The Press.
London, England, 1858-07-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JULY 3, 1858.

Contents—Present
Proxies 6-30
Non•Contents—Present
Proxies 7B-187

151

Majority
The bill was con-equently rejected
Their lordships adjournA at half•paat one.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
INDIA GOVERNMENT RILL.
At an early sitting of the house, the consideration
in committee of the India Government Bill was re.
burned, at clause 13. Oa this clause, which pro.
vided salaries of 1,200/. per annum for the
members of Council,
Mr. Couraws moved an amendment reducing the
amount to 500/.
On a division, the amendment was negatived by
a majority of 224 to 57-017. Several subsequent
clauses were discussed and adopted before the sitting
was suspended.
In the evening,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, alleging his
anxiety to curry the India Government Bill through
committee, proposed that the usaal motion for ad-
journing over until Monday should be postponed, with
the view of holding a meeting this day (Saturday),
should it be requisite to proceed with the measure.
Some questions, of which notice had been given,
on the motion for adjournment, were nevertheless
brought forward. Among others,
GUANO.
Mr. CAIRD inquired whether any steps had been
taken to obtain from the Peruvian Government some
mitigation of the present exorbitant prices charged
to English consumers for guano.
Mr. S. FITZGERALD stated that the Peruvian
authorities had just consented to reduce the price of
guano from 131. 15s. to 12/. per ton, which would
save the British agriculturist 400,0001. a year, and
had further promised to impose hereafter no higher
price upon the article in this country than was
charged in the United States.
THE THAMES.
Mr. 11. BERKELEY asked the Chief Commissioner
of Works whether he had received any communica-
tion from the Metropolitan Board of Works respect-
ing the main drainage of the metropolis ; and, if se,
whether it was proposed that the outfall of sewage
should take place on the north side of Balking-
creek, nearly opposite the warren at Woolwich, or
where else?
Lord J. MANNERS said that on the previous day a
plan for the drainage of London had been received
from the Metropolitan Board of Works which wou:d
receive the prompt and careful consideration of her
Majesty's Ministers.

INDIA.
The house ngain resolved itself into committee,
and proceeded to discuss some further clauses of the
India Government bill.
Colonel SYKES proposed the omission of clause 27,
which vested in the Secretary of State the powers
now exercised by the secret committee.
After some debate ►he amendmeut was negatived
by 119 to 05-24.
The remaining clauses were then passed after a
long and miscellaneous discussion.
Some additional clauses having to be discussed, the
committee was then adjourned to Monday evening.
The house adjourned at one o'clock.

GREAT FIRE AT rHE LONDON DOCK.
ABOUT noon on Tuesday a most destructive fire broke
out in the London Dock. The fire raged for several
hours, accompanied by tremendous explosions, and
one iran has List his life.
It was about ten minutes to twelve when the die-
lovery was made, and intelligence of the fact instantly
spread through the dock, and the dock police and fire
brigade immediately repaired to the spot with their
land and two floating engines, but some delay was
encountered in consequence of the crowded state of
the quay and roadway between the warehouse and
basin and the shipping that were lying alongside the
Souttrquay. Several lengths of hose and branches
were laid on to different lire cocks, and the firemen
and labourers, of whom there were a vast number,
exerted themselves to their utmost in endeavouring
to check the progress ot the conflagration. In the
meantime it had gained prodigiously. Descending
to the lower floors (each of which was 120 by 50 feet,
and where we understand were stored hundreds of
tons of jute, hemp, oil, tallow, and rice, sugar in bags,
chests, and hogsheads, spices, dyes, saltpetre, and
many other articles) its progress was fierce and
terrific, and the heavy clouds of black smoke which
rose from all parts completely darkened the river and
neighbourhood.T he powerful steam floating engines of
the brigade, stationed in the Themes, very oppor-
tunely arrived. They were hauled into the Wapping
basil', and brought to tlu edge of the South-quay,
along which the hose was laid, and by means ot con-
necting joints additional hose were added,some taken

on to the roofs of the adjoining divisions, others into-
the floor, while the main jets were directed into the
burning division. Although an immense mass of
water was being thrown from some twenty branches
—those of the dock and brigade floating engines
alone throwing from fifteen to sixteen tons per
minute—the flames advanced and seemed to spread
with redoubled fury. By one o'clock the whole of
the floors of the division were involved in one general
blaze, each window and loophole emitting over-
whelming clouds of the densest black smoke. Slight
rumbling explosions within the immense area were
now heard, evidently resulting from the ignitjon of
some inflammable combustible.

- --- -
As already stated, among the goods in the huitt.tag
was saltpetre, said to be in bags; the exact quantity,.
however, no one seemed to know, or the exact place
where it was stowed. That there must have been a
large stock was evident to have produced such a
fearful result.

At about twenty minutes past one a very loud
explosion took pla,;e, succeeded by another, it' any-
thing of a heavier character. It was apparent from
the excited state of the dock workpeople that a
greater explosion was dreaded. A cry was raised,
" Run ! it's the saltpetre." The sudden expansion of
a vivid white flame from the division which preceded
the shocks confirmed in a measure their fears. A
general movement of ail near and along the quays
had just commenced when three tremendous et•
plosions occurred. The effect was appalling. An
immense sheet of fire shot almost half-way across
the basin, and the heavy concussion that shook the
earth led to a belief that the whole range of the
South Stack was coming down. The centre division
was blown to atoms. The fiont and back walls, of
great thickness, were thrown outwards and fell,—
that at the rear on to some shed stores near the
Wapping basin. Every one was panic-stricken for
the moment, and the rush to escape was almost
beyond description. It is asserted that one or more
labourers perished beneath the walls as they were
blown out, but it will be impossible to make a search
for some time. A number of men were injured by
falling bricks, but none, we are happy to say,
seriously. The person who lost his lite, as above
stated, was one cf the warehouse keepers, who died
in the act of taking a cup of tea and some slight
refreshment, after, as he thought, the worst was
over. Whether his death was caused by excitement
apoplexy, or choking, has not been ascertained.
It was not till near six o'clock that the fire was
arrested. The brigade bad succeeded in preventing
it from penetrating to the remaining divisions of the
stack warehouses. The fire had got hold of a fourth
division, and the upper floors and roof were destroyed,
but hopes were entertained that the lower part
might be saved. The body of fire that still remained
was very great, the smoke that poured fourth from
the division on the other side of the gap leading to
an impression that the flames had reached that
portion of the range. That, however, was erroneous.
The total loss must be very great; some accounts
compute it at upwards of 150,0001. The warehouses
are covered by several large insurances, effected in
almost every flue-office in the kingdom, and the
merchandize was protected by floating policies.

SECOND EDITION.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

The Morning Post, second edition, states, in its
Paris letter, that the Constantinople correspondent
of the Pays represents the policy of the Sultan to be
on the eve of a complete change, and more in ac-
cordance with the desires of France.
The secret treaty between England, Austria, and
the Porte still forms a topic for German newspaper
correspondents. The treaty, it is said, is not yet
signed, or at least it will not be put in force unless
in the case of certain eventualities, so that in the
meantime the English Government may deny its
existence, if any awkward questions are asked in
Pat hams nt.
In the War Committee of the Chamber of Repre-
sentatives of Belgium, it was decided on Wednesday,
by a majority of six votes to one, that the system
proposed by the Government for the national defence
of Antwerp cou:d not be agreed to.

The bill for the future government of India having
passed through committee last night, will probably
be sent up to the House of Lords Wore the close
of next week.
A bill for the purification of the Thames is also to
be immediately presented. When these two measures
are completed, Parliament will rise. The proroga-
tion may be expected to take place between the 21st
and 24th of the present month.

Vrattaings Varlianunt.

HOUSE OF LORDS-MONDAY.
SANIATRy CONVERSATION.

LI. d RAVENSWORTH complained of the defective
ventilation in the committee rooms of the house.
The Earl of MALMESBURY stated that the Govern-
ment hstl ordered some temporary measures to alle-
viate the inconvenience produced by the bad air from
the river; but any permanent operations that would
disturb the deposits on the shore could not be under.
taken till the cooler weather of the autumn.
Lord BROUOHAN thought there was great danger
of the appearance of cholera in the first fortnight of
August. The Government ought to assume very
complete powers in this matter.
After some remarks from the Earl of HARDWICKE

ansi the Duke of NEWCASTLE on the efficiency of these
palliative expedients,
The Eart of MALMESBURY explained that more
extensive measures were contemplated by the Govern-
ment, but they could not be adopted without careful
consideration.

Earl STANHOPE moved, as a resolution, that an
address be presented to her Majesty, praying that
her Majesty will be pleased to take into consider-
ation the proclamation of the first year of her reign,
by which the services of the Church for the sth of
November, the 30th of January, the 29th of May,
and the 20th of June are appointed to be read yearly
on those days, and are annexed to the Book of
Common Prayer of the Church of England ; and,
should her Majesty see fit, to substitute for that pro.
clamation one declaring that only the service tor
the 20th of June, the anniversary of her Majesty's
accession, shall henceforth be so real and published.
These services, the noble earl stated, were not
founded on the votes of Convocation, or on Acts of
Parliament, but on the royal proclamation alone.
He asked their removal, because they deserved no
part of the admiration the beautiful and majestic
Liturgy of the Church commanded, but were rather
a blot and stain upon it. The lapse of a century and
a half since the most recent of the events celebrated
had taken place rendered it no longer proper or
desirable to continue these services, but there were
&so special objections to the language of the services
themselves, which in some passages resembled that
of a party pamphlet. Having noticed some of these
passages, especially in the service for the 30th of
January, and the feeling of the times when they were
written, he said he proposed to proceed by way of an
a 'dress to the Crown, rather than an act repealing
the old statute, because the moment the Crown
ceased to provide the services the statute would
become obsolete. But after the address had been
issued the Sovereign might be advised to propose to
Partiamant the repeal of the ancient acts. Even now,
though the services were ordered to he used by the
proclamation, clergymen were not compelled to read
them, as they formed no part of the Prayer book, "as
by law established;" in very few churches were they
retained, and recently some cathedrals had released
themselves from the duty of reading them. The
tendency cf the services was to make the Church
political, and he believed the very best results might
be expected from their discontinuance.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY had felt bound
by duty to oppose the plan of a revision of
the Liturgy, on account of the controversies
to which the revision would give rise ; but the
present proposal was not liable to that objec-
tion. Practically, the State services were already
obsolete, and their removal from the Prayer book
would be generally sanctioned by public opinion.
The feelings excited by the events celebrated
had died out, and the services had fallen into des-
uetude ; it was better they should he regularly
abolished than irregularly disregarded. He sup-
ported the motion.

The Bishop of LONDON contended that the bishops
had full power to effect what was one chief object of
Lord Ebery's motion of the 6th of May,—namely,
to shorten the regular services of the church by
dividing them ; no Act of Parliament was required to
confer powers already existing. The present motion
differed materially from the proposal to introduce
changes into the Liturgy itself. Ho approved the
abolition of the State services. It was asserted they
were very seldom read ; but they were read just at
the times and in the places where it was least desir-
able they should be heard—in all the College chapels,
In the great seminaries of education. lie asked 11
these services ought not to cease? He objected to
the position in which they placed both the Sovereign
and the clergy, and to much of the language to be
found in them ; they had become empty forms, and
no one would regret their abolition.
The Duke of MARLBOROUGH thought the services
might be modified, withont removing them from the
Prayer-book altogether; in an improved form they
might be retained as memorials of past events of the
national history.

THE PRESS, JULY 3, 1858.

The Bishop of BANGOR did not defend all the ex•
plessions these services contained ; but they might
be accepted by any pions man without scruples.
The Bishop of OXFORD could not accept them as
proper exponents of natiotial humiliation or gratitude.
They contrasted unfavourably with the prayers of
the Liturgy ; they were far too political, polemical,
and epigrammatical. He strongly objected to any
alteration of the Book of Common Prayer; but these
services ought not to be annexed to it.
The Bishop of CASHEL supported the motion.
The Earl of MALMESBURY thought the better
course would be at once to move the repeal of the
statutes on which the proclamation was founded ;
the other house would then express Its opinion on
the subject, which would strengthen the Crown in
dealing with it.

The Bishop of Sr. AsArt{ could not support the
motion, and deeply regretted that it bad been made.
The motion, amended by the omission of the
reference to the service of the :20th of June, wa3
agreed to.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-MONDAY.

At the morning sitting the house was ,-I;cupied in
committee with the details of the Universities
(Scotland) Bill.