The Press.
London, England, 1857-07-11 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1837.

POSTSCRIPT.

ITALY.

A despatch from Marseilles, July 8, states :

The news from Naples is to the sth. A supplement of
the official journal announces that the insurgent band of
Saphle was attacked at Pedals by the civic guards, the gen.
domerie, and the 7th Regiment of Chassenrs. One
hundred insurgents were killed, thirty wounded, and as
many taken prisoners. Almost all the insurgents who had
fled were In custody. Calabria was tranquil.

A letter from Genoa of the 51b, in the Opinione of
Turin, says :

Small deposits of gunpowder are found daily by the
police, especially in the Sestiere Pre. Arrests still con•
tinue. Miss White is kept under arrest at her own
residence. A house was yesterday searched, in which the
police found a copy of the instructions given to the con•
spirators. They are of so atrocious a nature that one is
seized with horror at the idea of what would have been the
fate of Genoa had the insurrection succeeded.

The Monitore Toacano of the 4th states that
since the proclamation of the state of siege at
Leghorn, public tranquillity has not been again
disturbed in that city.
The Opinione of Turin states that the present
session of the Piedmontese Chambers will close next
week.

A letter from Rome in the Cologne Gazette states
that the endeavours of Count de Rayneval, as of
several French prelates, to reconcile the Courts of
Rome and Turin, have proved unsuccessful. The
great impediment is the exiled Archbishop Franxoni,
who represents as it were the principle of the Church
of Rome; but it is said that he is willing to resign
his see in the event of the Sardinian Government
consenting to modify its interpretation of tin treaties
concluded with the Holy See.

A St. Petersburg letter in the Silesian Gazette
gives some intelligence of the Russian preparations
for the conquest of Circassia :
Since the commencement of the year, there reigns great
activity in the Black Sea flotilla, which is composed of
small screw and paddle steamers. Immense supplies of
all kinds have been transported from Odessa, Nicolaief,
and Sebastopol, to the ports of the Circassian coast, where
they have been despatched into the interior in view of the
approaching campaign against the Circassians.

The Dibats contains the following Information re-
specting the future Queen of Portugal
We are enabled to announce that this Princess belongs
to the Catholic branch of the royal house of Prussia. If
we are well informed, King Pedro V. of Portugal is to
marry the eldest daughter and second child of Prince
Charles Anthony of Holienzollern•Sigroaringen who abdi-
cated the 7th December, 1t49, in favour of die King of
Prussia, and who received at the time, by royal decree, the
title of Highness, and the prerogatives of a younger prince
of the royal house. It is said that Prince Albert, the Con-
sort of Queen Victoria, was the means of preparing this
marriage, the intelligence of which has created so much
fatlifectiou ita Portugal.

E PRESS, JULY 11, 1857.

LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE.

HOUSE OF LORDS.
OATHS BILL.

Earl Gakw'vrux moved the second reading of this
bill. Briefly remarking upon the obsolete character
and absurdity of the existing parliamentary oaths,
for which the bill substituted a modernised formula,
the noble lord passed on to notice the collateral con-
sequences that would ensue if the measure became
law in the admission of Jews to seats in the Legisla-
ture. On this topic be repeated many of the argu-
ments so often adduced in both houses to vindicate
a step which, as he urged, removed the last relic of
religious persecution, and admitted a meretricious
class of the community to their full rights of citizen-
ship, whereof they had been hitherto debarred by
the accidental operation of a few words introduced
into the Oath of Abjuration. Lord Granville after-
wards replied at some length, and by anticipation, to
the various objections which he expected to hear
urged against the measure. Public opinion on the
subject was, he said, strongly shown in the enormous
majority of votes recorded in its favour by the mem-
bers of a newly-elected House of Commons.
The Earl of DERBY moved, as an amendment, that
the bill should be read a second time that day six
months. He dwelt upon the distinctive nationality
of the Jews. Though they lived among other
nations, they were not of them, and through ages of
dispersion had retained the belief that one day they
should be reunited under one polity. They were
aliens in blood, in religion, and in language.
Touching the claims to citizensbipi Lord Derby
pointed out the difference between rights and privi-
leges, contending that, although it might be
presumption to deny the former, there was none in
withholding the latter. The privilege of helping to
make laws had always been conferred only upon
special individuals, selected under a variety of
qualifications which the Legislature was perfectly
entitled to prescribe according to any principle that
might be deemed expedient. Tracing the course of
legislation in England with relation to the Jews, the
noble lord remarked that for two hundred and fifty
years the race were wholly proscribed. Afterwards
they obtained from the Protector Cromwel permis-
sion to reside and trade in this country, and at later
periods were admitted to other rights and privileges
But, throughout the whole series of enactments'
exclusion from all legislative power had been pre-'
served as a constitutional principle which was never
to be departed from. Adverting to the recent
attempts at removing Jewish disabilities, be reminded
their lordships that they bad invariably and con-
sistently resisted every proposition to that effect. In
the present bill two elements had been incorporated—
one admitting Jews to Parliament, the other reform-
ing the parliamentary oaths. With the latter object
he quite concurred, and would have accepted the
measure if it had retained the formula giving to the
oath its Christian character. As it was, he called
upon the house to sustain its former decisions.
There had been occasions when the apprehensions of
disturbance had induced many of the peers to waive
their objections to certain bills. Such, however,
was not now the case, and he urged the house to
decide the question as before, upon the great princi-
ples it involved.
Lord LYNDHURST supported the bill. He showed
from history the steady progress that had been
effected in removing proscriptions and adopting the
principle of toleration. The present measure was,
be thought, an expedient and consistent step in the
same direction. Replying to the objection that the
Legislature would be un-Christianised, he contended
that, by the same argument, the nation was un-Chris-
tianised already, since Jews were admitted to so
many positions of dignity and influence. In Canada
and other British colonies Jews sat as members of
the local Legislature without disparaging the Chris-
tian character of the State.

The Earl of WINOHILSEA opposed the bill.
The Duke of SOMERSET supported it, as did the
Duke of Nonvouc. Religious disqualifications had
been abolished as regarded the exercise of the
electoral franchise, and he could not consistently
vote to maintain them with respect to the sitting in
Parliament.
Lord Dutiomixos having spoken against the bill,
and after some remarks from Lord CAMOYS, Lord
S. de DECIES, and Lord St. VINCENT,
The Bishop of LoNnow announced his acceptance
of the measure. It constituted an act of justice to
the Jews, and did not in his opinion endanger either
the Protestantism or the Christianity of the Legis-
lature.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY, on the other
hand, supported the amendment.
The Earl Of SHAFTESBURY objected to the existing
parliamentary oath so strongly, that he intended to
vote for the second reading. In committee he
should vote to restore the words; " on the true faith
of a Christiso:'

Lord BROUGHAM combated the objections to the
bill in a speech of considerable length and energy.
The Bishop of OXFORD replied to Lord Brougham
and the Earl of Shaftesbury. He then enforced with
much emphasis the principle that none but pro-
fessing Christians could fittingly and honestly make
laws for a Christian people.

The Duke of ARO- YLL justified the Government
with respect to the form in which the measttre had
been laid before Parliament.

After a few words from the Earl of GALLOWAY,

Their lordships divided on the motion for the
second reading
Costenti—.
Present
Proxies
—139
Non-contents—.
- - -

Present lO9
Proxies O4
—173

Majority against the Government... 34

Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
TROOPS TO INDIA.
Captain VIVIAN inquired whether the new regil
merits which had been placed under orders for India,
were to proceed in steamers or sailing-vessels.
Mr. V. SMITH stated that ten thousand men, for
whose embarkation preparations had been made,
would be despatched according to the original inten-
tions by sailing-vessels. Of the four thousand addi.
tional troops asked for by the East India Company
since the receipt of the last serious intelligence, two
thousand were to be sent in steamers and the
remainder in sailing-vessels. The men would be
embarked between the 21st and 20th inst., and it
was hoped that at this favourable period of the year
the voyage would be completed in the shortest
possible time, viz., seventy days.
Sit C. NAPIER believed that the late Indian news
had caught the Government entirely unprepared.

FREE NEGROES.
Mr. TURNER inquired whether any communica-
tions bad taken place between the English and
French Governments respecting the exports of free
negroes from the west coast of Africa to the French
colonies in the West Indies, and whether he was
aware in what manner the negroes are to be ob-
tained. Under the denomination of free immigrants
these imported negroes, be contended, would prac-
tically be reduced to a state of slavery.
Lord PALYERSTON said that many communica-
tions had passed on the subject.. Contracts had
been entered into by the French fur the importation
of 1,200 negroes into Martinique. Her Majesty's
Ministers, apprehending a renewal of the slave
trade in this quarter, had made representations to
the French Administration, and received from them
the most positive assurances that every care would
be taken to prevent the fulfilment of the contract
becoming in any way conducive to a traffic in
slaves. Here the matter now rested ; but extreme
vigilance would be exercised, and the progress of
the transaction carefully watched.

TESTAMENTARY JURISDICTION.
The house went into committee on the (Probates
and Letters of Administration Bill, resuming at the

40th clause.
This clause bad been amended on the previous
debate by removing tile limit assigned to the juris-
diction of the District Courts of Probate over per-
sonal estate. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL now proposed
as a compromise to introduce the limit of 3,0001.
(instead of 1,1500/. as originally proposed), with the
restriction that the District Courts should not grant
administration for property consisting of railway
shares or Government stock. In support of this
restriction Sir R. Bethell enlarged upon the oppor-
tunities for fraud which, as he insisted, would be
otherwise afforded.
Mr. WESTHEAD, who bad brought forward and
carried the previous amendment, refused to accept
this compromise.
After a prolonged discussion, finding the house
decidedly adverse to the proposed limit, the
ATTORNEY-GENERAL offered to omit the clause alto-
gether, with the view of bringing up a new one on
the third reading. This proposal was, however, also
resisted; and ultimately Lord PALstErisrow inter-
fered and consented to accept the clause as amended.
The point so long contested was according surren-
dered by the Government, and the clause adopted
without any limiting proviso.
The discussion of other clauses in the bill occupied
a considerable time, followed by renewed debates
upon some additional clauses and the schedule of
the measure. The bill was not finally disposed of
until a late hour, when the house resumed, and
shortly aftereatds adjourned,