The Press.
London, England, 1858-06-26 00:00:00

Mr. COLLIER, as second encumbrancer, claimed a
lien on Wednesday's sitting for a Bill to shorten
and cheapen the scrutiny of votes before an
election conunittee, if the primary mortgagoe
happened to be paid off in time. Both claims,
as it turned out, were duly liquidated—number
one, by a compromise under which the Bill was
withdrawn for the present, upon an understand-
ing that the Government would aid in referring
the whole question to a select committee next
year • and the other by a division, in which the
further progress of the Bill was negatived by a
crushing tnajority of 125 against 87.

THURSDAY.
Lord STANLEY brought forward for second
reading No. 3 of the India Government Bills.
As founded upon resolutions which had already
been amply discussed and unanimously adopted,
the provisions of this measure required no vindi-
cation. The Noble President of the Board of
Control accordingly restricted his speech to a
brief but luminous exposition of the objects which
his proposed system of Indian► administration
was designed to accomplish. Following his ex-
ample, other Members on both aides curtailed
their eloquence, reserving all objections upon
points of detail to the committee, and allow►ng
the bill to be read a second time without oppo-
sition. This stage has never been reached by
any of the numerous propositions on the subject
brought forward by preceding Administrations.
The question has thus advanced through a most
important stage in its progress to maturity.
During the discussion Mr. Bimini. made his
long-threatened speech upon the abstract prin-
ciples of Indian government. With a power of
invention which the Abbe SIEYES might have
envied, the Member for Birmingham outlined the
plan of a complicated constitution suited, as he
believed, for the very peculiar conditions of
Government required when an European power
intends to rule and control a multitudinous com-
munity " comprising twenty different nations,
" speaking twenty different languages." As the
foundation for a working enactment, his
scheme, as the Hon. Member himself confesses,
might not be altogether expedient. Even if he
had the power he would not abolish the Gover-
nor-General for another year or so. But his
administrative system for Inlia he nevertheless
considers inexpugnable, and the new constitution
for our Oriental dominions is carefully put away
in a pigeon-hole, to be brought forth when the
Member for Birmingham becomes Premier• by
some " bold figure of speech "—to use his own
illustration—with a complaisant majority in the

House ready to experimentalise at every Ward
upon the crude theories and "ague abstractiell
of the Manchester School. unit

FRIDAY.

,t. r

A morning sitting disposed of a few clauses in
the Universities (Scotland) Bill. In the evening
the subject of Thames mud was stirred for nearly
two hours. Lord Jo:ix MANNEas, in the course
of the debate, declared that the question was
undergoing careful consideration by the Govern-
ment, who were prepared to ask the House for
enlarged discretion, if the present powers of the
Executive were found insufficient. The CHAN-
CELLOR of the Exam:lmm, combating this state-
ment, hinted that no difficulties about money
would be allowed to stand in the way. As
further consolation to honourable members, Mr.
DISRAELI promised that strenuous efforts should
be made to abbreviate the session, and allow
them to escape as soon as possible from the
neighbourhood of the polluted stream.
The new Government of India Bill was after-
wards discussed in committee, and successfully
fought up to the seventh clause. Mr. CHICHESTER
FonrEscrE moved an amendment, providing that
the Indian Secretary of State should do no-thing
without his Council. Lord PALMERSTON pro-
posed two amendments : first, that the Council
should consist of twelve, instead of fifteen mem-
bers; and secondly, that the whole body should
be nominated by royal sign-manual instead of
being partly elective. All three amendments
were pushed to division, and all three were
rejected by very large majorities.
Thus far the Government have carried their Bill
unharmed through the rocks of Opposition. Fur-
ther progress stands suspended until Thursday
next, when Mr. GLADSTOiX,E Will- try whether he
can succeed better than Lord PALMERSTON as an
amender of the thesauri, lii;proposing that the
first members of Council should be named in the
act.