The Press.
London, England, 1856-06-28 00:00:00

THE PUBLIC RECORDS.

THE seventeenth Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper
of the Public Records, bearing date 10th April, 1856,
has just been published and presented to Parliament.
It is not a bulky document, but it contains some
weighty matter, and gives us no small insight as to
what documents are contained, and the duties which
are performed, in the Public Record Department.
Our magnificent and " unequalled" collection of
Public Records has been shamefully treated and
neglected for ages past, and great blame must attach
to our legislators for neglecting to find adequate
provision for the reception of such invaluable docu•
ments. We are glad, however, to find that the past
apathy concerning them is coming to an end, and
that, instead of the "Records" being allowed any
longer to find a resting place over some hundreds of
tons of gunpowder in the Tower of London, and in
the confined and miserable depositories at Carlton-
ride and the Chapter-house, Poet's-corner, they are
shortly to be removed into the new and capacious
repository recently erected at the back of the Rolls-
house, Chancery-lane. It is much to be desired,
however, that, before the Records be finally arranged
in the new repository, a thorough inspection of them
be made ; and that all such as are not likely to be
required for business or historical purposes be re-
jectod and disposed of, in some such manner as the
Legislature may direct.
We find in the report (p. 21) that no less than
nine houses in Chancery lane have been given up by
the Board of Works to the Record authorities, and
have been fitted up for the reception and stowage of
Records. This is a strong exemplification of the
"penny wise and pound foolish" policy by which the
Government of this country are for ever actuated.
These nine houses are only for the purpose of
affording temporary accommodation for the Records
—for there are to be wings added to the repository,
into which the Records deposited in these houses
will hereafter have to be removed. Now, the ex-
penses attending the fitting up of these houses, to
say nothing of the compensation granted to the
former tenants of them, or the loss of the rents,
would have gone a long way towards erecting another
portion of the repository. It is in such makeshifts
and patchings-up as these that the public money of
this country is so unprofitably employed.
The management of the Public Record Depart-
ment is vested in the MASTER of the ROLLS, as " the
Keeper of the Records." with a " Deputy Keeper," in
the person of Sir FRANCIS PALORAVE. Without
questioning the amount of responsibility resting upon
these tw•o high officers, we think it would be more
satisfactory to have one responsible officer at the
head of the Record Department; it would conduce
to the welfare of the establishment if it were entirely
removed from the superintendence of the Rolls
Court. At the present time it is placed in the
anomalous position of being neither a civil nor a
judicial department; and it is impossible that the
MASTER of the Rous can find time in the midst of
his judicial functions to give that care and attention
which are so imperatively needed for the well-being
and proper management of a public establishment.
The formation of " Calendars" appears to be
steadily progressing. We observe that, "for the
" purpose of accelerating the proceedings of the
"State Paper-office Calendars," the MASTER of the
RoLts has appointed three persona of literary ability
kto assist in editing the volumes of State Paper
Calendars. This principle of employing "temporary"

SATURDAY,

officers in the public departments, except upon
special and urgent occasions, is highly objectionable.
There is no need for it in the present case. There
must be many officers in the Public Record Depart-
ment well qualified for the task of editing calendars;
or how are the rough calendars of the several docu-
ments first prepared? Then comes the question of
payment, which involves some delicate points.
These temporary assistants are paid, not at the
fixed salaries of established officers, but at a high
proportional rate, according to the amount of work
done. To say the least of it, this is not only unfair
but illiberal and unjust to the established officers of
the department.

Sir W. F. Williams of Kars has been nominated to
the Commandantship of the Royal Artillery at Wool•
with, in place of Major• General Whinyates, who has
resigned that appointment.
The entry of the Guards into London has been
arranged by the authorities to take place with every
ceremony. The battalions will be detained at
Aldershott until the whole have arrived from the
Crimea. On the day succeeding the arrival of
the last battalion, the troops, consisting of the
3rd battalion of the Greuadier Guards, the Ist
battalion of the Coldstreams, and the Ist battalion of
the Scots Fusilier Guards, will leave by special train
for the metropolis so as to arrive about ten o'clock in
the forenoon at Waterloo terminus. The gallant
troops will be welcomed by the Commander in Chief,
the authorities of the Horse Guards, and several
general and staff officers. The line will immediately
be formed, the Grenadier Guards on the right, Ist
battalion Coldstreams centre, and Scots Fusilier
Guards on the left. Columns of sections will then
he formed by the right bringing the Grenadiers in
front, and, preceded by their bands, they will march
over Waterloo bridge, along the Strand, Cockspur•
street, Pall-Mall, through St. James's Palace into St.
James's-park, and thence to Buckingham Palace,
where the troops will salute her Majesty and Prince
Albert. Should the weather prove favorable the
Queen and Prince will head the troops to Hyde-
park, and there inspect them.
Major-General Sir James Jackson, K.C.8., is to
have the vacant colonelcy of the Enniskillen Dra-
goons. Sir James served in the Peninsula, at
Waterloo, in India, and various parts of the world
with great distinction. He now commands the troops
at the Cape. Sir Henry Somerset is mentioned for
one of the infantry colonelcies now vacant.
General Williams, by order of her Majesty, has sat
to Mr. Mayall, of Regent-street, for a full-length
photographic portrait in the dress worn by the gal-
lant general at Kars. The picture forms one of a
series of portraits of distinguished men, photo-
graphed by the same artist for her Majesty's private
collection.
Lieutenant-General Lord Rokeby, K.C.8., recently
in command of the Ist division of the army in the
Crimea, arrived in town on Wednesday from the
East, vii Marseilles, and reported himself at the
Horse Guards.

A serious affair between the German Jagers
and the Rifle Brigade occurred last Saturday at
Aldershott Camp. The dispute began on Saturday
night in the public-houses in the village, and as
usual in such cases was taken up with no little party
feelma,the Germans, it is asserted, using their knives
very freely. The men were at length separated and
brought into camp by strong pickets arriving on the
spot. On Sunday afternoon the Germans in a large
body went into the village, and arming themselves
with sticks attacked the English soldiers wherever
they could find them ; a desperate riot ensued and
the whole camp was under arms ; the village was sur-
rounded by troops and the combatants carried of
into camp. Several men were so severely injured
with bayonet wounds as to be sent immediately to
hospital. It is only a few weeks ago that the 3rd
Regiment of Jagers were ordered to quit Aldershott
at a very short notice, iu consequence of a distur-
bance in which they were implicated; and the gene-
ral impression is, that their comrades of the 2nd
Regiment must follow if the authorities desire to
maintain peace and order in the encampment. Seve-
ral courts martial have been held during the week
upon the ringleaders ; but nothing has transpired.
The men have since been quiet, and have even
fraternised.

The 29th, 87th, 43rd, and 86th regiments stationed
in India will be relieved during the autumn, and
return to England early next spring. It is believed
that only one cavalry regiment (the 6th Dragoon
Guards, Carabiniers) will proceed to India, instead
of two, as originally intended.

The Grenadier Guards' annual regimental dinner
is postponed from Saturday, the 28th of June, to
Thursday, the 3rd of July.

A general order from the Horse Guards, upon tb•
disembodiment of the militia, acknowledges the zeal
and discipline shown during the whole period of their
Errvice.

X

:;trNE 28, 1856.

Troct6ings in ariianicnt.

HOUSE OF LORDS-MONDAY, JUNE 23.
OATH OF ABJURATION BILL.

Lord LYNDHURST, in moving the second reading
of this bill, said it was extremely difficult to
understand what valid objection there could be
to a measure of this description, seeing that
the words in the oath, " on the true faith of a Chris-
tian," the retention of which was advocated by the
opponents of the bill, were never intended for the
purpose to which they had been made subservient.
It this bill were rejected, every one of their lordships
and every member of the House of Commons would
be obliged to swear that no descendant of the Pre-
tender had any right or title to the crown of these
realms ; and in the present day to compel a perscn
to take an oath of that description was an act not
only of oily but of impiety. Adverting to the bill to
be introduced by Lord Derby in the event of the pre
sent measure being rejected, Lord Lyndhurst sub-
mitted the only result would be that the bill would
be passed by their lordships and then go down to the
Commons, by whom it would be rejected, and the
question would just remain where it was. Lord
Lyndhurst then proceeded to review the history of
the oath of abjuration, maintaining that it was origi-
nally framed to meet the case of the Roman Catholics,
although, since the passing of the Catholic Emanci-
pation Act, no Roman Catholic was bound to take it,
and t e oath might therefore be abolished without
one single Catholic being affected by the change.
He reminded the house that the oath which Roman
Catholics were obliged to take did not contain the
words "on the true faith of a Christian," and there-
fore those words had been practically abolished so
far as they were concerned. Irrespective ot these
considerations, he contended as a fundamental prin-
ciple of the Constitution that no British-born subject
ought to be disfranchised, unless by some legislative
provision intended to be directed expressly against
him, not by one against the class or body of which he
was a member. He cited the opinions of Lord
Somers, Lord Chancellor Talbot, and Lord Chief Jus-
tice Raymond to show that, during the reign of William
111., the Jews were precisely in the same condition
as any other natural-born subjects of the Crowfri ;
and he submitted that it would more befit the cha-
racter of Parliament to exclude them by direct legis-
lation than by the construction of words never in-
tended to apply to them, and inserted into the oath
for a very different purpose. He asked for this con-
cession to the Jews as a right and not as a favour.
On a subject affecting the composition of the other
House of Parliament, to insist on the retention of a
passage in an act ot Parliament which had become
obsolete he submitted was inconsistent with sound
policy and the principles of the Constitution, and
called upon the house, as an act of simple justice to
a meritorious class of their fellow-subjects, to tear
from the statute-book an enactment which excluded
them from a privilege open to every other member
of the community, and thus perfect a principle
founded upon reason and justice.
Earl STANHOPE moved as an amendment that the
bill should be read a second time that day six months.
He thought it important that there should be a cer-
tain bond of union among the various religious sects
of Parliament. With the Jew there was no such
communion, and it would be impossible to admit a
member of that persuasion without throwing open
the door of Parliament to Malioinetans anti Pagans
indiscriminately. He denied that there was anything
exceptional in the exclusion of the Jews. The Con-
stitution had appointed various qualifications as
essential to the privilege of sitting in the Legisla-
ture. Minors, aliens, or persons not possesse of
landed property worth 3001. a year, were thus dis-
qualified, and the profession of Christianity might
justly be included among other requisites.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE supported the bill,
maintaining that religious distinctions formed no rea
Boilable cause for the denial of political rights.
Lord RAYENSWORTH entreated their lordships, by
accepting the bill, to close the long-pending conflict
which bad existed between the constituencies and
the House of Commons, or between one house and
the other.

Lord DUNGANNON feared that the nation would
forfeit the favour of Providence, if by a national act
abjured its Christian character.
The Earl of Sr. GERMANS supported the bill.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE insisted upon the
right of the Jews, who contributed to the burdens
and performed all required functions of the State, to
enjoy also political privileges.
The house then divided, and rejected the bill by a
majority of 32-110 to 78.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-MONDAY.
NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND.

Mr. FORTESCUE rose to submit his motion on the
subject of national education in Ireland, intended to
everse the vote given on Tuesday week in favour

THE PRESS.

tit Mr. Walp ol e's motion for an address sanctioning
certain essential alterations. Mr. Fortescue
moved :

That this house has observed with satisfaction the pro-
gress made in the instruction of the poorer classes of her
Majesty's Irish subjects, under the direction of the Com-
missioners of National Education, and is of opinion that,
in the administration of that system, or in any modifica-
tion of its rules, there should be maintained a strict and
undeviating adherence to its fundamental principles,
securing parental authority and the rights of conscience
to pupils of all denominations, by excluding all com-
pulsory religious teaching, this house being convinced
that no plan for the education of the Irish poor, however
wisely and unexceptionably contrived in other respects,
can be carried into effectual operation, unless it be
explicitly avowed and clearly understood, as its leading
principle, that no attempt shall be made to influence or
disturb the peculiar religious tenets of any sect or denomi-
nation of Christians.
Mr. KIRK seconded the motion.

Mr. WALPoLE said two grave questions were
raised by the resolution ; one materially affected the
relations of that house with the Crown ; the other
related more particularly to the merits of the mo-
tion. With regard to the first, he was of opinion
that when an address was voted to the Crown the
house should not lightly recur to the subject until
it had received an answer to the address, and this
was the ordinary rule. A contrary proceeding would
piece the house in a false position, unseemly as re-
garded the Crown. The resolution rested upon two
grounds—first, that the address weed to on Tues-
day last, if adopted as it was, would subvert the
national system ; secondly, that the nesessary con-
sequence of the address was to substitute a new sys-
tem of education in Inland which would have the
effect of enabling persons to proselytise children of
another faith. As to the first, he defied any one to
point out in the terms of the address, or in the
observations he made, any intention to subvert the
national system, which his object was to supple-
ment, by giving to every class and portion of the com-
munity a share of the grant, of which they should not
be deprived by any regulation which interfered with
conscientious scruples. With respect to the second
reason, that he desired to substitute for a rule of
the National Board another rule of the Church
Education Society, which would facilitate prose-
lytism, this argument proceeded, he said, upon the
false assumption that he entertained such intention,
whereas he had never made an observation that
could lead any one to infer that he would willingly
interfere with parental authority or the rights of
conscience, or compel particular religious teaching;
on the contrary, he held that such an attempt ought
not to be made, and if his proposition could not he
carried into effect without those consequences, he
would be the first man to say the address ought not
to stand. But there was nothing in it which led to
that conclusion. With respect to Mr. Fortescue's
resolution, he believed it quite harmonised with the
address, though he could not consent to it if it
amounted to a recision of the address; but, believ-
ing that it amounted only to a revision of it, he was
willing to adopt the resolution, in order to remove
any doubt as to the intention of the address. He
took the address and the resolution together, and
considered them as embodying one proposition, that
it was most unjust to deprive any part of the corn.
munity of a share of a public grant, while no attempt
should be made to interfere with parental authority
or invade tne rights of conscience, laving to the
National Board the duty of framing the regulations
by which these principles should be carried out.
Mr. LLSOUCHERE believed that the resolution
would satisfy the public mind in Inland, and he
rejoiced that Mr. Walpole had consented to sup-
port it.
Mr. CAIRNS said, the house bad now before it a
resolution which, in the opinion of many members
who had voted for the address, militated in no
respect against the address. The node lord at the
head of the Government said there were three
reasons fshich led him to conclude that the house
would rescind the address,—first, that the subject
was one of the greatest importance ; secondly, that
the decision was most mischievous; and, thirdly,
that the address would, in its consequences, subvert
the wtiole system of education in Ireland. Did the
noble viscount mean, in the first place, to say that
every resolution which was of importance ought to
be reconsidered? With regard to the second reason,
every address that left the Government in a minority
was no doubt considered by that Government to be
most mischievous. The third reason, that the effect
of the address would be to subvert a system of long
duration and of infinite importance, surely made it
the duty of the Government to subvert the address.
Why then did they not propose to rescind the ad-
dress in toto ? Fur himself he agreed with the re-
solution, which he contended was consistent with the
address, which did not propose to overturn the na-
tional system.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished that the resolution
had been more direct in reversing the vote of Tues•
day. He trusted the Government would permit
no change in the rules of the National Board.

Mr. NAPIER maintained that the Protestants of
Ireland were merely asking what the Protestant• of
Englund demanded, and which Lord John Russell
had publiely conceded to he their right—namely,
that education should be based on religion. Could
a system be called national to which the Protestants
of Ireland objected?
Mr. HORSMAN pointed out the inconsistency of
adhering to an address which set up the plan of the
Church Education Society, and adopting a resolution
which affirmed the existing system of the National
Board. The result of the former, he observed, would
be to establish in Ireland denominational schools,
instead of national, and the attempt would introduce
inequality and confusion. The only persons hostile
to the existing system was a section of the estab-
lished clergy of Ireland; but the resolution, to
which all sides of the house assented, affirmed that
that system had been successful, that its principle
was a sound one, and that it ought to be supported.
Mr. GROGAN moved to add at the end of the reso-
lution the following words :
But that, consistently with these principles, the house is
of opinion that no school should be disentitled to receive
aid from the funds of the board because the rules of such
school require that a portion of the Scriptures should be
read each day by each child, as part of the general instruc-
tion of the school.

Mr. G. A. 1-I.AumioN supported this amendment.
Lord BERNARD moved that the debate be ad-
journed._

Lord PALMERSTON objected, and, upon a division,
this motion was negatived by 331 to 50.
. . . .

Mr. VANCE then moved that the house do ad
journ.

- This motion was supported by Mr. Newdegate,
Mr. Grogan, and Mr. George, who complained that
the Government bad not declared what were their
intentions if the resolution should be agreed to.
Lot'd PALMERSTON hoped the house would come
to a decision that night. As to the sense of the re-
solution, the Government understood that if it
should be affirmed it would be the opinion of the
house that no change should be made in the regula-
tions and practice in administering the public grant
for education in Ireland. The house bad to deter-
mine whether the system of education which had
conferred so much benefit upon that country was
to continue or be abandoned—whether religious
peace should be established, or religious war be
declared.

Mr. DISRAELI said it was and had been his in
tention to vote for the resolution to support on its
fundamental principle the system of national edu-
cation in Ireland as it at present existed ; but he
was open to agree to all moditicat►ons consistent with
that principle.
The motion for adjournment was negatived by
328 to 30.

The house then divided upon Mr. Grogan's amend-
ment, wh►ch was negatived by 282 to 93.
The original resolution was then agreed to.
SARDINIAN LOAN BILL.

This bill passed through committee on Lord PAL-
MERSTON, in reply to Mr. Bowyer, explaining that the
policy of her Majesty's Government in respect to
Sardinia was to support the Sardinian Government
in that enlightened and liberal course which it had
so honourably pursued :

If that which was not the case at present should occur
the Sardinian Government should be animated by
schemes of aggression, the British Government would use
all the influence it possessed to dissuade it from such •
course. Such interference was quite unnecessary as long
as the Sardinian Government was animated, as at present,
by moderation, wisdom, and enlightenment.

COUNTY COURTS ACTS AMENDMENT
Sir J. PAKINOTON gave notice that when it went
into committee he should move that the salaries of
the County Court judges should be equalised at
1,5001., instead of 1,2001., as the bill now stood.

HOUSE OF LORDS-TUESDAY.
DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL CAUSES BILL.

Lord LYNDHURST laid on the table the report of
the select committee on the Divorce and Matrimo-
nial Bill, and gave notice that on Thursday he should
move that the report be referred to a committee of
the whole house.

The Joint-stock Companies Bill passed through
committee.