The Press.
London, England, 1857-12-12 00:00:00

OATHS BILL.

The house having resolved itself into a committee
to consider the Oaths of Allegiance, Supremacy, and
Abjuration, and also to consider the disabilities affect-
ing her Majesty's Jewish subjects,
Lord J. RUSSELL, in moving that the chairman be
directed to move for leave to bring in a bill to
substitute one oath for the Oaths of Allegiance,
Supremacy, and Abjuration, and for the relief of
her Majesty's subjects professing the Jewish reli-
gion, stated the nature of the bill, the chief feature
of which was the addition to the oath proposed in
his former bill of the words "on the true faith of a
Christian," and by a subsequent clause authorising
the omission of those words when the oath was ad-
ministered to one of her Majesty's Jewish subjects.
lie did not propose, he said, to alter the Roman
Catholic oath. He referred to au opinion of the
Attorney-General, that the Act sth William IV.
entitled that house to frame a declaration to be
taken in lieu of an oath, and suggested that, although
the result of an inquiry before a committee was un-
favourable to this opinion, the decision was arrived
at by a small majority, and the question might, if
necessary, be revived.
Sir F. TRESIGER observed that it had been
arranged that there should be no opposition to the
introduction of the bill, and that the second reading
should be deferred until after Christmas ; but he
entreated Lord J. Russell to pause and consider
the consequences of a measure which would be a
stepping stone to other innovations, to the admis-
sion of Mahomedans and Ilindoos. He should, he
said, resist the measure in every stage, because he
believed that., by the admission of Jews to the
Legislature, a fatal blow would be given to a prin-
ciple interwoven with every department of the
State.
Mr. Dillwyn, Mr. Cox, Mr. Pease, and Mr. Griffiths
supported the motion, which was opposed by Mr.
Bentinck, Mr. Newdegate, and Mr. Stanhope.
Mr. ADAMS reserved his opinions upon the mea-
sure.
Lord J. RUSSELL briefly replied, and the motion
was agreed to, the resolution was reported, and the
bill was ordered to be brought in.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT (1818) AMENDMENT unit.
Mr. COWPER moved for leave to bring in a bill to
amend this act. He explained that the object which
he had in view was to extend the operation of the
original act, so as to render it more available for the

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removal of those causes which were known to con-
duce to mortality.
Leave was given to bring in the bill.
Slit HENRY HAVELOCK'S ANNUITY BILL.

On the motion that this bill be read a second time,
Mr. W. WILLIAM% expressed his entire concur-
rence in the object of the bill, and eulogised the
services of General Havelock.
Mr. BOWYER declared his conviction that the sum
proposed was not sufficient; he contended that the
annuity should be continued to the son of General
Havelock, who had also distinguished himself, and
he gave notice that in committee on the bill he would
move an amendment to that effect.
Sir C. NAPIER said that General Havelock had
exceeded any man he had ever heard of, and declared
that he should have been made a peer.
Sir H. VERNEY suggested that the services of
General Havelock were of a special character, and
deserved a most particular recognition on the part
of the house. He trusted, therefore, that the
Government would reconsider the case, and give a
more adequate reward than that proposed by the bill.
Mr. CLAY hoped that the regard which was to be
conferred on Sir Henry• Havelock was but an instal-
ment of what was to come.

Captain SCOTT believed that the gallant veneral
was a poor man, and he thought that the reward for
his services should have been far more ample.
Sir F. SMITH warmly supported the bill, and gave
some details of interest co.inected with the assault
on Delhi, with the view to show the desperate nature
of the attack :

Of the engineers engaged in it, ten fell in the storming
party, including the gallant Salkeld, who was first at the
Cashmere Gate, and the Lo less gallant Home and
Hovenden. All these had been pupils of his (Sir F.
Smith), and he need not say that he felt proud of his
scholars. The last-named officer, having been only shot
in the leg, had written to him with his usual spirit, " I
got a brick of a grenadier to lift me on his shoulders and
carry me in." I will only mention one fact more to show
the desperate and determined nature of this assault. Of
the eighteen ladders that advanced with the 2nd column,
five were knocked over at the glacis, and of the ninety men
who were carrying them, thirty were killed or wounded,
and there were not sufficient men to form skirmishers
to the ladder party, or to support it.
Mr. RICHARDSON trusted that a provision would
be made for the family of General Havelock, should
he fall in the war.
The bill was then read a second time, and the
committee was fixed for the next day.
The house adjourned at half-past eight o'clock.