The Press.
London, England, 1858-02-13 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS WORSHIP ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
The Earl of SaLvresauay said that the debate on
this bill had been adjourned from the short sitting

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of Parliament before Christmas. There were now
two bills before the house on this subject : the one
introduced by himself, and the other by the most
reverend prelate opposite, with the consent of the
whole episcopal bench:—

He felt that it would not be possible for him to
carry his bill without irritating, frequent, and angry
debates, frequent appeals to the country, and without ex—
citing commotion between the clergy and laity. Under
these circumstances he felt that it would be impossible for
him to proceed further with the bill, and he intended
therefore to conclude with a motion that he be permitted
to withdraw the bill.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SPECIAL SERVICES BILL.
On the motion of the Archbishop of CANTERBURY,
who was almost totally inaudible in the gallery, this
bill was read a second time.
In explanation of the measure a discussion arose,
in which the Bishops of London, Exeter,St.David's,
and Llandaff took part, together with Viscount Dun-
gannon and the Earl of Derby, who was glad his
noble friend had withdrawn his measure, as it was
more satisfactory to have a bill upon which all the
prelates were agreed :

He hoped, however, that it would 'always be considered
as aubsidia•y and auxiliary to the parochial services, and
take effect wherever the latter was not sufficient.
He was not prepared to say that much gosd might
not arise from special services in Westminster Abbey,
St. Paul's, and Exeter Hall, and certainly it was a
very remarkable fact, that there appeared to be little ur no
difficulty in attracting the people into church. Every-
where there had been overwhelming congregations, and in
St. Margaret's a special service had been arranged in order
to accommodate the overflow from Westminster Abbey
Let them not, however, look upon these services as sub-
stitutes for the parochial service.

The second reading was then agreed to, and their
lordships adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—Mom:IIY.
NEW WENNER°.

Sir H. R%WLISSON and Lord J. BaowNE took the
oaths and their seats, the one for Reigate, the other
for the county Mayo.
Her Majesty's gracious reply to the address of
congratulation upon the marriage of the Princess
Royal was read by the SPEAKER.

AMB kSSADOII.B CHAPEL, PARIS.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply
to Mr. Wise, said that no offer bad been
made to our ambassador to exonerate the
English Govarnmznt from the liability they had
incurred ; but an offer had been made that
would have that effect if a certain condition were
complied with, which it was in the discretion of the
French Government to grant. There were some
legal difficulties in the way, but the matter had been
laid before the French Government, and if a favour-
able answer was received it would be arranged.

CAVALRY

(INDIA.)

Captain Vrvux wished to know whether there was
any intention of increasing the force of the cavalry
regiments in India, or of adding to their number by

new regiments.
Sir J. RAMSDEN said that arrangements had been
made for reinforcing the cavalry in the same manner
as the rest of the forces in India were maintained.
There was 'no preFent intention of increasing the
strength of the cavalry regiments now there, or of
sending out other regiments. That must depend
upon the course of events and the intelligence re-
ceived from India.

LTIOI WITH INDIA.

Mr. CRAWFORD asked the First Lord of the Trea-
sury whether her Majesty's Government had entered
into any arrangements for extending the Mediter-
ranean system of telegraphs to Alexandria, and
whether any arrangements bad been concluded, or
were now under the consideration of her Nfajesty's
Government, for bringing India into telegraphio
communication with this country by the way of
Egypt and the Red Sea, or by any other route.
Lord PLLMERSTON

The arrangements to which the hon. gentleman hag
alluded are matters of great importance, and excite great
attention on the part of her Majesty's Government.
Several communications have been received from different
parties with reference to the continuation of the telegraphic
communication to Alexandria, but her Majesty's Govern—
ment have not yet been able to make any anal arrangements
with any of thrum parties. As regards the continuation of
the telegraphic communication along the Red Sea, and so
to India, I do not think any proposal has yet been laid
before the Government.

THE " CAOLIARI."
Lord PALMERSTON. replying to Mr. Ridley, stated
that some despatches had been received by the Go-
vernment respecting the seizure of the Cagliari
steamer, and that some questions on the subject
had been submitted to the law officers of the Crown,
but the affair bad not, as he believed, attained such
ripeness as justified a production of the documents
to the house.

GENERAL ASHBUENTIAII.
Lord PALMERSTON, in reply to a question put by
Mr. Warren, said it wits well known that General
Ashburnham had been sent to take the command of

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the force destined against Canton, but that force
having been diverted, at the request of Lord Canning,
to India, and there being no immediate prospect of
immediate active operations in China, by direction of
the Commander-in-Chief Oeneral Ashburnhom pro-
ceeded to India; but, upon arriving at Calcutta, he
found that there was no opportunity of giving him
active employment in India, and, after waiting three
or four weeks, he had thought it best to return home
and place himself at the disposal of the Commander.
in-Chief.

General PEET, with the permission of the house,
read an explanation placed in his hands by General
Ashburnham, in which that gallant officer said that
his services in the field having been dispensed with
by Sir Cohn Campbell, and that his offer to take any
command, however small, in the field being rejected,
and the command of the Lahore division being
offered to him instead—a valuable command, which
he did not think himself justified in accepting over
the heads of so many distinguished Indian officers—
be thought it better to return to England.

VOTE OF THANKS TO THE ARMY AND NAVY IN INDIA.
On the motion of thanks to the military, naval,
and civil functionaries who bad rendered service
during the mutiny in India,
Mr. DISRAELI interposed a question on the point of
order. The original notice, he observed, had been
given by Lord Palmerston, in general terms, for
thanks to the army and navy, but, as now proposed,
the vote specified the namev of certain individuals,
and especially included that of the Governor-General,
respecting whose merits there might arise many
doubts. This change in the tenor of the motion was,
he submitted, irregular.
A brief discussion ensued, when the SPEAKER
ruled that the motion as it stood was perfectly in
order.

Lord PALMERSTON then moved the vote of thanks
in the terms that had been inserted in the notice
paper, alluding briefly to the services performed by
the various personages mentioned in the vote, and
also of the general body of military, naval, and
civilian employes who had shared in the late opera-
tions in Hindostan. The services of Sir Cohn Camp
bell and other gallant officers the noble lord warmly
eulogised :

Sir Colin Campbell has displayed the highest qualities
which can distinguish a general in the field. The alacrity
with which he left England to take the chief command
was characteristic of his Highland extraction and of his
military genius. When requested to proceed to India he
replied that he would be proud to have the trust committed
to him ; and on being asked when he could start he
answered " To-morrow evening." (Cheers.) He wanted
no time for preparation, no delay for arranging his military
equipments. He could get everything he required, he said,
at Calcutta, and he would not lose an hour in leaving Eng-
land by the first steamer then under orders to sail. He
arrived at Calcutta, and presented himself at the residence
of the Governor-General ; and, whatever may have been
reported from India to the contrary, the most perfect con-
fidence, the most perfect harmony, the most perfect recipro-
cal esteem and goodwill prevailed between him and the
Governor-General from the moment that he reached that
country down to the latest hour to which our intelligence
extends. ( Hear, hear ) I know that Sir Cohn Campbell
has written to the Governor-General, expressing his lively
sense of the public services performed by Load Canning in
the course of this war. Sir C. Campbell has the rare merit
of uniting to the greatest intrepidity and the most daring
courage that caution, that combination, that adaptation of
means to the end which is best calculated to accomplish the
object in view with the least possible sacrifice of life to his
troops. ( Hear, hear.) This most admirable quality is one
which perhaps few of the great leaders whose deeds are
recorded on the page of history can be praised for dis-
playing, but it is nevertheless a quality which his illustrious
predecessor, the Duke of Wellington, eminently possessed,
and which is always sure not only to command the con-
fidence of the army, but to render its services doubly effec-
tual when the day of battle arrives. In his splendid ad-
vance upon lucknow, in the manner in which he extricated
that large train of women and children, and of sick and
wounded from the beleaguered Residency, Sir C. Campbell
has shown a military skill and ability that were never sur-
passed. And when he returned to Cawnpore, and had to
attack the Gwalior Contingent, instead of rushing to the
encounter without preparation, he paused to mature his
plans and complete his arrangements, and then indicted
upon the enemy a discomfiture all the more signal and
decisive for his previous delay. (Hear, hear.) It is a
great consolation for the country to know that it possesses
so great a commander as Sir C. Campbell has proved him-
self to be ; and it is equally satisfactory to feel that
we have men who the moment they are placed in situations
of great responsibility show themselves fully equal to the
oetasion, and entitle themselves to the applause and
gratitude of their country.

He then passed in rapid review the services of
Wilson, and Outran], and Greathed, and Cotton,
and many other gallant and distinguished men,
arriving lastly at those of Colonel Inglis, " a name
never to be forgotten, and made illustrious by that
gallant defence of Lucknow." Lord Palmerston con-
cluded by formally moving the vote of thanks.

Mr• DISR‘ELI quite agreed with the noble lord in
his view of the conduct of individuals during the last
year in India. He did not think there had ever
been an instance in which character had been so