The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-20 00:00:00

TRANSPORTATION AND PENAL SERVITUDE.

The commissioners appointed to inquire into the
" whole quertion" of our micas of secondary punishments
and prime discipline have made their report, which has
just been published and promoted to parliament.

_
In conclusion all the reeommemdations of the commis-
sioners are thus recapitulated :
" 1. That sentences of penal servitude should not in
future be passed for shorter terms than seven years.
"2. That the principle already recognised by the law, of
subjecting re-convicted criminals to severer punishment,
should be more fully acted on.
"3. That convicts *entwined to penal servitude should
be subjected, in the first place, to nine months' separate
imprisonment, and then to labour on public works for the
remainder of the term for which they are sentenced, but
with the power of earning, by industry and good Conduct,
an abridgment of this part of their punishment.
"4. That all male convicts, who are not disqualified for
removal to a colony, should be sent to Western Australi►
during the latter part of their punishment.
"b. That thoee who may be unfit to go there, bat may
main an abridgment of their punishment, and who may
consequently be discharged at home under license, should
be placed under strict supervision till the expiration of the
terms for which they were sentenced, and that the neces-
eery powers should be given by law for rendering this super.
vision effectual."

THE PROROGATION OF PARLIAMENT.—The minis •
twirl flab dinner is fixed for Saturday next, at the Trafalgar,
Greenwich. The last vote in supply was only taken on
Friday night. The Appropriation Act will be introduced
to-morrow (Monday), and it in still expected that parlia-
ment will be prorogued on Tuesday, the 28th iurtent.—
Observer.

Sir Colman O'Loughlin, Q.C., has addressed the
electors of the county Clue, IN a candidate for the seat
rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Calcutt. Sir Colman
is a Roman catholic connected with the county. There is
no other candidate yet in the Held.
It is stated that after a rather protracted inquiry
the government have assented to the proposal of Mr. Cave,
M.P., chairman of the West India committee, and agreed
to remit the Customs' duty on methylated rum, in order
that it may be used u a deaeicant for peint in the same
manner as spirits of turpentine, the price of which has been
seriously enhanced by the American war. The methylation
is to be performed in bond, and the differential duty of 2d.
on colonial and Pd. on foreign spirit, imposed for the pro-
tection of the British distiller, is dill to be paid. Notice
wee gine by Mr. Frederica Peel on Friday evening of a bill
to carry this arraegemeet into immediate effect.
The arrangements for the week at the Royal
Italian Opera, Covent•gardeo, include M. Gounod's still
attractive Pawl e Margherita (to-night and Friday);
d' Amore, with Mademoiselle Adelina Patti, for
the lint time, aa Adis, and Signor Romani, me Dulcarnera
(to-morrow) ; and the Hagetenoes, for the mooed appearance
of Mademoiselle Pauline Luang (Thonday). Two weeks
more and the 17th mews of the Royal Italian Opera will
have terminated, the dada; night being Axed for Saturday,
August 1.
The arrangements for the week at Her Majesty's
Theatre include a miscellaneous entertainment, musical and
dramatic, in which Madame Elated takes part (to-night);
Oberon (to-morrow) ; Le Porte di Piparo, with Mende-
moiseiles Titiens. Trebelli, and Liebbardt, as the Canniest,
Page, and Swann', and Mr. Bentley as the Count (Wednea.
day); the Huguenots (Thuraday) ; Medea, for Madame
Ristori (Friday) ; and Faust (Saturday). This will bring (if
advertisements may be credited) the "Farewell Nights"
to s conclusion. I
---- • .

Mr. Charles Barrington, of the Treasury, has
been appointed Gentleman Usher to the Order of the Beth.
Horatio James Huggins, Esq., has been &p-
-osted Queer's Advocate for the palmy of Sierra Loma.
Carnal. PaLscs—The concluding ceremony of
this year's swot* of the National llate Association takes
place today at the Crystal Palo" when ►ie Royal Mika=
the Date of Cambridge will motet the numerous prism to
the respective winners. A large dais has been greeted on
the trout of the Handel orchestra, across which the entmese-
ful volunteers will par to receive from hie royal highness
the rewards of their prolitieney is the use of the rile At
the termination of this coremeny the velnateem will adionan
to the cricket ground, where they will spend the rimeamds
of the day la athlette sports bar summons and nod prima