The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-08 00:00:00

REFORM OF THE CORPORATION OF LONDON

I. LOCKS the 8;;;;;;;or81at.•ic,;;IW
Rouse Depoiment whether it was the intention of her
Iliejoars government to bring in a bill during the protest
snobs for the reform of the Corporntion of London ; and if
so, whether such bill would be in socordanoe with the repot t
of the Royal Commissioners.
Sir 0. C. LEWIS replied that it was his intention to in-
troduce a bill for the reform of the Corporation of London.
With regard to the inquiry as to whether the measure would
he In conformity with the report of the Royal Com:abides,
he could may eery that having been one of the commissioners
he had no doubt that a bill founded on the recommendation
el that eommisaion would be entitled to the catekleeetka of

•76jek;
had been under the consideration of a elect oomanittee,whlch
reported a year ago. He was bound to pay proper defames
to the opinion of that committee, and the bill would be In
comformity with the mosaic, reported upon by that select
committee.

THE STATUTE LAW COMMISSION.
Mr. L. KING asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department whether the Statute Law Commission wee, or wee
not, in existence; whether Mr.Ballanden Ksr was stills paid
commissioner, and if nor, on what day his salary ceased.
Sir 0. C. LEWIS believed the commission was still In
existence, bat Mr. Ker was certainly no longer a paid oom•
raisaloner. He had not unattained the day on which the
salary ceased, bet it was not now payable. The staff of the
commission was still in existence.
RATING OP PUBLIC ESTABLISHMENTS.

Kr. 41146112 if .3:«iti;117.7i;;;11,1;;i;;;...y
if it was his intention to introduce a bill for the rating of
public establishments.
Sir O. C. LEWIS replied that his predecessor in the Home
Department bad introduced • bill on the subject, but it made
little progress, oon.iderable difficulties existing with regard
to the rating of climbable institutions, and intoitutions for
public purposes. It was not hie intention to introduce a bill
on the fulled daring the present session, but he hoped to be
able to wry into effect an arrangement with some of the
principal perishes sad *an where the greatest cense of
complaint existed as to the non-rating of government esta-
blishments, which would partialiy remove much of the in-
conveniences sow experienced. He trusted the arrengement
would be caroled into effect by a vote of the house, sad
without the necessity of recurring to legislation.
THE ALLEGED ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN
RUSSIA AND PRANCE.

Mr. KINGLAIi it asked the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs whether regard for the public service made it expe-
dient to withhold the answers of Sir J. Cnunpton to the de-
'watches dated respectively the 25th and the 29'h of April
last, is which Lord lialowebury directed inquiries to be
made concerning the alleged engagements between Russia
sad France P

Lord J. RUSSELL replied that the only despatch in ths
Foreign-oftb e relatieg to the subject wee one of the Sib of
May, from Sir J. Crompton—s telegram which was made
public by the late Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs so
soon se it wee rec-iired. He had no objection to produce the
despatch, but it contained nothing more than he had
Mated.
THE RECENT EVENTS AT PERUGIA.

Mr. RICH ahed the Becrwrl or ilatefoTioesigte
Affairs if he bad received say deeperch reletiog to recent
sviste et Peruses , sad If so, whether he would lay the lam
sa the table, or state the substance of these to the house,

Lord .1. RUSSELL replied that more than one despatch
had biwn remind reverting the late events at Perugia.
Thera had been one from Rome sad :sae from Turin. Bet
the facts stated in than despatches were matters of dispute.
and the French Minister for Foreign Aff.ires had declared
them to bo eraggera•od. Ile (Lord J. Rumen) bad directed
further in rubies to be made ea to Ow accuracy of the re-
ports which had been received, sad bad rather not produce
the despatches until he hid ascertained the result of those
inquiries.
TEE NEW FOREIGN OFFICES.

Hr. TITE asked the First Commissioner of Works when
the drswiogs for the new Fureign-oilloes, together with the
Premiered drawing:, would be exhibited to the library of the
tit?

_.
Mr. FITZROY replied that the designs would be ready
for exhibition in the course of ton days, but the building
tenders would not be completed before three weeks ism the
present date. It was for the house to decide whether the
drswings should be exhibited alone, or whether they should
be accompanied by the estimates
STRAM-PACHZT POSTAL CONTRACTS.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved for
a select committee to inquire into the manner in which con-
tracts extending over periods of years have been formed or
modified by her Majesty's government with steampacket
companies for the conveyance of the mails by SOL, and into
any arrangements adopted at the public charge, actual or
peel active, for telegraphic communications beyond sea, sad
to report their opinion, with any recommendation' es to
rules to be observed by the government in making contracts
for murk es not yet sanctioned by parliament or which
extend over a Berke of year.. Instating the reneral reasons
for the motion, he adverted to the origin of centred, by
government for postal services in anticipation of the judg-
ment of the bonne, which tended, be observed, to oust the
House of Commons of its jurisdiction over • form of public
ewn.ditnio. He pointed out the evils which might arias
s the house took serious cognisance of the subject and
he thought the limo had come when the matter aticuld be
subjected to a eyetematic and searching examination.
Kir. H. HERBERT objected to the word, " by ma," sub-
stituted for " beyond the limits of the United Kingdom,"
es the motion originally stood in the not ice, white he thought
sufficiently comprehensive.
Mr S. NORTHCOTE entirely concurred in the motion.
He entered into some details upon the subject, which, be
observed, was not only of great importance, but of very
great difficulty. It was right to make the terms of the refer-
ence ea wide as possible, and be suggested that they might
be nada wider.

^ —•
Mr. MAUR wd Mr. CiAWPQID 'poke in favour of the
motion.

Mt. Osoaos and Lord Drrwastus defended a Newt
Irish emtrect, and agreed with Mr. Herbert in objecting to
tbo words " bysea. '
Mr. WILSON, on the part of the government, said
that Irish members might entirely relieve their minds of
say apprehension that it was intended to re-open that
motteact.

Mr.HENLEY wished that the inquiry should not be
narrowed.
Mr. BOW/ERIE observed that the case on which this
motion had arisen was the aslway c mtrect, which he
denounced as a reckless waste of the public money, ►ad he
did not see that the terms of the reference would enable the
ocanniittee to inquire into that particular cam. He pursued the
history of this transaction through all its de'aila, which b•
characterised with severity, and complained that, although
it hod created so much dissatisfaction oat of the house, it
had been scarcely touched on in the debate.
Mr. ELLICH condemned the reckless vote" of publio
mosey by a house that warn constantly importuned to retool
taxes, and derived that, in his opinion, the sum to be paid
to the new ornapsny was money belonging to the itourry
actually thrown away. He warned the house to be jealous
of this motion.

.-....--.
Mr. VANCE defended the Galway contract.
Lord DUNCAN inveiqlisd egotist that course', the
papers Mating to which be had mini, be said, with extreme
murtISRAELI said he and his colleagues were quite
reedy to disease the question of the Galway grant, after due
notice. It would be In the power of the house, he observed,
t ) negative ttia grant. The late government bed been in-
Bement in the matter by ix) other comiideration than the
public advantage.
Mr. Rico called attention to another contract—that of
Dover and wee replied to by Mr. Lrooit.
Attie some obeetvatione by Sir M. Piro and Mr.
)(Waxers,
Mr. BEAM MK moved, ea en amendment. to minion
the words beyond the limits of the United Kingdom."
The subject of the Irish packet service, sad meacially the
Galway line, were discussed by Mr. Whiteside, Mr. Cowper,
Lord Nam,Mr. .1. Ilwart, and Colonel Dunne.
Sir H. WILLOUGHBY observed that the debate wee
wandering from the real questioe, and awaited that sill
grants of public should be the subject of • bill in-
troduced by • ble minister of the crown.
Sir Y. SARI 0 thought the appointment of the com-
mittee en object of the greatest benefit, considering these
4:entracte to be most irregular proceedings.
The debate, which reverted to tte Irish contracts, wee
continued by Mr. Mumma and Lord J. Bsoweit.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER wished to
explain one or two point, which bad been raised. With
regard to the diecouragement of Irish enterprise, he Gadd
assure the house there wee no such feeling. He could not
bells saying that what had taken place had shows one of the
evil. that belonged to all gloms of subsidies. The ineviteble
effect of the system of granting subsidies in aid of private
enterpetes was to give rise to jealousy and ill-will between
different mtabliehmente, all seeking for goveramment aid.
With regard to the grim is which the eixamittne