The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-22 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

of details, from which he drew the conclusion that
Dr. Reid had received less than justice from the

Board of Works.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH opposed the motion, on the
ground that the claims of Dr. Reid had been already
settled by arbitration. The papers asked for would
cost 1,0001., and be altogether useless after all.
The motion was negatived without a division.
THE CLAIMS OF MR. STURGEON.
The appointment of a select committee to examine
the claims of Mr. Edwardes, as the representative of
the late Mr. Sturgeon, was moved on Tuesday by Mr.
BOWYER. The claim was preferred on account of
property sacrificed during the French revolution, and
belonging to Mr. Sturgeon, who was a British subject.
The French Government at the restoration had set
apart a large fund to compensate British subjects for
losses suffered through confiscation, and Mr. Bowyer
argued that the commissioners charged with distri-
buting this fund had unjustly refused to reimburse

Mr. Sturgeon.
Mr. Wit.sos recapitulated the circumstances out of
whichlthe claim had arisen, andi contended that losses
suffered by Mr. Sturgeon were not caused by confis-
cation, his property having been destroyed by a mob,
and therefore his case did not come within the scope
of the fund which the commissioners appointed in
1815 had to administer. A sum of 5,0001. was neverthe-
less awarded to him as a sort of compassionate
allowance. So far from possessing any title to further
compensation, Mr. Sturgeon had therefore already
received more than he was legally justified in

claiming.
Mr. BOWYER, in reply, contended that he had made
out a sufficient case to call for inquiry before a select
committee.
On a division there appeared—For the motion, 39;
against, 40 ; majority, I.
THE CLAIMS OF CAPTAIN DICKENSON.

Admiral WALCOTT on Tuesday renewed his motion
for a select committee to inquire into the claims of
Captain Dickenson, respecting the treasure and pro-
perty
rescued by his exertions from the wreck of the
Thetis. From the salvage then obtained the Admiralty
had deducted 13,8001., which they claimed for the use
of stores and the services of the officers and crew of
H.M.S. Lightning, who had aided in the diving opera-
tions. This deduction he contended was unjust, and
the case demanded investigation.
Sir J. GRAHAM remarked that the claim now urged
was twenty-three years old, and after much con-
troversy and a full investigation was decided, as long
since as 1834, by a competent judicial tribunal, the
High Court of Admiralty. That decision had been
repeatedly confirmed, and from a recapitulation of
the circumstances he argued that it was intrinsically
just.
Upon a division the motion was negatived by a
majority of 1, the numbers being—Ayes, 40;
Noes, 41.

THE CASE OF MILES SWEENY.
A motion was made on Tuesday by Lord NAAS for
copies of correspondence between the Irish Govern-
ment and the magistrates for Donegal relative to
liberation on ticket of leave of one Miles Sweeny,
convicted of a gross " Ribbon" outrage in the year
1851. The noble lord entered at some length into
the case, in order to show that a dangerous criminal
had been returned, with his sentence unexpired,
into a district greatly disturbed by Ribbonism—
a remission which the ignorant people mistook for a
pardon.
Sir J. YOUNG had no objection to produce the cor-
respondence, but did not concur in the opinions ex-
pressed by Lord Naas respecting the case of Miles
Sweeny, whose release was granted with the as-
sent of the judge who presided at his trial, simply
because be was found to be labouring under serious

disease.
PARLIAMENTARY PRINTING.
Mr. J. GREENE moved on Tuesday for a select
committee to consider the cheapest and most efficient
mode of providing for the printing required by the
Legislature or for the public service. The hon.
member intimated that he was prepared to show the
possibility of saving 40,0001. in the single item of par-
liamentary printing by the introduction of improved
processes, and be only wished for an opportunity of
submitting his plans to the judgment of a select corn-

mittee :
" By the system to which he was referring, no less than
6,000 letters could be composed in an hour, whereas only
1,000 could be composed at present ; and work which now
cost a shilling could be done for one farthing. ( Hear,
hear.) In fact, the 5,000 letters which now went to make
what was called a galley' could be composed or set up'
under this system at a charge of 74d., though the cost of
such at present was 3s. 10d. These were not mere asser-
tions ; be should demonstrate them, and that the saving
would be some 40,0001. a year, which, in a time of war,
with taxation pressing heavily on the community, was not
to he overlooked. ( Hear, hear.) He undertook to give
the Foreign-office a good and useful printing-office, which
it had not at present, and also to ensure them a system
which, on occasions requiring confidence, could be managed
by their confidential clerks, who would be enabled to com•

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pose and print confidential communications, in any lan-
guage, in the briefest possible time, and at the least pos-
sible expense to the country. He (Mr. Greene) was not
anxious to have anything to do with the composition of
the committee—let her Majesty's Government nominate it,
and he would be ready to carry his statements into proof."
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER declared that
the printing required for the public departments was
already performed upon the most economical arrange-
ments. The parliamentary printing might, be thought,
afford some margin for reduction, but the session
was too far advanced to give any chance of useful
result from the inquiries which a select committee
might institute on the subject. As to the new ma-
chinery and processes for printing, he considered
that the house could not expediently interfere with
scientific inventions or private enterprise.
The motion was supported by Mr. M‘Malion and
Mr. Geach, and opposed by Mr. Wilson. After some
urther discussion it was earned upon a division
against the Government by 54 votes to 32-24.

MEETING OF MINISTERIALIST MEMBERS.
THE Leader of the House of Commons summoned the
supporters of the Coalition Ministry in the House et
Commons to a conference in Downing-street on
Monday afternoon. Circulars to this effect were
sent out on the previous Friday, and some 174
Liberal representatives responded to the invitation.
The meeting was held at one o'clock in the private
apartments of the First Lord of the Treasury. The
members of the Government present were Lord John
Russell, Sir G. Grey, Sir James Graham, Mr. Sidney
Herbert, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord
Palmerston, Sir W. Molesworth, Mr. Cardwell, Sir
John Young, Mr. James Wilson, Mr. F. Peel, Mr. R.
Lowe, the Solicitor-General, the Lord Advocate, Lord
Elcho, Mr. Hayter, Lord Mulgrave, Mr. Grenville
Berkeley, Mr. Fortescue, Mr. W. Cowper, Lord E.
Bruce, and Mr. Monsell.
The Morning Chronicle, the only member of the
press that seems to have enjoyed the honour of ad-
mission to this meeting, gives the following account
of the proceedings. The conference was opened, of
course, by Lord John Russell, who then explained
the existing Ministerial "position," espec:ally with
regard to the vote for the new War Ministry standing
for discussion that same evening.
The noble lord began by observing that he had thought
it advisable to assemble those members of the House of
Commons who usually gave the Government their support,
in order to consult with them upon the present state of
affairs ; and in order, if possible, to remove some inisappre•
hensions which appear to have prevailed during the session
as to the views and opinions of the Government. There
was not, he believed, so much real difference of opinion be-
tween the Government and their supporters as there was
misapprehension and misunderstanding upon certain
points. It was extremely desirable that these should be
removed.
With regard to the Reform Bill, which he had been
compelled to withdraw, be could only say, as he had said
before, that he had been personally extremely anxious that
the measure should pass in the present session ; and he
believed he might venture to say that he had never done any
act whatever, in the whole of his political lite, with so much
reluctance and regret as that of withdrawing the measure
which had been proposed for the amendment of the repre-
sentation of the people. ( Hear, hear.)
Some misapprehension also appeared to exist with re-
gard to the conduct of the Government on the question of
church rates. It had been thought by some that he lied
expressed an opinion that the hereditary monarchy of this
country was tied up with the maintenance of church rates.
He had certainly never intended to say anything of that
kind ; but he had said that, if American institutions were
quoted, they might be very useful where they existed, but
that it did not follow, because certain things were done in
the United States, the same things could be done with
safety and wisdom here. He had an opinion on the sub-
ject of church rates. It was the opinion he had entertained
before, namely, that it would not be very difficult for the
Government to propose some measure for a final settle-
ment of the question. But, having this object in view, he
had felt it was not in his power to give his assent to the
bill brought in by Sir W. Clay, inasmuch as it appeared to
him to leave several questions unsettled, and it would be
desirable, in dealing with such a question, to consider the
claims of all parties.
The noble lord then referred to the appointment of a
Minister of War. He said that hitherto the Minister at
War had also had the colonies under his charge. Onr colo-
nial possessions were numerous, and the business con-
nected with them required great attention. If attention
was not given to their affairs, the colonies were neglected,
the people felt aggrieved, and things might soon arrive et
a state to endanger the integrity of the empire. It became,
therefore, a very grave question what should be done under
existing circumstances, seeing that we had large colonial
dependencies, with a vast amount of business connected
with them, and that a war had broken out with one of the
great military powers of Europe. The Duke of Newcastle
held the seals of the Colonial•office, and in that capacity he
had had a great deal to do with the conduct of the war.
His noble friend had, with great industry and great
labour, made himself thoroughly acquainted with the whole
course of proceedings connected with the provision for
carrying on the war: He was a niost suitable person in
every respect to be the War Minister for this country; and

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