The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-18 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORD&—Trvo.tr, MARCH 17.

In the Ammo of the Lad Chancellor Lord Rini-UAL),
as Depty•Sitssksr, took his seat ce the woolsack at five
*Weak.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Cowes aed Nenart Railway, Greenock end Wem yes
Bay Railway, and the Van Diemen. Lind Company Bills
were reed a third time and pared.

PETITIONS PRESENTED.

The Earl of ST. GERMANS presented& petition from the
inhabitants of Rehash, in Cornwall, vilest the sale of in-
toxicating liquors oa Sundays.
UNION RELIEF AID ACT (1862) CONTINUANCE

BILL

This bill passed through cas;;;Mes.
THE Islit/t9WDER IN EDINBURGH CASTLE.

it;;WrioiAiiiiiiros.io7.lll•,;;l7l;d7e;Wder
Secretary for War, whether it wee the cue that 100 tons of
gurpowder were stored in Edinburgh Castle, and if not.
what was the quantity usually kept there. He had received
eat-mei letters upon the subject, stating that if an explosion
took place. it would not only destroy the castle, but dis-
place huge masses of rock, and be more or less demotion. to
the houus in the vicinity. He thought there was no wee.
arty for keeping so large a quantity of powder in the castle.
Earl DE GREY sad RIPON replied that his noble friend
had been rightly informed as to the amount of powder kept
in Edinburgh Castle. In fact at the present time there
were 2,700 hernia, *retaining somewhat more than 100
tons ; but it most be remembered that from this store issues
were constantly made, and therefore during thegreater por-
tion of the year the quantity in store we. small. The pow-
der, which wan kept to • bombproof museum.
was served out to the whole of the smithera district of
Scotland for the purposes of the artillery, line, and volunteers.
It had been customary fora long period of time to keep •
considerable amount of gunpowder in Edinburgh Castle,
and he trusted we might enjoy for the future the same secu-
rity which we had experimiced in the ps‘t.
After 3 few words from Earlpeniotlain,

The Fort of MALMHSBURY wished to take this oppor-
tunity of calling the attention of the government to what
he considered to be a very dangerous practice. Not long
ago, in company with some military officers, he paid a visit
to the Tower of Loudon, when to their great astonishment
thoy maw piled on the quay, between the fortress and
the river, a great quantity of inflammable mate-
rial. He pointed this oat to the noble earl, bemuse if it
took fire and the wind blew from the river, very great dilll-
colty would be experienced is wing the Tower from a con-
flagration.

Earl DE GREY and RIPON said the Tower was a store-
house from which issues were constantly uuule. He was not
aware that combustible matter had been allowed t 0110361110-
late npon the wharf, but he would make inquiry on the
subject.

The Earl of IikII.I)VICEE olderred that there was an
admirable
that
e at Edinburgh Castle, and he appre-
hended that a quantity of powdercould be better and
more safely stored there than elsewhere.
The subject then dropped.
Their lordships adjouresd at 25 minutes to 6 o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—Tr DAY, MAsca I'.
The Sewn took the chair at four o'clock.
WRITS PROHIBITION BILL

Mr. BOUVERIE pve notsce that be should not proceed
with the wooed reading of this bill to-night, bat chat
should bring is another bill in an amended shape, and move
the second reading of it after Fester.