The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-08 00:00:00

.THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 8, 1855.

,
n dist reeplect a great Westin be the paper numethie-
oursln tome;o of Brian, Maschester and
large and it wee on that amain very desirable
elliat it should be abolished. He should be ready to support
ra Chsonller of the Rzeltequer in a propoeal that the re-
tremendesion of newspapers should be abolished, end that'
*nay men as putting a newspaper In the post-ofhos should
p the postage in the same that every man paid it
when be pot a letter into it. The sooner they came to tbeit
eft*. prom the better, he believed, would it be toe eh*
of the country.
9111117.1tra LE Y thought the hon. member for Manehenne
Muto be the lest men in that house to object to the tee
of newspapm.
Mr. BRIGHT—The retransmission.
Mr. CAYLEY preoeeded—ln London, through the Pe
basso of club rooms and news rooms, one paper d on
the was day for twenty or thirty readers. The case woe
tery different, however, in the country districts. One or
two people in a country village took a newspaper, which
was then sent to another person living in soother village a
few miles off, and perhaps a week a fortnight elapsed
before the paper got back to the original subscriber. It
wee only by means of retransmission that newspapers could
at all reach persons so situated. He had voted &palest the
second reading of the bill because he was not willing that
the advantages which it might offer to the country should
be obtained at the expense of justice. He did not bide,e
this bill to be a just one. The Chancellor of the Exche-
quer proposed the other day a clause securing a copyright
to newspapers. There wee not a single speaker on the oc-
casion who did not admit the justice of that proposal ; but
they all said it was not practicable, and on that simple
ground the right hon. gentleman withdrew his proposi-
deo. However advantageous the might be to the
country—and that was a subject on which he was somewhat
doubtial—and though no one couli be more anxious than
he was for the diffusion of intellipnea, he could not support
• in hick would idliet illogice on existing interests.
Mr. BWART had understood that the object of this bill
was to bring newspapers into their normal state, and not to 1
nentinue the retransmis,ion of them. (Hear, hear.) He
had always thought that newspapers should be allowed to
=up wh they were wanted—(hear, hear)—and it
stew was sound, wby should they endeavour to prop
up existing newspepen by mesas of retransmission ? In
the committee on stamp duties some prop. ietors of American
newspapen were examined, and they all stated that their
newspapers were sustained not by a system of retransmis•
sion bat by cheapness of price. In America country people
bought a newspaper for a cent ; in England they would
assuredly have newspapen at a penny, if not a halfpenny.
It was cheapness that they should encourage, and not re-

arapamuel
Mr. DUFFY observed that at present there was only one
monthly mail to Australia, and if newspapers intended for
that part of the world could only be pmtsd within a fort-
night, thirteen numbers of the daily newspapers would
get there. He would, therefore, a'k the right hon.
gentleman to extend the period to a month, and he should
preferlaving no limitation at all.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, the
clause to which the hon. gentleman referred was not in-
tended to apply to colonial postage ' • and in order to remove
any doubt on the point, be would insert the words "in
places in the United Kingdom."
Mr. YANSITYART said it was his intention to move
that the bill be read a third time that day six months.
(Hear, hear.) When the bill was introduced the Chancellor
of the Exchequer had not brought forward his budget, and
the house was not aware what very (onerous taxes were about
to be proposed. They were not aware of the large increase
which was to take place in the income tax—a tax which
pressed especially upon persons with small incomes. Of all
the speakers in that house whom he had heard 'peso on the
subject, he did not think any one except the boo. member
for Manchester really liked the bill. There bad certainly
been no expression of public opinion in its favour; and he
believed the result of passing it would be a considerable lose
of • ue. He now moved that the bill be read a third

time that day six mouths.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said he voted against the original
intro. union of the bill simply on the ground that it was
very uoadvi'able that, when the financial state of the coun-
try was not before the house, they should determine tr part
with any portion of the revenue ; but upon the merits of
the bill itsal he was not disposed to reject it, and therefore
he should vote against the amendment. 114 mast say cue
word in allusion to the remark of the hon. member for
Manchester, that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should
like the earliest opportunity of getting rid of the trans. I
mission of newspapers altogether. He speed with
that boo. gentleman, that they had • deep interest
is the diffusion of political intelligence and useful informa-
tion by means of newspapers, but they bad an equal interest
to rrittag care that newspapers should be of the highest
possible class, and that they should be conducted by men of
character and intelligence; and believing as he did that the
power of re-trausmission was a premirm on the highest
glass of newspapers, he should be sorry to see it abolished,
and be hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer would pause
before he interfered with its operation. (Hear.)
Mr. WHITESIDE said it was never too late to do an
act of justice, and in his opinion he had been guilty of
injustice in supporting that measure on a previous occasion.
The different clauses in the bill had appeared and dis-
appeared, and re appeared, so frequently, that be scarcely
knew in what position the measure now stood. Then,
again, with regard to copyright, he wished to ask his right
honourable friend why did he propose it at ail? Did he
not propose it from • conscientious belief that the measure
would be productive of a deep injury to existing
interests unless • remedy of that kind were pro.
vidsd ? (Hear, hear.) There bed been an admission
on the part of his right hon. friend that he was about to do
en lojustioe, which it was his duty to remedy. And yet
this injury was still about to be inflicted, for the sake of
effecting some good, which, so far as he could see, was quite
problematical. What right had the house, whose duty it
was to protect the rights of property, to do positive injury
to existing interests? Well, then, having failed in this
eopyright clause, the next obnoxious proposition was the
limitation of the weight of papers passing through the post.,
On what did his right hon. friend ground that principle ?
Why should he draw the line at four ounces instead of six ?
Why, it was • positive contradiction to recent legislatiot.
Not long ago they abolished the advertisement duty, but
now that that had been productive of an increase of adver-
tkeinents, the house interposed, and said, " You have
too much printed matter, we will not allow you
to Pod it by post without extra charge." (Hear, hi at.
Ho would state to the house the views which Mr. M'Cul-
loch put forward in reference to this subject in his work
upon the principles of taxation. In this work, speaking of
the stamp upon newspapers,the following passage occurred :
" We see no reason why these duties should be reduced or
repealed. In fact, they can hardly be properly called duties,
but ought rather to be considered as payments for the dis-
tribution of papers by the post. But it is said that the
duties should be apportioned or paid only on those papers
which actually go through the post-office. We incline to
think that an arrangement of this sort would have a ten-
dency to confine newspapers to the district in which they
are published,and thus to encourage local party feelings and
disputes. By this means the character of the press through-
out the country would be lowered." And in another place the
same author, speaking of limiting the supplement, said,
" Such a course has a tendency to lessen the number of ad-
vertisements, and it is impolitic." These were the opinions
of an able political economist on this subject. Then came
the question as to what the Chancellor of the Exchequer
intended to do with regard to uustamped papers. Were
they to be subjected to the new law as well as stamped
newspapers? II they were not, then some reason at
least ought to be given for it. It seemed most in-
explicable that the government should all upon re-
spectable newspapers, conducted by men of the highest
talents and character, to give security, while they
allowed small prints, living by pilfering from their more
respeetable contemporaries, to be established without
requiring from them any security whatever. All these
matters bad been left totally unexplaised by the govern-
ment. The bill as it stood seemed fitted to meet none of the
contingencies to which he bad referred, and he should there-
fore oppose the third reading. (Hear, beer.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that
the hon. end learned member bad, to say the least of it,
adopted a very unusual coarse with respect to the bill then
before the house. When in committee upon this bill he
(the Chancellor of the Exchequer) proposed • clause for
enforcing the copyright of newspapers by a more speedy
remedy than then existed, the bon. and learned
gentleman opposed the clause upsn grounds which
be then stared. He (Mr. Whiteside) now opposed
the third reading of the bill on the ground, apparently, that
it did not contain the very clause to which on • former occa-
sion he objected. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer)
Mated, in moving that clause, that it was alleged on behalf
of existing newspapers that the government had proposed a
measure which would be most (Attenuate' to the interests
of those newspapers, by galling into existence • large clue
of prints which would pilfer their intelligence, end
live upon the spoil thus iniquitously obbined. He
did not state, nor did he believe, that such prac-
tices would exist to any great extent. At the same
time, he admitted that these opinions were enter-
tained by many poisons. He had stated, in moving
the clause that the present law of copyright was effectual,
bat that the remedy was delatory. The clause, however,
was not received with much favour by either aide of the
•house, and be did not therefore feel justified in pressing it
to a division. Under the circumstances attending the with-
drawal of this clause, be did not think that its absence was
say reason for en objection to the third reading. If those
gentleman who think that this bill will Interfere with
existing interests find their anticipations justified, it would
be very easy for them to apply the remedy. A simple abort
enactment, similar to the cleans which had been proposed
by the government, was all that would be requisite. He would
ese bat • few words with regard to then'sse which had been
pet apron the paper by the hon. and learned member. The
ant of that clause was to give to all periodical publics:-
Um. publish d at intervals not exceeding seven days, and
not weighing more than 6 oz., the privilege of transmission
by post, on being .stamped with the peony stamp. If thie
buss became law, the question of postage would have to he
iiiihsemined by weight, provided the paper weighed Isis
Mum 41 no" while over that weight it would be Biagi
the number of superficial inches. This was the oosasso-
Mous opine which the hon. and learned podium pro-
posed. (Rear, hear.) To show that be (the Ohanceltor
of the Exchequer) was making no imaginary teseaveeieneo,
he would put give the house the weights of en actual
newspaper daring the last month. He found that
the Blustrabil Ludas News for the 7tt of Ave!
weighed 4 ounces; the number of the same jeered
which was issued on the 14tk Anil weighed II es.; the
camber for the 21st April weighed ti oa. ; and that for the'
Nth weighed 7* os. Thus, in an pablicolioo, In two ,wooks

out of four, if this clause wets agreed to, the amnesia'
of the postsie would hays to be guided by the superfitial eOn• I
toots. The hon. and learned member likewise objected to
the limit being lied at 4 os., for he said, mold not the
Poet oMoto wry 6 on. as well as four. This question might
be answered by asking another—Why should Id. be charged
for • letter weighing } en es , while 2d. was emerged for a
letter weighing I us. ? A limit must be drawn, and how
much more f ble the limit was as regarded newspapers
when compared with letters would be evid'nt when he
mentioned the fact that the average weight of newspapers
*sot through the post was 3 1.10 oz., while letters aversged
noder a quarter of an ounce. The hoe. and learned member
also proposed to extend the law of registration to periodic'sl
publications appearing within certain stated times. There
appeared to be no advantage in such a course, and the go-
vernment, therefore, did not propose to follow it.
Lord PALMERSTON was sure that the house must have
already seen that the Speaker was labouring nadir great
indispoeition. He would suggest that, under the eircum-
stenos*, ihs house should allow hem to take the third read-
ing of the bill then, and allow any further discussion to
stead for a future day. The house could then go into
comnittee, and by that means the rightgentleman
would be enabled to leave the house. (Hear, Lear ) At a
later period of the evening the house would be coals ed to
proceed in Mr. Speaker's absence under the provisions of
the act which was passed a short while since, for the purpose
of meetirg an occasion like the present. (Cheers.) lie felt
sure that everyone would feel how important it was that
the right hon. gentleman should be immediately released
from his duties. (Cheers.)
Mr. DISRAELI said there could only be one opinion
upon the propriety of immediately releasing Mr. Speaker.
The best method of doing so would be to move the adjourn.

went of that debate.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved the
adjournment cf the debate to Friday next.
Agreed to.
SUPPLY.
The house then went into committee of supply, and several
votes occasioned much conversation, but without dividing

the committee.
On vote of 127,6691. for consular establishments abroad,
Mr. IMAM: said it was his intention to have brought
forward a motion in reference to the examination of candi-
dates for diplomatic service. lie hoped there would be no
objection to his bringing it on, on going into committee of
supply upon some other occasion.
WO RD:IOR said be did not complain of the vote,
for he must admit that the persons appointed as consuls by
the present government had efficiently performed their duty,
much more efficiently than consuls generally had done.
What he complained of was the unequal salaries given to
various consuls. Some had heavy duties to perform with
small salaries, while others who had light duties bad high
salaries. If any class ought to be remunerated it was those
consul, who represented this country in great commercial

cities.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE said that the consul at St. Peters-
burg, who was in the receipt of 7501. a year, had been
reduced to 1901 ; while the consul at Archangel, who
received 3001., had been reduced to 80L He wished to know
why those reductions had been made.
Mr. WILSON said the payments were regulated on the
principle that the consuls were on leave of absence.
Mr. WISE thought the whole consular system required
the consideration of the house, and that a committee should
be appointed to inquire, not only lido the expenditure, bat
into the system generally. He thought the vote proposed
a very large one; but he should not have thought it large,
if the services performed had bees in any respect ado-
quite. A few years ago the whole expenditure for
the diplomatic and consular departments amounted to
113,9271., while in 1854 it reached 342,2111. Unfortu-
nately it was very difficult to analyse close votes. He
thought it would be much better if the whole of the consu-
lar votes appeared together, and the whole of the diplomatic
Yates together. For churches and chaplains there had been
voted in five years 80,0001., mad this year the house was
asked for 8,2,584. There was another point of same import.
awe which ne wished to bring before the house. He had a
gnat objection to consul merchants, because it was supposed
by every one in the same city that such persons bad access
to documents and other means of communication which
ordinary merchants had not, and he thought it very desir-
able, if possible, to do away with the system. The act of
1846 forbade trading by the cam*, but it was repealed in
1842, which he thought a very bad piece of policy. A
subject on which he wished to speak had been brought to
his notice by a merchant just returned from the Levant.
In the Levant we hart three consuls-general, one with 1,5001.
a year, one with 9001. a year, and one with 8001. a year.
We had 41 consuls and vice-consuls, with 21,1601. a year,
ladependent of fees. In France, our consuls received
5,6001. a year; in the United States, 6,0001. a year. Our
exports to Turkey amounted to two millions a year; our
exports to France to 2/ willies' a year ; and to the United
States to 231 millions a year. So that we paid 21,0001. a
year on two millions, and 6,0001. a year on 23j minions a
year. He found from a &cement in the Foreign-office in
1863, that the consul at Constantinople received 1,5001. •
year in salary, and 1,9001. • year in fees ; that the consul at
Hanover received 1,500/. a year in salary, and 5121. in fees ;
that the consul at Genoa received 4001, a year and 3971.
in fees; that the consul at Alexandria received 6001. a
year as salary, and 6001. a year as fees ; that the corset
at Boston received 2001. a year as salary, and 1,6001.
• year as fen; and that the count at California
received 3001. a year as salary, and 1,2001. a year
as fees. What he wished to impress upon the govern-
ment was this, that it would be much wiser to compel the
consuls to return the fees to head quarters, and to allow
them a liberal salary. The hon. gentleman concluded by
reading • letter from a Museulman, who, while he praised
the efforts of the diplomatic corps, accused the lower order
of consuls with gross peculation and other proceedings of
the meanest and most disgraceful character.
Lord PALMERSTON said that when a question was
raised regarding the character of a class of public servants,
it would be more becoming, before an accusation was made,
to ascertain whether or not it rested upon any foundation.
The hon. gentleman had read • letter, containing tertian
grave charges against the consuls in the Levant, but there
were no facts in it, and it might as well come from a person
having no charge to make, as from one who had a real com-
plaint. If any one, whether he were Christian, Turk, or
foreigner, bad to make a complaint against any consular
officer in the Levant, he had only to address himself to the
Secretary of State, or to the representative of the sovereign
in the country where the grievance bad arisen, and he
might be quite certain that it would be redressed. He
knew well, having beea in the Foreign-office, that such
complaints would reach that department very easily, and he
attached very little importance, therefore, to that part of
the Lauer which attributed blame to the consuls. He
we. vesdy to give credit to that part of the
meramaakation which acknowledged the advantages
which had been conferred by the diplomatic corps
la the protection of British subjects, and in promoting
the benefit of the Turkish administration. (Hear hear.)
With regard to the consular establishments in the
the hon. gentleman doubtless knew that the dutiesa
consuls there were different from thou of consular often
in other parts of the world. Their duties were not
aggesurcial, but judicial ; for all trials Ist whi Mitt
ombleets were concerned were brought under their notice,
Mid Musequently their duties were of a higher and more
kitiphrtant character than was ordinarily the cue. As to the
**bon, he would remind the hon. gentleman that they
could not meuare the want of consuls by the amount
of exports and imports. They must have consuls
wherever they had trade, and it was perfectly
facia to take the amount of exports end im-
ports as a =Guam of the number of consuls
required. In the east this was particularl7 the ease, be-
emu, as he had said, the consul there was not merely a
commercial ageat, bat was engaged in a judicial capacity,
and must protect the subject, and be the channel of com-
plaint to the centre of government. In proportion as our
trade extended, ro moat our number of (Angulo be multi-
plied, and places that were year by year extending required
a corresponding increase of consular establishments. The
question was not a new one to the house. Not (mix had the
subject been discussed every year, end sometimes in detail,
but a committee had beat appointed to inquire into the
question of consular establishments, and he (the noble lord)
was a witness. Now the hon. gentleman (Mr. Wise) differed
from the hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. John bi'Gregor) u to
the salaries of those consuls, anumach as he believed tkat in
many cases they were too large. He (the noble lord) was
more disposed to agree with the hon. member for Glugow,
that, upon the whole, the salaries were too low for the
duties, and in many came the consuls were prevented from
showing that hospitality to strangers, captains of mauls,
and others, which might be ear cted from them. But at
the same time the minim which had been put upon
the government from time to time in these estimates
by the house had compelled the goverameat to
reduce the salaries to the lowest possible amount
He went over the hat, and took into account the salaries as
well as the fees. The hon. member suggested that the fees
might be paid into the Exchequer, but the fees of these
counts did not correspond with the fess received by officers
hare, and which were paid into the Exchequer. They were
for notarial acts. The amount of each fee was settled by
act of parliament, and if the fees of some consuls were
larger to amount than those of others, that arose solely from
the circumstance of the &eta done being more numerous. In
proportion as the acts were numerous must the consuls
keep a larger lumber of clerks, sad a larger office.
There were tins American consuls, with 2001. or
3001. a year, in ports where there was a great
deal of badness to be done. The reason he fixed
the amount of their salaries so low was that their
fees were very large, and it appeared to him that the great
amount of the fees justified a considerable redaction in their
salaries. The same principle was observed in settling the
fees and salaries in other pluses. He took into account the
salaries and the fees together. The bon. member suggested
what had often been suggested before, namely, that the
consular duties should be performed by persons attached to
missions. He did not think that would be a good plan.
The duties were of • totally different kind, the condition of
consuls by international law was different, and he did net
think any advantage would arise from giving • diploma*
character to consuls, or having the duties performed
by an attache. There would no difference la
point of salary, and it would be of no ad-
vantage to the public. There was a great deal
of truth sa what the hen. gentleman said with
regard to merchant cone le. At one Mine it we. all.**
notion in that house to urge that all the eansals should be
merchants. It was said that theyrzttheir eitimpAr
if they employed i respectable me ei estsiiYtei 1i dmi
plies. His late hon. friend the samba As Ifientress was
very fond of that dosixins. To • catainimire
advantage in it. They get the duties by a am,
who had a biome and an office, andflterefou

put to no additional .:pence in that respect, and he was
generally a man who was able to exercise hospitality. But
this plan was open to the objection that other merchants
might suppose, and exaggerate the notion, that by his
consular position he might have an advantage over
them in his commercial transactions ; and in places where
the consul bad political functions to perform, it might be
imputed to him that if he,abstained from pressing the chime
of individuals who had compl►ints against the government,
that he sacrificed their interest for the sake of making him-
self agreeable to the government, and receiving advantage
therefrom. Therefore, he said, It WAS better to have con-
suls not connected with trade. Trading was allowed in
cams when no pubic inconvenience would arise, but in the
majority of cases the consul was forbidden from trading.
But then, on the other hand, if they forbid a consul from
trading, they were bound to give him a higher salary than
if they allowed him to trade. He was pleased to hear his
hon. friend the mtmber for Glasgow bear testi-
mony to the efficiency of the consuls as a body.
He believed, as a body, they peformed their
daties to their credit and the public advantage. In coun-
tries with which they had as yet but little trade these men
went forth as pioneers of commerce, and he thought that so
far from looking on these establishments with jealousy,
thou who were engaged in the commercial transactions of
the country would acknowledge that in countries where
their commerce was but just beginning, they would often,
but for the service of these consuls, be exposed to loss and
inconvenience.
Mr. TILORNELY observed that great loss and inconve-
nience were now occasioned to merchants by their being
compelled to give bonds that articles contraband of war were
landed at particwar ports, and suggested that it would be a
great saving if ohe certificate was made to serve for the
' '

whole cargo.
Mr. WILSON said these bonds were absolutely neees-
easy to prevent tient:flog articles contraband of war either to
Russia or to ports whence they might bs sent to Russia,
The difficulty in making one bond do for the whole cargo
wax, that one defoulter out of twenty shippers might make
the other nineteen answerable.
Mr. OT WAY complained that English consuls abroad
took fees of Roglisbmen for passports. He said be bad
every reason to be satisfied with the consuls he had himself
encouatered ; but asked whether any one had been appoint-
ed from his having shown an aptitude for the office while in
this country? He believed the appointments were all made
io consequence of the individual having some connexion
with the minister. With regard to the consular and diplo-
matic functions, the practice of England was an exception
to the general rule. In the French service a Consul-
General was made Secretary of Legatiot and those officers
were transferred from one office to another. That was also
the case in Russia, and to a great extent in Prussia, and if
it answered in those countries, why not here 2 He asked
how long the Russian consuls were to continue to be paid?
Mr. WILSON said, at the end of the second year an
arrangement would be made. In the mean time every
means had been taken to absorb these offices in other ap-
pointments, and three or four other salaried officers had
been absorbed in other appointments.
Lord PALMERSTON said, with regard to the question
what were the recAnmendations, and what toe qualifica-
tions requisite for consular offices, he could only say
as far as he was concerned that he endesvoured to appoint
those whom he thought fit to fulfil the duties. With regard
to those who had to till the office in the Levant more care
was requisite because in addition to general capacity a cer-
tain knowledge of the habits and language of the country
were requisite, and it was necessary to appoint persons who
bad lived in the Levant. He forgot to advert to one
thing mentisned by the hon. gentleman, that the lonians '
and others bribed the consuls to give tuem the protection
extended to British subjects. That could not apply to
lonises av they were already what were technically called
" British protected subjects."
Lord SEYMOUR asked how it was that the salaries of
some of the consuls-general were no longer included in the
votes, but were paiu out of the consolidated fund 2
Lord PALMERSTON explained that when the diplt-
matic relations with the Solna Americvn Spanish republics
were suspended it was thought advisable to pay the salaries
of some of the consuls out of the sum put aside by the act
of parliament for diplomaic salaries, and this was an ad-
vantage to the public, as it prevented government front
granting so much in pension,.
Mr. JOHN bI'GREGOR said he believed that the bonds
which had been alluded to were useless obstructions to

The Tote was then agreed to.
After some other votes had been pasted, with more or less
discussion, the house resumed, sir. FITZROY taking the
chair in the Speeket's absence.
THE spitur DUTIES.

The CHANCELLOR, of the EXCHEQUER, in moving
the ibetponement of the Committee of Ways and Means to
Wednesday, wished to make a short statement with respect
to the Spirit Duties Dill, which was on the paper for Friday.
The house was aware that the bill, as it now stood,
proposed to extend the drawback on malt spirits to Eng-
land and Ireland as well as to Scotland ; the present state of
the law in this respect had given rise to considerable dis-
satisfaction, and the subject had been several times examined
into by committees of that house, and often debated. He
was very anxious to bring about a final and satisfactory
settlement of the question, and he had under his considera-
tion a plan for permitting distillation of spirits from melt in
bond; the effect of this change would be that, instead of a
duty being paid in the first instance, and then a drawback
being allowed for what had been paid on the malt, the dis-
tillation would take place in bond, and only one payment
be made; in order to take a perfectly just view of
the subject, it would be necessary to make a small addi-
tion to the existing duties to compensate for the
duty of 2d. on malt uses, in distillation. It would not be
convenient to introduce the change into the:present bill, but
if the house gave its assent tie was disposed, in the course o
the session, to intrc duos another bill to carry out the
arrangement Ho hoped this explanation would he satis-
factory to the gentlemen connected with the trade now in
London, and that the objection being removed they would
withdraw their opposition to the further progress of the
bill.

Mr. MACARTNEY, on the part of the Irish distillers,
pegged to express their complete satisfaction with the
arrangement proposed by the right hon. baronet.

. . . _
Mr. HASTIE, oa the part of the Scotch diatillen, ex-
pressed similar utisfaction.
REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
The Parliamentary Representation (Scotland) Bill and
the Intestacy (Scotland) Bill were read a third time and
BURIAL GROUNDS (SCOTLAND) BILL.

Thisl;ll passed through ansinsittes.
METROPOLITAN BUILDINGS BILL.
_ _

On the motion of ~Sir W. MoLzawouvu, the following
members were appointed a select committee on this bill:—
Lord J. Manners, Lord R. Grosvenor, Mr. Brand, Sir J.
Shelley, Sir W. Clay, Sir J. Patten, Mr W. Williams, Mr.
Alderman Cabitt, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Locke, and Sir W.
Molesworth; five to be We quorum.
HOUSE DRAINAGE IN THE METROPOLIS.

Viscount ESIIII.IOTON moved for leave to bring in a
bill to empower the Commissioners of Sewers to tripod on
house drainage a certain sum out of the moneys borrowed
by them on the security of the rates, and also to give to the
said cominiuionets certain other powers for the same pur-
pose.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.
The holm adjourned at half-past 11.

" ALL RIGHT" IN WHITEHALL!

(Yids Mr. LJndsay's anecdote, in his speech at the London Tavern,
on Saturday.)

When, to a pompous muff in France,
Our zealous Lindsay told his plans,
And Sirollll to give him light,
Monsieur, to whom each English word
Wu Greek, of all the speech be heard,
Just bowed his head,
And gravely said,
"AU right "
Lindsay, who knows the shipping trade,
Oar transport muddles once displayed
Before the public sight ;
Blind bargains, and the nation sold,
Delays of months, and waste of gold ;
But Wood and Graeme
Replied the same
" All right ! "
The Frenchman, travelling by our mail,
Had learnt, how guards oar coachmen hail;
We hear, each Commons' night,
Old stagers in our Government,
Like Pam, responding by consent
With sods, like Peal,
Who drag the wheel,
" AU right !"
From each department of the State
We hear one note of parrot's prate,
Complacent, easy, trite ;
And all, who question or complain,
Receive one answer, cold and vain,
" What is't to you,
We choose to do ?
AU right I"