The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-15 00:00:00

PUNISHMENT OF RAPE BILL

Their lordships sties west istO cosmaltisTe ea this hill.
Cos ohms 1,
Lord WENSLBYDLLE proposed as amsadmeet making
W revalues of the bill oompulsory instead of optioaaL
011ie clause was amended by omitting the word " mar,"
sad in tie place inserting the ward " shall." the effect of
which would be to make the punishment of dogging ooni-
palmy ia all our whose the crime of rape should be
semmitted.

The dame, as amended, wee then agreed to, and the bill
err ordered to be reported on Monday next.

THE CHARITABLE ASSURANCES ENROLMENTS
BILL.

_
The report of saisodutest to this bill was brought up and
*Mod to.

CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS OF WAR.

The Earl of HARDWICKE presented a petition from
James Chalmers, an inventor of a new mode of constructing
ships of wur, complaining that the Admiralty had not given
the consideration to his plan which had been extended to
ether plans submitted to them ; further stating that
although the armour target furnished by bim bad been sub-
jected to a more severe teat than was applied to any other
target, the result had been deemed by the preseand by all
who had witnessed the trial to be extremely satisfactory
the petitioner further oomplained that the government had
pirated his invention and adopted it as their own. He
therefore prayed that the matter should be taken into con.
'Adoration.
The Duke of SOMERSET could assure his noble (dead
that the Admiralty were always glad to avail themselves
et
any real improvements. In the present instance he did
set think Mr. Chalmers bad any ground of complaint
wheat
used miralty. (Hear.)
The sbthe, dropped.
The house adjourned at tea minute; to 7.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. —TetrEsDAY, Amu. 14.
The Smuts took the chair at 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Andover and Chilton Pond Read Bill, the Downs
Books Bill, the Okehampten Railway Bill, the South York.
slay Railway and River Dan Company's Bill, the Stirling
Water Bill. the Stockport District Water Bill, and the
Thormet Road Bill were severally read a third time and
primed.
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT FOR INDIA.

Mr. BAZLEY asked the Secretary of State for Jodie bow
many candidates for employment in the medical department
tor India was presented, and how may were the weenies
at the time of the competitive examination in January last,
.
and epic how army at the recent
Sir C. WOOD said that so cur
for titres yearn
THE BYE•LAWS OF THE CITY OF LONDON.

And taken place

Yr. Alderman SALOMONS asked the Secretary of State
far the Home Department if ha bad yet approved the pro-
posed bye-lawe for the City of London; and especially if he
intended to 'eaction by-laws No. 12 and Nu. 9, which vir-
tually proposed to withhold the oommou law right of way
through the principal streets of the City from dealers in
fruit, tab, sod vegetables.

Sir G. GREY replied that the bye-laws bad sot yet been
approved, and for this reseal:l, that a question arose as to
whether some of them were not in excess of the act of par.
Bement. The City authorities had taken the opinion of
their own law °nicer., and the, reported that the bye laws
were within the powers of the act. But as some doubt
misted oo the subject, he had thought it right to refer the
matter to the law °Moors of the crown, and the question
was now before them.
006 T OF PROSECUTION&
Sir J. C. JERVOISE asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department whether his attention had been directed
to the cli• of the chairman of the quarter sessions for
Cumberland. showing the cat of peosseuhonest the sessions
sad assizes to be ea average of rather more than 121. for
each prosecution • while, under the Criminal Juetioes Act
the average was rather more than 11. 6.. per head. Whether
his &treaties had been called to a CON tried at the last
'ires at Winchester, in which the prisoner had elected to
be tried at the anises, where, after lying nearly two
mouths in prison. at the coat of theoounty, he wee seateoced
to fourteen days imprieonment, his companion in crime
baring agreed to be tried at petty sessions, and baring been
there sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment; and,
whether it was in contemplation to propose any course
tending to a more uniform mode of proceeding, sod to the
intension of the act.

Sir G. GREY said that he bad not seen the charge of the
chairman of quarter missions until a copy bad been sent to
bun by the Imo. baronet. He had no doubt that the state-
ment of the hon. gentleman was correct, that the expense
of the prosecutioos at the sessions and amines wee v•ry
much higher than under the Crintioal Justices Act. With
regard to the caw tried at the Winchester Arises. he sup-
the learned judge in pawing the sentence of 14 day s'
tweed
zisonment only, took itto consideration the fact that
the prisoner bad been already two months in gaol, which
would account for the apparent disproportion between the
sentence and that weed upon the prisoner's associate in
stints. He had no doubt the Criminal Justices Act had
been very beneficial in ita operation, but the government
bad no intention at present to extend its previsions,