The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-23 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 23, 1869.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—FIuDAY, JOLT 22.
TIN Lean exancou.oz took him wat ow the woolsack at
5 o'clock.

ITALY.
The Marquis of NORMANBY wished to put a question
le her Mejesty's government with referent, to the prospects
of Central Italy, which he had refrained from pressing the
other night. The Emperor of the Free* had now returned
from lull', and in a speech delivered by hies two or three
days ago, he stated that all the sovereigns of Italy had men
the necessity of salutary reform. H. (the Margate of Nor-
, marshy) was glad to hear each a statement, and wished to
fumy whether ha Majesty's government had noshed any
thierenstiest with regard to say meeption to the restoration of
the sevwerkentiss of Central Italy. He was the more anxi ots
Is obtain this information' because the SardinianSardiniancomthis•
skarn appointed during the war still remained, and there
wee reason to believe that active Intrigues were going on in
Terse all. 0= the engagements entered into in the
InetyslV'
Earl GRANVILLE mid, from the shortness of the maim
which theacilee ettnis had gime. it was ispessible for
either ids Noble Mond (Lord Wodekome) or himself to give
any deltas" explamdita on the subject.
POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH AUSTEA.LI.A.
The Marquis of CLANRICARDE aelted what deceit:a
had bees announced or communicatien made he the varl-
one pulse who seat lenders to the Admiralty on the let of
July, in asbordonee with the odvartised invitatko to that
math. ler the wells eo hurrahs WO Puente ta them ship ;
it roe the been &se, whether her Majesty's germane
had theadhath the litanies of erOah the diarebt
sad owners centemplated in the advertisement. Ho .aid
that at seem there wee but we mode of postal communi-
cation with Australia, and that was the overland route to
India es far as Ceylen, and then to Melbourne. but that
was a very inconvenient route foe Sidney and New South
Wales. The legislature of New South Wales had voted
60,0001, towards the establiehment of this route, and it
wee salculeted that the amount received for post-
age would be 44,0001. a year, go that the home
gamesmen valid hot have a vast deal to make
sp. Ho wee Wormed that no notice had been taken of the
tethers, at which he thought the public here, the colonists,
and the parties who tendered, bad great right to complain.
He was Wormed that though there wee another service,
there was no contract, the Peninsular end Oriental doing
the week without any comma at all, bat he would move for
the c thy of any contract legally perfected and in force at this
moment for the moveyance of mails in steamships by any
route.
The Dube of SOMERSET said the plan which had beea
hitherto adopted with regard to theme contracts was this :
they were ant to the Admiralty to arrange art to the rate of
spied, the pieces for stopping, and other details. They then
i-seed the advertisement for tenders, end 'Menthe tender.. came
in they were sent to the Trager, for hadecision. The leaders
in question had been received by the Admiralty, and sent to the
Treasury, under whose oonsideretion they anti were, but the
whole question of steam-packet contracts had ham referred
to a select committee of the Hones of Commons. There was
a monthly hoe by way of Sues which came into operation is
February. Tbst was oleo to be by contract, but although
the enmmunicatioa we. begun, and the packets had been
running for sore. time, he believed the fact was that the am-
Dalt had not beet *sod. Some difficulty arms as to the
places when the pickets were to call at, as to whether they
were to call at the Murillo' and other points, and as there
wee no oietract he could not lay one on the table et the
heath As the whole subject had been referred to a select
eimmaPtee, it was but nameable that the govern-
ment should wait to see what the committee recommended.
Circulars bed bees sent by the Treasury to all the Australian
colonies, ceiling upon them to express their opinions as to
what new line of postal communication should be established
The whole of these enewers had not yet coma in, and
although the province of New South Wales had redily
iffered the munificent contribution of 50,0001. towards this
Panama line, the other colonies had not acted with the same
promptitude. It was important that the Maniere of ell them
colonies should be consulted, and the government should not
odabliah a line now, which might afterwards be objected to
by the other c >looks, sod might perhaps lead to the bringing
forward of a third line of amain-packet communication some
day to compete with the claims of the other two for their

support.
Ttlrir lordships adjouruci at twisty minutes to woos.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY, JULY 22.

TM &skim took the chair at 4 o'clock.
NOTICE OP MOTION.
Tai Coxoassa.--By Lord ELceo, on going Into co
. . .

Betide of supply on Monday week, to we the ;Clewing re-
solution That it would be oconsietent neither with the
honour nor the dignity of this country, which throughout
tee late negotiations hie preserved a strict and impartial neu-
trality between the contending parties, and which has used
its earliest enlessours to prevent an outbreak of hostilities,
to take part in ►ny contoured' for settling the details of a
peace, the preliminaries of which hays been arranged between
the Emperors of France aed Austria." (Ileac, hear.)

the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery to the Lords of
the Treasury, dated 16th April, 1869:—" Her Majesty's
severeatent have offered to the tellsotiott, sad the truster

'kb Reeks, accepted the great picitere of the Rouse
of Cemmous at the opening of the Seat reformed parliament
in Jimmy, 1833, as painted by Sir George Hayter, and as
reeently naiad to the nation by • vote of the Rouse of
Commons." The noble lord said that he had some time ago
received two circulars setting forth the matte of the picture,
stating that the late Chau/Sot of the Exchequer had pro.
mind to trove for a grentof five thousand pounds, or guineas,
for it, and solidi' s( his (the noble lord'a) support tor each
grant. Whatever might be the merit of the picture, he did
net think it • fit eubjcct our which to aped the money of the
frinhbf7: and feeling strongly, moreover, the indecorum
amok a twat:aiding at caimans members In support of such
• vale, be lad kept himself constantly on the watch for its
being brought before the house, which he understood would
now be done in the estimate class 7. If the desoesdante of
Lord Grey's colleagues chose to present the picture to the
maim the trustees of the portrait gallery would no doubt
receive it with thanks; but he protested against the public
mew being devoted to such a purpose at a time
when all sky could raise was reqateed for the national
di (Heat, hear.)
ra LAING said the vote would not be for 5,0001.. but for
2,0001. Finding the item in the estimates of his predecemiors
belted set thought dt to strike it out; and he suggested that
whim the vote was !mealy asked for would be the proper
time to Crews its propriety.
Mr. DISRAELI mid the purchase of the picture bed
been resommeeded to him by • mametel signed by more
than two-thirds of the old house. Ile had submitted the
question to • canteittee amongst whom were one or two
pause= who had held the highest position under the
mown. The recommendation of that committee ma that,
as the picture was one of great historical interest It should
be purchased for the nation, and he could not bet think that
tba house would approve of what had been done. (Hear.)
Lord ELCRO said the question had been :stored to the
noble lord the Secretory for Foreign ACM*, the boo. mem-
ber for Brighton, sad himself. They were of opinion that
since the passing of the Reform Act marked an important
as in our history it would be desirable to ruche's the pic-
tare, end that 2,0001. would be • reasonable sum to give
for it.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
We. B. COCHRANE, who had given notice to ask for
idea of despatches 'blob bad peered between Lord J. Rus•
sell and Lord Cowley and Sir J. lindwni since tbe =flounce-
meat of the armirtite between France and Austria—raid

that afterthe discussion of last night, sad after the notice
givsn by Lord Etcho for the lit of August, be thought
that he should exercise • wise discretion in re-

freeing from putting his mesetioa. But there was one
point connected with our foreign Madam on which so touch
mirappreheneion existed abroad that it ought to be set right
at once. lie found io the Journal des Dikes a most violent
stuck on this country. He wouid only trouble the house
with mot passage :—•' England, who inquires about a vessel,
more or lees, armed at Brest, and who votes 800 millions
for her navy. England who counsels so loudly the
continent to disarm, is she going to set the example
and withdraw from her order of the day this programme of
mexaos or of ism, the tatal effect of which we have been
obliged to notioe, keeping in view the alliance that we
should wish to preserve? When a cloud highly charged
with electricity passes over our heeds, why rielt the elicit-
ing of the flash from it ? Who knows where it might fell !"
Yet exaggeration preeiled in this country, as well as on the
continent, with reference to the state of our sthearnests. In
1793 we had 83 ships of the line fa commission, 99 frigates,
making, with sloops sad corvette', a grand total of 631. In
1794, ws had a total of 824; in 1798, of 834, and a still
Liner awake in later years. At resent, if he understood
the Dada lord, they had only 44 snipe of the line and 300
merle In the whole navy. What, th-n, was the meaning of
the eatery about their vet armament., when theylhad Indy
what wee ameatial te preserve the natural position of the
country la a Use of pesos. (Hear.) As the noble lord pro-
mised to make a elatemeat to the hones next Thursday, be
would ant mom his question.
Lord C. PAGET rid they expected to ban 60 sail of the
line by the Slid at the finthcial veer.