The Press.
London, England, 1857-07-11 00:00:00

V rett6ings is V arliantent.

HOUSE OF LORDS—MONDAY.
EMIGRATION FROM AFRICA OF FREE NEGROES.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY, in reply to a remark
from Lord Brougham, that the project of importing
into the West India Islands free negroes from Africa
ought to be carefully and scrupulously watched, said
some short time ago he introduced a deputation to
Lord Palmerston, the object of which had been
entirely misunderstood. The great object of that
deputation was to impress upon the Prime Minister the
progress of the slave trade, and the necessity of taking
measures to prevent it, not on the shores of Africa,
but of Cuba, by means of gunboats, and they suggested
that it would be wise to consider whether some means
should be taken for the purpose of providing free
labour. That was a mere matter for consideration,
and the gentlemen composing the deputation gave
their opinion to Lord Palmerston. But he (Lord
Shaftesbury) did not hesitate to say, as far as he
was concerned, and he believed he might say it for
the members of the deputation, that the endeavour
to set up any scheme of that sort to import negroes
from any part of the world would be, to all intents
and purposes, the revival of the slave trade.
The Earl of MALMESBURY should be sorry if their
lordships should run away with the idea that if some
plan or other were adopted, or could be discovered,
for getting free labourers from Africa, that that was
necessarily a renewal of the slave trade. If that
were clearly shown, he should say there was an end
of the matter; but on the score both of policy and
humanity the question was worthy the consideration
of those who wished to take a broad and statesman-
like view of the subject. He hoped her Majesty's
Government would decide not to take it for granted
that any experiment made by the French Govern-
ment must inevitably result in the revival of the
slave trade.

..........—.
The Earl of CLARENDON said he had made in-
quiries, and understood that the contract, as it was
approved by the French Government, was for free
labourers and not for slaves; but he believed there
was no plan that could be adopted without involving
directly or indirectly the revival of the slave trade.
Therefore, no plan of this sort, however well it
might be said to be devised, could be adopted with
safety.

THE CIVIL SERVICE IN INDIA.

The Marquis of CrAtraicAz= moved for certain
returns connected with the civil service of the East
India Company. He said he took it for granted that
they ought very soon to have a general inquiry into
the condition of the administration of the Indian
Government. He believed that these returns would
give information of considerable importance, when
they entered on the investigation which he conceived
to be inevitable.

The Earl of ALBEIIIRLE hoped they would have
the assurance of her Majesty's Government that a
searching inquiry should be made into the civil
service of India, iu all its branches. He believed it
would be necessary to change their policy with regard
to India, and especially in one point, which appeared
to have had the approbation of most of the states-
men of this country—he meant that of annexing the
territories of native princes :
About a year and a quarter ago he had a long conversa-
tion with an intelligent native of India, concerning the
last annexation, that of Onde ; and the gentleman in ques-
tion said, " You will have disaffection among your native
troops." He said there were, he understood, MAO men,
not of the peasant class, but what we should call yeomen—
small landowners, who were the most inflammable material
that could possibly be conoeived, that they were of the
highest cute of Hindoos. In addition to this, they had
great privileges of which they had been necessarily deprived
by the annexation of their country to our own. When
Oude was annexed we followed the same system that we
bad introduced into the north-western provinces. We
and the

made a survey of every man's property, _ *ones-
qnence was that an inquiry would be made into the title of
50,000 of these sepoys. He understood that then) were
already 40,000 petitions from the sepoys of that territory.
He menttoned this to show the necessity of inquiring very
minutely into this system. That morning he had received
a native newspaper in which there was a copy of a leading
article from another native paper, speaking of the great
irritation to which the survey had given rise.

The Duke of ARGYLL said there was no objection
to the returns moved for.

The motion was then agreed to.
The Sound Dues and the Site of Workhouses Bills
passed through committee.
The Earl of DERBY presented petitions from Mr.
Lewis, of Carman henshire, and from the Llanelly
Railway Company, complaining of the vexatious
manner in which the Crown rights were exercised to
certain lands lying between high and low water mark
on the Welsh seashore. The subject was enforced
by the noble lord in a speech of considerable length,
followed by a debate, in which Lord Stanley of
Alderley, Lord Wynford, the Lord Chancellor, Lord
Brougham, and other peers, briefly massed their

HOUSE OF COMMONS--MOSDAY.
THE CAMBRIDGE PETMON.
Mr. DEASY reported from the committee on the
Cambridge election that the sitting member was
declared duly elected.

BENGAL MILITARY FUND.
Viscount Gonztuat gave notice that he should
postpone the motion which stood in his name. It
was first on the paper for Tuesday, viz.: " To call
the attention of the house to the present state of the
Bengal Military Fund, and to the relations existing
between the East India Company and that fund, and
to move for a select committee to inquire into the
subject." The noble viscount was proceeding to state
his reasons for the postponement, when he was called
to order.
STATUE OF RICHARD COVYR DE LION.

Sir B. Him., in reply to Mr. Mulkey whether any
decision had yet been made as to the spot where the
statue of Richard Coeur de Lion, by Baron Mare-
chetti, purchased by subscription, and presented to
the nation in 1850, was to be erected, said no deci-
sion hsd yet been arrived at as to the exact spot
where the statue should be placed, but Carlton-
gardens had been suggested.
PETTY SESSIONS IN IRELAND.
Mr. H. HERBERT, in reply to Sir G. Forster, said
it was his intention to bring in a measure to provide
for payment of petty-sessions clerks by salary in place
of fees, as at present.

NATIONAL GALLERY.
Mr. WiLsox, in reply to Mr. Stirling u to the name
of the artist or amateur upon whose recommendation
the collection of pictures formed by Herr Kruger was
purchased for the National Gallery, said the purchase
was made, not by the advice or with the know-
ledge of the trustees as a body, but under the imme-
diate advice of Mr. Dyce. There had, previously to
such advice being given, been reports published
of the quality and value of collection.
NEW WRITS.
Sir G. GREY, in the absence of the noble viscount
the First Lord of the Treasury, moved—

That in all cases when the seat of any member has been
declared void by an election committee on the ground of
bribery or treating, no motion for the issuing of a new
writ than be made without two days' previous notice being
given in the votes.

Thit arrangement would give the house ample time
to ascertain whether there was any cause to suspend
the writ.

Mr. DISRAELI said he bad considered the resoln-
tion now proposed, and he saw nothing in it that was
not perfectly just and expedient.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE moved by way of amendment
that the term of " seven days," originally proposed,
be substituted for " two days."
Upon a division the original resolution was carried
by 190 to 138.
PROBATES AND LETTERS Or ADMINISTRATION BILL.
The house then resolved itself into a committee
upon this bill, after a short and desultory discus.
sion, chiefly upon the subject of compensation to
officers.
Oa the 2nd (interpretation) clause, in which the
" Court of Probate " is first mentioned,
Mr. COLLIER proposed the first of a series of
amendments, the object of whish, he said, was, that
as the superior courts of common law were by the
bill to be intrusted with nine-tenths of the contentious
jurisdiction, they should have the other tenth, and
that the non-contentious business should be trans-
acted by a registrar and officers, under the control of
the courts of common law. In order to raise the
question, he moved that the word " office " be sub-
stituted for " court," in relation to common firm
business. ' •
The Arronser-Gzintaileropposed the amendments,
observing that tie hiediesee of a Court of Probate
required great experience, great sere, and very eon•
siderable knowledge of the mode of transacting it,
and that if transferred to the fifteen judges there
might be contradictory decisions, even if their occu-
pations admitted, which be did not believe, of their
undertaking this additional business.
Mr. COLLIER ultimately withdrew the amend-
meats.
On the sth clause, which contained a proviso that
the present judge of the Prerogative Court shall be
the first judge of the Court of Probate,
Sir F. KELLY moved the omission of this proviso.
The Arronintir-GxwEssz. acknowledged that it
imposed upon the learned judge of the Prerogative
Court an office which he might not desire to accept.
The proviso was expunged.
In the 84th dense, giving an appeal to the Hasse
of Lords, the words " requiring en intermediate
appeal to her Majesty in Council " were omitted.
Mr. Meuse moved that the ultimate Appal*
Court be the Judicial Committee of She P/
Ootmoil—igiot the Howe of Lords. -1 rebo4,,„

This motion was opposed by the Soucrros-
GENZIAL and other members, and upon a division it
was negatived by 271 to 27.
On the 40th clause, enacting that probates and
administration to have effect in all parts of England
may be granted in common form by district registrars,
when the estate of the deceased is under 1,5001.
personal,
Mr. WESTEIF.AD moved to amend the clause by
omitting the limitation, and malting the probate
cover all personalty, wherever situate.
The ATTORNEY GENERAL said the greatest possible
danger would be incurred, and great alarm would be
occasioned to public bodies, if so large an authority
were given to district registrars.
The retention of the words containing the limita-
tion was negatived by 102 to 131—a majority o 31
against the Government.
The ATTORNEY•GENERAL said this vote would
destroy the bill, and he would give the house an
opportunity of reconsidering its most unfortunate
vote.

The committee then divided upon the amendment
moved by Mr. Westhead, to insert the words "and
that such probate or letters of administration shall
cover all personalty wherever situate," when the
amendment was carried by 141 to 139—a majority of
2 against the Government.
The Chairman was then ordered to report progress.
The house then went into committee upon the
Summary Proceedings before Justices of the Peace
Bill ; but, after a long discussion upon an incl.
dental point, the Chairman was ordered to report
progress.
The report of the Committee of Supply was brought
up and agreed to.
The Attorneys and Solicitors (Colonial Courts)
Bill passed through committee.
The Constabulary Force (Ireland) Bill was read a
third time and passed.
The Land Tax Commissioners' Names Bill was
read a second time.
The Smoke Nuisance (Scotland) Abatement Bill
was read a second time.
Sir J. RAMSDEN brought in a bill to suspend the
making of lists for the militia.
Mr. WiLsox obtained leave to bring in a bill to
regulate life•insurance offices.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of,
and the house adjourned at a quarter to two o'clock .

HOUSE OF LORDS-Tv
THE IRISH PEERS.

Lord REDESDALE brought in s bill on the subject
of the oaths taken by the (Ash peers, and it was
read a first time.

Lord KINWAIRD moved that this bill be referred to
a select committe3 under the standing order No. 176,
respecting bills regulating trade. The noble lord
stated that up to a recent period the custom was to
hire and pay ooalwhippers at public-houses; but,
owing to the demoralising effects of that practice, a
bill was brought in by Mr. Gladstone establishing
an office. That bill, after having been renewed two
or three times, was allowed to expire last year, a
deputation of coalowners having waited on the noble
lord the President of the Board of Trade and under-
taken to establish an office of their own. From a
letter in the Gateshead Observer, however, and from
other circumstances, he (Lord Kinnaird) had reason
to believe that the old system was being revived, and
he appealed to their lordships to grant him a com-
mittee, as an act of justice and of humanity, and he
might add, when he remembered the loyalty of
these men on the 10th of April, as an act of
gratitude.
Lord &mune of ALDIRLEY objected to the pro-
posal in the first place because it was really a private
and not a public bill which the noble lord sought to
introdu9e. The coalowners had objected to the bill
because it intetfered with the very first principle of
political economy, and because it prevented them
bum obtaining as good labourers as they could have
done ut the open wirer. He thought the experi-
ment had not been fairly tried, and was unwilling to
open the question at the present time.
Lord Iliveeswonta believed the bill to be repug-
nant to the first principles of political economy, and
thought that no sufficient ground had been shown to
induce their lordships to assent to the motion.
The Bishop of OXFORD said this was not an inter-
flambee between the labourer and the employer, but
en endeavour to set the labour market free from a
particular kind of tyranny which c.3uld only be
reached by legislation. The question now was,
whether inquiry should be granted or stifled, and he
trdsted their lordships would agree to the appoint-
meat of the committee.
Lord ORLIVIILLR objected to the appointment of a
committee, and Lord Knixtran divided the house,
when Government were defeated by 31 to 27.
The Sound Dues Bill, on the motion of the Earl
of Cumin:poet won read a third time and passed.

E PRES Et, Juts 11,1857,
lopinions. The petitions were then ordered W lie on

Their lordships adjourned at seven o'clock.

670

The Sites for Workhouses Bill, on the motion of
the Earl of HAILSOWBY, was also read a third time
and passed.

COUNTY COURTS.
Lord BROUGHAM called the attention of the Lord
Chancellor to the efficient manner in which the
judges and other officers of the county courts
discharged their laborious duties, and moved for
certain returns connected with the sittings of those
courts.

.............
The LORD CHANCELLOR concurred in the remarks
made by Lord Brougham, and
The returns were agreed to.
Their lordships adjourned at five minutes past
seven o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—TuEnDAY.

At the morning sitting, the house devoted itself to
the consideration of the
BURIAL. ACTS ANENDISENT BU.L.
Clauses 1 and 2 were agreed to with some amend-
ments.

On clause 3,
Mr. KNIGHT moved an amendment, the effect of
which he stated would be to enable local boards of
health to assume the powers of a burial board, in the
same manner as a town council could.

The clause was amended accordingly, and
agreed to.
Clause 4 was agreed to.
Clause 5 was expunged.
Clauses U to 15 were agreed to.
On clause 16 the word " tour " was introduced to
limit the bodies in one grave to that number.
The house then resumed.

NEW MEMBER.

Major GORDON, the new member for Banffshire,
took the oaths and his seat.

The house suspended its sitting at four p.m., and
resumed at six p.m.

THE ORDNANCE SURVEY.
Mr. Wn.sow, in reply to Lord Elcho as to the
scale it was now intended to proceed with the survey
of towns in Great Britain and Ireland, said thai.
when the survey of the rural districts was extended
to the scale of twenty-five inches, the survey of the
towns was raised to the scale of ten feet to the mile.
It had gone on to the present time, and was now
proceeding on that scale. It was quite obvious that
the surveys in progress must be completed on that
scale.

THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

Mr. WILSON, in reply to Mr. Coningham whether
it was the intention of the Government to remove
the Royal Academy from Trafalgar square, said the
whole of this matter was yet undecided, because the
report of the commission appointed to inquire into
the site of the National Gallery had not yet been
presented. He was not aware that any intention at
present existed of removing the Royal Academy ;
certainly no such decision bad been arrived at.

ISTHMUS OF SUEZ CANAL.
Mr. H. BERKELEY put the following question to
the First Lord of the Treasury :
Whether her Majesty's Government would use its in-
fluence with his Highness the Sultan in support of an
application which had been made by the Viceroy of Egypt
for the sanction of the Sublime Porte to the construction
of a ship-canal across the Isthmus of Suez, for which a
concession had been granted by the Viceroy of Egypt to
M.
,Ferdinand de Lesseps, and which had received the
approbation of the principal cities, ports, and commercici
towns in the United Kingdom ; and, if any objection be
entertained by her Majesty's Government to the under-
taking, to state the grounds of such objection.

Viscount PALMERSTON said that the Government
certainly could not undertake to use their influence
with the Sultan to induce him to give permission for
the construction of this canal, because for the last
fifteen years the Government bad used all the in-
fluence they could bring to bear to prevent that
scheme being carried into execution. He believed
that the scheme was not only not practicable, but
physically impracticable, except at an expense which
would be far greater than any return that was likely
to be derived from it. The scheme was founded
upon hostility to the interests of this country, and
upon opposition to the standing policy of England
in regard to the connection of Egypt with Turkey—
s policy which bad been consecrated by the late war
with Russia, and by the Treaty of Paris. The whole
political tendency of the scheme was to render more
easy the separation of Egypt from Turkey. It was
founded also upon remote speculations with regard
to easier access to our Indian possessions, which he
need only shadow forth, because they would be
obvious to anybody who paid attention to the subject.
The project had been launched some fifteen years
ago, as a rival to the scheme of a railway from Alex-
andria by way of Cairo to Suez, which was far more
practicable.