The Press.
London, England, 1856-07-26 00:00:00

t ftE IREsB.

as no question had been raised tipon them, he in-
ferred that the conduct of the Government was
approved of by Parliament. With regard to improve-
ments in India, he stated that considerable and
rapid extensions were being made in railways and
telegraphs. The East India Railway had at present
121 miles open, and it was expected that by the Ist
of July Pt) miles more would be in working order.
Similar progress was making in all the other lines of
the peninsula. And there was at laist a possibility
that a fresh railway company would be formed in India,
without the guarantee of the Government. The next
matter of general interest was the progress which
had been made in the erection of the electric tele-
graph. This was only introduced in India in the
year 1853, and there had already been erected 4,000
miles of wire at an expense of about 200,0001.
sterling. Since the Ist of February last, the rate of
postage to and from India had been reduced to Bd.
per half-ounce. The Indian Law Commission had
suspended its labours, as they were not likely to be
successful. It was probable that. in the course of a
sbo time India would have the advantage of a
sys4m of patent laws superior to those in operation
10,Fpgleelnd. The police system in India would be
iv 11e1 Tegretted the practice of torture in
Yp thb purpose of collecting assessments from
the pate„.. radians, and that some persons bad
attempted' to extenuate diet injustice. He enter-
tained hopes that the praCtlon would be put down.
But for the excessively high' assessments on the
native Indians, them would be no excuse for
torturing them. A new system of education was
established in India in July, 1854, and the result
Was that schools supported chiefly by voluntary sub-
scription were extending throughout the country.
There also existed periodical publications in India
in the vernacular, very much resembling some of our
own weekly journals. Important alterations had
been made in the system of examination of candi-
dates in this country for Government offices in India.
He had introduced viva-voce examination, as he
thought that that was a better means than the pre-
vious system of testing the mental capacities of the
candidates. It had given great satisfaction, and was
entirely opposed to the cramming system. He de-
fended the manner in which he had dispensed the
patronage that belonged to his office, and generally
the government of Indian affairs, and concluded by
moving. a formal resolution for the service of the
Indian Government during the ensuing year.
Sir E. PERRY complained that the Court of Di.
rectors of the East India Company, though merely
trustees for the Crown, assumed powers and ex-
pended money out of the revenues of India inde-
pendently of the Board of Control, referring to the
case of the late Mr. Dyce Sombre and to that of the
Rajah of Coorg, with whom the Court of Directors
"ere carrying on a litigation respecting property
441 aimed by the Rajah without the sanction of the
hoard.
.observed that the statement of Mr.
Smith" fee I.'it 'variance with the minute of Lord
had represented the finances of
India to be' iti"a more flourishing state; and he
asked for an explanation of the strange discrepancy
between the accounts rendered by the Indian autho-
rities and those of the Board of Control respecting
the amount expended upon public works. He
dwelt upon the subject of reform in the administra-
qiqn of justice in India, which he considered to be
'One of its most pressing demands ; and upon the
annexation of Oude,—a transaction which, in his
' opinion, hid
,tafniihed the honour of the English
nation. 4 4'l
Sir J. *sin noon defended the conduct of Lord
Dalhousie in reference to the annexation of Oude,
which be felt would meet with the approbation of
„the people. of this country and of India. This an-
„mastic% of territory would no doubt in time pro.
,duce a million, but this year he believed the revenue
ores only 280,0001., and such a receipt would not
ha near sufficient to meet the ordinary charges of
the kingdom. Proceeding to follow the speech of
Sir E. Perry, be observed that the people of India
were at present in a prosperous and contented con-
dition, and though there was a deficit shown in the
annual accounts, it was attributable to expenses in-
curred in important public works which could not
fail to improve the resources of the empire.
The resolutions were ultimately agreed to and
1
ordered to be reported.

The order if the second reading of the Criminal
Approprie4oo or Trust Property Bill was discharged.
The Lords' amendments of the Parochial Schools
V(Scotlaud) Bill—imposing a test on schoolmasters
—were negatived without a division, and clause 18
-left oat. The bill was then agreed to.
"'''ThiteßishaPs or London and Durham Retirement
Bill was read a first time.

The Mercantile Amendment Bill was read a third
time and passed, Mr. Lowe explaining that on the
seventeenth clause the persou sued would recover
from the other joint contra torn rate Which heves
entitled. ',ern iaA- •

gAttrIMAY
nor - 9

HOUSE OF LORDS-TUESDAY.

THE EARL OF LUCAN AND THE JUDOE-ADVOCATE-

GENERAL

The Earl of LUCAN, in reference to the statement
made in the House of Commons the night previous
by the Judge-Advocate-General, denied that he
(Lord Lucan) had ever accused Mr. Villiers of delay
in drawing up the report, that he had been in con-
stant communication with Lord Hardinge on the sub-
ject, and concluded by recommending Mr. Villiers to
be more cautious in the language he used.
Lord PANMURE replied briefly, and the subject
dropped.

CONSOLIDATED FUND APPROPRIATION BU4'
The house went into committee on this bili,'when
Lord MONTEAOLE called the attention of the
house to the separation from the Treasury of the
financial affairs of the army, by which means the
Minister of War had almost unchecked control in
the expenditure of the army estimates, amounting in
the present year to 20,747,0001. The removal of the
ordnance accounts from the independent board of
auditors to the management and inspection of that
War Minister's department, which incurred the
expenditure, was open to grave objections, as per-
mitting a department to audit its own accounts.
Lord Monteagle then referred to the manner in
which the savings-bank fund had been dealt with by
the Government. He conceived there was serious
danger in permitting the Treasury to sell out
savings-bank stock to facilitate its own financial
operations. Such operations had of late been carried
on by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to an unheard-
of extent. By these means the Chancellor appeared
on the Stock Market as the proprietor of thirty
millions of stock and holders of public securities
had no chance against such a competitor. He trusted
the practice would cease at once.

Lord PANMURE said the audit of the army and
ordnance accounts was carried out simply on the
same principle as that of the navy accounts. Each
department audited its own accounts, while the
appropriation audit alone passed through the Audit-
office. The system of an independent audit board,
ignorant of details, would never answer.
1 1.

COAST GUARD SERVICE BILL.

On the order for the second reading, !m,,at
The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH suggested that ATV
officers who had served in the Coast Guard for
twenty-five years should have permission to retire on
full pay, and inquired, as the present pay of coast-
guardmen was higher than that of seamen in the
fleet, what scale would be adopted in this new plan!
He was of opinion that a superior officer should be
appointed to superintend the Coast Guard and to
keep himself in ccnstant communication with the
Customs, to ascertain the requirements of the service
and the points on the coast where to station men.
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY replied that the old
and inefficient officers of the Coast Guard would be
pensioned off, that there would be no difficulty in
maintaining a communication between the Customs
and Admiralty, and that the difference between the
coast-guardmen and the navy in regard to pay might
be made up by giving other advantages to those who
received the least pay.
.....

-
Iteiti(tie:
HOUSE OF COMMONS-T.lllmm 1.4)01;4
COUNTY COURTS ACTS AMENDMANT 811

•
At the morning sitting, on the order for the third
reading of this bill,
Mr. GLADSTONE inquired whether during the re-
cess the Government were disposed to make any
inquiry into the judicial establishment in West-
minster-hall—whether it was not more than adequate
to the purposes required of it.
Sir G. GREY declined to give any opinion as W
whether it was practicable to reduce the number of
judges in Westminster-hall; but he believed it was
a mistake to suppose that there bad been any dimi-
nution of business in the superior courts since the
establishment of the county courts.
Mr. NAPIER and Mr. V. SMITH supported the bill ;
Mr. VERNON, Mr. HADFIELD, Mr. HEYWOOD, and Sir
JAMES GRAHAM opposed it.
The bill was then read a third time.

A discussion arose upon an amendment made in
the clause giving comFensation to retiring clerks,
which had been raised from one-fourth to one-third
of their salaries, without notice, and upon this
ground the amendment was cancelled.
The bill then passed. '1 silt ..iedT

MINISTER OF EDUCATION.
On the order for the third reading of the Nies-
President of the Committee of Council on Educe/.
Lion Bill,
Mr. HENLEY objected to the introduction of another
officer = tho h( the

paid _ into t.. douse, and moved to defer
third reading for three months.

Mr. GLADS TONE supported this objection, and obi
served that they were going to give a bad constitu-
tion to the educational department. lie thonght
they ought to know what duties this officer would
have to discharge when not attending in Parliament.
There was no standing business to justify the ap-
pointment of such an official. In his opinion it

g5,;1856.

would have been much better to appoint a joint

secretary.
Sir G. GREY defended the measure. The Govern-
ment, be said, were pressed to place the administra-
tion of the educational funds under the superinten-
dence of one Minister, and to have the department
of education represented in that house ; this measure
was therefore intended to meet what was understood
to be the general wish of the house.
The house divided, and the third reading was
olimied by 77 against 35.
The bill then, with some amendments, passed.
OUR AMERICAN RELATIONS.
In the evening,
Mr. M. GU3SON inquired whether her Majesty's
advisers contemplated the early appointment of a
Minister from England to the United States.
Lord PALMERSTON replied that they had come to
no decision upon the subject.
REVISION 01 THE SCRIPTURES.
Mr. HEYWOOD moved an address to the Crown for
the appointment of a Royal Commission, consisting
of learned men well skilled in the original languages
of the Holy Scriptures, and conversant with modern
Biblical scholarship, to consider of such amend-
ments of the authorised version of the Bible as have
been already proposed, and to receive suggestions
from all persons who may be willing to offer them,
and to report the amendments they may recommend.
Sir G. GREY opposed the motion, wbioh Mr. Hey-
wood ultimately withdrew.

SHORT SPEECHES.
Mr. WILKINSON moved a resolution :
That, except upon the introduction of a measure to the
house, no member do speak for more than half an hour at
one time upon the same question, nor upon any occasion
for more than one hour.
He pressed the house to consider the amount of time
wasted in tedious speeches, and stated that there were
273 members who never spoke at all, and 209 who
never exceeded half an hour ; so that the monopoly
of speaking was confined to a very few members.
Lord PALMERSTON said, in the abstract, the object
which Mr. Wilkinson had in view, that of shorteninq
the debates in the house and increasing the amo..int
of real business done, must meet the assent of avers
member ; but he did not think the particular 4stitsd
proposed, which would abridge the liberty of s
and might be attended with iciest practi zal incon-
venience, was one he could recommend t' ea house to
adopt. If there were anything that • annecessarily
prolonged debates, it was not the leng',ch of speeches,
but the number of speakers. He thought it an
abuse or evasion of the orders of the house to raise
debates on Fridays upon the r notion for adjourn-
ment.
Mr. M. MILNES, Mr. W. --
MOOS, and Mr. Fox
thought the evil might be ir
.itigated if the leaders on
both sides of the house changed their habit of
speaking at the end oft'le debate.
The house then di' tided, when the motion was
negatived by 57 to 3V
5. !r^.• !I. •,
L'ANISH CLAIMS.
Sir J. FrrxuEr
.ALD rose to submit the claims of
certain of her Majesty's subjects on the Spanish
Government f or an honourable settlement of the
Spanish Co, nmittee Certificate of Coupon not
Funded ; s ad he moved a resolution affirming the
justice of those claims.
Lord PALMERSTON concurred with Sir J. Fitzgerald
in oPP•
,lion that the course pursued by the Spanish
Corte is and Government in regard to these claims
wad.
. one quite at variance with the principles of
.stice and good faith. In point of principle there
could be no question in the mind of any honourable
man; the only question was one of expediency,—as'
to what course the British Government could takel
that would be most likely to obtain justice. The'
loan having been advanced at the discretion mule*
the responsibility of private persons, the British'
Government being no party, its offices were limited
to friendly representations, which were accordingly,
made, but without success. Under these circum-
stances he thought Sir John would exercise a sound
discretion in not pressing his motion to a division.
He thought Spain would best consult her national
honour by making good her engagements with those
who had assisted her in the hour of need.
The motion was withdrawn. tied tiltriß

GENERAL BRATSON.
Mr. ROEI3L'CIL moved a resolution I.omi: .+•lt I.fincvl
That, the Under• Secretary for War haring admitted that,
upon anonymous information, a secret inquiry had been
ordered into the oonduot of a general officer, this house
feels itself bound to express its reprobation of such a pro-
ceeding.

~i~rii

He referred to an answer given recently by Mr. F.
Peel to a question put by Colonel Dunne respecting
General Beatson—upon whose services and treatment
Mr. Roebuck enlarged,—and appealed to the house
as a body of English gentlemen to protect a gallant
ioldier, asking whether the War-office was to be
ado a Lion's Mouth to receive anonymous charges
against British officers.
..!. Mr. F. PEEL said he thought he must have been
Misreported iu beipg made to say that General