The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-15 00:00:00

WARLIKE PREPARATIONS IN FRANCE.

Mr. COBDEN—In the Times of last Saturday a letter
appeared, in a nerprominent position, signed by a peer of
the realm, and which contained, amongst other similar
statements, regardiag the question I am going to put, the
following :—" Peculiar circumstances have enabled me to
obtain information, which cannot be doubted, upon impor-
tant points, bearing upon those questions ; but, before re-
tarring to it, I would state that I have lived in France ;
have been on terms of intimacy with many Frenchmen, and
have lost no opportunity of making myself acquainted with
the state of public feeling." A little way further Gabe says:
" I therefore contend that every additional ship to that
great force (they have sow 110 f• sailors in their pay than
we have, without our vast coloaial empire) is an
additional proof that they do contemplate a descent
on our shores. I have received positive information, which
Maaot be doubted, that they are now striving to the very
utmost to increase their naval force in every manner, and
that arrangements have been officially decided upon to con-
tinue year alter year similar exertions. I eannxt give my
authority, but trust that I shall be believed when I say,
that this information may be most thoroughly tilled upon."
It cannot be doubted that a statement of this kind, made
by a peer of the realm, from his owe peculiar sources of
iaforenattos, must have a deep impression on the country ;
Ind the question I wish to put is, whether the British go-
vernment have had any cononanication with the govern-
neat of Frazee upon Hie subject of the Increased naval
preparations alleged to be inn oa is that eosatry.
Lord J. RUSSELL—With respect to the emotion with
which my hon. friend has concluded I am enabled to state
that, although it is true that the French government have
thought it right both to lacrosse sod to improve
their naval means, yet that that Marone and
that improvement have been going cm oradsally, sod are
604 at all soh, manii•noir that Frame is a
snot maritime matey as would justify or require that
the renamed of this eilenteg shoold either remonstrate
Of pat my losutisa to the,.. peenameat France. (Hear,
be ) I 'beg es add that the Maness between the two
goantriee an of the meet friendly nature—(cheer)—and
with respect to European affairs generally, the best under-
stsedlag_prevaile between the two poveroments. (Hear,
hear ) With respect to say information which the noble
lord to whom my hon. frieud has alluded may have re-
ceived, I certainly must profess my ignorance. (Hear,
bear.) I believe that the government has tolerably good
*forestial', sad I believe that there is no concealment on
As part of the ignernment of France as to the improve-
mat sod ninon they are making in their ships; but with
regard to say information which that neble lord may re-
erne, I certainly have no information whatever. All I
Low is, that is that very letter the midge lord boa made
some mistakes, for be speaks of the millimisawal of the
ambassador at the time of the Pritchard triple, the fact
being that on that occasion the aishormadoraietVL:er
▪ withdrawn. withdon. (Hear, bear.) And I ass
say, from the evidence of that letter, and of a r
letter which was published in the Thom, that whatever in-
formation Lord Mount EJgecumbe may receive as to what is
doing is the ports of Franco, he is very mach less informed
as to whatpasses in my house Cr Hear, bear," and
laughter.) His statement as to what paned in a house in
L n ton, which happens to be my house, Is totally inaccu-
rate. (Hear. hear.) I do not attach so much importance
ss my hon. friend thinks Dome people may d• to the au-
thority of a peer of the realm ; for it is clear that his in-
formation is not altogether infallible. (Cheers and
haiku.)
CORN AVERAGES.
In answer to Mr. FfillWlN,
Me. CARDWELL stated that the subject of con
avengers, and the whole question of agMeultural statistics,
wee ander the consideration of the Board of Trade. He
was at present preparing a bill which would embody same
of tho suggestions of the constituency of Mr. Frewen, as to
ren tering it compulsory on the farmers to make returns at
Their ova places of abode.
GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH BILL.
On the motion for going into committee on this bill,
Sir G. PECIIELL complained of the darkness and con-
fusion in which the House of Commons was called upon to
inithte on subjects connected with the General Board of
H•alth. A promsional order was made the groundwork of
legislation on these subjects, and yet he would venture to
say that no one could cetnorehend what was meant by the
various sections of the provisional orders, or even where
they were to be had. When these things became SON
Putridly known. an amendment of the act of 1848 mast
mesdahly take place. It was true that one-tenth of the
ishibitaats of a town must he given before a provisional
order could be issued ; but every one knew bow easy it was
to get such an anent. All that was necessary was to send
two government men from Whitehall. Very large powers
were given by these provisional orders; and yet it was not
la the power of the house to alter any of the provisions they
"tame.% They could only be dealt with by excluding
them altogether. This was an unsatisfatoory mode of doing
peblie business • but he had such confidence in the right
tornr baronet-6w present head of the Board of Works—as
b'exPect that it would he altered in a short time. With
respect to the town of Brighton, he did not rise for the pur-
Zirelf objeeting to the bill in its protein stage, but be
the right hon. baroset would give time to the ia-
-141 "b
llants of that town to empress their opinions before the
Protected to the next stage.
W. IZOI.EiWORTII said he did not moan to defend
Meru coorituboo of the Board of Health. The

powers of that board would expire before the end of the i
nest session of parliament, sad before that period arrived •
the whole subject must be taken into consideration with a I
view to its improvement. With regard to the town et,
Brighton. two deputations waited upon him. By ono he I
was told that the vestry were in fav on of Brighton being 1
included in the bill ; and by the other be was informed,'
that at • public meeting the inhabitants declared them-
selves
append to it. Now his own opinion was that the
bill should not be applied mane a majority of the rate- •
‘ payers was is fuu fit. (Hear, hear.) He should
therefore give sufficient time to the ntepayen of Brighton
to express their opinion, and would act accordingly.
Mr. HUME wished to know whether the right bon. 1
, gentleman would introduce a clause into the present bill
Ito the effect, that if a majority of the ratepayers in any
town were nut in favour of the measure it would not be 1
applied to them. In the ease of Yarmouth, it had been
forced upon the inhabitants, altho::gh a vast majority of
the ratepayers were opposed to it. If the right hon. baronet
was not prepared to give an answer then, he would give
notice that he would ask the question at s subsequent stage.
The house thee went into committee, and the several
clauses were agreed to with some amendments.
COURTS OF COMMON LAW (IRELAND) BILL.
The committal of this bill was postponed till Wednesday
week.

LAND TAX COMMISSIONERS' NAMES BILL.
Oa the motion for postponing the committee on this
bill,
Mr. W. WILLIAMS objected to the power given to the
county members to name the commissioners of land tax.
He considered that he had as good a right as the members
fur the county of Surrey to name them commissioners.
Ile had some names to propose, and though he had no
doubt they would be put on if he mentioned them to the
members for the county, he objected on principle to take
such a course. His constituency was more than twice that
which returned the four members for the county. Why,
therefore, should he ask them as • favour to put this*
names on. Some years ago, when a similar bill was brought
in, be divided the house on the insertion of the names so
often that the Secretary of the Treasury gave way, and he
obtained his point. He would take the same course again,
if necessary. But be hoped the government would net
sanction an absurd custom, sad put him to the trouble of
dividing the house, which would occupy an inconvenient
length of time.
Mr. HUME would also submit it to the government,
whether, as a change most take place in the mode of as-
sessing the income tax, a change should not also be made
in the mode of appointing the persons who were to carry
the act into effect. These eonanissioners were appointed,
not by the authority of the responsible advisers of the
crown, but by cliques throughout every part of the country.
He had known tills carried to au extent that would hardly
be credited. In the case of Mr. Fielden these Commis-
sioners seemed that gentleman to a large amount of profit,
and distrained his goods, although it was clear that he was
a loser by his business for the two preceding years, arid
the government declared that they had nn power to inter-
fere. In the old times when tory members represented
almost all the counties they had tory commissioners from
one cod of the country to the other. (Hear, hear.) The
time was now come when the mode of electing the Laid
Tae Commissioners must be altered, and when all who had
to do with the levying of the tax must he appointed under
the authority of her Majesty's ministers.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he
understood his hon. friend, the member for Montrose, to
contend that great hardship arose to individuals from the
circumstance that the government had no power of inter-
posing in cases in which the assessment was too high, and
to propose that the government should be enabled to inter-
pose iu such cases. He would like to know whether his
hon. friend proposed •so to give the government power to
interfere in cases in which the assessment was too low.
He thought that the real evil to be contended with was in-

..quality7
Mr. HUME said his complaint was, that the power of
appointing the comminiunen did not rest with the govern-
ment, and that they had no power either of increasing or
decreasing the amount to be levied.
Sir 0. PECHELL hoped that the evil now complained
of would be remedied. It was by no means a proper state
of things that the commissioners for towns should be ap-
pointed by county members.
Mr. FREWEN said the evil only existed in the ruse of
new boroughs. lie himself appointed the commissioner
for Brighton. but not for Hastings, because it was an an-
cient botosgh. He saw no reason why the borough com-
missioners should not be appointed by borough members.
On the question that the bill be postponed till Monday,
the 11th of April,
Mr. W. WILLIAMS said he hoped some member of the
government would state what course would be pursued.
Mr. J. WILSON said if the hon. member had oommuni-
sated with him beforehand he would have taken care to
ikon himself on the subject ; but all he could now do was
mepomehe to investigate it in the interval of postponement.
TIM milks wee then agreed to.
The lam *ma went projoress into • committee of ways
eel mess
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS.
On the order of the day for going into committee on the
Metropolitan Improvements (repayments out of Consoli-
dated Fund) Bill.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he had
put into the form of a resolution what was intended to
explain the nature of this bill. He regretted that, owing
to en inadvertence, the entry in the votes was calculated to
produce an impression that the bill was designed to create •
new charge in. the London-bridge Approaches Fund, in
other words the cad duties levied in the port of London.
There had ,in feet, been any such intention. The
question was • purely financial one between one depart-
ment of the government, or rather one fund which formed
part of the public revenue, and another fund called the
Gmeolidated Fund; and the whole object of the bill
wasaillediseharging certain sums of money. out of the
Fund, which was at present rich enough to
bow the operation without inconvenienee, to escape from a
payment of interest to which the land revenues of the
crown had been for some time, and was still, liable on u-
mlaut of a considerable sum of money borrowed from pri-
vate parties for metropolitan improvements. His object
was to relieve the public from the continued burden Cl
that payment of interest.
The house having gone Into committee, and the reeolu-
don having been proposed,
Mr. HUME said, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer
was the conservator of the public fund, Deceased the
arrangement wee a proper one, and did rot o est therefore
to its being carried out. There had certainly is an intri-
cacy in the amounts, which ought to be cleared up.
Mr. BLACKETT said, as the bill would not interfere
with the coal tar, he did not feel called upon to op-
pone it.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY would like to know what
unseat was to he thrown on the aensolidsted fund ?
Els CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
pie amuse bmeened wee sad the interest
amantgi hr tha
_puma. 411011 Thee together
to LOINIMIL l bee Miss there ware dedessisse
Ihem that sum partly as 1•1111111111 of iliaTiZafrem ground
peals, which were available Ise the liquid. of the debt,
eel pertly oa neeseat of semi et messy available at that
filleset from Os mina OEN mel detiom. The whole
MI to be pal off, theredire, was from 940,0001. to
tillrresolution was then agreed to, and the bill pared
II MOO committee.
THE SHERIFFS' COURTS OF SCOTLAND.
The LORD ADVOCATE moved for leave to bring is a
bill to facilitate procedure in the Sheriffs' Courts is Neat-
Mod. He said this was a subject which had excited • good
deg ot interest in Scotland, and he was happy to say that
is baling with it he bad been enabled to avail himself of
dm smisoness of suggestions drawn up by his predecease, in
AM, gam was well qualified to prepare a steams of
immageigit The Sheriffs' Courts of Scotland, which were
sot at dt Ilaelegess to the County Courts of England, bad
existed he motorise, and considerable abuses bad, in the
progress of time, crept into the system, although on the
whole *operation had been satisfactory. The complaints
which had been addressed to himself had reference to
delay and septum. These were occasioned, he thought,
by three sawn. In the first place, the pleadings were not
Onefinelledlundly but committed to writing; the prepare-
d* and Mien of the papers necessarily involving consi-
derable delay and expense. A still greater evil was the
taking of the evidence in writing. The witnesses, instead
of being examined in open court, made their depositions in
writing, and the house would easily understand what a
frightful source of delay and espouse that must be. (Hear,
hear Sometimes the proofs extended over weeks,
month', and even years; and he need not say that to take
evidence in writing was • very different thing from exa-
mining him
i orally. (Hear, hear.) A third ground of
complaint plaint wasn respect to the facilities given
Ihr appealing from the sheriff substitute to the
*milt principal, which oftea occasioned much useless
easy and expleee. These being the chief evils, he proposed
le deal with the ordinary jurisdiction of the .heriff, lrst in
=NMI above SW., then in caws be twee n 121. and 50L, and lastly,
is sus mist IV. With regard to all of them, though it
would be a greet i nnnnnnnnn in Scotch practice, he proposed
to fits away entirely with written argumentative pleadings,
and be had no fear that this would be found practically a
very great improvement. Instead of the present system,
he proposed that where proof was taken, the sheriff should
take a note of the evidence, and that any review which
might follow should be founded upon that note ; and that
• similar course should be pursued when a ease was argued.
He thought that when • case involved above 501., the
principal should have a power of requiring oral p
before him ; and he had made • provision
that purpose. This was the substance of what be
proposed with regard to the ordinary jurisdiction.
He did not contemplate any *lteration In the office of
sheriff as at present constituted, because that isedentlea
I was considered to be the great advantage possessed by the
Scotch over the English jurisdiction. An attempt to
abolish the office had been made at a former period, and a
commission was appointed to investigate and report, but
that commitaion, with Lord Islay Campbell at its head,
I unanimously reported for the continuaxce of the office.
The only other change he contemplated was a simplification
of the law of landlord and tenant, which would enable the
former to obtain posseesioa without the necessity of an ee-
-1 lion, as at present. The learned lord concluded by moving
for leave to bring in the bill.
Mr. HUME was understood to approve of the bill as far
as it went, but considered it to be little more than a half
measure. What the peoele of Scotland wanted was a
thorough and .earthing measure of reform, which should
give them speedy. efficient, and cheap jo•tice.
Mr. C. BRUCE said that the learned lord's explanation
of the proposed measure gave him great satisfaction.
Mr. CRAWFORD disapproved of the bill, but should
reserve further observations fur future stages, when he