the very important tittle of pictures belong-
ing to the late King of the French. Part Mal been already sold,
and within the next three weeks 4450 or IWO more were to he
brought to the hammer. Among them were some of great value
as works of art, as the powlueti 111 l Of masters whose works we
did not possess in any doges, front the 1111 l In which they
were painted, or other attributes of curiosity, or beauty. He
asked whether the Government had taken any steps towards as.
rest g whether tiny of these pictures were worthy the often•
don of t his COUlltry ?
The Earl of AISEHIMEN believed that one of the pictures re-
ferred to had been already purchased for the National Gallery.
The Marquis of Ltssoowst; said no facilities were given at
the Mae, Mid the consequence Wan dist only tate picture was
bought.

FARMERS' ASSESSMENTS.
Sir F. KELLY having inquired whether. in the WSW lueonne Tax
Bill, au►y clause would be introduced giving fanners an option of
11104,41.1111e11t either upon thu basis of rent or real profit, at their
discretion,
The CHANCELLOU Of the EXCHEQUER did not think it necessary
to introduce any new clause on the imbject. The tannin* who
objected to be tv...ieaseill iteeonling Up the rnlepnwided in aelueiltdo
B haul the power of appealing, and of requiting, under that
appeal, to lie 11,,9OtINed Oh the actual Honig. Ile WII3 out aware
that any MOM indulgent arrangement could be made.

MANNING THE NAVY.
Sir 6. PECIIEI.I. ilii1111114( what 'depot hail been taken for ear.
',Mg inn the recommendations of the report of the committee Oil
nuunriult the navy, which was presented on the :Al instant ?
Sir eiAMI:I4 GRAHAM said that the report in question would be in
the hands of member% very speedily. and it wax his intention,
lumtediately thereafter, to move lla• leave to bring in two bills
founded on that report.
AIM:WISING VANS.

In reply to Mr. MAxot.i:s,
Mr. Frrznoy stated that ht• Wlll4 eittletvowiug to 81111pe a
clause in the Haekney Carriages Bill to meet this evil. I was
not very easy to define what an advertising can was, but lie hoped
ui /14•COMpliSil

fat* an 6olonial

FIRNCE.
From our own Correspondent.]

PARIS, May 11.

The health of the Empress continues to mend,
and she will shortly leave the Tuileries for St. Cloud,
her favourite residence. Towards the end of summer
she is recommended to visit " Les Elms hommes,"
near the Pyrenees. The Emperor continues to
e►tjoy perfect health.
The Mnniteur contains a decree prolonging the
session of the Corps Legislatif, which ought to have
closed the 13th inst., to Saturday, the 2Sth of May.

• A camp of instruction is to be formed oa the plain
of Satory, near Versailles. The Minister at War
has authorised General Ca.stellane to get up a sham
siege at Lyons, to instruct the troops under his
command in siege operations. But the camp at St.
Omer will he more interesting to British officers and
amateurs ;—firstly, as new tactics and manonivres
are to be put in practice there ; and secondly, as it is
so near the coast, affording so easy an access through

Calais.
The report on the budget affected to the service of
1454 is in equilibritun

Francs.

1,04t48,0m9
Receipts 5l
,5 1 1i.t4•20,4 59
.Expensys

le4
The vote of the Belgian Chamber on the increase
of the effective of the army to 100000 men, and the
journey of the King of the Belgians and his son to
Berlin and Vienna, are viewed!here as forerunners of
a new holy alliance against France, if not aggressive,
at. all events defensive. In the beau =lute nothing
is talked of but the turning-tables, that dance, waltz,
and Polk, and even talk, as is affirmed. At an " ex-
perience" at the Tuileries lately the experiment failed.
At Mrs. Tudor's soiree, under the direction of the
Count de Nieukirke, it succeeded perfectly. M. de
l'Aage published a little book on the turning-tables,
which sold to the amount of 3,000 in a few days. So
much for the credulity of our Parisian society, only
to be equalled by the Irish Brigade on a recent occa-
sion, who served to turn the tables, and got cheated
and tined for their pains.
Risum teneatio amici.

Four commi,lsioners extraordinary- have been sent
into the departments, charged by the Emperor with a
special mission, whose results, it is reported, they are

MAY 14, 1853.

to communicate only to himself. They have been
directed to place themselves in relation with all local
functionaries of note, with all persons of a certain
standing in each department, and with the principal
manufacutrers. Sze., in order to inquire into the poli-
tical and moral situation of the country, and to dis-
cover what ameliorations are possible, what evils
exist, and what dangers may threaten the Government.
The state of the Empress's health appears to have
thrown some doubt over the projected imperial tour
through the southern departments. On Monday she
is reported to have left her bed for the first time
since the commencement of her illness.
The session of the Corps Ugislotif has been
prolonged to the :PAIL.
The Government have agreed to the proposition
made to the Chamber by M. Bitlault, for re-establishing
the penalty of death for certain political crimes.
The campaign against the Kabyles is about to
commence. The troops which take part in the ex-
',edition are concentrated at Aumale and at Setiti. '
The Governor-General left, Algiers on the Nth inst.,
to tale the command of the army.
The Emperor has agreed to grant the request of
the Dramatic Authors' Society, presented by M.
Scribe and M. Empis, that the widows of authors
shall enjoy during their lives the rights of property
possessed by their husbands, with reversion to heirs
of thirty years' possession.
The committee on the budget have presented their
report, declaring it to be " the most eloquent com-
mentary that could be given upon that memorable
phrase which has echoed throughout Europe—' The
Empire is Peace.' " Among the reductions proposed
by the Government and sanctioned by the committee
are. 1010,00 K on public works, 100,000 f. on the war
estimates, and :MAK. on the imperial colleges.
Thus the budget has been made to assume at last a
favourable equilibrium ; the total of estimated pay-
ments being 1.516 millions, while the anticipated
revenue amounts to 1,320 millions.
- -

A convention was signed on Tuesday by the Minis
tern of France and Bavaria respecting the service of
the electric telegraph between those two countries,
by which a reduced scale of charges is established.
A project of law for the establishment of an elec-
tric telegraph between France and Algiers has been
presented.
The bill to grant a pension of 300,000 f. a year to
the widow of Marshal Ney has been received by the
Legislative Chamber with some disfavour, but will
probably be passed.
The inconveniences caused by the extensive demo-
litions of dwelling-houses continue to be much felt.
The common price of a working man's night's lodg-
ing is 10 sous, instead of 3or 4, which it was till
lately. A number of operatives employed at the
Louvre lately petitioned the Emperor on the subject,
and obtained a promise that their complaints should
have serious consideration. It is understood that
M. Visconti, the architect, has received an order to
build on Government ground lodgings for 0,(000 work •
men, which are to be let at 4 sous a night.
l'aris trade has improved a good deal within the
hist. few days, and the activity observed, especially
in the fashionable millinery and tailoring establish-
ments particularly, is nearly equal to the brilliant
season last year. The cabinetmakers of the Fau-
bourg SL Antoine have received numerous orders ;
and the jewellers and dealers in bronze and fancy
articles are busy. and not dissatisfied. The orders
of the latter are for the departments and for abroad,
partticnlarly from South America.
The Count de Chamford is reported to have ap-
plied to the Credit Fonder Company for a loan of
MOM) francs on his estate of Chambord, to which
the French Government, after having been consulted,
declared it had no objection. As the count has a
large income, and, according to report, lives much
within it, it is suspected that his legal advisers
imagine the possibility of the same course being pur-
sued towards him as towards the Orleans branch,
and have therefore recommended him to adopt a
precaution which would probably avert such a
measure, or at the worst prevent his being a loser of
the entire value of the property.
A new Court journal appeared on Sunday last,
called L'Abeille Inykriale, Journal de hi Cour. The
first article is signed by 31. Marco de St. Hilaire.
The Pavillon Marbo•uf, in the Champs Elysees, the
property of the well-known journalist, M. thrardin,
of the I'resse, is to be sobl, to make room for the
improvements in that quarter—at the valued price
of 530,0(.)0 francs, being 26,400 for the materials, and
50:000 for the land, consisting of 2,:ilN mitres. at
100 francs the metre. 31. de Girardin has occupied
the pavilion for nearly fifteen years.
A fall of earth took place a few days back in the
tunnel of hilly, on the Rheints branch of the Stras-
burg Railway, now in course of construction. Seven-
teen workmen were buried, but after ten hours' nu
interrupted labour they were ding out. Nine of the
men were found to be dead, four were very badly in-
jured, two were slightly hurt, and two are without
injury.