The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-24 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—TcraDAY, J milt 23.
The LOUD Comical/3a took his mat on the woolsack at
Ine deka&
THE CASE OF MIL. BISHOP.
The Marquis of NORMANBV acid be wished to receive
from his noble friend at the heed of the Foreign-office an
esplanation of the statement be made the other evening
with respect to the cue of Mr. Bishop. His noble friend
had informed their lordship@ upon a former occasion that
the government at Turin would on the first fitting °conies
recommend the King to pardon Mr. Bishop, but the other
cronies his noble (Flood stated that "the first occasion"
meant Vie period when brigandage would be extinguished
and Italy would be generally pacified. Now it
appeared to bin that each as interpretation of those words
was not a fair and lateral one, and that it would
dispel tie hope which had been entertained by Mr. Bishop's
frieods of an esrly liberation of that gentleman. He asked
whether has noble friend would produce any subsequent
emomunication from the government of Turin on the sub-
iect
Earl I:USSELL said he bad received no communication
from Turin so to the sense in which those words were to be I
undendood. The reason be give that answer was because his
noble friend seemed to thMk that the fitting occasion for
!sidelines of Mr. Bishop would arias on some approaching
birthday or national festival, and it. appeared to him
(Karl Russell) that the Italiae government might not think
it desirable to release Mr. Bishop while the system of
brigaod.oge continued to be organised at Rome, and the
noutheru provinces remained in their present disturbed con-
dition. It had been stated that Mr. Bishop was in an infirm
state of health, and be, therefore, desired our minister to geed
same person to Alexandria to ascertain the truth of that
statement, and that person found Mr. Bishop in good
health.
The Kul of HARDWICKE said the noble earl had
asort of sentence on Mr. Bishop by the statemeut he
passed made that he considered the time Mr. Bishop should be
relieved from imprisonment would be when brigandage was
pat down in Italy. Now he (the Earl of Hardwick') did
not think that brigandage would be put down in his lifetime
that country, rod be hoped, therefore, the noble lord
would take this opportunity of stating strongly that that
was sot his view, and that he desired to see Mr. Bishop
relowed as soon as possible.
Bari RUSSELL said he did not mean that his expressions
ID the occasion referred to should receive so extensive an
Interpretation as bad been put upon them. He did not
wan that Mr. Bishop ought not to be pardoned until Jai-
Me was totally =pyramid, but that the country could
be considered is a state of pacification until brigand-
age was so far suppressed that it no longer constituted a
sect of civil war.

CESSION OF THE lONIAN ISLANDS.
The Earl of DERBY asked if there was any truth in •
statement which bad appeared in the newspapers that a
proclamation had bees issued by Sr H. Storks, an-
amazing the annexation of the lonian lalands to Greece.
Earl RUSSELL said he Gould not believe there had been
each • proclamation inns& because what had been done was
this, that her Majesty had instructed the Secretary of
State to send instructions to dissolve the present parliament
of the laden Islands, sad immediately to summon • new
sew and the question would be submitted to the new par-
Bement for their approval.
The Esrl of DERBY gave notice that be would bring the
subject forward for the consideration of their lordships on
Tuesday next. when the noble earl (Earl Russell) would
have an opportunity of explaining the course pursued by
bar Majesty a governmeat.
The Duke of NEWCASTLE said he thought hie noble
fused opposite should be cautions is giving credit to the
rumour of such a proclamation. He had the strongest pos-
sible reason for believing that no such proclamation had bar
seeds.
YR. CHRISTIE AND THE KARL OF
ATION.MALMESBURY.
PERSONAL EXPLAN

The Earl of MALMI93BURY entered into a brief expla-
nation of some portions of his speech on a former evening
relating to the Brazilian difficulty, and read a letter from
Sr. Christie ois the subject.
Earl RUSSELL mid there certainly had been some
between Mr. Christie and some of his colleagues,
bat it was of a very trifling nature, and did not affect their
permed relations.
The subject then dropped.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
The following bills were read a third time and peened :
Ostrestry and Newtown Railway (Branches. tic 4 ; Shrews-
Ivy ..a Welchpool Railw • Seaton and Beer Railway ;
Great Western. and West Midland, and South Wake Rail-
way Companies Amalgamation ; Rotherham and Kimber-
worth Local Board of Health ; Southampton Port, /fu-
lmar. and Pier ; Mar*-aoes Railway ; Benham and
ledditeh Rillway ; Blaekruok. Moaketown, and Hooters-
town Improvement ; Letterkenny Railway.
INNKEEPERS' LIABILITY BILL.
This bill was read a Elwood time.
NAVAL RESERVE BILL. - -

The Duke of SOMERSET moved the secood reading of
this bill.
The Thal of HAHDWIOKE said the bill was a very large
ens, as it appeared to extend to every one in the naval
envies except seamen gunners. As the commander of his
ewe yacht he would be included in its provisions, and be
should certainly my it wee one of the very beet bills if it
would enable him to creep back again into the service.
(laughter.) He did not see how the noble duke ooald
mime him a lieutenancy at least under the firm clause.
(Laughter.) He thought it was a harmless bill, and
nig!be of much beneht.
Earl of FLISNBOROUGH hoped the noble duke
would in committee include the ofEoers of the late Indian

bewy.
The bill was thee read e second time.
INLAND REVENUE BILL.
This bill was reed s second time.
THANES EMBANKMENT (NORTH SIDE) BILL.
The report of somecheirste was eassidered red &greed to.
tONDON COAL AND WINE DUTIES CON-
ANCE BILL.
Thb bill was reads third time bad passed.
MILITIA PAY BILL.
This bill was reads mooed time.
WEST HARTLEPOOL RAILWAY COMPANY.

The Earl of DONOUGHXORE rose to oall the at-
imatioa of the hours to the special report arid mi-
aow. upon the West Hartlepool Harbour and Bail-
way Bill. and to- move that the report and evi-
dence be referred to her Majesty's Attormy-General, with
directions to inquire into the alleged conduct of the direc-
tors and auditors of the company, and to institute • prose-
cution agaiust such persons as, in his opinion, could be con-
victed of illegal or frendulent conduct ; and that a select
committee should be appointed to inquire and report as
to what legislative measures were desirable for the pnr-
=of restraining directors of railway companies
exceeding the limits of the borrowing powers of
their acts of parliament, and from expending the funds of
companies for purposes foreign to their undertakings and
ananthorieed by the legislature.
The irlD CHANCELLOR said he would state the
eoune which her Majesty's government, upon his advice,
were prepared to adopt. (Hear, hear.) He must speak
with some reserve upon the matter, because he knew sot
whether iu its civil aspect it might not came before bins in
another place. He would speak, therefore, only with regard
to the criminal aspect of the case, and that entirely upon
the hypothesis that the statements cooteined in the report
were founded in feet. If they were so founded, he thought
he was warranted in saying that there was grave ground for
considering that • very great public fraud and as
indictable offence of • most serious character bad
been committed. Under such circumstances, when
there was an offence which in its onesequenees wee so im-
portant to the community, it was the duty of the govern-
ment to wage immediate inquiry into the circumstances,
and if it found reason to believe that an indictment would
lie it should take the duty of the prosecution upon itself,
without er.iting for pressure from any direction. (Hear,
bear.) The government, therefore, would immediately
direst the solicitors of the Treasury to make the most full
lavestiganon into the eircumetances, and to lay ell the
papers before the Attorney-General, with directions to
consider whether an indictable offence had been committed,
and if so to proceed at once spinet the offenders. ((leen)
It was scarnly possible, having regard to the great public
interests :avolved• sod having regard. unfortunately, to the
itonerfect vane of the law, which provided no effectual audit
Rodeo mea.is for complete publicity with • certainty of having
a t innate. report to imagine any ease of greater importance to
the conmousity than the present. He bad desred to adroit
their lordships before the noble baron who rose with him,
becomes, toitirithstanding the motion of the noble earl, the
governu.sut would persevere in the cause be had indicated;
and he w ,n;il therefore submit to the noble baron whether
twiny the circumstances he would consider it his duty to
persevere in his notice. It would be hardly just that any
gentleman who might by possibility be implicated in the
climbs! proceeding about to be taken shoidd be rolled
affor testimony, or should be allowed to adduce testi-
y before those proceedings took place. (Hear, hear.)
With regard to the civil aspect of the use, their lordship.
might proceed to deal with it without in any manner
affeetir its criminal aspect. The criminal aspect
might trot in his opinion be at all compromised, or the
ppeeei+rreer of prosecution affected by discreet measures
ben/ ni.ipted with a view to ascertain the beat mode of
dealing with the dell rights of the parties. He abeteined
from saying more than to give their lordship. a pledge that
the matter should be ievestimited by the government with-
out any ile,a v. (Cheers.)
Lord RAVENSWORTH prompted • petition from Mr.
Relish Ward Jackson, vindianiog himself from the charges
which lied been brought against him.
Lord DONOUGHKORE withdrew his first resolution,
Read incorporated Lord Airlie's addition in his second motion
for • select committee.
After some remarks from Lord °VTR:STONE and Lord
EiTANI.ZI of ALDEILIAT, in favour of inquiry, the resolutioe
for the .Itiet committee, es amended, was agreed to.
Lord CH ELMSFoRD Mien moved that the bill of the
West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway Company be referred
to the seed committee, with a view of affording relief to
the hendbnldsre sad shareholder, without exempting those
potions who heel been implicated is the illegal proceedings.
Lord GRANVILLE thought this question ought to be
delayed until the select committee bad reported oa the