The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-15 00:00:00

Zeteptt

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT•

ROUSE OF LORDS.—TnuIaDAT, JULY 14.
The Loan Ciatscaszoa took Ide seat on the wool's&
at Ivo o'clock.

THE AFFAIRS OF ITALY.
Lord STRATFORD de RBDCLIFFE said that as me
the receipt of iatelligence of the arointits be had postponed
the motion of which he bad given notice relative to the
OWLS of Italy, end as still more important sews had bees
received since that the., he thought it waded:able at premet
to proceed with the Mimosas. It anything further should
emu, to reader it netemery to enter into a coosideestion of
those events, Id mast be dew In another form, atta with the
peratimaion of theft lordship; he would withdraw Ma motion.
ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS BILL.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, Is moving die Nees&
reediq of this bill, said that its object was to improve the
edaomfa of attorneys aoi solicitors. At present before • men
Seatshe admitted to practice as an attorney he mon have
gamed Beaw articles's, les year'. It was sow propesed
that these who had takes university honours should be ad-
mitted alter serving these years in clerkship under articles.
It was else proposed that any young man who had secoses•
fully passed the middle-class examination lately established
throughout the °pantry by the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge, should have his clerkship abridged by tee
Tear, so that it would only be aommary tur him
to serve under articles four years instead of five. Another
More of the bill gave power to the sedans to lona regulations
larh, Were an attorney entered late his clerkship, he
undogo as azamansle, and this easoleatton should
hensiereed before be wee adamisted to puede& These enact-
mots wen to exam/ to the ettioneyeteltheetealise pliegas
of Lancaster sad Durham.
Aker • few words from Lord BIOVOMAM, who expressed
hie approval of the bill, it wee reed • sexed time.
THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY'S TERRITORY.
la reply to • question from the Earl of CARNARVON,
The Dake at NEWCASTLE explained the sees
aw
the government proposed to take duriag the prawn eodes
in 'entrance to the North-American territories over wkielt the
Hudson's Bay Company have held an 'melanins lessee of
trade with the Indians. The meteors* which were matent-
plated by the government at the present moment were
the introduction of • bill for the appointmest of
magistrates, and to lay down rules for the re'
gelation of trade with the Indians. It was not, how-
ever, the intention of the government to extend the
eharter of the Hudson's Bay Company, nor woo it proposed
by the colonial-081n to insist emigrant.. He agreed with
Lord Carnervon that it was highly necessary to establish
communications between Canada un the one aide and Vas-
course. !eland on the other; at the maw time, although be
recognieed the value of railways, it was not Lalonde' to seen
gum by means of subsidies.
ARMING COMMERCIAL STEAM VESSELS.
The Berl of AIRLIR rose to oak her Majesty's govern-
ment whether they had taken into consideration the expe-
diency of eiteriag late arrangements with persona or com-
panies coming steam motels other than those which carry the
mails, for the purpose of rendering such steam yodels capable
of carrying armaments of heavy gun., if required.
He laid that It was well known that *tempera which received
government subsidies to carry mails were tinder engagement
to Luny armaments, and to be placed at the wraith of the
government for warlike. poppers if required. There was a
very prevalent immolators that the contract that these steam
mods should be en coostructed as to be eatable of carrying
armament* bad pothers fulfilled. A. it had been arranged that
certain farmers—commercial steamers— ehould be so fitted es
to be able to cart y heavy gene, why ebould nut the throe arrange-
ment be applied to other steam-veseele as well as them which
carried macs? Tin steamers which carried mails had • go-
vernment agent on board, but he did not know if it was his
duty to ere if the meet was seaworthy ; but
under the Peamegers Act the government had
the power of a-mesh:ens whether any steamer
which curried paaisitgers wee seaworthy. The service of
large steamers carrying moils was of great importance to the
public ; it was impormin that the mails should be regularly
transmitted, and the omits liable to no interruption. A
strong ease, therefore, ought to be made out before the
government should take the.+ vessels for warlike purposes.
There had been lately published a pamphlet, by a gentleman
whose opiates wee of great weight on all matters relating to
steam navigation—Mr. Laird. That gentlemen said that
loony steers-vanes employed in the coasting trade of a
smaller description might be used for warlike purposes, and
be useful in de lading the coast sad the mouths of great
riv,re like the Mersey, which were sow =motored. Mr.
bard had made an estimate of the cost of fitting there
Temple for warlike purposes. His scheme was that the
motels should be made so stootg se to be capable of mount-
rag heavy mtne, sod he proposed to St oat 200 of these
Yvette so se to peeve as gunboats. Mr. Laird pot the cost of
building and fitting 200 gunboats at 1,900,0001., and the
annual the se for keeping them up he pat at 10 per cent of
the cost, or:190,0001. The cost of Suing veseels already in
exiatenon sa gunboats wuuld, he calculated, be 2001. each,
or 40,1/001., and the annu tl charge for them at 100/. each, or
20.0001. The differenee between the esteem of regular gun-
bas and the fitting of the proposed veseels for the purpose
of converting them Into gunboats was, that the former
would cost exactly eleven times as much a. the latter. Mr.
Laird, however, admitted that be did not expect that the ves-
icle so fitted would be quite so well adapted as regularly built
gunboats for +oldie purpose*. The noble earl teen referred
to the manner in which the large number of gunboats
which had been built for the public service had been kept
is ordinary, and stated that their condition was such that it
would Like six wecke to put them in ceder for service.
The Duke of SOMERSET raid that the subject to
which the question refesred had been at various times
order the consideration cf government. For man
years it bad been part of the contract with
eteamers which carried mails that the vessels should
be se constrnete4 as the they weld be adapted to carry
armaments. About the year 1862 a committee, cementing of
mili'ary and naval officers, was eppoibb d to examine into
this gasoline, and they went into the eubject with great care.
They surveyed almeet all the steam ve.oele on the coast of
Ragland, sod reported what they were fit for, and the gene-
ral result of the inquiry we. an opinioe that It was not expe-
dient to adapt such vessels to the portages of war, for in
doing so they would be made tea efficient for packet ear-
poem and very inefficient foe wpm.' of war. In Mb,
there We. another taptiry, and there was rime alight dife
routes in the report. It was admitted that. after considerable
eependiture some steam vessels might be adapted to carry
gun., but that they would not befit to copewith TONSIL of war
but would only be able to defend themoelvea when carryiai
treops and stores. Even that committee, which was com-
posed of professiorcal men, who looked at the scantling of
the docks of the vseoele, their capebilili for the erection of
oneepeiers and all the neceseary details, did not re-
commend 'that they should be adapted to Torpor's of war.
At the same time, come few of those vessel. might probably,
at an expense of 3,01/01. or 4,0001. each, be reads available for
war purposes; and certain steam togs, mat as those plying
on the M.recy, which were built of more than erdinery
strength, might be armed and tendered useful in aid of the
oust defences. The Board of Admiralty, on receiving that
report, gave direct ens to have those vessels surveyed ; but,
looking at fernier reports, which embodied the views of able
profs...tonal man, who bed gone into the question with great
WASS, end erring that out of 1,100 vessels examined by them
rely 10 or 12 were found capable of being fitted for LW as
mend 'tamers, be did not expect touch from the Inquiry.
The large etelmoveseets trading between London and Scot-
lead and tendon and Holland would, he believed, be found
wholly t wetted to the pupates of war, end to attempt to
make theru se would ba a wane of money. Coesider-
leg the arrangemeata now in fires in our deck-
led% which enabled the government to produce me-
ads of war with unexampled rapidity, and fit them
with the requipite machinery and armaments in a very
small spare of time, there wee the lees neceesity for
looking to the merchant steam navy far assistance, though
as be had Paid It we. porridge that a limited number Mandl
vessels, such sa steam tugs, might be made nodal in cage of
emergency. U poe that point the government had directed
inquiry to be made, but they were not prepared to re-npu
generally the question involved in the in of 18.52.53,
the result of which was before the hones in the reprt, to
which every involve might refer.
The Earl of HARDWICK& wee of opinion that unfree
some machinery were established for regulating the coo/true-
tion of merchant steamers en sa to ensure their being built
of eufficisat strength to carry heavy gene, which would
notarially income their coot and interfere with the (reelect
of trade, it wax tupelo.' to expect that merchant vessels could
be noels available for war perposes. Nor was it ceosseary,
coosidetiee the increased facilities for constructing, arming,
sad winning ships of wee whin h now existed, to rely upon
the merchant peewit" am an available source.
Their lordehipe then adjourned at twenty minutes pest
seven o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—THSIMDAT, JULT 14.
The thmaina task the chair at Om climates to 4 o'clock.
PUBLIC BUSINESS.
GREAT YARMOUTH ELECTION.
The 41FRAIER stated that he bad received a letter from
the sparrelpapetitiasera dating that it wee act intended to
proceed with the ration.
SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH COMPANY.
Sir S. NORTHCOTE sold be hod received stetter from the
deka= it this company in refinance to a metement made
by Masa a Romer meals, that the Fres& government had
Wyatt, ef diet over the English govsrament in transmit.
thew muse. by that line, saying that he (Sir S. Neethcete)
bad overlsobel a letter on the @object to the Mammy oil the
20th of Joe, sod that he was in error la layieg that the
=rent revs the Preach goverameat priority over the
geverenteat.
LONDON CORPORATION REFORM BILL.
Sir J. SHELLEY gave wedge glat is the grad of her
Majesty's reverential penaveriag el this lata.pmied of the
redoa with the bill Lr the reform of the Compendium of the
City it Ueda, he amid row la commas, that the veto