The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

the demand for the raw material had overtaken the
supply, and that we must look to India to make up
the deficiency. If the cotton was raised from the
American instead of the indigenous seed, the
quantity as well as value of the wool would be greatly
increased.
Mr. R. MANGLES stated that the productive powers
of India were such that it was sending to England a
much greater amount than England could pay for.
India would supply England with all the cotton she
wanted, if the Manchester men would take care to
send their agents to India to seek it ; in fact, if they
would take the same pains as were taken with regard
to indigo, sugar, coffee, jute, Sze. As to the cry of
Indian poverty, was that reconcilable with the fact
that the balance of trade was constantly against us ?
If those who wanted cotton from India would, in-
stead of calling upon Jupiter to help them, help
themselves by adopting the same means which were
taken by those who wanted other articles,—sending
agents to India,—there was no amount of cotton
they might not get, and within a short time. He
asked why the tenure of land should affect the culti-
vation of cotton more than that of indigo or sugar.
He pointed out certain misapprehensions of Mr.
Smith regarding the proprietorship of the land in
India and the survey about to be introduced into the
Madras Presidency :

The tenure of land which had been so much talked of
was by no means so simple a question as some hon.
gentlemen imagined it to be. Hip authorities had held,
and among them Mr. J. Mill, that the land assessment
was not a tax at all. The hon. gentleman who moved the
resolution said that the Indian Government claimed to be
the owners of all the land in that country ; but such was
not the case. A. great proportion of the land of India had
ever been set apart for Government uses, and to give up
the assessment in favour of the occupiers of land would
render it necessary to inflict taxation upon the shopkeepers
and artisans. The hon. gentleman had attacked the land
survey ; but Mr. Mackay, the commissioner of the Man•
chester manufacturers, spoke highly of the survey in the
north-western districts, saying that it had conferred great
benefits upon the ryots. It was the same kind of survey
which had been introduced into Madras, and he had no
doubt that it would prove equally advantageous to the
people there.
He stated that 30,000,0001. had been expended upon
public works and roads already executed, one rail-
road carrying a pound of cotton 650 miles for a
farthing. Of works for irrigation, besides the
Ganges canal, 810 miles in length, the Government
had constructed the Jamma canal ; while in the
Madras Presidency works of irrigation covered the
area of 20,000 square miles. The real causes of the
deficient supply of cotton from India lay fir tin the
neglect of the Indian Government—for though he
admitted the shortcomings of past Governments,
yet now a new era was established—but in the low-
ness of pike, the want of energy and honesty in
the people, and the uncertainty of the demand.
That day was the 100th anniversary of the battle of
Plassy, by which England acquired dominion over a
people which had never known what good govern-
ment was ; the Company were now prosecuting their
work of improving India with vigour and energy;
and he hoped the house would not believe that
gentlemen, on becoming directors of the Company,
were transformed not only into tyrants, but into sots
and fools.
Lord STANLEY confessed be did not exactly see how
it followed as a logical consequence that because the
day was the 100th anniversary of a great victory in
India by one member of the Indian Civil Service it
was the duty of another member of that service to
set himself to oppose the development of the internal
resources of India. The hon. gentleman (Mr.
Mangles) had taunted the gentlemen of Manchester
with asking the Government of India to help them
out of their difficulty. But the Government of India
being the landlords were hound to take upon them-
selves those works and improvements which in other
countries were executed by individual landlords.
The house had been told that the real drawback to
an increased cultivation of cotton in India was the
absence of a sufficiently continuous demand. India
was available as a cotton market in times of extreme
scarcity, because in those times, and then alone, the
high price enabled the Indian cultivator to overcome
the artificial obstacles in his way. But the Indian
Government had no right to take advantage of its
own wrong. There would be a continuous demand
for Indian cotton if it were grown in districts so open
to the seaboard that there was a possibility of carry-
ing the cotton at a sufficiently low rate to enable it
to compete with American cotton in the ordinary
state of the market. With reference to the works
we had executed in India, if we took the native
States as they passed into our hands, he observed,
and compared the works made therein and the pro-
portion they bore to the resources and population of
their dynasties with those of our Government, giving
the latter credit for the Ganges canal and other
similar works, he was much mistaken if, on a fair
comparison, it would not be found that many of those
dynasties had provided better for the material wants of
the country. The noble lord remarked upon the aggres.

621

sive tendencies of the Indian Government, and ob-
served that if works of internal improvement were to be
postponed until there was a surplus of Indian revenue
he apprehended the delay would be a very long one.
In conclusion, he remarked that at this moment we
had a demand for cotton which exceeded the supply.
During the last lorty years our productive powers
with respect to the cotton manufacture had increased
forty per cent., and there was no reason to suppose
that either those powers or the demands of foreign
countries for our produce would diminish; on the
contrary, they were likely to increase. Although
the price of cotton was now double what it was a
few years ago, the cotton manufacture in this country
had increased to an unprecedented extent. No fact
could be stated more significant than that, and it
could therefore hardly be disouted that the Indian
Government, which was, in fact, the landlord of the
soil of India, ought to exert itself to the utmost to
promote the growth of cotton in India, in order that
the constantly increasing demands for our cotton
manufactures might be amply supplied.
Mr. SEYMOUR observed that recent returns would
show that of late about one-eighth of the whole
revenue of India was expended upon public works,
while the condition of the people was improving year
by year. No one had said what the Government of
India should do in the matter of roads which they
had not done. What was wanted to promote the
growth of cotton in India was capital and European
superintendence. He moved the previous question.
On the motion of Sir E. PERRY, the debate was
adjourned till Tuesday next.
Lord RAYNHAM obtained leave to bring in a bill to
amend the Act 12th and 13th Victoria, for the more
effectual prevention of cruelty to animals.
Mr. GRIFFITH obtained leave to bring in a bill to
alter and amend the Railway Traffic Act.
Mr. WARREN moved for leave to bring in a bill to
empower the House of Commons and its committees
to take evidence upon oath. He noticed the distinc-
tion between the evidence as given before the com-
mittees of this house and that taken in the other
house, where the witnesses were more guarded.
Lord PALMERSTON had no objection, and leave was
given.
Mr. MASSEY likewise obtained leave to introduce
certain bills, and he withdrew the Highways Bill.
The Wills tfcc., of British Subjects Abroad Bill
was read a second time. _ _ _

The Alehouse Licensing Bill was read a third
time and passed.
The Charitable Uses Bill passed through com-
mittee.
The report of the Committee of Supply was
brought up and agreed to.
Other bills were advanceci their respective stages,
and the house, after some further business, ad.
journed at about half•past one o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMO!sIS—.WEDNESDAY•
JUDGMENTS' EXECUTION, &C., BILL.
The committee on ;this bill was resumed. After
a debate of a very discursive character, which lasted
upwards of four hours, and related principally to
the question what should be done with the bill—
whether it should be taken up by the Government,
or committed pro Jona' and afterwards recommitted,
or postponed until next session, or, lastly, as the
opposition came almost entirely from Irish members,
whether Ireland should not be excluded from the
bill,—a motion that the chairman report progress,
upon which divisions had been repeatedly taken, was
at length agreed to, only two clauses of the bill
having been passed.
The Chairman had leave to sit again on Wednes-
day next.
The house then went into committee upon the
Scientific and Literary Societies Bill, but before the
second clause could be disrosed of the time for dis-
cussion had expired.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-THURSDAY.

Lord REDe9DALE- movedthefirst reading of a
Divorce Bill, the purport of which was to remove
some of the objectionable features of the Divorce
Bill proposed by Government.

OBSCENE PRINTS AND PrIBLICATIONs.

Lord Gimmixtr. moved the second reading of the
Obscene Prints and Publications Bill, when eon
siderable discussion arose as to what prints and
publications were to be regarded as obscene; in the
course of which Lord LYNDHURST exposed with great
force the extreme difficulty of defining the word
" obscene," and proposed, as an amendment, that the
bill be read a second time that day six months:—
Suppose now a man following the trade of an informer
or a policeman, sees in a window something which he con
ceivea to be a most licentious print. He goes to the
magistrate, gets a warrant, and then goes in with it to the
shop, and says to the shopkeeper, " Let me look at that
picture of Jupiter and Antiope." "Jupiter and what?"
says the shopkeeper. "Jupiter and Antiope," repeats the
man. "Oh! Jupiter and Antiope, you mean,' says the
shopkeeper: and hands him down the print. He sees the
picture of a woman stark naked, lying down, and a satyr
standing by her with an expression on his face which shows

Jh

C 22,

most distinctly what his feelings are and what is his object.
The informer tells the man he is going to seize the picture,
and to take him before a magistrate. " Under what au-
thority?" he asks ; and he is told—" Under the authority of
Lord Campbell's Act." " But," says the man, " don't you
know that it is a copy from a picture of one of the most
celebrated masters iu Europe 7" That does not matter;
the informer seizes it as an obscene print. He asks if the
shopkeeper has got any more like it? "Oh, yes, I have
got several others," is the ansxer. Whereupon he searches
the shop, and in so doing perhaps lie stumbles upon a
print of the story of Rinse. There he sees a naked
woman lifting her eyes to heaven with a strange expression,
the shower of gold descending upon her, a little cupid
peeping over her shoulder pointing with his dart, and
other circumstances which I will nut describe. These
pictures come within the description in this bill as much as
any work you can conceive. And yet they are both cele-
brated pictures; the first is a copy of a famous Correggio
which hangs in the large square room of the Louvre, right
opposite an ottoman, on which are seated daily ladies of the
first rank from all countries of Europe, who resort there
for the purpose of studying the works of art in that great
gallery. But this is not all. A man gees into the studio
of a sculptor or some statuary and sees there figures of
nymphs, fauns. and satyrs, all perfectly naked, some of
them in attitudes which I do not choose to describe. Ac.
carding to this bill they may every one be seized,—

Nympharumque leves cum satyric chori.
I will now go to the books. I don't know whether my
noble and learned friend is familiar with the poems of
liochester, but I think they would come under the descrip-
tion of this bill. " The freedom of ancient satirists," says
Hume, the historian, " no more resembles the licentious-
ness of Rochester than the nakedness of an Indian does
that of a common prostitute." Suppose that book is in a
certain library lent out for hire; under my noble and
learned friend's bill it may be seized at once In the
sime way the dramatists of the Restoration, Wyolterley,
Congreve, and the rest of them—there is not a page in
any one of them which might not be seized under this
bill. One of the principal characters in one of Congreve's
plays is Lady Wishfor't. Dryden, too, is as bad as any
of them. He has translated the worst parts of Ovid's " Art
of Love"—works for which Ovid was exiled, and died, I
believe, on the banks of the Euxine. There is not a single
volume of that great poet which would not come under the
definition of my noble and learned friend's bill. I need
scarcely recall to your lordships' remembrance that poem,
" Sigismonda and Guiscardo " I think it is, beginning—

While Norman Tancred in Salerno reigned,
in which occurs the description of the secret wedding, the
scenes that preceded it. and the scenes that were imme•
diately consequent upon it. I won't repeat to your lord•
ships more of it than this passage :
The holy man, amazed at what he saw,
Made haste to sanctify the bliss by law;
And muttered fast the matrimony o'er,
For fear committed sin should get before.

But I think your lordships will see from this specimen
that Dryden's poems must he placed in my noble and
learr.e l friend's " hider Espurgatorius." Take, too, the
whole fligh► of French novelists, from Crebillon, ji/s, down
to Paul de Kock ; nothing can be more unchaste, nothing
more immodest, than they are ; and when my noble and
learned friend's bill is passed, every copy of them may be
committed to the bonfire with as little mercy as Don
Quixote's chivalry•books were.

Lord CAMPBELL, in reply, said he thought there
could be no difficulty in introducing words in corn.
mittee to guard against any abuse which might be
apprehended ; but he cautioned their lordships
against a proceeding which could not fail to shock
the public feeling of the country.
Lord GRANVILLE agreed with this view.
Lord LYNDHURST withdrew his amendment, and the
bill was read a second tme.

The County Cess (Ireland) Bill was read a se:ond
time.

Lord BROUGHAM moved the second reading of the
Vexatious Suits Prevention Bill, [and cited many
examples showing the necessity of repressing
frivolous and vexatious actions at law. It was not,
however, his intention to press the measure during
the present session, and after some remarks from the
Loan CHANCELLOR and. Lord CAMPBELL the debate
was formally adjourned.
Their lordships adjourned at twenty minutes past
seven o'clock.

HOUSF. OF COMMONS—.THURSDAY.
PASSING TOLLS ON SHIPPING.
Mr. Lowe, in reply to ➢lr. Ingham, said it was not
the intention of the Government to introduce a bill
this session for the abolition of passing tolls on
shipping.

CANADIAN BISHOPS.
Mr. LAnoucirene, in reply to Mr. Collins, said the
royal assent had been given to a bill passed by the
Parliament of Canada to enable the members of the
United Church of England and Ireland in Canada
to meet in Synod, in order that they might exercise
the rights of self government, and, without giving an
opinion upon a difficult point of law, lie believed that
the act vested the appointment of bishops of that
Church in the Synod.

OATHS DILL

On the order for the third reading of the Oaths
Bill,
The Marquis or BLANDFoun moved to defer the
third reading for six months. His fundamental ob-
jection to this bill, he observed, was that the crown

_

TH t PIIVSS.

of this realm was avowedly held " by the grace of
God," in the Christian idea of God. The proposed
oath said not a word of the maintenance of the
national religion (not meaning the Established
Church), which the old oath distinctly recognised, as
well as the oaths contained in all the bills introduced
by Lord John Russell, except the last, and he in-
sisted that the maintenance of Christianity was an
ess.ntial clement in the legislation of this country.
The amendment was seconded by Mr. DRUMMOND.
The O'DONOOHUE objected to the bill, not because
it admitted Jews, but because it refused equal rights
to Roman Catholics, and virtually re-enacted the Act
of 1529, making the measure, in his opinion, a mere
Ministerial job.
Mr. DEASY said, with the deepest regret, he could
not vote for the third reading of this bill, which, in
his view, created for the first time an invidious dis-
tinction between the Roman Catholic subjects of her
Majesty and those belonging to all other religious
persuasions. At the same time, he could not bring
himself to vote against the bill.
Upon a division, the third reading was carried
by a majority of 123, there being 291 ayes to 108
noes.

The bill then passed.
On the order for going into a committee of
supply, a conversation took place respecting the
arrangements for the spectacle in the park yesterday,
with especial reference to the presence of represen-
tatives of the navy, Sir W. CODRINOTON, Admiral
WALCOTT, and Admiral DUNCOMBE protesting strongly
against the proposed arrangements, which virtually
excluded the sailors of the fleet.

Mr. B. OSBORNE replied that the inconvenience
would have been too great to sanction the presence
of 500 seamen in the park.

WORKHOUSES.

Lord RAYNHAM moved for a select committee to
inquire into the condition and administration of
metropolitan workhouses, and into the arrangements
made and carried out by the parochial authorities of
the metropolis for giving relief to the poor.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS disputed some of the allegations
of Lord Raynham.
Mr. BOUVERIE observed that the proposed inquiry
would occupy two or three sessions, casting a pro-
d;gious amount of labour upon a committee, para-
lysing meanwhile the power of the Poor-law Board.
Irregularities and abuses might be remedied by the
ordinary action of the law ; he saw, therefore, no
ground for the granting of a committee. If Lord
Raynham knew of any real case which demanded
inquiry, and would place it in his hands, he (Mr.
Bouverie) would have it properly investigated.
Sir J. PAKINGTON said the administration of the
Poor Law relief was not in a satisfactory state, but
he recommended Lord Raynham to leave the matter
in Mr. Bouverie's hands until another session,
although he thought there was abundant ground for
the motion.

Upon a division, the motion of Lord Raynham
was negatived fly 73 to 52.
The house then went into Committee of Supply
upon the remaining Civil Service Estimates.
On the vote of 301,2331. tor public education in
Great Britain,
Mr. COWPER, in proposing the vote, stated the
principle upon which these grants were made—
namely, that the State should co-operate with indi-
viduals, aiding those who helped themselves, the
Committee of Council for Education contributing not
merely money, but advice and guidance, there being
local action under central supervision. He then
specified and entered• into much detail concerning
the obstacles to the diffusion of elementary educa•
tion under this system, which he distributed under
six heads-1. Deficiency of school buildings.
2. Deficiency of funds to maintain them. 3. Ineffi-
ciency of education. •I. Irregular attendance of
children. 5. Early age at which children leave.
6. Total absence of many children from the schools.
The greatest of these impediments, which, perhaps,
chiefly prevented the success of the existing system,
was, in his opinion, the irregular attendance of the
children at the schools. The Committee of Council
was engaged upon means to counteract this evil, but
the early age at which children left school was
another impediment, which defied the efforts of the
State, although, by making the teaching have a more
practical bearing upon the future occupation of the
children,the interests of the parents m►gbt be enlisted
in the object of keeping them longer at school. The
number of children who never went to school was
comparatively small, notwithstanding the demand for
juvenile labour and the ind►fference of parents.
Sir J. PAKINGTON expressed his satisfaction at the
statement made by Mr. Cowper, though lie did not
concur in all his views, and the pleasure he received
at hearing for the first time this vote moved by a
responsible Minister of Education. He proceeded
to call attention to the growing amount of this esti
mate, which would go on increasing, and to the ques-
tion whether the present system was to become per-
manent without greater security being taken that the
money so liberally advanced was beneficially

SATURDAY,

expended. The people of this country must and
would be educated, and, though we might shirk it as
we liked, the real question at issue before Parliament
and the country was, " Will you pay the price
When, however, the country did pay the price, he
thought it was their duty to see that they got the
full value for their money. At present the badness
of the schools was the true reason far the irregular
attendance of the children.

After a discursive debate,
Lord MELGUND moved to reduce the vote by
90,020/.

Mr. ARYTON moved that the chairman report
progress ; but the motion was negatived.
Mr. HADFIELD moved that the chairman leavo
the chair. This motion was likewise negatived.
Mr. Dru.wys renewed the motion that the chair-
man do report progress ; which was again negatived.
The committee then divided upon Lord MEL-
GUND'S amendment, which was negatived by 103
to 7.

The vote being agreed to the CHAIRMAN reported
progress.

- The Reformatory Schools Bill was committed
pro forma.
The Consolidated Fund (8,000,0000 Bill passed
through committee. _ _

Other bills were forwarded a stage, and, some
further business having been despatched, the house
adjourned at a quarter-past two o'clock.

NOTICES OF MOTION.
TUESDAY.

The Earl of MALIICSBURY—that on Monday, the 29th inst.,
hi would call the attention of the house to the correspondence
which had taken place between the Treasury and the Board of
Works in reference to St. James's park.
Mr. CAlRO—that on Tuesday, the 21st of July, he would move
for leave to introduce a bill to provide fur the collection of agri-
cultural statistics in England and Wales.
Mr. flestiLsm—that, on the motion for the second reading
of the Joint-stock Act Amendment Bill, he would move an
amendment declaring the opinion of the house that the
principle of limited liability should be applied to joint-stock
banks.

Mr. 111AcirtsHom—thtt on the 21st of July he would call
attention to the report of the select committee with reference
to the adjusttnent of iliffarences between roasters and workmen.
Lord RtYNHA3l—that on that day fortnight he would move
certain resolutions respecting the Spanish slave trade.

THURSDAY.
Lord R. GROSVENOR—that on au early day he would move an
address to the Queen, praying her Majeet, to be pleased to
appoint a commission for the purpose of examining the Liturgy
of the Church of England, with a view to its improvement.

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE UPON ARMY
EDUCATION.

AT a banquet given by the Junior United Service
Club on Monday last, to celebrate the opening of
their new clubhouse, H.R.H. the Duke of Cam-
bridge said, in acknowledgment of the toast in his
honour :

Gentlemen, we live in peculiar times, and, while I have
the honour of presi,ling at the highest post, I am convinced
that you will every one aid me, and all try to do your duty.
I feel the difficulty of my position, and I expect your cor-
dial support. We live in a country that is perfectly free,
and where every man is permitted—arid not only permitted
but encouraged—to say anything he likes. I should be
sorry to see any change in that respect. We must, how-
ever, take care that we are not carried away too far. We
live in a time when the education of the army has been
placed on a sounder footing than ever it was before, but I
should feel extremely sorry to see that carried to such an
extent as to be a permanent injury to the army. Such a
course would, without doubt, do great injury to both ser-
vices. As regards the general efficiency of the army, I may
be permitted to make one or two observations. I may
revert to what my gallant friend said about myself, and add
that it is only by studying our profession that we can hope
thoroughly to understand and qualify ourselves for the
position in which it may please Providence to place us.
Nothing can be of such value to the military ser-
vice as carefully studying all its details in a prac-
tical way. I can speak with some knowled •e when
I say that, from the attention whioh I have given to
details, I feel in the proud position of having confidence in
myself. Most strongly do I feel that the officers of the
army should follow the same course. I have heard it said
that it would be too much of " the shop " to do that.
Gentlemen, if we do not do that we are not officers ; and
what is the use of telling a man that he is doing wrong
when we ourselves do not know what is wrong or what is
right ? I am afraid, gentlemen, I shall be thought an
extreme bore, but I assure you that I intend to make
every officer in the army study every branch of Ms duty.
I am determined, with the support of toy friends and the
country, to carry out all those principles to the utmost
extent as far as in me lies—that is my firm determination.
It has been said that British officers will not take the
trouble of detail to which I have alluded, but I know they
will. I have seen their gallantry in the field, and with a
good knowledge of the details of their profession we chalk
have one of the most splendid bodies of officers in the
world.

THE ROMAN CATHOLICS OF LEEDS have for I+olller
time been building a large church on Richmond-bill,
the opening of which is fixed for the sth of August.
Cardinal Wiseman has consented to mach on the
occasion, and several archbishops anu bish3ps have
signified their intention to be present. Prepara-
tions are making to celebrate the event with great
splendour.

L