The Express.
London, England, 1864-06-08 00:00:00

SSESSMENT COMMITTEE ACT
AMENDMENT BILL.

Lord WODEROUSE, in moving the second reading of
this bill, said that its object was to remedy certain defects
in the details of a measure pawed in the year 1862, for the
purpose of ensuring a more accurate assessment to local
rake.

le fier a few words from the Earl of ROIINIT the bill
wee reed a mood time.
PENAL SERVITUDE ACTS AMENDMENT BILL.

On the motion for going intocommittee on this bill,
Lord BROUGHAM said he highly approved of that part
of the bill which provided foe the supervision of convicts by
the police. When he sus at the Social Science meeting in
Dublin he law no lees than 160 ticket-of-leeve men under
the superintendence of only two oolirclum.
Lord LYTSELTON
regardhli. approved of the conduct of
the government withto the Australian colonists.
There could be no doubt that the feeling of the colonists in
Pastern Australis wu opposed to the sending of convicts to
any part of that continent, but, in his opinion, nothing could
be more unjust, more unreasonable, and more bullying, than
their conduct in endeavouring to prevent convicts from
being sent to Western Australia, where the feeling was in
favour of convicts being sent out. He hoped the government
would not allow themselves to be influenced by the addresses
sad memorials sent from &sten Australia.

The house haviog goes into committee,
Clause 1 was screed to.
On clause
. .

Earl GREY moved ac amendment to the effect that
criminals, after two previous convictions, should be subject
to a minimum imprisonment of seven years. He thought it
perfectly absurd that where a criminal had been convicted
some 15 times be should only be sentenced to three years'
inirrrament. (Hear, hear.)
GRANVILLE thought the amount of punishment
'bora be left to the discretion of the judges.
Earl GREY thought the judges were in the habit of act.
bg too leniently in these mess.
Lord CLAN WORTH was et opinion that. in jostles to
the criruiLd himself as well as to society, where a person
Lad been convicted of felony twice he should be punished
for • long period of time, in order that, if possible, he
bight be reclaimed from hie evil habits.
Earl GRANVILLE said that, after what bad been stated,
he should be most unwilling to oppose the amendment.
The amendment was than agreed to, and the clause as
amended was agreed to, as was clause 3.
Upon . . . . .

Lied HOUGHTON moved the omission of claim 4, by
which the pollee are empowered to watch holders of tickets
of leave, arguing that such duties were unworthy of Eng-
lish polio), and that the system utterly deprived criminals
of the chance of pining honest livelihoods
The Earl of CARNARVON opposed the amendment,
mrgiog that it assumed that the police ahuaed their powers.
Lord CRANWORTH pointed out that the clause only
!squired the holders of ticketeof -leave to sport themselves
ones a month to the polies, which would be no lest of their
good conduct, bat would be fatal to their obtaining honest
employment. There ought to be au office for the purpose of
exercising supervision over those persons.
After some further chscussios

The LORD CHANCELLOR agreed so to modify the
abase as that at ter owe reporting hinueli a ticket-of-leave
bolder need not be again obliged to do so unless required by
She police.
Lord HOUGHTON modified his amendment, so as to
wane itsoperetion to the omission of the words requiring
• man to report himself to the police once • mom:, ; still
having him therefore under the obligation to inform the
police of any change in his residence.
Toe house divided, and tho numbers were :
Fur the amendment 4l
Aceieg it
49-8

Lord -1-'011T314131 moved a f orther amendment, restricting
the regulation to report themeless personally to male
convicts.

The —amendment was agreed to, sad the clans% se
amended, waa ordered to wand part of the bill.
The remaining clauses and the whedules were then &Treed
to, the house resumed, and the chairman reported the bill
and amendments.
ADMIRALTY LANDS AND WORKS BILL.

The house went into committee on this bill.
04 clause 4,
The Earl of POWIS said that by this clause the Admi-
ralty, when selling surplus lands, would have to infer them
tithe original owner if they were agricultural lands, but
not otherwise. Now he could out understand why that
privilege should be gives to one peculiar class of proprie-
tors. Jn many cases at had happened that the inhabitants
of a place had been unable, from the want of this power of
preemption, to get rid of serious nuisances on lands thus
circumstanced. He therefore moved to omit from the
clause the words which placed the Admiralty, in reference
to these lands, under the operation of the Lands Clauses
Consolidation Act.

t,-iTierhii74;oriVOMEßgi:T said there was practically no
power of pie.emption in the case, as lands for Admirelty
purposes were never purchased in the country, but in the
setghbourhood of town., and they were sometimes pur-
chased there for the purpoire of ridding the country of object-
tionable houses.

After tome discussion the clause vrae emended and agreed
to. The bill Uses reseed through committee.
INSANE PRISONERS ACT AMENDMENT BILL
This bill paased through committee.
NAVAL AGENCY AND DISTRIBUTION BILL

This bill was read a third time aad pasted.
NAVAL BILL.

This ball was read a third time a/ drool
The bourne adjourned a: a quarter past eight.

HOUSE OF COMMON!!.—TrzsDAT Jc3z 7.
The Smarm toot the chair et 4 o'clock.
THE EDUCATION REPORTS.

Sir W. MILES spotted to the house that the Gasend
Committee of flivetioos bad appointed Mr. Dodson, Sir P.
AIMOD, Lord Hothazn, Mr. C. W. Howard, and Mr.
Bowes u a committee to inquire into the education reports,
rad the hon. baronet also remitted that the Lord Advocate
sad Lord R. Cecil went the members appointed for the
parpore of examining witnessid, but without the power of
Toting.