The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-15 00:00:00

REGIMENT.

RAILWAY.

In answer to Mr. HANKY,
Mr. WALPOLE said his attention bad been called to •
paragraph in the papers to the effect that a strike of the
engineers on this line was in contemplation. From what
he heard he should say that there Mil 4 considerable founda-
tion for the statement. He should say the matter was
one that might very properly be inquired into by the royal
commission on trades' unions.

THE INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.
In answer to Mr. Cniuntaa,
Mr. WARD•HUNT stated that it was intended to in-
crease the postage to India from lid. to 9d. in consequence
of the additional number of mails.

THE REFORM BILL.
An inquiry, from Mr. OLAnsmvs elicited from the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER a promise that the Reform Bill
which he proposed to introduce on Monday next would be
printed so as to be iu the hands of hon. members the fol-
lowing morning.
On the order for going into committee of supply,
Mr. LOCKE complained that " the figures" relating to
reform, which had led to the resignation of three mem-
ber' of the cabinet, had not yet been laid upon the table
of the house.

Mr. WHITE also took exception to the apparent un-
willingness of the government to give informati n to the
house on this subject, and said that what he wanted was
less figures and more frankness. There was, be urged, an
un-English air of mystery about the administration on this
subject that would not enhance their reputation in the
house or out of it.
THE NAVY ESTIMATES.

Mr. GLADSTONE threw out a suggestion whether, in
the absence of the present and late First Lord of the Ad-
miralty, it would not be more convenient to postpone the
consideration of the navy estimates to a future night. He
did, not, however, wish to be understood as desiring to
underrate the great abilities of Lord Henry Lennox, the
Secretary of the Admiralty, who was, he had been given
to understand, quite ready to make the statement in the
absence of his chief.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER reminded
Mr. Gladstone that during the seven years that the govern-
ment of which he bad been a member was in office the
navy estimates were invariabl moved by the Secretary to
the Admiralty, and not by the First Lord. In the pm-
sent instance the First Lord could not be in his place
until the With inst., and, owing to the circumstance that
the returning officer of Droitwich had not made his return
to the Speaker, Sir John Pakington, the late First Lord,
was unable to take his seat. Under these circumstances
he saw no reason why the Secretary to the Admiralty
should not carry out his intention and move the navy
estimates. He was quite willing, however, to leave the
matter in the hands of the house.

After some discussion, in the course of which it was
suggested by the oppo.ition that Lord H. Lennox might
make a statement without asking the committee for a
vote, . _ _

laird H. LENNOX pointed out that be was placed in
position of difficulty—if not delicacy—by the unexpected
cell upon him to move the estimates. Re was ready, how-
ever, to undertake the duty (although he had not Lad
more than three days' notice to prepare), but it must be
upon the understanding that the statement was to be fol-
lowed by action in the usual manner.
Mr. OSBORNE urged Lord H. Lennox to proceed, in
order to show the description of metal of which he was
made. It was, be thought, too much the practice for
subordinate officials to allow themselves to be sat upon by
their superiors.
Mr. HOILSMAN maw no objection to the statement being
made and a vote taken on aocount.

Lord H. LENNOX declined to make any statement
"on sufferance," but after some further discussion the
motion that the Speaker leave the chair was agreed to,
and the house having gone into committee of supply, the
noble lord proceeded to move the navy estimates. The
total sum which would be required for the service of the
year 1867.68 was 10,926,253/., against 10,388,735 f. last
year, being an excess in favour of the new financial year of
about 500,0001. The number of seamen to be voted would
be 36,900 against 37,300 voted last year • but the former
would cost 1,990,862 f., while the latter had cost 1,975,0001.
The continuous service men were constantly increasing,
and there was a great decrease in the number of desertions
and in the statistics of crime. The sanitary state of
the navy was also most satisfactory, and the death
rate last year was lower than any that had been
recorded for many years past. There was a reduction in
the number of artificers in the dockyards, but the in.
creased cost counterbalanced the saving. The sum re-
quired for the men in the dockyards last year was
1,065,1941., against 1,064,638/. now to be voted. The total
number of shire in commission was 514. Having ex.
pressed a hope that the time was not far distant when the
African squadron might be dispensed with altogether, the
noble lord proceeded to explain the measures which bad
been taken to build new gunboats and ironclads, and their
tonnage and armaments. In conclusion, he assured the
committee that if the estimates of the government were
agreed to, and that the measures in progress for placing
the navy on an efficient footing were carried into effect,
the country might be satisfied to rest on its fleet as the
right arm of its strength in any future war. He 1
that 67,300 men and boys, including the coastguard and
16,200 marines, be voted for the service of the year 1867-68.
At the suggestion of Mr. GLADSTONE, and after • short
discussion, the chairman was directed to report progress
without putting the motion.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER expressed •
hope that when the committee was resumed on Thursday
next the First Lord of the Admiralty would be in his
place.
THE METROPOLITAN POOR BILL.

A short debate preceded the third reading of the Metro-
politan Poor Bill, which wee passed through its final
stage amid the cheers of the house.
THE BANKRUPTCY BILL.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved for leave to bring
in three bills to consolidate and amend the acts re-
lating to bankruptcy in England, to abolish arrest
on final process in civil actions, and to repeal
enactments relating to bankruptcy. After referring
at some length to the various alterations which have
been made in the bankruptcy law during the last
forty years and pointing out the defects of the present
law, he stated that it was not proposed by this bill to ap-
point any new judge or official, except a provisional
trustee. It was proposed to allow creditors to appoint
trustees for the management of the property of the bank-
rupt. The law would be administered by the county
courts, but the present commissioners of the Court of
Bankruptcy would be retained and their jurisdiction would
not be merely local, but extend over the whole of England.
In the second bill he proposed to abolish imprisonment
for debt, except is cases of fraud, and in consequence of

Mr. Selwyn, Q.C., and Mr. Jason Smith opposed it, and
in doing so took the preliminary objection that a motion
of this kind could not be made by a party who was only
an " alleged ^ contributory. The party moving must
admit hisliability as a contributory, or have been fixed on
the list of contributories, which was not the case here.
Lord Romilly directed the motion to stand over till next
seal day, with liberty to the party moving to prove that
he was a contributory, or to give a bona fide admission
that he held a certain number of shares in the company,
so as to preclude the possibility of any subsequent doubt
upon the point.