The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-06 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 6, 1867.

(WENING OF PARLIA3IENT. , Lard John Manners, Mr. Hardy, and Sir S. North-
cote. As soon as tranquillity had been restored,
The Lord Chancellor, by command of her Ma-
jesty, read the speech, the various paragraphs of
which he delivered with great distinctness and ap-
propriate emphasis.
At the close of the speech the Queen rose front
the throne, and all who had seats rose at the same
time. As her Majesty stepped upon the floor, the
Duke of Edinburgh came forward and kissed her
hand. The Queen saluted him upon the cheek,
and, having exchanged a similar embrace with the
Prince of Wales, left the house, preceded and fol-
lowed by the great officers of state, in the same
order in which they had entered it. The Prince of
Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Cam-
bridge, and Prince Teck left the house with the
royal cortege, and in a few minutiae the brilliant
assembly which had tilled the chamber was rapidly
dispersing.

It was not till a late hour yesterday that the
peers themselves began to drop in, and the right
rev. prelates were the first to ake their ap-
pearance. The Archbishop of York arrived before
his most rev. brother of Canterbury, but he
had been preceded by two or three other
members of the episcopal bench. Soon after
the Primate had taken his seat, the Bishepa
of Oxford and London entered the house toge-
ther. Tile latter prelate appeared quite as well
as could have been expected, but his county-
niunv showed traces of his recent in Its-
position. Both the archbishops and bisnops
wore robes of scarlet and capes of ermine.
The first member of the diplomatic corps to
take his place in the space allotted to the members
of that biely aas M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian
minister, who was in full uniform, and wore the
Masai of the order of Leopold. He was speedily
followed by the representatives of some of the
or states, and, rather later, the ambassadors of
the great le iwers, France, Russia, Austria, Prussia,
and Turkey entered the house in rapid succession,
and were marshalled to their places by Sir E.
Coast, her Majesty's Master of the Ceremonies. The
judicial bench was early represented in the persons
of the new Chief Baron, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, and
Barons Bramwell and Channel]. The learned
barons a ere Speedily followed by Mr. Justice
Mellor, and seen afterwards Justices Shee and
Lush entered the house together, and took their
seats rum tug their brethren. The judges of the
Common Pleas did not arrive till late, but when
they iliil come they appeared in force. Lord Chief
Justice liovill and Justices Keating, Byles, and
Smith all arrived together, and when they had
taken their places, the woolsack was completely
occupied.
During all this time the lay peers had been drop-
ping in one by one, and the benches appropriated
to their reception were soon covered with scarlet
and ermine robes. The first peer who took his
seat was the Earl of Westmorland, and for a brief
apace he sat the only lord among a crowd of ladies.
Soon, however, other noble lords came in and re-
lieved him of his appearance of singularity. By
and bye the towering form of Lord Evcrsley passed
down the house, and he was speedily followed by
Lord Dutferin, the Earl of Roden, Lord Overstone,
and Lord Churston. Earl Oranville Caine in a
little before half-past one o'clock. The noble earl
appeared to be in excellent spirits ; and after
a shwa conversation with several noble
lords and ladies, took his seat upon the
bench allotted U. peers of his rank. Among the
next to arrive were Viscount Sydney, the Duke
of Sutherland, Earl Darnley, and the Earl
of Shrewsbury and Talbot. At half-past one
o'clock the Lard Chancellor entered the house by
the bar, preceded by the mace and purse bearers,
and followed by other members of his suite. The
noble and learned lord sat for a short time upon
the woolsack, and afterwards passed to the space
to the left of the throne, without the formal
boundaries of the house, where he remained until
the arrival of her Majesty. The Earl of Derby
entered the house shortly before two o'clock, and
stood for some time near the throne, talking with
his political friends. His manner was as lively and
animated as usual, and, beyond a slight paleness,
he showed no trace of having but recently reco-
vered from an attack of the gout. The Earl of
Malmesbury also appeared for a short time in the
house. but he speedily left it in order to await the
arrival of the Queen. The late comers included
the Dukes of Argyll and St. Albans, the Marquis
of Westmeath, Lord Lytton, Earl Fortescue, and
Lord Ehury ; and the last of all was the Earl of
Cardigan, who for some time looked in vain for a
vacant seat, hut at last found a resting place upon
one of the benches to the right of the throne.
The tirst member of the royal family to make
his appearance was Prince Teck, who wore the
very handsome uniform of one of the regiments of
hussars in the Austrian army. His highness was
accommodated with a seat immediately without the
house, on the right hand side of the throne,
closely adjoining the episcopal bench, and re-
ceived a good deal of attention from the ilitlerent
members of the diplomatic corps as they arrived.
Their Roval Highnesses the Prince of Wales, the
Duke of gdinburgh, and the Duke of Cambridge
entered the house together, and after chatting for
a short time with Lord Derby—whom the Prince
of Wales shook cordially by the hand—took their
seats upon the front bench, immediately on the
left of the woolsack. Thu other occupants of this
bench were the Dukes of St. Atbansand Sutherland.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The house resumed at 5 o'clock. There wee a numerous
attendance of peers. The side galleries were occupied by
ladies. The Princess of Wales was present during the
greater part of the debate.
On the opposition benches, which were first filled, were
Earl Rummell, Lord Stanley of Alderley, the Duke of
Somerset, Lord Halifax, Earl de Gre7 and Ripon, Earl of
Clarendon, Lord Kimberley, and laud Dalhousie. The
first occupants of the ministerial bench were the Earl of
Derby, the Duke of Montrose, the Earl of Longford, the
Earl of Belmore, the Duke of Marlborough, and the Duke
of Buckingham.
On the cross bench were the Duke of Cambridge, the
Earl of Harrowby, Earl Grey, and the Marquis of Clanri-
carde.

On the episcopal bench the Archbishops of Canterbury
and York, the Bishops of Winchester, Peterborough,
Oxford, St. David's, Salisbury, Ely, Manchester, Eland&lf,
St. Asaph, and Bangor.

RECRUITING FOR THE ARMY.

.
The Earl of Loncroal) brought up the report of the
royal a:minimal= on recruiting for the army.

NEW PEEK&
Viscount Moiscx took the oaths and his seat on being
crested a peer of the United Kingdom.
Viscount 801141 took the oaths, and signed the parlia-
mentary roll as Baron Brancepath.

Boon after two o'clock the splendid chamber was
almost completely filled, and despite the dulness;
of the afternoon, which deprived it of much-
needed sunlight, the scene which it pre-
sented was most brilliant and impressive.
The varied and delicate toilets of the ladles, the
rich robes of the peers, the brilliant ueiforms
of the ambassadors, and the gorgeous costumes of
two or three Indian princes who occupied '-eats in
one of the galleries, contrasted vividly with each
other ; while the effect was heightened by the
hush which had succeeded to the limn of
conversation, and held the spectators silent in
anticipation of the entry of the most ilh.;trious
actor in the coining spectacle. In a mii.ate or
two the doors, which had previously been closed,
were thrown open, and while all present from
their seats—the ladies as they did so dropping
from their shoulders the many coloured
shawls and cloaks which had hitherto con-
cealed them—the royal procession e•stered
the house by the door on the ri ;lit of
the throne. First came the heralds, who as they
passed before the anew of state bowed slightly,
but not with a full obeisance to the royal chair,
which was half covered by the ermine ndies of
state. They were followed by the great ofecera of
state, Lord Royston Treasurer of the Household,
Lord Malmesbery(the Lord Privy Seal), Lou Col-
ville of Cidross, the Lord Chancellor, the E:n•1 of
Derby. who carried the sword of state, awl the
Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Bradford. Imme-
diately after the last-named functionarie; came
her Majesty,whowasaccompanied by the Princesses
Louise and Beatrice and Prince Arthur, and fol-
lowed by the Ditches of Wellington, Mistress of
the Robes, the Duke of Richmond, carry iag the
crown, the Marquis of Winchester bearing the cap
of maintenance, Lord E. Howard acting as Deputy
Earl Marshal, the Duke of Buck i,i4ham,
Lord President of the Council, and the
Duke of Marlborough. As soon as the Queen
bad seated herself upon the throne the
royal princesses took their stations upon left
hand, and the various high functionaries ranged
themselves according to the order observe 1 on all
similar occasions. The Earl of Derby, Dont
Mahnesbury, and the Lord Chamberlain sto d on
the left of tho throne ; on the right were the Dukes
of Richmond, Marlborough, and Buckingh;on, and
the Duchess of Wellington. The Prince of Wales,
who had left his seat when her Majesty en-
tered the house, also stood on this tide of
the throne, almost close to Prince Tea. Her
Majesty seemed to be in excellent healt:i. She
wore a black silk dress trimmed with ermine, a
white veil fastened on the forehead with a diamond
clasp or aigrette, and a diamond necklace. Her
gloves were black. The Princesses Lou: ye and
Beatrice were dressed in white satin, ao•l wore
white wreaths.

As soon as the Queen had taken her place, the
Lord Chancellor, by her command, desired their
lordships to be seated. The peers at once
resumed their seatk, and the ladies settled down
into their place 3 with a gentle sound like the flut-
tering of a flock of pigeons as they alight upon the
ground, or die rustling of leaves as they fall in
autumn. Immediately afterwards Sir Aagustus
Clifford, usher of the black rod, loft the house to
summon the Commons ; and returned in a few
minutes, accompanied by the Speaker and Se r,:eant-
at-Arms, and followed by a crowd of hon. niember.4,
who burst into the space below the bar with a rush
that threatened to carry all before them, !al for
some moments struggled violently for the al.pro-
priation of the limited area set apart for their re-
ception. Mr. Disraeli succeeded to obta:ning a
position on the right hand of the Speaker, and im-
mediately behind that right hon. gentlem::n were

announced, And ulthnately Sir D. le Merchant, finding the
house nearly deserted, left off calling upon hon. members
and resumed his seat. The return of the Speaker was
announced by Mr. White at half-past two. The right
lion. gentleman passed up the house, and went to his
private rooms.
. .

For about three-quarters of an hour there was a com-
mingling of members on the floor of the house, chatting
over the panignphs in the royal speech, and then they
departed and left the house to be exhibited to ladies and
others who were fortunate enough to obtain admittance.
The Speaker again took his seat at a quarter to four
o'clock, attired in his ordinary official dress ; and Mr.
Lowe entered at the same time, and took his seat on the
opposition bench below the gangway.

so long, and so long only, as they exercise their own
rights without prejudice to the rights of other.
(Cheers.) There is one other subject upon which
I wish to detain the house a few moments, and
it is a subject to which, as has been tightly said by the
hon. gentleman the member for Liverpool, there attaches
at the present time an all-absorbing interest—l mean the
question of the representation of the people. (Hear,
hear.) I will first offer a comment on that which many a
us had anxiously expected, and which probably for some
good and sufficient cause does not appear in the speech. I
presume that probably it is because the recent inquiries
into the corrupt practices in certain boroughs are nut so
absolutely completed as to enable the government to
advise the crown to refer to this subject that the
speech does not contain any statement upon it.
The question of reform is certainly difficult ; but I am I
quite sure there ought not to be any difficulty in dealing
with certain of its branches—such as cases of proved
corruption. (Hear, hear.) For this evil has grown
perhaps not more intense, I hope on the contrary les
intense ; but it has grown far more patent, and therefor
far more scandalous of late years, and it has now become
a matter not merely of domestic policy and expediency,
but, I even venture to say, of national honour. (Cheers.)
As long as we were in something like exclusive possession
of a representative system little notice was taken of these
offences in foreign lands, but we have lived into a period
in which almost every country is possessed in a more or less
perfect form of representative institutions, and in
which some countries enjoy them in high efficiency.
Since that has been the case it appears to me that Europe
has conceived what I may almost call a sentiment of disgust
on finding that evils of what in those countries they are
scarcelyconsciouhavebecome so rife and so virulent among
us. I hopeit will be understood—and I assume there is cause
for the silence in the speech upon this subject, and I close
the few remarks which I have made upon it by expressing
a hope that when her Majesty's government take into con-
sideration any reports—l will not now presume to decide
which they may be—but any reports on which it shall
appear by judicial authority that the constituencies are
tainted as they have been in some former well remembered
instances, they will nut ask us to inflict the almost nominal
and whollyunsatisfactorypunishments which have bounded
our action in former years, but will give evidence to the
' world by something in the nature of strictness and severity
that we are in earnest in this matter. (Cheers.) Now as
regards this paragraph in the speech of her Majesty, it is
obviously open to remark that its language is in some
degree enigmatical. (Hear, hear.) But I do not think
that it will be fair to make that circumstance a subject of
complaint. On the contrary, I think that her Majesty's
government are perfectly justified in reserving that full
explanation of their intentions to a future day, which if
it had been attempted to-day in a form necessarily
' imperfect, would probably have tended to prejudice a
settlement of the question. Of course, therefore,
in assenting to the paragraph as it stands, I do
so upon the double ground that there is nothing
in its language which can give rise to just reflection, and
that, important as is every matter connected with this
great subject under the present circumstances—every
matter, both as to substance and to procedure—l, for my-
self and others if they be so minded, will retain the most
i
perfect liberty to canvass both the substance and the pro-
cedure of the measures and the steps to be taken by her
Majesty'a government when in their proper time we shall
' become fully acquainted with them. (Hear, hear.) I
think there are three points which will sum up our interests
; in the consideration and management of this question.
There is the question by whom a measure of parliamentary
reform is to be submitted to parliament; there is the
question of what is to be the substance and effect of such
• measure ; and, lastly, there is the question of when such
1 a measure is to be brought under our notice, and when it
is to reach its completion. As regards the first of these,
the inquiry by whom such a measure is to be submitted, I
humbly represent to the house that at this moment the
1 interest of this country in a speedy settlement of the
question is all important—(hear, bear)—and that if there
be any of us who are less sanguine than gentlemen oppo-
site at the possible proceedings of her Majesty's govern-
! went, that will be no reason for endeavouring to cast Mi-
-1 pediments in their course. It is our duty to accept,
wherever we can get it, a measure which will adequately
meet the just expectations of the people, and if we in-
tend to be willing parties to the introduction of such •
measure by the government, we ought not by anything we
; may now say or do cast even the smallest difficulty in
the way of a settlement of the question. (Hear, bear.)
Sir, as respects the substance of the measure, that is a matter
which I do not think the present is • proper occasion for
i discussing ; but as respects the time of that measure—
' (hear, hear)—l must again say that it appears to me that
even the question of substance itself is hardly more im-
' portant. It is not necessary to trace the wearisome and
irksome details of this protracted controversy, or to re-
mind the house how many zeasions, how many Queen's
speeches, how many governments, and how many par-
liaments have been involved. One thing only we can say,
and ,that is, that it is impossible for our legislation to
proceed in its ordinary and accustomed course until !
this matter has been disposed of. Until this matter is '
disposed of it stops the way. It disturbs and impedes, and
not only so, but it embitters every attempt to deal with
every other question of difficulty. The vast and varied
interests of this empire—growing rapidly more vast and
more varied every day—in proportion as we reap the bar-
! vest of legislation with assiduity, causing new and thicker
1 crops to spring up fresh from the ground, and in proper-
i tion as these interests solicit us—make it our duty to our-
, wives to take care that every step we adopt, and as far as
; we can to require from others that the measures which they
may adopt, shall be directed towards the attainment, notonly
1 of an effectual, but of a speedy settlement of this question.
' I therefore ask myself how I am to construe the panigniph
in which this subject has been brought under our notice,
and I construe it thus. I will not ask for any explanation
of intention. I will not make any remark which may have
I a tendency to force the government into an explanation
which may lead to misapprehensions. What I understand
by this paragraph is that the government, like ourselves,
and like the generality of members in the house, including
their own followers, and like the country, without the
distinction of party or opinion, are sensible of the necessity
' of dealing promptly with this matter, and that upon the
earliest day which they eau choose for the purpose they
will be prepared to propose, on their responsibility,
such measures as they say think most effectual
''for the attainment of this object, and, above
I all, the speedy attainment of a just and satisfactory
settlement of this question. I hope lam not unreason-
; able in this construction. (Hear, hear.) If this interpre-
tation be • just one I think that we ought to rest per-
fectly satisfied, and we ought to cherish the hope
that when we may be able to remove out of our path this
obstacle to our legislation, and also to remove from our-
selves what threatens to become a standing discredit to
parliament and to the institutions of the land, and which
prevents our giving to all other questions that attention
which they so Imperatively solicit at our hands. (Cheers.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Sir, I
learn with great satisfaction from the right hon. gentle-
man opposite that there is no prospect of any amendment
being offered to-night to the address. After so long a
separation it really is far from an agreeable habit that the
first night we should meet together we should resume our
old struggles. (Laughter.) In the course of the months
which are before us many opportunities will arise to com-
pensate hon. gentlemen for the self-restraint they impose
on themselves to-night. (Laughter.) There are one or
two things which I will notice before I touch upon the
last interesting inquiryof the right hon. gentleman. lie has
done justice to the contents of her Majesty's speech, and
I think I may congratulate my colleagues on its recep-
tion by the house generally, though I am sure we owe that
in some degree to the able interpretation which has been
put upon it by my hon. friends the mover and seconder
of the address, the first with • pleasing propriety, which
all moat acknowledge ; and the second brought to it
all that high authority which his commercial position
enabled him to do. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentle-
man has inquired whether any papers will be presented in
reference to the disturbances in Crete, and my answer is
that they will be presented on an early day by my noble
friend at the head of the Foreign-otlice. There is another
point to which, I believe, the right bon. gentleman re-
ferred for inquiry, and that is why no allusion has been
made in the speech in reference to the corruption in
boroughs. The reports have not all been received at the
Home-office, andit will be necesiery that all shall he received
before the government can decide what course to adopt.
The right hon. gentleman referred to a paragraph in her
Majesty's speech in a tone of which I ISM sure we have no
cause to complain, with regard to when the attention of
parliament is to be called to the state of the representa-
tion of the people. I think the right hon. gentleman,
remembering. Ihavenoilonbt, hisexperience of the. position
which I now occupy, must feel how very inconvenient it is
on the first day of the session that a number of inquiries
should be made, which, if auswered, might lead to mis-
apprehensions, which are really not fair to those who are
responsible for the conduct of the business of this house.
I will not trouble the right hon. gentleman and the house
at any length upon this subject, because, by the permis-
sion of the house, I mean to take not only an early hut
the earliest day at command to bring the whole subject
of the state of our representation before the house.
Upon Monday next—(cheers)—l propose to do this, and I
will place a motion upon the to lb to-morrow probably,
which will state the course the government propose to
take upon the subject gerierally—(hear, how)—and there-
fore, under these circumstances, I trust the right hon.
gentleman who has done justice to the other important
subjects which hare been brought before the house, will
agree with sue in this matter. lam aware, as all will
think, that it will require considerable devotion to do jus-
tice to the several things which we have placed before the
house. But reaction is the law of life, and it is character.
istic of the House of Commons. (Hear, bear.) There
have been some complaints of late of indolence or
want of attention on the part of the house, and that we
have passed through sessions without doing much of what
our duty requires; but during this session there
will be an admirable opportunity to hon. members,
if they will only follow the example of the government,
to give their time and attention to the measures which will
be before them. and if we all do this we may look forward
that at the end of the session we shall have got through •
large amount of business which we may hope will be for
the benefit of the country and redound to the credit of
this assembly. (Cheers.)
At the conclusion of the right hon. gentleman's speech,
hon. members rose almost in a body to leave, and in •
short time the house was nearly empty.
1 The house adjourned at 10 mutates to 7 o'clock.

lib Intelligent:.
COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.-FEB. 5.
(Before Mr. Coinoliesioner Holroyd.)
IN HZ JAYLS NILMtI 1111.14 K.

—.—
The bankrupt was described as of Loughton, Essex,
Staff Commander in the Royal Navy, and one of the direc-
tors of the Saloon Steam-packet Company (Limited). His
liabilities amount to 6,30 W., of which 6,00(. are stated to
be incurred in respect of the company ; assets and pro-
perty held as security, 575/.
Mr. Sykes, for the official assignee, stated that the bank-
rupt had given a bill of sale to his brother a few days
before the bankruptcy. The creditors had had notice, but
no one appeared to oppose.
Mr. Lawrence, on behalf of the bankrupt, said it was
probable that no actual liability would result from the
bankrupt's connexion with the Saloon Steam-packet Com-
pany, as there were six other gentlemen liable along with
him.

The bankrupt stated that the vessels had cost the com-
pany 10,000/. in April last, and he expected they would
sell for 8,000/.
His Honour granted the order.

A chain of evidence showed that the two servant. hail.after
several watchinpi been discovered by Short and Clay, (Lek,
tires of the C division, acting in complicity—George king
able from his position in the warehouse to covertly place
boxes of candles and cans of oil in the waggon of which
Archer wan the carman, and who in turn disposed of
the property to Briggs for less than half its value, accent.
ing to their own admission after accusation. The last ,4
these transactions, it appeared, was on the l2th tdtinio
and when the detective, accompanied by Sergeant Bell. of
the C division, saw Briggs behind his counter and ions-
tioned him, he denied knowledge of " Archer, "or of
any such dealings as those in point. A search was
made, and in the first-floor front room scarcely anything
but " Palmer's candles " could be found, although he
had denied having anything in his house. He then
asserted that he had purchased them of
.a traveller when
he had not seen since, and that the price paid for than
was his own business.

Mr. Knox expressed his intention to send all the pi.
severs for trial.

Mr. Lewis offered to furnish two bail in I,OOW. each fur
Briggs, but Mr. Knox refused to accept it.